December 3, 2019

TUESDAY DECEMBER 3, 2019

Mavericks advance to 3rd round in dominating fashion!

page 10

Members of the Minnesota State football team celebrate after defeating Colorado State Univeristy-Pueblo in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at the Blakeslee Stadium Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

Latino Affairs celebrates Las Posadas: Latin American tradition MARIA LY STAFF WRITER Minnesota State University, Mankato celebrated Las Posadas, a traditional religious holiday commonly celebrated in Latin America, at the Multicultural Center Nov. 26.

This year’s celebration was hosted by MNSU’s Latinx Affairs. The celebration featured a feast and fun activities.

Some of their festivities included a game of “juego de lotteria”- a Mexican traditional game similar to bingo. Winners of the game received prizes such as Latinx Affairs

sweaters and merch. The Latinx Student Union also conducted a gift exchange within the event.

The celebration was in observance of the religious holiday Las Posadas.

The holiday is commonly celebrated in Mexico but has expanded to other countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Las Posadas, which translates as “The Inns”, focuses on the nativity story and Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey to Bethlehem where they desperately were in search for a place to stay awaiting the birth of Jesus.

The holiday starts in Dec.

16 and lasts nine days to Dec. 24 - as the nine days commemorates the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy.

Traditionally, each night,

“Inside the home, prayer and songs continue as they enjoy a feast together ending with a star shaped piñata.” one family represents the holy family that agrees to house the “pilgrims”.

Nidia Mariscal, a student at MNSU from Matamoros,

IN THIS ISSUE: Hubbard Building Makeshift Store............. Page 2 Winter More Than Gloom........................... Page 4 Football Prevails........................................ Page 10 MNSU Faculty Feature.............................. Page 14

Tamaulipas, Mexico, said, “It’s kind of a gathering among neighbors and every single posada takes place at different houses.”

She continued, “When the posadas start there is a group of people that stand outside and some stand inside and we sing songs back

and forth. The people outside carry a baby Jesus and when the people inside lets us in we give the baby to the person who owns the house.

The person that has the baby brings it to the next posada and gives the baby to the next person and so on.”

Inside the home, prayer and songs continue as they enjoy a feast together ending with a star shaped piñata.

Children usually receive gifts.

Mariscal recounts this feast as in her family they usually had traditional Mexican food such as tamales, posole,

POSADAS page 2

WEATHER OUTLOOK: TUESDAY (12/3)

WEDNESDAY (12/4)

THURSDAY (12/5)

FRIDAY (12/6)

SATURDAY (12/7)

PRECIP. CHANCE: 1%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 2%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 8%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 0%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 7%

Partly sunny.

Plenty of sunshine.

Sun and patchy clouds.

Mostly sunny and colder.

Clouds and sun.

H 34 L 25

H 33 L 21

H 36 L 16

H 24 L 13

H 38 L 22

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Email News Editor Michael McShane

michael.mcshane@mnsu.edu

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Hubbard Building becomes makeshift store for students THOMAS BOWMAN STAFF WRITER The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was a hustle and bustle as college students ready their pop-up stores on Shop Small Saturday. On Nov. 30, students welcomed the shoppers of Downtown Mankato with warm apple cider and the selling of various local products from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

This year, Shop Small Saturday celebrates its 10th year of supporting local businesses. It is always the last Saturday of the month, which means it can land anywhere between Nov. 24-30. Shop Small Saturday is an event created by American Express in 2010, in the midst of the recession, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage shoppers to do more holiday shopping at small locally owned businesses.

The event was supervised by the Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Yvonne Cariveau. A shopper may wonder what the benefits are to shop locally.

“With every dollar spent at a local business, you know

Vendors dispplay their products at the Shop Small Saturday pop-up store at the Hubbard Building Thursday, Nov. 30, 2019 in Downtown Mankato, Minn. (Samuel Oluwadoromi/MSU Reporter)

for sure that 67 cents will be staying in the community,” Dr. Cariveau said.

This is reassuring due to the fact then when spending money with big corporate companies you have little to no information on where your money will end up. When owning a small business, local business owners have pros and cons while managing their business.

“You tend to work more

Probe can’t determine cause of Minneapolis high-rise fire MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Fire officials said Monday they could not determine the exact cause of a high-rise apartment fire that killed five people last week in Minneapolis and that a handful of factors may have contributed to igniting the blaze.

The Minneapolis Fire Department said Wednesday’s fire was accidental, originating in a bedroom wall in a unit on the 14th floor.

A fire incident report released Monday says electrical factors could have contributed to the blaze. But Assistant Chief Bryan Tyner said there were other possible factors, such as smoking materials and a baseboard heater.

“Each of those could’ve led to the fire,” Tyner said.

“They are sure it was an accidental cause, but they can’t narrow down or say exactly what the cause was.”

The report says the heat source, an item that first ignited and the type of material that was first ignited are all “undetermined.” The cause is listed as “unintentional” and the report says there

were no human factors that contributed.

State Rep. Mohamud Noor, who represents the predominantly immigrant neighborhood where the fire happened, said the report gives him some reassurance that authorities conducted a thorough investigation.

“It’s a little bit comforting, but at the same time, this was a tragic incident that took place,” he said.

The apartment building is 50 years old and was not required to have sprinklers due to its age. Noor said he is working on legislation that would require the retrofitting of most high-rise buildings to include sprinkler systems.

“That is something that we should have done a long time ago,” he said.

The State Fire Marshal Division estimates that fewer than 10 percent of the apartments in Minnesota are protected with fire sprinklers.

There were no state requirements for sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings until the 1979 Uniform Building Code took effect in late 1980.

hours,” Dr. Cariveau said.

“But you get to choose when those hours are.”

The hours of work for a small business owner in a way acts like a double-edged sword. You could be working many more hours than the average worker, but you have the choice to organize your work calendar so that it’s the most comfortable for your lifestyle. A perk about owning a small business is having options on staffing. “You generally decide who you get to work with,” Dr. Cariveau said.

It takes a load off one’s shoulders knowing they don’t have to worry about dealing with that one annoying coworker.

Shop Small Saturday had many unique pop-up shops available to buy from. One of these pop-up shops was an organic bath bombs, bath salts and soy candle shop called Le Luxe de Sydney. This small local business is owned by a local teen entrepreneur named Sydney Marcia. She was inspired to create bath bombs that were natural and organic. Only a small fraction of bath bomb companies use organic ingredients.

It is important to be aware of the local businesses, no matter where you are from.

Small business owners make up the community around you.

POSADAS

Continued from page 1 champurrado, cakes and cookies, etc.

As part of their Las Posadas celebration, MNSU’s Latinx Affairs held its own feast that included foods such as tamales, churros, chocolate abuelita, and candy.

Mariscal said, “I used to celebrate it when I was little. It was the best time of the year to be honest. We went to a different house every night, lots of food and friends.”

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MSU Reporter • 3

News

Congress pushes ahead on Trump impeachment with nation split WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is plunging into a landmark impeachment week, with Democrats who once hoped to sway Republicans now facing the prospect of an ever-hardening partisan split over the question of removing President Donald Trump from office.

Lawmakers were getting their first look at the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment report Monday night behind closed doors.

The findings are expected to forcefully make the Democrats’ case that Trump engaged in what Chairman Adam Schiff calls impeachable “wrongdoing and misconduct” in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democrats and Joe Biden while withholding military aid to the ally.

For Republicans offering an early rebuttal ahead of the report’s public release, the proceedings are simply a “hoax,” with Trump insisting he did nothing wrong and his GOP allies in line behind him. Trump tweeted his daily complaints about it all and then added a suggestive, if impractical, question: “Can we go to Supreme Court to stop?”

With the Judiciary Committee set to launch its first hearing Wednesday, the impeachment proceedings are presenting a historic test of political judgment in a case that is dividing Congress and the country.

Departing for a NATO meeting in London, Trump criticized the House for pushing forward Monday with proceedings while he was heading overseas, a breach of political decorum that traditionally leaves partisan differences at the water’s edge.

He predicted Republicans would actually benefit from the entire impeachment effort against him, though “it’s a disgrace for our country.”

For the Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces a critical moment of her leadership as she steers the process ahead after resisting the impeachment inquiry through the summer, warning it was too divisive for the country and required bipartisan support.

Speaking to reporters at the international climate conference in Madrid, Pelosi declined to engage with impeachment questions.

“When we travel abroad, we don’t talk about the president in a negative way,” she said.

“We save that for home.”

Possible grounds for impeachment are focused on whether Trump abused his office as he pressed Ukrainian

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 phone call to launch investigations into Trump’s political rivals. At the time, Trump was withholding $400 million in military aid, jeopardizing key support as Ukraine faced an aggressive Russia at its border.

The report, which the Intelligence panel will vote on Tuesday and make public, also is expected to include evidence the Democrats say suggests obstruction of Congress, based on Trump’s instructions for his administration to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony.

The next step comes when the Judiciary Committee gavels open its own hearing with legal experts to assess the findings and consider potential articles of impeachment ahead of a possible vote by the full House by Christmas.

That would presumably send it to the Senate for a trial in January.

The Democratic majority on the Intelligence Committee says its report, compiled after weeks of testimony from current and former diplomats and administration officials, will speak for itself in laying out the president’s actions toward Ukraine.

Republicans pre-empted the report’s public release with their own 123-page rebuttal.

In it, they claim there’s no evidence Trump pressured Zelenskiy. Instead, they say Democrats just want to undo the 2016 election. Republicans dismiss witness testimony of a shadow diplomacy being run by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and they rely on the president’s insistence that he was merely concerned about “corruption” in Ukraine — though the White House transcript of Trump’s phone call with Zelenskiy never mentions the word.

“They are trying to impeach President Trump because some unelected bureaucrats chafed at an elected President’s ‘outside the beltway’ approach to diplomacy,” according to the report from Republican Reps.

Devin Nunes of California, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Michael McCaul of Texas.

Trump on Monday pointed to Zelenskiy’s recent comments as proof he did nothing wrong. The Ukrainian president said in an interview he never talked to Trump “from the position of a quid pro quo,” but he didn’t say Trump did nothing wrong. In fact, he had strong criticism for Trump’s actions in the Time magazine interview.

With Ukraine at war with Russia, he said, its partners

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing, Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“can’t go blocking anything for us.”

Schiff said the GOP response was intended for an audience of one, Trump, whose actions are “outside the law and constitution.”

The finished Intelligence Committee report sets up the week’s cascading actions.

Democrats could begin drafting articles of impeachment against the president in a matter of days, with voting in the Judiciary Committee next week.

Republicans on the committee, led by Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, plan to rely on procedural moves to stall the process and portray the inquiry as a sham.

The White House declined an invitation to participate, with Counsel Pat Cipollone denouncing the proceedings as a “baseless and highly partisan inquiry” in a letter to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. Trump had previously suggested that he might be willing to offer written testimony under certain conditions, though aides suggested they did not anticipate Democrats would ever agree to them.

Cipollone’s letter of nonparticipation applied only to the Wednesday hearing, and he demanded more information from Democrats on how they intended to conduct further hearings before Trump

would decide whether to participate.

Nadler said Monday if the president really thought his call with Ukraine was “perfect,” as he repeatedly says, he would “provide exculpatory information that refutes the overwhelming evidence of his abuse of power.”

House rules provide the president and his attorneys the right to cross-examine witnesses and review evidence before the committee, but little ability to bring forward witnesses of their own.

Asked why not have his lawyers participate, Trump said Monday: “Because the whole thing is a hoax. Everybody knows it.”

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

FALL 2019 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

Winter brings more than ice and gloom

MADISON DIEMERT

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

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

CARLEY SONJU STAFF WRITER Winter can be dreadful, especially in the Midwest, and most definitely in Minnesota. While the snow and cold temperatures get in the way of some of the activities you can only do in the warmer seasons, they also open up some new possibilities for fun.

One of the winter activities I fell in love with is snowboarding. My local ski hill had a special called “5th Grade Fridays” where every Friday anyone in the fifth grade could get rental gear and a lift ticket for only $5. I decided to give it a try one day with one of my friends, and even though I could barely get my feet into the boots, I wanted to keep trying it. It was difficult at first, and I could barely get down the hill without falling, but I stuck with it all through that first winter. And the winter after that, and the one after that, all the way up until today. I am so glad I stuck with it because now snowboarding season is my favorite time of the year, and it makes me enjoy the winter instead of dreading it like I used to.

I recommend anyone to give snowboarding a try at least once. Having Mount Kato so close is something college students here at MNSU shouldn’t ignore. They even have a discount for col-

NEWS EDITOR: Michael McShane 507-389-5450 michael.mcshane@mnsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR: Andrew Neururer andrew.neururer@mnsu.edu A&E EDITOR: Kolby Spomer kolby.spomer@mnsu.edu

Photo courtesy of Flickr

lege students on Thursday nights, which I will be taking advantage of this winter for sure.

One of the reasons I love

that you maybe shouldn’t go down just yet. I always have a great time snowboarding with my friends.

Snowboarding is a pro-

“One of the reasons I love snowboarding so much is because of the friends I have met while doing it.” snowboarding so much is because of the friends I have met while doing it. Everyone is super laid-back and easy to get along with. They can push you to try new things on the slopes or talk you out of a run

gressive sport, and it takes more than a couple tries to get coordinated enough to go down the hill without falling, but it is important to not get discouraged if you don’t get the hang of it right away.

I suggest bringing a friend along to try so you can help each other out if needed.

It has also opened me up to skiing. I didn’t ski for the first time until I had been snowboarding for around five years, so I was pretty comfortable on the snow, but I also loved the new challenge of skiing. I have also known people who started out snowboarding and switched to skiing because they enjoyed it more, and vice versa.

Both activities are fantastic ways to spend the winter and I encourage everyone to try either one out at least once. It can bring a new light to winter that you’ve never noticed before!

“What are your plans for winter break?”

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“Probably going to travel for a bit.”

“I got work.”

“Go onto Youtube.”

“I’m going to be working at the YMCA.”

“Flying to Washington.”

ADVERTISING SALES: Cody VanDenEinde 507-389-5097 cody.vandeneinde@mnsu.edu Nathan Norman 507-389-5453 nathan.norman@mnsu.edu Kali Andriano-Allard 507-389-6765 kali.andriano-allard@mnsu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MSU Reporter • 5

News

Finals are scary, but you’re not alone HELLEN AKINYI STAFF WRITER

MICHAEL MCSHANE NEWS EDITOR The 2010s are finally ending.

The curtains are closing on a decade where the United States sent the first African-American to the White House and legalized gay marriage nationwide. Internationally, multiple dictators have lost their power, terrorist groups were defeated and international communication exploded, and even with all that said – I am glad we are leaving this decade.

This decade also left us with a bad taste in our mouths. We had horrific gun violence, an environment wasting away and countries at each other’s throats with world powers failing the leadership test.

The 2020s is the last chance we have for changing things that could very well be untraversable come 2030.

Whether you like it or not, global warming will become one of the largest issues tackled in the approaching decade.

We’re already getting snippets of what’s to come, but now we are in the decade where our choices and decisions make a very lasting difference.

We’ll also have to deal with the rise in authoritarianism. Country leaders such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro who is currently blaming a Hollywood star for burning his country, or Russia’s Vladamir Putin who is currently ranked as one of the most powerful people alive and his dealings with the past U.S. presidential election has caused a national crisis.

This trend of people who not only potentially abuse their power, but are willing to do anything to keep it is desturbing and should be looked at with a wide lens. Even with Donald Trump as president, I don’t think we’ll ever get as far as those countries, but we’re now about to enter a decade where anything could happen and there is massive distrust in our world leaders.

The 2020s should be the reset button we need. Next year we are either getting four more years or a new president. The person who stands in front of the nation come January 2021 to take the oath of office will have a massive effect on how the new decade turns out.

Coming from a different country with a totally different education system, it took me a minute to get a grasp of the U.S. system.

This is going to be my first finals week and honestly, I am not sure how I will process it. I mean there is much going on in campus right now about finals and how to prepare for it. But again, we had the whole semester to prepare for it and maybe one more week will make a difference to some.

That little final extra push before your finals can probably get your GPA a little higher.

So, this is coming from an international student who has no idea how the American education system works and will find out about GPAs for the first time at the end of this semester.

If you know what the final push might do to your GPA, then go for it - do you.

There are so many ways to prepare for the finals, like earlier today they had a table which gave out free stress kits, because with finals approaching, stress is literally right the corner and most students are anxious about it.

One of the ways I try to

prepare for finals, considering I just have two to worry about, was by surfing the internet for resources. I needed to know what I was getting into and how I could possibly handle this.

My friends, who are juniors and seniors, aren’t freaking out as much because apparently the number of finals one has as the years progress decreases. That’s a good thing, right?

It’s the professors’ choice to decide if they going to give a final exam or not because they are the ones to set it.

That’s fair, and also, maybe they know how much pressure a student may be getting from the other classes

and decide not to give finals for their class. Again, that’s fair and thoughtful.

So for my fellow freshmen, finals week gets better as we progress. I don’t know if we will be way stressed with less papers on our hands or if we will be okay. But what I know for sure is that the number of finals you are going to have during finals week decreases as the ladder increases. Take it easy on yourself.

It’s just your first semester. Besides, you will have a chance to boost that GPA next semester.

So don’t go crazy about the upcoming week. Breathe.

Drink enough water. Get enough sleep. You will be okay.

Trump administration quietly releases Lebanon military aid WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has quietly released more than $100 million in military assistance to Lebanon after months of unexplained delay that led some lawmakers to compare it to the aid for Ukraine at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

The $105 million in Foreign Military Financing funds for the Lebanese Armed Forces was released just before the Thanksgiving holiday and lawmakers were notified of the step on Monday, according to two congressional staffers and an administration official.

All three spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the matter.

The money had languished in limbo at the Office of Management and Budget since September although it had already won congressional approval and had overwhelming support from the Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council. The White House has yet to offer any explanation for the delay despite repeated queries from Congress.

Lawmakers such as Rep. Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., had been pressing the administration since October to either release the funds or explain why it was being withheld.

The State Department had notified Congress on Sept.

5 that the money would be spent.

Earlier this month, the delay came up in impeachment testimony by David Hale, the No. 3 official in the State Department, according to the transcript of the closed-

door hearing. Hale described growing consternation among diplomats about the delay.

The White House and the Office of Management and Budget have declined to comment on the matter. The State Department had offered only a cryptic response to queries, defending the assistance but also calling for Lebanese authorities to implement economic reforms and rein in corruption.

As with the Ukraine assistance, OMB did not explain the delay. However, unlike Ukraine, there has been no suggestion that President Donald Trump is seeking “a favor” from Lebanon in exchange for the aid, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The delay had frustrated the national security community, which believes the

assistance that pays for U.S.made military equipment for the Lebanese army is essential, particularly as Lebanon reels from financial chaos and mass protests.”

The aid is intended to help counter Iran’s influence in Lebanon, which is highlighted by the presence of the Iranian-supported Shiite Hezbollah movement in the government and the group’s militias, officials have said.

“Holding the money weakened the Lebanese military just at the moment that they were holding the country together,” Sen. Murphy said in response to the release.

“There’s literally nothing in the Middle East this White House can’t screw up.”

Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., who joined Engel in demanding an explanation for the delay, said he was “pleased to see this critical aid finally re-

suming. Our assistance is crucial to help Lebanon counter Iran-backed Hezbollah and other groups threatening the region.”

Some pro-Israel members of Congress have sought to defund the Lebanese military, arguing that it has been compromised by Hezbollah, which the U.S. designates as a “foreign terrorist organization.” Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has long advocated cutting the assistance and is expected to introduce legislation that would bar such aid as long as Hezbollah is part of Lebanon’s government.

The Pentagon and State Department reject that view, saying the army is the only independent Lebanese institution capable of resisting Hezbollah.

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Legal reckoning: New abuse suits could cost church over $4B NEW YORK (AP) — At the end of another long day trying to sign up new clients accusing the Roman Catholic Church of sexual abuse, lawyer Adam Slater gazes out the window of his high-rise Manhattan office at one of the great symbols of the church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

“I wonder how much that’s worth?” he muses.

Across the country, attorneys like Slater are scrambling to file a new wave of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by clergy, thanks to rules enacted in 15 states that extend or suspend the statute of limitations to allow claims stretching back decades. Associated Press reporting found the deluge of suits could surpass anything the nation’s clergy sexual abuse crisis has seen before, with potentially more than 5,000 new cases and payouts topping $4 billion.

It’s a financial reckoning playing out in such populous Catholic strongholds as New York, California and New Jersey, among the eight states that go the furthest with “lookback windows” that allow sex abuse claims no matter how old. Never before have so many states acted in near-unison to lift the restrictions that once shut people out if they didn’t bring claims of childhood sex abuse by a certain age, often their early 20s.

That has lawyers fighting for clients with TV ads and billboards asking, “Were you abused by the church?” And Catholic dioceses, while worrying about the difficulty of defending such old claims, are considering bankruptcy, victim compensation funds and even tapping valuable real estate to stay afloat.

“It’s like a whole new beginning for me,” said 71-yearold Nancy Holling-Lonnecker of San Diego, who plans to take advantage of an upcoming three-year window for such suits in California.

Her claim dates back to the 1950s, when she says a priest repeatedly raped her in a confession booth beginning when she was 7 years old.

“The survivors coming forward now have been holding on to this horrific experience all of their lives,” she said.

“They bottled up those emotions all of these years because there was no place to take it.”

Now there is.

AP interviews with more than a dozen lawyers and clergy abuse watchdog groups offered a wide range of estimates but many said they expected at least 5,000 new cases against the church

In this Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, photo, attorney Adam Slater, left, checks his phone during a working lunch with lawyers in his firm including partner Jonathan Schulman, second from left, Steven Alter, second from right, and Linc Leder, in Melville, N.Y. Slater said since New York state opened its one-year window allowing sex abuse suits with no statute of limitations, his firm has signed up nearly 300 new clients. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

in New York, New Jersey and California alone, resulting in potential payouts that could surpass the $4 billion paid out since the clergy sex abuse first came to light in the 1980s.

Lawyers acknowledged the difficulty of predicting what will happen but several believed payouts could exceed the $350,000 national average per child sex abuse case since 2003. At the upper end, a key benchmark is the average $1.3 million the church paid per case the last time California opened a one-year window to suits in 2003. That offers a range of total payouts in the three big Catholic states alone from $1.8 billion to as much as $6 billion.

Some lawyers believe payouts could be heavily influenced by the recent reawakening over sexual abuse fueled by the #MeToo movement, the public shaming of accused celebrities and the explosive Pennsylvania grand jury report last year that found 300 priests abused more than 1,000 children in that state over seven decades. Since then, attorneys general in nearly 20 states have launched investigations of their own.

“The general public is more disgusted than ever with the clergy sex abuse and the cover-up, and that will be reflected in jury verdicts,” said Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney who was at the center of numerous lawsuits against the church in that city and was portrayed in the movie “Spotlight.”

Said Los Angeles lawyer Paul Mones, who has won tens of millions in sex abuse cases against the church going back to the 1980s: “The zeitgeist is completely un-

favorable to the Catholic Church.”

For Mones, the size of lawsuit payouts under the new laws could hinge on whether most plaintiffs decide to settle their cases with dioceses or take their chances with a trial.

“The X-factor here is whether there will be trials,” he said. “If anyone starts trying these cases, the numbers could become astronomical.”

Since the 15 states enacted their laws at different times over the past two years, the onslaught of lawsuits is coming in waves.

This summer, when New York state opened its oneyear window allowing sexual abuse suits with no statute of limitations, more than 400 cases against the church and other institutions were filed on the first day alone. That number is now up to more than 1,000, with most targeting the church.

New Jersey’s two-year window opens this week and California’s three-year window begins in the new year, with a provision that allows plaintiffs to collect triple damages if a cover-up can be shown. Arizona, Montana and Vermont opened ones earlier this year. Even one of the biggest holdouts, Pennsylvania, is moving closer to a window after legislators voted last month to consider amending its constitution to make it easier to pass one.

Already, longtime clergy abuse lawyer Michael Pfau in Seattle says he’s signed up about 800 clients in New York, New Jersey and California. Boston’s Garabedian says he expects to file 225 in New York, plus at least 200 in a half-dozen other states. Another veteran abuse litigator, James Marsh, says he’s col-

lected more than 200 clients in New York alone.

“A trickle becomes a stream becomes a flood,” Marsh said. “We’re sort of at the flood stage right now.”

Church leaders who lobbied statehouses for years against loosening statute-of-limitations laws say this is exactly the kind of feeding frenzy they were worried about. And some have bemoaned the difficulty of trying to counter accusations of abuse that happened so long ago that most witnesses have scattered and many of the accused priests are long dead.

“Dead people can’t defend themselves,” said Mark Chopko, former general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“There is also no one there to be interviewed. If a diocese gets a claim that Father Smith abused somebody in 1947, and there is nothing in Father Smith’s file and there is no one to ask whether there is merit or not, the diocese is stuck.”

Slater’s Manhattan offices

may have views of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, spiritual home of New York City’s Catholic archdiocese, but ground zero for his church abuse lawsuit operation is a call center, of sorts, about an hour’s drive away in suburban Long Island, in an office building overlooking a parking lot.

There, headset-wearing paralegals in a dozen cubicles answer calls in response to ads on talk radio and cable TV news channels pleading: “If you were sexually abused by a member of the clergy, even if it happened decades ago ... you may be entitled to financial compensation.”

That pitch spoke to 57-year-old Ramon Mercado, who had long kept silent about the abuse he suffered in the 1970s, in part because he didn’t want to upset his devout Catholic mother.

Since her recent death, he’s ready to talk about the New York City priest who invited him into his Plymouth sedan to warm up on a cold day and ended up molesting him hundreds of times over the next three years.

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MSU Reporter • 7

8 • MSU Reporter

Where to Worship

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Where to Worship

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MSU Reporter • 9

10 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

EMAIL

Sports Editor Andrew Neururer

andrew.neururer@mnsu.edu

MSU football prevails over CSU-Pueblo Maverick’s defense limited ThunderWolves offense to seven points ANDREW NEURURER SPORTS EDITOR The Minnesota State Mavericks football team prevailed over the CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, winning 35-7.

The Mavericks defense set the tone for the game, shutting down the ThunderWolves on their first drive. After the CSU-Pueblo punt, the Mavericks offense kicked things off with a 34-yard touchdown run from senior Ryan Schlichte.

The Mavericks got out to a 14-0 lead after senior Nate Gunn picked up a nine-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

With almost three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Gunn picked up his second touchdown of the day on a four-yard run.

The ThunderWolves responded quickly, taking only two plays to get their first and only touchdown of the game.

The Mavericks went into the half with a 21-7 lead.

Just a minute into the second half, junior JD Ekowa

Minnesota State running back Nate Gunn (23) runs with the ball during the first half of an NCAA Division II playoff against Colorado State Univeristy-Pueblo at the Blakeslee Stadium Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

found senior Shane Zylstra for a 74-yard touchdown. Zylstra caught the ball deep over the middle and outrun the defenders for a 28-7 lead.

Ekowa would score the final touchdown of the game in the third quarter on an eight-

yard run.

The defense was stout once again, creating havoc for CSU-Pueblo’s quarterback Jordan Kitna. He would finish with just 71 yards and two interceptions.

Junior Cade Johnson and

senior Zach Robertson were responsible for the two interceptions.

Where the ThunderWolves had some success was on the ground. They had 133 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Lindsay Marcus was the main

contributor of that, gaining 92 yards.

Junior Thomas Brayden led the way with two and a half sacks, causing a loss of 15 yards. Seniors Garret Jansen and Jordan Bergren combined for one and a half sacks on the day.

Along with the interception, Johnson led the team with 10 tackles.

Ekowa led the way passing the ball, collecting 161 yards and the lone passing touchdown. However, he did pickup two interceptions along the way. Schlichte went 5-of-7 with 96 yards.

Zylstra picked up most of the yards in the passing attack, finishing with 153 yards and a touchdown.

The Mavericks did most of their damage on the ground with the frigid temperatures.

Gunn led the team with two touchdowns and 74 yards.

Following him were the quarterback tandem of Schlichte and Ekowa, finishing with 66 and 56 yards respectively.

MSU will face Texas A&MCommerce next in the third round of the playoffs Saturday at the Blakeslee Stadium.

Men’s hockey Mav-handles Minnesota Duluth MEL STRAMM STAFF WRITER Last weekend, the Minnesota State Mavericks men’s hockey team faced in-state rivals as the men traveled up north to take on the defending national champions, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

MSU was unable to beat Duluth last year, losing 4-3 in a neutral site game in Arizona.

However, this year the No.8-ranked Bulldogs came in with a 7-4-1 record and stood no chance against the No. 1 Mavericks, who looked stronger than ever and ultimately swept the series.

It was a particularly successful weekend for sophomore goaltender Dryden McKay, who upped his record to 111-1 and for junior center Jake Jaremko, who scored the first and last goal in Saturday’s match.

Senior Marc Michaelis opened the weekend’s scoring Nov. 29, in the second pe-

Minnesota State forward Jake Jaremko (5) skates with the puck against Alaska Anchorage at the Mankato Civic Center Saturday Nov. 23, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

riod with a give-and-go shot by senior Marc Michaelis right

past the UMD goalie.

With MSU on the power

play, the duo then did it again four minutes later as Tuomie

HOCKEY page 13

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MSU Reporter • 11

Sports

Women’s basketball wins, men’s falls short JENNA PETERSON STAFF WRITER

The Minnesota State Mavericks men and women’s basketball teams both played hard this last weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The women’s team traveled to Somers, Wisconsin to face the UW-Parkside Rangers.

The men’s team took part in the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Cherry Creek Classic in Denver, Colorado, where they played against the Regis Rangers and Metropolitan State Roadrunners.

The women’s game on Saturday began with a slow start, with neither team being able to take a significant lead in the first quarter. At the end of the quarter, the Mavericks were able to hold a 24-22 edge.

Things started to get intense when the Rangers were able to start the second quarter with a 7-0 run, which helped them build a 41-37 lead with 1:48 left in the first half. MSU ended the first half with a 7-0 run, as sophomore Rylee Menster scored five points in the final minute to take a 4441 lead into the break.

During the third quarter, Minnesota State outscored the Rangers 22-10, taking a 66-51 advantage into the fourth.

Parkside started the fourth

Minnesota State forward Cameron Kirksey (21) goes up for a layup against Crown College at the Taylor Center Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

quarter with a 25-11 run and cut the Maverick lead to one point. Throughout the game, this would be the closest the Rangers would get as the Mavericks were able to bring the heat and gain a five-point lead, forcing the Rangers to foul to keep the game alive.

MSU would close the game out and win by a final score of 91-83.

Freshman Joey Batt led the Mavericks in scoring with 17 points and brought in five re-

bounds and a pair of steals.

Juniors Tayla Stuttley, Rachel Shumski and Menster all scored in the double digits with 15, 14, and 10 points respectively.

As a team, Mankato converted on 23 free throw attempts, compared to the 13 from Parkside. The women’s basketball team has two homes games this weekend against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls.

The men’s basketball team

didn’t have as much luck this last weekend against the Rangers and Roadrunners.

The first game against Regis started with a Ranger lead of 12-3, resulting in a timeout from the Mavericks. After the break, MSU scored four straight points before Regis scored six of their own. The scored eight straight following that to cut the Ranger lead to 18-15 with 11:45 left in the first half.

Out of the media timeout, sophomore Tre Baumgardner drilled a fast break three and drew the foul for the fourpoint play and gave the Mavericks their first lead of the game at 19-18. From here, the Rangers went on a 31-15 run, punctuated by three-pointers on three straight possessions to take a 49-34 lead into halftime.

At the half, senior Cameron Kirksey led the team with nine points and freshman Ryland Holt followed with eight.

To start the second half, the Mavericks immediately launched to an 8-2 run and shrunk the Regis lead to 5142. Following an early timeout from the Rangers, they proceeded to extend their lead to 20 points, relying heavily on the 3-point shot.

In the last three minutes, MSU pressured every possession and forced Regis into turnovers and cut the lead down by eight points with 1:42 to go in the game after a 22-6 run. Even with the pressure, the Rangers were able to survive the late attack and won the game 97-89.

Kirksey had a team high of 21 points and added four rebounds.

Freshman Malik Willingham

BASKETBALL page 12

Women’s hockey splits in Windjammer Classic MEL STRAMM STAFF WRITER Last weekend the Mavericks women’s hockey team took part in the Windjammer Classic Tournament in Burlington, Vermont and came out in third place.

Unfortunately, Friday’s game would present itself as more of a challenge for the Mavericks, as they faced off against the No. 7-ranked Clarkson Golden Knights.

CU scored twice within the first two periods and MSU remained scoreless throughout the game.

Mavericks sophomore goaltender Abigail Levy made 30 saves in this first game of the tournament and the Mavericks were outshot by the Golden Knights by a 34-21 margin.

Saturday would look brighter for MSU as they were able to come out on top with a 2-0 shutout win against the University of Vermont Catamounts. No goals were scored within the first two periods of the game.

Minnesota State defenseman McKenzie Sederberg (9) shoots the puck against Bemidji State at the Mankato Civic Center Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Kjerstin Hall/MSU Reporter)

It wasn’t until Sophomore blueliner Anna Wilgren, who scored her third game winning goal of the season, to ensure the Mavericks lead.

Despite Vermont being on a power play, sophomore winger Claire Butorac scored her fifth goal of the season with only four seconds left in

the game.

Freshman Calla Frank (4-31) made 23 saves and helped stop all six Catamounts power play opportunities in her sec-

ond shutout of her career.

The women’s team will play the University of Minnesota this Saturday in Prior Lake for the Hall of Fame Classic.

12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

AP Top 25 Reality Check

The Associated Press college football poll is a subjective and mostly backward-looking assessment, especially late in the season.

Voters sprinkle in some speculative forecasting when trying to order the plethora of teams that have never played. Would Team A beat Team B? But mostly, a ranking is a reward for accomplishments.

On Sunday, voters in the AP Top 25 presented

by Regions Bank faced an unusual task: Where to rank an Alabama team with two losses at the end of the regular season? The Crimson Tide had not been outside the top-five in the AP poll since early November 2015, a record string of 68 straight poll appearances. The Crimson Tide had not lost more than one regular-season game since 2010.

The Tide landed at No. 9 in the latest rankings, which looked weird. According to RJ Bell of Pregame.com, Alabama would be favored on a neutral field against No. 5 Utah (by three points), No. 6 Oklahoma (by 2), No. 7 Florida (by 6½), and No. 8 Baylor (by 11½). No. 4 Georgia and Alabama would be a pick’em. Forward-looking advanced analytics such as ESPN’s FPI and SP+ are bullish on the Tide. Same goes for the more old-school computer Sagarin ratings.

But with only championship weekend remaining for everybody but Army and Navy, the Tide counts not one victory against another ranked team on its list of accomplishments this season.

Reality check is OK with the way the AP voters treated the Tide, though resume should not always carry the day.

No. 1 LSU (12-0) Next: vs. No. 4 Georgia, SEC championship.

Reality check: The Tigers had a season-high six sacks against A&M. That questionable defense now ranks 28th in the country in yards per play (5.11). Not too bad.

Ranked: Too high. Yep. No. 2 Ohio State (12-0) Next: vs. No. 10 Wisconsin, Big Ten championship.

Reality check: Facing an offense with weapons and a pretty good plan, the Buckeyes’ D showed some vulnerability for the first time against Michigan. But offense wins championships these days and Ohio State’s got all the firepower you could want.

Ranked: Put ’em No. 1.

No. 3 Clemson (12-0) Next: vs. No. 22 Virginia, ACC championship.

Reality check: No one has ever been more slighted by having his team called the third-best in the country as Dabo Swinney has this season.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 4 Georgia (11-1) Next: vs. No. 1 LSU, SEC championship.

Reality check: Even in an easy victory against Georgia Tech, QB Jake Fromm completed fewer than 50% of his passes for the fourth straight game.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 5 Utah (11-1) Next: vs. No. 13 Oregon, Pac-12 championship, Friday.

Reality check: Utes TE Brant Kuithe is third on the team in rushing touchdowns with three and is averaging 14.6 yards on his five carries.

Pretty cool.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 6 Oklahoma (10-1) Next: vs. No. 8 Baylor, Big 12 championship.

Reality check: The Sooners showed against Oklahoma State they can be dominant if they can just hold on to the football.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 7 Florida (10-2) Next: TBD. Reality check: Among nonHeisman Trophy contenders, Kyle Trask (24 touchdowns, six interceptions, 159.24 efficiency rating) has been the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 8 Baylor (11-1) Next: vs. No. 6 Oklahoma, Big 12 championship.

Reality check: Plus-12 turnover margin leads the Big 12 and is tied for fifth nationally.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 9 Alabama (10-2) Next: TBD. Reality check: WR Jaylen Waddle is so fast he makes fast guys look slow.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 10 Wisconsin (10-2) Next: vs. No. 2 Ohio State, Big Ten championship.

Reality check: One bad quarter against Illinois is keeping the Badgers out of the playoff picture.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 11 Auburn (9-3) Next: TBD. Reality check: The Tigers won the Iron Bowl and scored 48 points with their quarterback completing 50% of his passes for 5.8 yards per attempt. Strange game.

Ranked: About right.

No. 12 Penn State (10-2) Next: TBD. Reality check: The Nittany Lions played 12 games and never really found an offensive identity, and could still end up in the Rose Bowl.

Ranked: About right.

No. 13 Oregon (10-2) Next: vs. No. 5 Utah, Pac12 championship, Friday.

Reality check: By almost every measure, QB Justin Herbert had a darn good season (31 touchdowns, five interceptions, 8.2 yards per pass). Yet it feels as if the Ducks did not maximize his potential.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 14 Notre Dame (10-2) Next: TBD. Reality check: The highest scoring team (37.1 points per game) of coach Brian Kelly’s 10 seasons.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 15 Minnesota (10-2) Next: vs. TBD. Reality check: Gophers are a troublesome team to rank, with a head-to-head victory against Penn State — but not much else to get excited about.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 16 Memphis (11-1) Next: vs. No. 21 Cincinnati, AAC championship.

Reality check: The Tigers have SEC-level playmakers on offense.

Ranked: Little too high.

No. 17 Michigan (9-3) Next: TBD. Reality check: If the Wolverines could just get Ohio State off the schedule.

Ranked: Too low. Should be between Penn State and Notre Dame.

No. 18 Iowa (9-3) Next: TBD. Reality check: The Hawkeyes held nine opponents under 200 yards passing. The other three each went over 300 yards in the air, but none of those broke 100 rushing.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 19 Boise State (11-1) Next: vs. Hawaii, MWC championship.

Reality check: Three quarterbacks and only one loss.

Been a resilient group of Broncos.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 20 Appalachian State (11-1) Next: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Sun Belt championship.

Reality check: One clunker at Georgia Southern away from maybe being in line for a New Year’s Six bowl.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 21 Cincinnati (10-2) Next: at No. 16 Memphis, AAC championship.

Reality check: Wil be an interesting debate for the Group of Five spot in the New Year’s Six if the Bearcats beat Memphis. How much should UC be punished for losing to Ohio State?

Ranked: Too low.

No. 22 Virginia (9-3)

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

BASKETBALL

Continued from page 11

Minnesota State guard Shea Fuller (11) dribbles the ball during a game against Michigan Tech at the Taylor Center Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Kjerstin Hall/MSU Reporter)

and Holt came off the bench and finished second and third in scoring with 19 and 16 points respectively.

The Mavericks shot 48.5% from the floor, but the difference was Regis making 27 free throws and MSU only 15.

On Saturday, the Mavericks took on Metropolitan State and fell short of a win.

In the first half, MSU controlled the pace early and they jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes. Kirksey scored seven of the Mavericks first 10 points, while senior Kevin Krieger made a 3-pointer as well.

The Roadrunners were able to cut the lead and tied the score up at 19-19. Metropolitan State went on a 16-3 run for the next five minutes to go up 35-21. The Mavericks fought within six points of the Roadrunners at 35-29 with 1:27 left in the half, but the Roadrunners added four more points to take a 39-29 lead at half.

Kirksey led the Maverick offense with nine points and five rebounds, while Baumgardner scored seven points.

The Mavericks shot 40% from the field in the first half and held a 20-14 advantage in rebounds.

Roadrunners senior, Mitch

Lombard, led his team in the first half with nine points and four assists. Senior Kendall McIntosh added seven points and four rebounds.

A little over five minutes into the second half, the Mavericks managed to cut the Roadrunner lead to four, as Krieger scored a 3-pointer to bring the score to 52-48.

Metropolitan State might have been able to get back out in front by 10 at 58-48, but the Mavericks then went on an 11-0 run to take the lead at 59-58.

The Mavericks ended up taking the lead two more times and built a four-point lead at 72-68 with 1:46 remaining in the game. After this, the Roadrunners scored the game’s final seven points to win the game 75-72.

The Mavericks shot 46.6% from the field and took a 3726 advantage in rebounds.

The Roadrunners shot 42% from the field, including an 8-of-18 (.444) showing from long range.

Lombard led the Roadrunners with 18 points, while McIntosh scored 13 and added six rebounds.

The Mavericks will now face Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls at home on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MSU Reporter • 13

Sports

Washington’s Chris Petersen resigns, Jimmy Lake to take over SEATTLE (AP) — Chris Petersen has always worked according to his own schedule.

During eight seasons as the head coach at Boise State he brought the Broncos into the elite of college football, never in a rush to land the next big job despite being courted constantly by higher-profile schools.

When he finally decided to jump to Washington in 2013, Petersen realized he needed a new challenge and Boise State needed a new voice in charge.

And now after six seasons leading the Huskies, 14 overall as a head coach and more than 30 years in coaching, Petersen has decided it’s time to step away.

“I’ll be a Husky for life, but now is the right time for me to step away from my head coaching duties, and recharge,” Petersen said.

Petersen unexpectedly resigned at Washington on Monday, a shocking announcement with the Huskies coming off a 7-5 regular season and bound for a sixth straight bowl game under his leadership. Petersen will coach the Huskies in the bowl game, his final game in charge of the program he helped grow back into national prominence.

Then Washington will be turned over to defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who is being promoted and tasked with continuing the Huskies run of success over the past

six seasons.

There will be no coaching search. Simply a succession plan that’s seemed to be in place for several years while Lake was being sought for other jobs around the country.

The surprise is the timing.

The school said Petersen, 55, will move into a “leadership advisory role” within the athletic department. Petersen has been one of college football’s most successful coaches over the last two decades, going 146-38 combined during his time at Boise State and Washington. With the Huskies, Petersen has a 54-26 record, won two Pac-12 titles and took Washington to three New Year’s Six bowl games, including an appearance in the national semifinals in 2016 and last year the school’s first Rose Bowl trip since the 2000 season.

Petersen was also unbeaten against rival Washington State.

“It has been a privilege and a professional dream fulfilled to be part of this world-class institution,” Petersen said. “I will forever be grateful, honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to coach our fine young men on Montlake for these past six seasons.

I thank each of them, as well as our coaches and administrative staff for the incredible commitment they’ve made to Husky football during my tenure.”

Petersen was finally per-

Washington Governor Jay Inslee hands Washington head coach Chris Petersen the Apple Cup after an NCAA college football game between Washington and Washington State, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Seattle. Washington won 31-13. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

suaded to leave Boise State in 2013 after growing the Broncos into a national powerhouse. He was Washington’s chosen successor to Steve Sarkisian, drawn to the school by the history of the program and the opportunity to test himself on a bigger stage — while not leaving the comfort of a region he had spent most of his professional career.

Within three seasons, Petersen had Washington playing Alabama in the Peach Bowl for the right to play for the national title. While the

HOCKEY

Continued from page 10 netted the puck to extend the Maverick lead to 2-0.

The Mavericks scored again before the end of the second period, as senior center Josh French collected his first goal of the season of a rebound from freshman Ryan Sandelin.

MSU scored again on a power play four minutes into the third period from freshman forward Nathan Smith.

Reggie Lutz was sent to the box for slashing, allowing UMD to score at the 9:20 minute mark. The first power play goal the Mavericks have given up since the unfortunate loss against Bowling Green Nov. 1.

Neither side allowed any further scoring for the rest of the game, with the final score coming to 4-1 and it being another Maverick win.

Michaelis seventh goal of the season extended his

point-scoring streak to seven games, McKay made 27 stops and MSU outshot the Bulldogs by a 30-28 margin.

It has been a recurring theme for MSU’s opponents to play a stronger game in the second part of a series with the power the Mavericks are bringing on the ice this season, and this weekend was no exception to that. However, the Mavericks eventually took this match as well, winning 3-1.

On Saturday, freshman forward Lucas Sowder was able to connect with Jaremko, who then netted the puck for a 1-0 Mavericks lead. Each goal of this game would be scored on a power play.

The following period had more action in the penalty boxes than goals, including a game misconduct from Jared Spooner for kneeing that allowed for UMD to cre-

ate five shots towards McKay, who successfully saved four, with a block by Sandelin in addition.

Then with junior Connor Mackey in the box, UMD’s Justin Richards scored a goal to tie the game eight minutes into the third period.

MSU didn’t wait long to respond, as Sowder regained the lead for the Mavericks just two minutes later.

Jaremko scored his second goal of the night and the final one of the weekend series.

McKay tallied a career high of 37 stops and Lutz was able to collect three assists. Overall MSU outshot the Bulldogs by a 30-28 margin and went three-forfour in power plays.

The team will host the Lake Superior State Lakers this weekend at the Mankato Civic Center.

Huskies fell short that day, it was a major accomplishment for a program that less than a decade earlier had gone through an 0-12 season.

Washington was expected to be a contender in the Pac-12 again this year, but struggles to replace several key players on defense and an inconsistent offense led to a subpar campaign.

The Huskies’ 31-13 win over Washington State last Friday turned out to be Petersen’s last home game.

“Chris has been transformational for not only our football program, but our entire athletic department,” athletic director Jen Cohen said. “It has been such a privilege to watch how he has been so committed to the development of our young men, not just on the field, but more importantly off. I can’t thank him enough for his service and leadership, and I look forward to having him stay on staff in a leadership advisory role, so he can continue to impact individuals across our department and the entire campus.”

Petersen, Lake and Cohen are schedule to speak at a

news conference Tuesday.

Lake, 42, has turned down several other coaching opportunities in recent years and has seemed to be the hand-picked replacement for Petersen. Along with veteran defensive coach Pete Kwiatkowski, the duo have been the architects for a Washington defense that’s been among the best in the country in recent years and developed a long list of NFL draftees.

Lake’s contract covers five seasons and starts at $3 million, escalating to $3.4 million for the 2024 season, according to a memorandum of understanding from the school.

“I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity for as long as I can remember and I can’t think of a better place to do it than in the world-class city of Seattle and at such a prestigious university with a rich football tradition,” Lake said.

“This wouldn’t be possible without the mentorship of Coach Petersen and I would like to thank him for everything he has done for me, as well as Jen Cohen for entrusting me with this opportunity.”

14 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

EMAIL

A&E Editor Kolby Spomer

kolby.spomer@mnsu.edu

MNSU faculty feature: Dr. Gerald Aloisio RACHAEL JAEGER STAFF WRITER Dr. Gerard Aloisio, Chair of the Music Department, radiates with a genuine joy, not just when in deep discussions with music-related focuses but also in sharing his love for life and his family.

With some people, you can sense when their joy is forced but with Dr. Aloisio, it is who he is, just like the music that flows from him.

Dr. Aloisio’s voice rings across the auditorium when he lectures and reflects his passion and interests, for music.

His booming voice is music itself and captivates students in how he enunciates his words. His jolly personality is as generous as his music knowledge.

As for his favorite genre, Dr. Aloisio said that he doesn’t have one. “I like it all,” he said, then with a laugh and a smile, he joked, “I’m a glutton that way.”

When asked about how he

carries his voice, he mused over the question before he answered.

At first he didn’t know, but then a memory came about the time when he was a night club disc jockey, all during his years in college. The person who trained him had Dr. Aloisio read from a newspaper.

As he read the newspaper, the trainer would turn the music up and tell him that he couldn’t hear him until he could read clearly.

The experience provided him with the resilient clarity while he lectures and even when he is speaking to an individual one-on-one.

Dr. Aloisio attended College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and acquired his bachelor, masters, and doctorate degrees.

“I liked what I did and I kept studying because I studied with the best teachers around and played in the best ensembles I could,” he paused, smiled, and added with a chuckle, “It seemed

like there was no reason to stop.”

His instrument of choice is the trombone. Because of his drive for music, he states he has plenty of time, including the summer, holidays, and weekends.

Although music is his heartbeat, he implied that sometimes passion isn’t enough.

“You have to want to do it and you look for places to do it,” he said. He participates in any band in any opportunity that arises, from charity fundraisers to church services, to dance bands, to community events like parades.

“They’re all good, they’re all different, but they’re all fun,” Dr. Aloisio added. “It gives you different exposures to different kinds of people.”

When the holidays roll around, the foods and the music have a connection, in

ALOISIO page 15

Photo courtesy of Dr. Gerald Aloisio

I worked Black Friday: here are my takeaways ALYSSA BUNDE STAFF WRITER Black Friday, the day where everyone runs into stores, hastily grabs the deals they’d been scouting for and then quickly leaves the zoo of a store. From there they head home to eat Thanksgiving leftovers and laugh about the “crazies” they encountered.

That is of course unless you’re working Black Friday.

I work in customer service at Target, and therefore wasn’t able to leave the craziness, but instead was subjected to it for hours. This was my second time working Black Friday and similar to last year I had some thoughts regarding my experience.

Everyone in Mankato wanted a TV. This first observation, like most of this article, is a personal rant. Target had some good deals on TVs, and as such, a plethora of people came to claim one. However, the constant carrying of TVs and explaining that we were out of certain ones to

customers wasn’t the source of my annoyance. It was the lovely comments I received while doing these tasks. This portion of the article is a shout out to all the people who made passive-aggressive comments along the lines of, “wow I’m surprised you could lift that” whilst calling me 50s-esque names like sweetie and honey. I couldn’t tell if they were worried I was going to drop the TV’s or if they actually thought they were being funny.

Retail workers are impressive and highly resilient.

This is probably already a well-known fact, but I’m going to re-explain it anyway. Retail workers, not only on Black Friday, wear our smiles, balance out our tone of voice, and juggle multiple tasks and issues at once.

We handle a wide array of guests, ranging from the overly self-righteous “I’d like to speak to the manager” types to oblivious people you swear have never heard of technology to overworked moms with screaming kids. In

Photo courtesy of Flickr

a sea of faces and problems, you get whiplash from being argued with one second to then being forced to smile and act as if nothing had happened when greeting the next guest. So with that being said, I’d like to shout out to all the nice guests who are filled with thank yous and other pleasantries.

Black Friday is all hype

and feeds our addiction to objects.

In today’s society more is less. We are constantly bombarded by sales, deals, and promotions. We fill our homes with useless junk because in the moment, purchasing them it’s fun.

Black Friday is one of the top tier instigators of this object addiction we’re all

suffering from. On Black Friday customers fill their carts with cheap objects with a justification usually along the lines of “why not it’s only $5!” I’ve concluded that the

FRIDAY page 15

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Is “The Mandalorian” worth the binge?

Photo courtesy of the Star Wars Facebook Page

LIDIA VASSAR STAFF WRITER “The Mandalorian”, one of the new shows streaming exclusively on Disney+, follows a bounty hunter looking for new targets.

Working for a guild gives him access to plenty of jobs, but very few pay enough to be worth his while. But when he’s offered an off-the-books opportunity he jumps at the chance of earning some extra cash.

The Mandalorians of Star Wars movies past were fan favorites, with Jango and Boba Fett inspiring interest in the mysterious culture of the Mandalorians, and a desire to see a real live mythosaur.

We can only hope that this new series will answer some of these burning questions.

The first episode shows a glimpse into a Mandalorian outpost of sorts, where the protagonist has a new piece of armor smelted by a mysterious Mandalorian blacksmith.

All decked out in some traditional Mandalorian gear, he sets off with a locator fob to find his target, a reportedly 50-year-old individual.

The planet he lands on looks outwardly unremarkable, but looks can be deceiving. The pace picks right up, and you get to see some gun slinging reminiscent of a western. Some rodeo style wrangling, too.

One of the first stylistic choices I noticed while watching the first episode was the transitions.

They feel nostalgic, with scenes merging using zooms and slides that are less common in television shows today. The filmography is overall very smooth, and the soundtrack sets the mood well. It feels like a show that has had a lot of work and thought put into it, which is a refreshing change from the way Disney has treated reboots and remakes in the past.

Star Wars in particularly has a very hard to please fan base. Disney-era Star Wars movies have been met with a heavy mix of criticism and satisfaction. Some characters, especially, have received backlash.

Rose Tico, a sweet and likable seeming character introduced in the third trilogy, was torn apart immediately by fans who claimed she was

a useless filler character who thwarted the actions of other, more major, characters.

Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who played Rose, was driven to the point of deleting her social media due to the hate she was getting. Hopefully no actors or actresses will face this same distress for their portrayals in “The Mandalorian”.

As toxic as the Star Wars fandom can be, there are always fans who productively participate in the making of new material.

As much as some people wish that Disney would leave Star Wars alone, Disney doesn’t have a good reputation for… well, not milking things dry. So hopefully “The Mandalorian” will prove to be a great expansion to the universe, and not another rejected attempt to inspire interest in the fandom.

If you’re on the fence about getting Disney+, “The Mandalorian” may just push you over the edge. With a promising first episode and a positive reception, things are looking up for Star Wars fans.

To quote an enigmatic character from the pilot, “I have spoken.”

FRIDAY

Continued from page 14 hype of Black Friday, even if you only came in the store to people watch, influences you to at least buy something. This theory of mine was reinforced by the plethora of returns I handled the day after at guest service.

During a couple of the Black Friday returns, I light-heartedly asked customers “buyers remorse?” Almost always they awkwardly and

MSU Reporter • 15

A&E

bashfully would look at the ground and respond with something along the lines of “yeah I didn’t actually need it.”

People weren’t as mean as they could’ve been.

Going into work, I was expecting hoards of aggressive people loaded with complaints and unrealistic demands. In a way I still got that, but for the most

part people continued their Minnesota niceness and were fairly pleasant...at least to me anyway. One of my coworkers though,I won’t mention names, explained to me how she got told to “shut the f***k up.” That being said, I guess some of us had a better day than others, but then again, it’s Black Friday, what can ya do?

ALOISIO

Continued from page 14 Dr. Aloisio’s eyes.

Just like his music tastes, he appreciates all kinds of savory foods from other cultures.

This Thanksgiving Dr. Aloisio’s family decided to cook a Jamaican meal called “Ja-making-methankful,” with dishes from Jamacian culture, just because they want to do it.

“And Red Stripe and rum cake!” Dr. Aloisio added, then laughed. “My son said, ‘If the Pilgrims would have landed in Jamaica, this is what they would have had.’”

But Dr. Aloisio glows with equal enthusiasm about Christmas.

“Christmas is probably my favorite because I like to cook and I like to eat,” Dr. Aloisio said, “I think we like holidays because we have good memories with them. Christmas was the big family holiday in my family growing up that had lots of things involved with it.”

While Dr. Aloisio was growing up, Christmas meant a certain meal every year: shrimp broiled in the oven, Italian sausage, peppers, and pastas that went back generations.

When The Reporter inquired about what he listens to during Christmastime, Dr. Aloisio responded, “Again, you like the things you grow up with,

I think. My father was a World War II era guy and he liked listening to Sinatra, Dean Martin, and so I listened to music recorded by all these guys. My son likes them too.”

With that said, Dr. Aloisio said that he appreciates and likes Elvis Presley more now since he didn’t grow up with him because his parents weren’t that interested in him.

“My sisters were newborns in the 50s and by the time I was born, there was different music,” he said. “I kinda missed it.”

As for music that he enjoys playing, he said he used to like “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. But because of its political incorrectness, he can’t—or at least, not as often.

“I may still listen to it and not tell anyone,” he laughed.

In his opinion, the origin of the people who first sang that song meant no malicious intents and flirted with each other in a good-natured, innocent manner.

“I think that’s how it was meant,” he added, “But in this day and age, it’s not taken that way, and I understand that. People have the right to choose what they want to listen to and that’s fine.”

16 • MSU Reporter

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