November 22, 2016

The

Minnesota State University, Mankato

www.msureporter.com

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016

Hmong Student Association hosts cultural event Hmong language, food, stories, and more takes center stage.

STEPHANIE VOGEL Staff Writer Hmong Culture Day took place in the CSU Ballroom on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was an event created to bring Hmong students together and share the Hmong culture with the public. The Hmong people originated from southeast Asia and immigrated to the United States in the 1970s as refugees after the Vietnam War and the Secret War. The Hmong Culture Day celebrated the resilience of the Hmong people in working their way up in the United States from oppression, poverty, and lack of education, to college students and professionals in a wide variety of fields.

The night was also a celebration of the Hmong New Year, which, according to Pinky Lor, the Cultural Coordinator for the Hmong Student Association, is “usually towards the end of the year. There’s not really a set date.”

The night was a bit different than a traditional New Year celebration, as explained

by Lor, “Traditionally, if you go to Laos or Thailand, the

Photo courtesy of Priscilla Yang New Year is taking place outside. You do ball tossing, there’s music going on, and performances.”

The night was very enlightening to a person who is not Hmong, as the language, food, stories, dances, songs, and even a play from the Hmong culture were presented. The Hmong language is tonal, meaning that vowels are pronounced

in a wide variety of ways to produce different meanings.

The speakers at the event first announced in Hmong and then translated into English, transporting the typical Minnesotan to another world. Many of the Hmong people at the event were wearing traditional clothing, some hand-made by their grandparents or other ancestors. The clothes

were bright and colorful, and some were jingling and glittering. One of the dances, Xyoob Qeeg Ncha, featured Hmong playing instruments which, according to Lor, are called “qeej” and made out of wood or bamboo.

“It’s a traditional Hmong instrumental. It’s played during the New Year and during celebrations, and also funerals,” Lor said. The food

was presented in a dinner during intermission and included rice, sausage, and sugary bubble tea.

Tou Ger Xiong, a Hmong activist and comedian, was the keynote speaker at the event.

Nai CJ Pang, the President of the Hmong Student Association, appreciated his presence at the event. “I think what I enjoyed the most was just having everybody there, having fun, and I think our keynote speaker that we had, he was really engaging,” Pang said.

The support which Hmong people have for each other was evident at the event.

Pang explained, “A lot of people drove two to four hours from St. Paul, St. Cloud, or Duluth to attend the event.

I feel really accomplished just because I believe this year we had the most outsiders come from outside of Minnesota State University, Mankato, or just Mankato in general, to come and support our event.”

The Hmong Culture Day helped bring about a sense of community among Hmong people and to inspire them and all of us to do great things and to be proud of who we are.

A Thanksgiving full of people and purpose One MNSU student takes another trip to Standing Rock, ND.

RACHAEL JAEGER Staff Writer Over Thanksgiving break, John Neitge, a voice for the Native American people, will take his sixth trip to Standing Rock, North Dakota since September. Neitge looks to discover how he can make the most of his time as to how it will benefit the tribe.

Neitge believes in using the resources available to him to make it easy for fellow students who would like to

TODAY’S FEATURED STORIES

help at the camp as the Sioux stands firm in their desire to protect their land. That includes sleeping bags, his van, and his own food.

“I try to make it as easy as possible for people to go out and do work at the camp,” Neitge said.

Since he has made the road trip several times, he also describes the setting to the people he talks to in the hopes it will create more of an awareness for the gravity of the situation at Standing

Rock.

What he has learned most about being at Standing Rock is to not be a tourist; in other words, it is not a camping trip. Not only has physical presence helped in preventing the pipeline from going in the ground, but a problem also arises when allies give more than what they take. For instance, if they arrive with a tent and sleeping bag, but forget firewood and ask for some, Neitge said that’s fine. But if they are not

helping out in the kitchen to feed everyone or not helping out with something to make the camp more productive, then he feels they shouldn’t be there.

“This is about the humanity of it all,” Neitge said. “Do you have the power as a human being to stand up to an injustice when it presents itself or are you going to choose to be silent and passive and not engage?”

If people have the passion to take that stand, that’s why

The unexplainable mystery of music

Mavericks, Gophers split series

A review of Batman: The Killing Joke

Page 4

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Neitge wants to be able to help as much as he can.

As an indigenous person himself, Neitge has accumulated his own passion and perspective over the years leading up to this event.

All he knows about his dad is that he was from

STANDING ROCK page 3

Have a story idea or a comment?

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News Editor Nicole Schmidt nicole.schmidt-3@mnsu.edu

2 • MSU Reporter

RACHAEL JAEGER Staff Writer Last week, the Minnesota State Student Association convened for a brief meeting before they headed down to play kickball against the Centennial Student Union and Activities administration where they lost 23 to 8.

Over 20 students, including

News

the senators, showed up to indulge in the fun.

The plus side is, the MSSA senators and students reached a higher score than they had for the last few years, President Facial Rayani said. The loser trophy is still sitting in the lounge until the winner’s trophy will replace it—hopefully next year.

At the very least, both

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

groups are able to relieve their stresses and escape from their offices for the time being and engage in a sport.

Rayani requested a call to action for all students to join them in the next kickball game to decrease the chance of losing.

Before they lost, the MSSA tabled a motion for Student Academic Affairs to look

into more information about granting undergraduate students more access to Graduate Students Leadership scholarships presently only considered for graduate students. The reason is that 75 percent of these scholarships often go unused and are not specified for either undergraduate or graduate students, yet the

system defaults to exclude graduate students. So since the funds go unused, the MSSA tabled the motion for Student Academic Affairs to research further as to what they can do to expand and include more students.

Trump drives teens to demonstrate though they can’t vote A high school senior, Yaocihuatl Reyes didn’t pay much attention to the presidential race until she found her teacher sobbing and her east Los Angeles classmates terrified that the election of Donald Trump would lead to the deportation of their families.

At that moment, the 17-year-old daughter of a nurse and security guard with little political upbringing said she felt driven to act.

She and a friend asked students from nearby high schools in the predominantly Latino neighborhood to meet at a park, where they decided to lead a walkout.

They made signs, wrote chants and mapped routes for the march to City Hall days later. Hundreds took part.

“We just wanted to go and tell our community that we’re here for them, we’re scared, too, but we’re not going to give up,” said Reyes, whose family is in the U.S. legally.

“This walkout was kind of for unity, to unify each other.”

Though too young to vote,

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press And experts say that kind of engagement can lead to increased activism when they are adults.

“The election has really promoted a feeling on the part of many people that just staying silent is being complicit, and so we’re seeing a huge uptick in engagement,” said Jennifer Earl, a professor of sociology

“It is an unusual show of political involvement on the part of young people.” thousands of high school students from Seattle to Silver Spring, Maryland, have taken to the streets since Trump’s election to protest his proposed crackdown on illegal immigration and his rude comments about women.

It is an unusual show of political involvement on the part of young people.

at the University of Arizona who researches the internet and social movements.

On the other side of the political divide, students have also rallied in support of Trump, though in smaller numbers.

The so-called millennial generation — the youngest adult generation — is the most racially and ethnically

diverse in the country now, according to the Washingtonbased Pew Research Center.

Nearly half of millennials identify themselves as political independents, more than in prior generations, according to Pew. Young people who are politically active and concerned about issues are more likely to vote once they turn 18, said Joseph Kahne, professor of educational policy and politics at the University of California, Riverside.

Many teens are using social media to spread the word about demonstrations. The best predictor of whether a young person attends a protest is whether he or she is asked to go, Kahne said.

Reyes said she had never even attended a political event until earlier this year, when she asked her mother to take her to a rally for Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Oregon teen Cole Sandlin said he, too, had never attended a political rally

before organizing one at his high school. He and a friend ordered flags online to support Trump, affixed them to their trucks and gathered in the parking lot before class on Election Day. The rally drew about 30 students.

“We thought, this is basically our first election that we’re involved in, that we ought to do something to show our political views,” said Sandlin, who turned 18 shortly after the election

and likes Trump’s promises to revamp health care and trade.

Sandlin said he has long been interested in politics and grew up watching the news with his father, a farmer in Silverton, Oregon. He said he plans to work on the farm after graduation but will keep up on political issues.

“If there was something I felt compelled to share my opinion, I wouldn’t have a problem doing that,” he said.

Nor would Reyes, who plans to attend college next year and major in political science, inspired by Sanders’ campaign. She said also wants to organize a community rally in east Los Angeles with speakers on topics such as criminal justice reform.

“It was kind of bizarre. I didn’t think people would come,” she said of the walkout. “I just kept telling my friends, ‘Wow, we actually did this. People actually came. It worked.’”

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

MSU Reporter • 3

News

STANDING ROCK Continued from page 1 Venezuela, while his mom was from Florida. Since his biological dad already had a family of his own, Neitge and his twin sister were put up for adoption. All he knows about himself is that he is a combination of Venezuelan, Native American, and possibly some British. As for the indigenous aspect, the DNA testing both twins took revealed they may have originated from as far as the southern tip of South America to Alaska.

Surprisingly, Neitge said he did not have as much interest in his ancestry as most adopted children do.

“I don’t really care who my family was,” he explained. “For me it’s about reconnecting with my people, I guess, and less so

about my family.”

Neitge says being Native American also means acknowledging the differences that he and other indigenous people share outside of being Dakota or Whapunon or Navajo. Part of it is the common struggles that they face, such as what is happening with the Dakota Access Pipeline in regards to land and resources.

“That’s been going on for ages,” Neitge said.

He also said that, personally, it’s hard for him to fight for an issue that stands with one nation, but it is easier to rally around the pan-Indian movements that affect everyone.

Neitge also feels a deeper spiritual connection to land since you cannot pick it up Photos courtesy of The Associated Press and take it with you like a tangible object. He said that, for Native Americans, spirituality has to do with where you were born. While he acknowledged that many places have meaning for various indigenous peoples, Standing Rock takes on a whole new perspective.

“What we’re doing right now is instilling spirituality into the land as well,” Neitge said. “I think a hundred years from now, Native American folks are going to look back at Standing Rock as being a place where we took a stand and we changed something.”

Neitge also noted how people have held a balance

of prayer, action, and good conversation at Standing Rock. He said prayer could be used as a means of guidance in how to coordinate action.

Most of all, Neitge believes and rests in his hope that Standing Rock will unify all Native Americans as a voice so in the future, they will take a stand for each other if needed.

Staff: Campus Pastor Wong, Pastor Roger Knepprath, Mark Probst, Vicar Wolf Parsons, RA Joel Faugstad

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016 EMAIL THE EMAIL THE EDITOR CHIEF: EDITOR IN IN CHIEF:

The unexplainable mystery of music One student tries to explain what science cannot.

Opinion

RAE MATTHEW FRAME EBERLINE alyssa.frame

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NICOLE SCHMIDT News Editor Not one production day goes by at The Reporter where music is not a topic of conversation. Many spirited discussions have occurred in the late hours of the night on these three and a half minute moments in time.

Over the past semester, I have truly begun to notice the influence music has on our lives. With music in our ears almost all hours of the day, it’s easy to say that music is a meaningful part of our daily lives.

But while students are in their own worlds, headphones poised in ears,

(CC BY 2.0) by ms.akr R&B, and so on, each genre presents entirely different sounds and beats while using virtually the same range of notes.

Even more curious is the fact that scientists have not found a logical or clear explanation for why people prefer the music they listen

“Even though music may be a mystery to science, it is very clear that music is a pivotal aspect of our lives.” many different genres are being played. Taste of music is a very curious concept.

From country to pop, to rap,

to. Many studies have been performed, and yet there is no common theme explaining what gets a person’s foot tapping. Even Charles Darwin

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“When I am sat down with my family, I am thankful for the food we have in front of us to eat.”

had no explanation for our draw to music, calling it one of “the most mysterious with which [humankind] is endowed”.

Even though music may be a mystery to science, it is very clear that music is a pivotal aspect of our lives. It is truly amazing that music that can get a person dancing could also get another yawning.

A while back, I watched a friend passionately explain a rap song to me, and promptly played it after. After the final bit of music faded out, he looked at me like he was waiting to see me have some sort of divine epiphany. I smiled politely and said it was nice and I liked it, but truthfully the song moved me very little. The shoe had been on the other foot many times as I have showed

certain Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, etc. songs to friends.

P.S. I can see through the façade, people; you’re not fooling me.

Taste in music is very individual, and that can sometimes be hard to accept, especially on long road trips with friends pining to listen to some indie artist you’ve never cared for. But I think the unexplainable aspect of music is what makes it so beautiful.

For whatever reason, a certain song may speak to you, and that is great.

Feeling completed related to a tune and its words for a whole three minutes and thirty seconds, and you are taken to another place. This is special, and I love how everyone experiences that in a different capacity.

“What are you thankful for?”

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Compiled by Jasmine Vorasane

QUINN FAHEY ETHNIC STUDIES

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LARISSA BLONG ENGLISH

MAKAYLA GATES NURSING

“My boyfriend and being able to attend school here, getting an education.”

“Life.”

“I’m thankful for my independence, having my own place and finding a job.”

“Health and family.”

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Feature Photo: The new University Dining Center

Here is a sneak peek of the inside of the new University Dining Center. The Dining Center is scheduled to open on Jan. 6.

Photo by Matthew Eberline

6 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, November 22, 2016 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

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thomas.wiita@mnsu.edu

Mavericks, Gophers split series Each team won their respective games at their home arenas.

COLT JOHNSON Staff Writer The Minnesota State Mavericks split the home-andhome series 1-1 this past weekend against the rivaled Minnesota Golden Gophers.

It was an unusual series for the Mavericks. Not because of what happened on the ice, but because of the amount of traveling both teams had to do in such a short time-period. Game one of the series was played here in Mankato at the Verizon Wireless Center this past Friday. In the previous seven games before facing Minnesota, The

Photo by David Bassey The Minnesota State men’s hockey team split the weekend series with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Mavericks outscored the Gophers in the two games played, 4-2.

Mavericks were in a bit of a rut. Minnesota State had only won two of the seven games they had played and were desperately searching for a win. They picked a great time to finally come out victorious.

The Mavericks opened up the first game with a goal mid-way through the first period by junior assistant-captain Brad McClure. Assisting on the first goal of McClure’s night was senior forward Michael Hunkerbrinker and freshman defenseman Ian Scheid. Shortly after the first goal, the Mavericks added another point to the scoring column in the first period on a power play goal by junior captain C.J. Franklin. Assisting on the goal for his second assist of the night was Scheid

HOCKEY PAGE 7

MNSU men’s basketball wins two in Seattle Mavericks open up the season 3-1 before they start NSIC play.

COREY YUMAN Staff Writer The Minnesota State men’s basketball team won two-straight games over the weekend on the road. MNSU hit the road for the second weekend in a row to take on the Seattle Pacific Falcons and the Central Washington Wildcats on Friday and Saturday in Seattle, Washington.

With the victories, the Mavericks move to 3-1 on the season, with their only loss coming via a double-overtime loss on November 12.

On Friday, they opened the weekend against Seattle Pacific. Junior guard Charlie Brown had 11 first-half points in what was a mostly a backand-forth half, but the Mavericks still went into halftime down by five points.

Starting the second half, Seattle Pacific maintained their lead for the first seven minutes of action before senior forward Jon Fuqua drained a jumper to put the Mavericks up by two. That would give them their first lead in nearly 13 minutes of play. Minnesota State did not let go of the lead for the rest of the game.

They would walk away with a nine-point victory, defeating Seattle Pacific 78-69.

Five Mavericks were able to score in the double-digits, with Brown leading the team with 22 points, sophomore guard Cole Harper had 15 points and eight rebounds, senior forward AJ Patty had 11 points and five rebounds, Fuqua had 14 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore guard Joey Witthus had 10 points.

The following night, the Mavericks took on Central Washington. The Mavericks maintained a lead throughout the majority of the first half, as they only trailed by

two points at one point. Mavericks’ senior guard Austin Aarias led the team in firsthalf scoring with 10 points, while Witthus recorded nine points and six rebounds.

With the game being tied at 41 at halftime, the Wildcats etched the first lead of the second half. They built their strongest lead of the game up to four points, but they failed to hold it. Just under eight minutes into the second half, Aarias hit a layup and the Mavericks would not give up another lead and eventually build up a double-digit lead and win 104-93.

The Mavericks had a great offensive performance, with three players reaching 20-plus points. Once again, Brown led the squad in scoring with 24 points and supplied six rebounds. Witthus notched himself a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Patty was a rebound shy of a double-double supplying 15 points and nine rebounds, and Aarias finished with 22 points.

Reporter Archives Sophomore guard Cole Harper contributed 15 points and eight rebounds during last Friday’s win over Seattle Pacific.

Harper is hitting 42.9 percent of his shots from the threepoint line in four games.

Minnesota State will continue their road play this upcoming weekend. The Mavericks will open up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play, as they will take on St. Cloud State on Saturday at 4 p.m., in St. Cloud. The Mavericks will play their fifth away game in

as many games. They will not have a home game until December 9, when they face the Winona State Warriors. The Huskies this season are 2-4, but they have won their last two meetings after starting the season.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

HOCKEY

MSU Reporter • 7

Sports

CONTINUED FROM 6

“‘Ultimately, I thought we played a good hockey game,’ Hastings said.

‘That’s what’s most important. I thought we got off to a good start and we needed some guys to step up, [including] some upper-classmen and I thought they did.’” and freshman forward Parker Tuomie.

In the beginning of the second period, the Mavericks got themselves into a bit of penalty trouble on a roughing call against sophomore forward Max Coatta. The Gophers then scored on the ensuing power play on a goal by Minnesota’s Tommy Novak.

After the Gophers brought the game within one, Minnesota State answered with not one, but two of their own goals in the second period.

Tuomie scored the first goal on a power play late in the period, and McClure scored the second goal for his second of the night.

The final score of game one of the series finished 4-1 in favor of the Mavericks.

Sophomore goaltender Jason Pawloski came out with the win, only allowing one goal on 25 shots. After the victory, Minnesota State’s head coach Mike Hastings shared his comments in a

press conference after the game.

“Ultimately, I thought we played a good hockey game,” Hastings said. “That’s what’s most important. I thought we got off to a good start and we needed some guys to step up, [including] some upper-classmen and I thought they did.”

Game one of the series went about as smoothly as they could have asked for.

The Mavericks would then travel for game two in Minneapolis in an attempt to sweep the University of Minnesota during the regular season for the first time since the 20102011 season. Unfortunately, game two did not see a lot of offense on the board, but there was plenty of action going on in the net for the Mavericks. Pawloski started his fifth game of the season for the Mavericks, and he saved 36 of 37 shots sent his way, according to Minnesota State’s athletic site. The lone

goal of the game was scored in the second period on a power play by Justin Kloos of the Golden Gophers. The final score of game two was 1-0 Minnesota, and the series was tied up 1-1 for the weekend.

The Mavericks are scheduled for a short holiday break over Thanksgiving weekend, but they will have to regroup together quickly for a home series against the Alaska Nanooks. Game one of the series will take place at the Verizon Wireless Center Friday, December 2 and 3. The puck is set to drop at 7:07 p.m. The Mavericks were able to split the series when visiting Alaska earlier this season. The Mavericks have performed well this season at home, holding a 6-2-1 record.

Photo by David Bassey Minnetonka-native Max Coatta has been rifling the shots on goal this season (18). He has two goals, three assists and six blocks on the young season for the Mavericks.

Rhodes closed: Vikings cornerback becoming a star EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Just last season, Minnesota Vikings coaches gave Xavier Rhodes boxing gloves to wear during drills in practice.

The idea was having Rhodes better learn how to effectively play cornerback without risking penalties for grabbing at the receiver.

Opponents aren’t winning many rounds with Rhodes these days.

Rhodes picked off Carson Palmer twice, including a 100-yard touchdown return that was the longest in team history, and helped lead the Vikings to a 30-24 victory over Arizona on Sunday that stopped their four-game losing streak. The fourth-year player, drafted by the Vikings in the first round out of Florida State with the selection they received from Seattle in the trade for wide receiver Percy Harvin, is tied for fourth in the NFL with four interceptions.

“Those are huge splash plays that everybody notices, but he’s tackling, doing everything right,” free safety Harrison Smith said. “He’s playing lights out.”

The performance was pro-

lific enough to trigger an NFL Network interview with Deion Sanders , the Pro Football Hall of Fame member and most famous of the many cornerbacks Florida State has produced. Sanders, who became well known for his flamboyance, teased Rhodes for not adding any flair to the end of his return.

Though he plays with plenty of fire, Rhodes isn’t much for show. He was too exhausted for a celebration by the time he reached the end zone for the first time since high school, so much so that he requested an oxygen mask on the sideline to help recover.

“My legs were dead,” Rhodes said, “and I was just tired.”

The receivers Rhodes has been covering lately have been worn out, too, from Kelvin Benjamin to Odell Beckham Jr. to DeAndre Hopkins.

Palmer threw in his direction nine times, with three completions for a total of 19 yards.

“This week coach said to play our defense, be aggressive and go out there and tackle. Tight coverage, sack the quarterback, and

this week we did all of that,” Rhodes said. “We accomplished all of our goals.”

Including, most importantly, victory. The defense didn’t escape blame for the losing streak, with one issue an overzealous attempt to produce the kind of momentum-changing plays that Rhodes had on Sunday. The problem is when players chase them, usually out of desperation to boost a struggling team, other issues often arise.

Rhodes and Smith, for example, each whiffed in overtime two weeks ago when they converged on Detroit wide receiver Golden Tate after a catch that he took into the end zone to win the game.

“We are all trying to make plays,” Rhodes said. “You just need to be disciplined.”

That’s just as important as aggression for a cornerback in this league, as Zimmer has long reminded his pupils.

Zimmer, who coached Sanders for five seasons as the defensive backs coach in Dallas, has developed an affinity for Rhodes since taking the job three years ago.

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press “If we would just play a solid, fundamental football game and let the big plays come to us, they do,” Zimmer said, adding: “They’re not always going to come, but you just have to do your job first and then the rest will happen.”

Just like that interception late in the second quarter with the Vikings clinging to a 13-10 lead and the Cardinals at third-and-goal at the 9. Palmer argued that cornerback Captain Munnerlyn

held the intended target, John Brown, before Rhodes swooped in from behind.

“I’m a competitive guy and he said he felt like his receiver was held on that play. I didn’t think so at all. I’m entitled to my space, and my space is on the field. He ran directly into me, so I jammed him up.

I didn’t grab. I didn’t yank. I let him go. Ball’s in the air,” Munnerlyn said. “Xavier, I don’t know where he came from, but he made the play and took it 100 yards.”

8 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Volleyball loses in NSIC tournament Top-seeded Concordia-St. Paul too much for the Mavericks.

block, and six digs.

This loss puts their final 2016 record at 16-13 with a 1011 conference record. They finished eighth in a loaded NSIC conference, arguably the toughest conference in Division-II. The Mavericks are still a relatively young team as five players were seniors this season. They should be heading into next season with some experience from the returning roster.

JAMES ANDERSEN Staff Writer The Minnesota State University volleyball team saw their season come to an end at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament. They were on fire towards the end of their regular season, winning seven of the last eight matches to propel them into the tournament. They came into the conference tournament as the final eighth seed and had to face top-seeded Concordia-St. Paul on November 16 at St. Paul.

This match, unfortunately, was not much of a contest.

The Golden Bears swept the Mavericks 3-0 with force. On the first set of the match, Concordia jumped out to an early 6-1 lead. Following a Mavericks timeout, it appeared to be much of the same game.

Concordia would have little

Photo by David Bassey The 2016 volleyball team’s season did not pan out well, as they did not start playing well until late in the season. The team will rely on mostly youth next year, hoping for better results.

”Senior Krista Hassing recorded a game-high 12 kills for the Mavericks.

Sophomore Autumn Risch had a teamhigh 23 assists and sophomore Maddie Keute recorded a team-high 16 digs.

Another impact player for the Mavs was junior Jackie Jones who contributed an ace, a block, and six digs.” two or three-score runs that ended up taking its toll on the opponent. MNSU’s next timeout came when they were down 20-10, but after that, there was no comeback and the Golden Bears won the first set 25-12.

The next set was closely contested by the Mavs for the majority of the match. The two teams were exchanging points up until the first timeout called by the Mavericks.

The score was 14-13 in favor of Concordia, but following the timeout Concordia broke off into a 7-1 run and expanded the lead to 21-14. MNSU had an insurmountable deficit, and the Golden Bears won the set 25-17.

The third and final set started off much like the previous one. MNSU and Concordia were exchanging points and keeping it close until the 9-9 mark. That’s when Concordia’s depth outweighed the Mavericks. The Bears started off with a 7-0 run to jump out to a 16-9 lead. Then the Mavs scored one more point until the Bears shut down the Mavs for the rest of the set.

Concordia won the third and final set by a score of 25-11.

Concordia had the advantage in every category on the stat sheet. They had 42 kills in the game compared to Minnesota State’s 26. The Bears had four aces while the Mavericks had two. Lastly, the Bears ended the match with 41 assists and 52 digs while

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the Mavs recorded 24 and 42.

Senior Krista Hassing recorded a game-high 12 kills for the Mavericks. Sophomore Autumn Risch had a team-high 23 assists and sophomore Maddie Keute recorded a team-high 16 digs.

Another impact player for the Mavs was junior Jackie Jones who contributed an ace, a

Krista Hassing

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Minnesota State University, Mankato

A&E

MSU Reporter • 9 Have a story idea or a comment?

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A&E Editor Gabe Hewitt

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Movie review: Batman: The Killing Joke Graphic novel adaptation fails to live up to the original’s Joker origin story.

CALEB HOLLDORF Staff Writer The Joker, the clown prince of crime, is arguably one of the most iconic villains to come on stage in comic book history and he returns to the big screen with the animated adaptation of Alan Moore’s famous graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988).

In the history of the Joker’s fictional life span, Batman: The Killing Joke is the most commonly referred to origin story of his existence and has had an enduring impact on the graphic novel community.

The comic follows the younger Joker (who at that time is given no real name) during his early days as a

(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by pullip_junk failed standup comedian who is struggling to support his pregnant wife. In desperation, Joker turns to the underworld life of crime to earn money, but trips into a toxic chemical tank, thus becoming the Joker.

Getting to see the adap-

tation of this legendary comic was bittersweet. Sweet because the anticipation of viewing this film was significant and my curiosity was heightened from the start of its reveal. Unfortunately, the film didn’t live up to the expectations: it wasn’t even

close.

In the opening sequence of the film, directed by Sam Liu, the viewer is shown a gratifying shot of the crime infested city of Gotham lit up at night. Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, begins to narrate the scene and break the fourth

wall by acknowledging the audience. She says, “I bet you didn’t expect for the story to start like this,” and she was right, but almost only because she pointed it out.

The film follows Barbara as the primary narrative pilot for the first thirty minutes or so, in an effort to serve as a prologue to the events that ensue. The beginning felt like an episode from Batman: The Animated Series where a small conflict happens over the course of 25 minutes.

This was done primarily due to the film not being able to have an adequate runtime with just an adaption of the graphic novel. The connection between the two halves is forced and consequently, the film added other unnecessary humanizing character-

KILLING JOKE

page 11

‘We ain’t never getting older’ with Chainsmokers’ ‘Closer’ Music video featuring Halsey examines a struggling relationship.

DAVID PARPART Staff Writer With the rising success of Chainsmokers’ two singles “Roses” and “Don’t Let Me Down”, comes the third, most successful and best-selling song to hit the Billboard charts, “Closer.”

The single dropped in late July and was received as an insta-smash debuting on the Hot 100 all the way up to number nine and zipping to number one in just three weeks. Early in the week of Oct. 24, the duo released the music video to the EDM chart-topper. As of today, it has reached over 50 million views as it finally brings to life the millennial romance anthem that celebrates youth and heartbreak. The song is considered a dedication to anyone that hooked up with their ex and right after remembered all the reasons why they broke up. So let’s break down the music video.

As anyone who’s heard

(CC BY-ND 2.0) by Disney | ABC Television Group the song knows, it is a duet between the lead singer Andrew Taggart and Halsey as they reminisce about the good that came out of the relationship. The video starts with them at a party talking

to their friends separately until they turn and recognized each other. We get to Taggart’s verse and we are shown throughout the video flashbacks of their first meeting to the spark that ignited in

the bedroom between them.

Taggart’s verse acknowledges that part of their relationship didn’t work out because he would get drunk.

The pre-chorus suggests that rush of memories and

emotions, mostly physical, leading to a hook up. The chorus describes the couple having sex, but also the attitude of the woman leading to her “rich kid” lifestyle that possibly was one of the reasons the relationship didn’t work out in the first place.

The chorus ends with the line “we ain’t never getting older.” This line is about living in the moment and acting for a little while like there are no consequences to one’s actions. They are in the moment that they will never leave and they can enjoy it for all that it is worth.

When we get to Halsey’s verse, we see her side as to how the relationship turned around. It’s a constant back and forth between the two as they indulge in the moment of being together only to remember why things ended to

CLOSER

page 11

10 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Rocky: 40 years later, he’s still a lovable underdog Classic starring Sylvester Stallone holds up well in cinema history.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — On Nov. 21, 1976, audiences met Rocky Balboa, the southpaw boxer from south Philadelphia. Four decades later, Sylvester Stallone’s lovable character resonates with fans drawn to his underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm.

The reach of “Rocky” is international, and the film serves as a slice of Americana. It is shorthand for Philadelphia as much as the Liberty Bell or Benjamin Franklin.

“Anytime we are speaking to overseas visitors ... the conversation always turns, at some point, to ‘Rocky,’” said Julie Coker Graham, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“They ask, ‘Have you met Rocky?” A lot of them think it’s an actual, real-life person.”

On the film’s 40th anniversary, a few reasons for its enduring legacy: LOVABLE UNDERDOG Written by Stallone in three days, fans fell hard for the ballad of Rocky Balboa.

For the uninitiated (SPOILER ALERT): The small-time boxer from the heavily Italian neighborhood of South Philly stumbles into a bout with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, fighting in the city to celebrate America’s bicentennial. To get him into fighting shape, Rocky (played by Stallone) is trained by the peppery Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), whose many one-liners make him a frequent scene stealer.

Rocky also finds love in the film with sheepish neighborhood pet store clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire). Though he ultimately loses the fight, Rocky proves himself and wins Adrian’s heart, making him the winner of much more than a title.

The film itself was a long shot, made on a budget of only $1 million and shot in 28 days, with a largely unknown cast, including Stallone himself. And it was shot in working-class Philadelphia, a city that — despite its roots as the crucible of freedom — had long had a chip on its shoulder as second-tier as compared to more cultured East Coast metropolises like New York and Boston. (It is worth noting that the film had its premiere in New York.)

CHEERS FOR ROCKY What the movie lacked in beauty, it made up for in heart, something that resonated with audiences worldwide. The film was the highest-grossing of the year,

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press earning $117 million at the North American box office and another $107 million overseas. “Rocky” received 10 Oscar nominations in nine categories at the Academy Awards, winning three: best picture, best director (John G. Avildsen) and best film editing. Stallone, Burgess and Shire were all nominated in acting categories, and Stallone was nominated for his screenplay.

“Rocky” is preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It was also ranked one of the greatest sports films ever made and is the second-best film

about boxing behind “Raging Bull,” according to the American Film Institute.

GONNA FLY NOW The score for “Rocky,” which was also nominated for an Oscar, was penned

by Bill Conti. The main song, “Gonna Fly Now,” was originally intended as filler for the training sequence marking Rocky’s journey from amateur to contender. The opening fanfare is among the most recognizable in American culture, and the soaring melody that plays on the melancholic theme woven throughout the movie is the backdrop to Rocky doing impressive one-armed pushups, punching meat in his

girlfriend’s brother’s butcher shop and running through Philadelphia’s Italian Market, along the Schuylkill River and past the shipyards.

Conti went on to win an Oscar for his score to 1983’s “The Right Stuff” and made music recognizable to millions in theme songs to “Dynasty” and “Falcon Crest.”

THE ROCKY STEPS AND STATUE The montage climaxes in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, as Rocky bounds up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raising his arms in triumph. Four decades later, the run and pose atop the steps are re-created daily in Philadelphia, mostly by tourists. In 1982, a statue of Rocky commissioned by Stallone for “Rocky III” was placed in the spot where he stood in the original film. Its current home is just to the right of the steps and is a selfie stop for visitors.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

American Music Awards guests talk ‘Hamilton’ and Pence LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stars at the American Music Awards are still thinking about the “Hamilton” cast’s statement to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, for which President-elect Donald Trump is demanding an apology.

Broadway star Idina Menzel said the theater is the perfect place to provoke thought, as the “Hamilton” cast did when they told Pence after a recent show that they hoped it would inspire him to work for all Americans.

“It’s the right place and it’s beautiful and that’s what theater’s all about: It’s about being thought-provoking,” Menzel said Sunday on her way into the American Music Awards, where she was set to take the stage as a presenter. “And it’s just unfortunate that someone who’s going to be our president doesn’t

embrace that as a freedom of speech and the arts, and sort of celebrate that moment... I’m really proud of all my friends in Hamilton and I thought it took a lot of courage.”

From the stage, she declared, “I love you ‘Hamilton!’”

Producer Diplo echoed her support for free speech.

“People can say whatever they want. That’s what’s great about America,” he said.

“That’s awesome those guys took a second to speak, and they made a story about it, so that’s even better. It breeds awareness.”

Actress Keke Palmer said the presidential nominees ushered in “a new age” with their disrespectful tone during the campaign.

“People should have a certain amount of respect for the government and the

president and the vice president, but the president and the vice president and all those people should have a certain amount of respect for the people that they’re catering to,” she said. “You can’t create a disrespectful atmosphere and then not expect the people to disrespect you back.”

Donnie Wahlberg, who came to the AMAs with wife Jenny McCarthy, said he thought the “Hamilton” cast remarks were “more appropriate than many other ways people have been speaking out.”

“They were respectful! I thought they were very respectful,” Wahlberg said.

“Maybe something like that’s never happened before, but I think the proper response was the one Mike Pence gave, which is, ‘We hear you.’ “

CLOSER Continued from page 9 begin with. The video ends with Halsey leaving the party and Taggert following her until she stops to turn around and look at each other.

When looking deeper into the song, we can notice a financial barrier between the two and that seems to have been part of what helped them to define themselves as separate from each other.

The writers of the song refer to this hook-up being pure-

ly physical. It’s all about the physical attraction and it’s a celebration, in a way, but it’s also a warning. The line “we ain’t never getting older” sums up the sentiment of the reunion, like the experience made you feel like nothing’s changed. It could also mean how we are stuck in time repeating a mistake of the past, not learning or growing from it, but it also refers to the light-heartedness of that pe-

MSU Reporter • 11

A&E

riod in our lives.

This song captures the struggle and difficulty that comes within a relationship when the emotional feelings aren’t there anymore, but the physical attraction still is. Even if you happen to run into your ex, just live in the moment of the good that the two of you shared, but also be cautious before you find yourself repeating a mistake from the past.

KILLING JOKE Continued from page 9 istics into Barbara’s story.

Once the primary lens of Barbara has been taken away from the film, the action shifts toward the relationship between Batman and Joker. A black and treacherous storm is shown as a visual symbol and the events that follow are considered to be some of Joker’s most sinister acts. In fact, one of my favorite quotes of the film comes when Batman visits a crime lord to get information on Joker.

He tells Batman, “in my line of work, we might be scared of you, but we’re terrified of him.”

The overall flow and environment of the film seems to change once the attention of the story is focused on following the graphic novel. Because of that, I thought the visual animation style feels like

it made a slight stylistic change.

During Barbara’s initial narrative, the animation felt smooth and more fluent. Once Joker comes into play, the animation slows down and moves from segment to segment, almost as if you are actually viewing the physical comic panel by panel. It added tension to the screen, but it also came off as a bit distracting.

Batman: The Killing Joke makes a few modern tweaks to the iconic old comic, but fails to capture its audience as a whole.

The direct adaption of the original Joker story is solid, but the miscellaneous side plots didn’t fit the puzzle.

Reporter Rating

2 5

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12 • MSU Reporter

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