December 5, 2013

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2 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 3

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Alumna making a difference in her home country Maignes helping out the Phillippines after destructive typhoon devastated community.

MIKELL MELIUS Staff Writer Cita Maignes, an alumna of Minnesota State University, Mankato, who now works in the international student office, is really spreading the joy this holiday season. Maignes grew up in the Philippines and knows from first-hand experience the traumatic effects typhoons can have, which typically strikes the Philippines about 25 times a year. Because of this, she is leading a fundraiser to get school supply money to kids in Tacloban, an area that was hit by the worst typhoon in history earlier this month.

“The most pressure for me at the time was when my books, pencils and backpack were taken away because of my vision to go to school,” Maignes told the Mankato Free Press of what she remembers about dealing with a typhoon. While she knows that most efforts to help the Philippines will be focused on basic food, shelter, and clothing, her focus will solely be on school supplies for the children. With a master’s degree in Coun-

seling from Minnesota State Mankato, Maignes knows the importance of education, “The kids in the Philippines like to go to school. I know education is the only way out of poverty,” she said in the Free Press.

Maignes knows the corruption that occurs when trying to send funds to those in need, so she will be delivering the money personally. “If you let government officials know about it, half the funds go in their pockets. I know that growing up there, so we secretly give it to the right people,” she told the Free Press. Maignes will also have people currently living in the Philippines to help her out. Her brother, who is a police officer in the Philippines, will help find the elementary schools where students need help. She will also be able to get the funds there safely by the help from a bank manager living in the Philippines that she trusts.

Tacloban is probably the best place for Maignes to focus on. It is the biggest city in the Eastern Visayan Islands and took the biggest hit from Super Typhoon Haiyan. CNN’s Paula Hancock was among the first journalists to see the destruction in

Tacloban. She told CNN that the airport there was “completely destroyed” and that shell-shocked Filipinos were gathering around the airport with anticipation that the military was bringing food, water, and medicine. While many places in the Philippines were hit my Typhoon Haiyan, the greatest destruction occurred in Tacloban.

This is not Maignes’ first effort to help her native Filipinos. Two years ago she raised funds for those effected by a typhoon in Sendong. So, equipped with her knowledge, she will be heading to the Philippines in February along with three others. She plans on visiting her family, who lives on an island that wasn’t severely affected by the storm, than will travel to Tacloban.

With the help of Minnesota State Mankato’s President, Richard Davenport, and vice president of University Advancement, Kent Clark, an account was set up to collect funds for the effort. To donate go to https://alumni.mnsu.edu/giving, designate the amount you would like to donate, and reference “MSU Cares Fund” to designate where you would like your donation to go.

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Tuesday, Dec. 10 Holiday Harp with Amy Kortuem 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. • CSU Hearth Lounge

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Long-time MSU employee set to retire

Georgia Jackson has contributed nearly 40 years of service to the campus.

ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer

After nearly 40 years of service to MSU, Georgia Jackson is set to retire. To put this in perspective, when Jackson began working at MSU in 1975, thirty-eight years ago, Gerald Ford was President, the Vietnam War was coming to an end, and gas could be purchased for just 57 cents a gallon.

Jackson started at MSU the same year the school changed its name from Mankato State College to Mankato State University. In the nearly four decades since, she has been apart of the highly- acclaimed staff at MSU who has helped keep campus look incredibly clean.

Sadly, Jackson’s time at MSU is nearly at an end. The most senior member of the staff will say good-bye to MSU on December 13, as she settles into a well-deserved retirement.

Jackson originally grew as one of ten siblings up on a farm near Kasota. After graduating from St. Peter High School, Jackson came to MSU. She briefly worked in a café and in a factory before becoming a longstanding member of the MSU Building Services Department.

Jackson originally starting out working night shifts and covering anywhere on campus that she was needed to go. How-

ever, after a year she was moved to the day shift, and was only scheduled to work in designated areas, which made it much easier to raise her daughter.

The university will miss her as a very respected member of the staff, one who has been awarded major campus accolades. Jackson was awarded the Customer Service Award in 1997-98, which is given to employees who demonstrate outstanding service. She was also the recipient of the Finance and Administration Outstanding Service Award in 2005.

She has great things to say about the university and the members of its community, calling everyone from the President to the support staff “fantastic.”

Jackson is retiring a couple of weeks before the holidays start, which will give her a great chance to visit with family and friends to start off her retirement, many of whom still live in St. Peter and the surrounding area.

Jackson has been commuting to Mankato from St. Peter, where she currently lives with her husband, a retired maintenance worker from the St. Peter regional treatment center. The two are planning on spending a lot of time together relaxing and enjoying retirement after the holidays.

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Web Photo Georgia Jackson will be retiring this month after a long career at MSU.

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Chris Untiedt Parker Riesgraf THE REPORTER WISHES TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THESE STUDENTS FOR THEIR WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE MSU REPORTER.

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Huge snowstorm engulfs Minnesota storm warning ends Thursday morning, snowfall totals could approach 3 feet in some areas.

“We don’t get three-day snowfalls very often . every few years. Even for the North Shore and Duluth, for a storm to hit 30 inches, that’s pretty unusual,” said Carol Christenson, National Weather Service meteorologist in Duluth. “For us to even forecast snow totals like this, it goes against the averages.”

Kelly Fleissner, who leads Duluth’s snowplowing efforts for more than 400 miles of city streets, said city crews worked 16-hour shifts during the height of the storm Monday night and Tuesday. He said they will be out in full force again Wednesday.

“We had so much snow that we had to stay on the main roads all night into Tuesday morning.

So we were late getting into the residential streets. I know it’s been tough for people just to get out of their neighborhoods. But please, be patient,” Fleissner told the Duluth News Tribune Bitter cold moves into the state Thursday, with temperatures expected to barely make it to zero in northern Minnesota.

German club offers unique opportunities Students get chance to see a little part of what it’s like to live in Germany.

RYAN BERNDT Staff Writer The MNSU German Club had its first Kochabend, or “cooking night” on November 22nd. The German Club has been present on campus for ten years now, and has its door open to anyone interested in the German language and culture.

24 attendees enjoyed dishes such as Bratäpfel, which consists of apples filled with a variety of delicious ingredients, and Blumenkohlsuppe mit Käse, a cheese and cauliflower soup. There was also a beef stew recipe, and a unique dish called Rotkraut, which uses red cabbage as the main ingredient.

German Club president Kristin Tatro emphasizes the sense of community with an example of sharing a dinner with friends in Germany. “A traditional cooking night with friends involves preparing together, sometimes even the shopping, cooking together,

setting the table, and having good conversations. It’s not unusual for everyone to clean up together after dinner. This is done a lot more often than ordering food and watching TV!” For Kochabend, attendees purchased a $3.00 ticket, were given the ingredients, and with the help of the club’s officers and advisor Dr. Nadja Kramer, enjoyed cooking a lavish three-course meal.

After the event, the club distributed a recipe book with details on all of the dishes prepared for the night for attendees to try on their own and share with others.

“I think many attendees had never cooked properly from scratch before.” Tatro explains, “Many weren’t quite sure what to make of things like red cabbage, which can take on a funny purple color but is still very delicious, or baked apples, which is a unique recipe.”

The event was a huge success for the club that currently has eight active members. The club is hoping to expand soon and offer a

unique place for those interested in European culture, as well a offering a unique environment for practicing speaking German with peers.

In addition to Kochabend, the club has taken trips to see German artists, and has participated in New Ulm’s annual Oktoberfest. The club also partakes in the International Festival held every year in April. There are meetings held every week that allow the members to speak German to each other, which can prove beneficial for those less confident with the language.

“Despite all the international events on campus, there’s not enough European cultures that are represented with food and culture around it,” Tatro said. “We believe it was a great evening and we will take it as a cue to do this kind of event more often!”

Anyone interested in German Club or the recipes used for Kochabend should e-mail deutscherklub@mnsu.edu.

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DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — It’s the snowstorm that just keeps on giving.

The unrelenting storm has spread about 2 feet of snow in northeastern Minnesota continued for a third day Wednesday.

The heavy snow and ice has contributed to hundreds of traffic accidents around Minnesota and was cited by authorities in at least five fatal crashes since Monday.

The latest victim was a 16-year-old high school student who police say apparently lost control of her car on a slushy road, slid sideways and collided with a sport utility vehicle Wednesday in Lakeville.

The snowstorm closed the University of Minnesota Duluth and most other schools in the area and even shut down the Bentleyville holiday lights display in Duluth.

A National Weather Service observer reported 28 inches of snow north of Two Harbors Wednesday morning. Duluth was buried under at least 18 inches of snow. Much of the reogion will see another 8 to 12 inches Wednesday, forecasters said, and by the time the winter

MSU Reporter • 5

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6 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, December 5, 2013 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook.com/ msureporter

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

Growing up needed before getting married

Minnesota State University, Mankato

STAFF FALL 2013

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Reece Hemmesch.......389-5454

Waiting a while before marriage will ensure that it will be built to last.

HANNAH KLEINBERG Staff Writer When you start college, you quickly find that there’s always that one friend—the partier, the academic junkie, the winner, the loser, and then the engaged one. Even as a freshman, you’ll find that you’re lucky enough to make friends with the other half of a very committed couple that is steadfast for marriage, or will be soon.

In 2008, the National Center for Educational Statistics surveyed 20,928 undergraduates, and of those numbers at least 18% were already married. Most undergraduates are between 18 and 21 years old; this means that people who can’t even purchase alcohol, people we know, are signing themselves up for (what is meant to be) lifelong commitments, when the average age of (healthy) marriage is 28 to 29.

Essentially, people under 24 are still practically children.

Even facets like Financial Aid and life insurance recognize this: people aren’t tried as adults for benefits until they’re 25 or, how ironic, married. Does marriage validate adulthood?

Research shows how damning young marriage can be, too.

60% of marriages that occur between people that were 20

to 25 years old result in divorce, and while those who are young and wistful are naïve enough to deny that fact, it is a daunting number. Getting married during college can be just as dangerous as a shotgun wedding; kids can’t understand what they’re getting into.

College is the time to discover yourself, and there are young adults—even people who are still teenagers—out there trying to rush adulthood for themselves by tying the knot. And once you get divorced, it becomes even more likely that you’ll divorce again if you remarry. The second marriage is 60% likely doomed, and the third 73%. Goodwill and high hopes can only get you so far in the world of marriage.

Enjoy college and young adulthood while you can. There will more than likely be a day in the not-so-far future that those who got hitched before they even graduated will wish that they’d taken the time to find who they were first, and fulfill all of the things that only selfish, young single people can do. If the relationship is destined for eternity, then it can wait, and time has always proven to be the best test against a good relationship.

If you’re worried about making tuition, think about paying for a marriage, or worse, a divorce.

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POLICIES & INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Reece Hemmesch at 507-3895454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

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

Web Photo Young couples like this one oftentimes need more time to find themselves before finding love in another person.

“What are you planning on doing over christmas break?”

ROMARIE DASSIE, JUNIOR DENTAL HYGIENE “Work for the international center to get ready for orientation.”

ALLIE MACK, SOPHOMORE CHILD DEVELOPMENT “Stay in Mankato to work.”

JULIA ARMSTRONG, FRESHMAN DANCE “Go home and spend quality time with family and friends.”

LUCKY VUE, FRESHMAN LAW ENFORCEMENT “Work for break.”

• Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.

Compiled by Ronald Sejjoba

MATTHEW KYROLA, JUNIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT “Ice fishing.”

Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 7

News

Holiday heist frequent in college towns Students are gone for extended periods of time, leaving college houses ripe for the picking during the holidays. Here are some tips to keep unwanted visitors out. just left it on, but if you leave a light on that you can see is on from the street, nobody just driving by will come in if it appears someone is home.

Do not leave a key under a rock or the welcome mat This can be a big help during the school year when we forget our keys, but for the sake of the holidays, grab it before you go. Someone could just snoop around and eventually find it, which makes it look like they own the house since they’re opening it with a key, and that is not a good sign.

It may help the other 11 months of the year but for the sake of December, keep the key inside.

Do a quick look-through before you leave

I am not saying you have to board up all the windows and place a pad lock on the door before you leave, but turn around after loading up all your dirty laundry in the car and just walk around the house to make sure everything is good to go.

More notably, make sure that your back door is locked, all your windows are closed, no holiday lights run through the windows forcing them to be just a little cracked and any (I mean any) entrance to the house can not be an entrance any more.

These tips will not guarantee your house will be passed over during the holidays, but you will sleep a little easier over the month and will still be able to watch Home Alone without the thought of, “oh god, that’s my house.”

Web Photo Gifts under the tree for weeks may seem festive, but if it is visible from the street, there is a good chance someone might see what’s under the tree and make a run for it.

REECE HEMMESCH Editor in Chief

While the holidays are normally seen as the season of giving, they can also be the season of taking. It seems a little ludicrous given the time of year, but the fact of the matter is many burglaries occur in homes and apartments during Christmas time.

The logic is simple: people are out of their house for extended periods of time, making it perfect for burglars to come in and steal what they can.

Also, most people keep valued objects in their homes during this time and even place them in front of windows (under the Christmas tree) for everyone to see.

These types of robberies are even more common in college towns, like Mankato, where many kids pack up everything and take off for a full month without even checking if the windows are locked inside. At that point, it is quite easy for someone to break a window, go through and open the front door and rob you dry of everything you have, which as college kids, can not be too much.

So here are some tips to help keep what’s in your house in your house over the break so that you do not return January 15th with your TV, video game console and other expensive items missing from your home.

Keep the gifts from under the tree I know many of you do not

have a tree in your college house, or gifts under it for that matter, but if a burglar sees an easy entry and gifts are visible from the street, there is no stopping him or her from coming in and robbing you. Simply put, keep the gifts out of the living room window.

Do not broadcast where you are going or for how long “Heading home for the holidays. Peace out Mankato, we’ll see you in a month.”

I don’t know about everyone else, but when I see Facebook posts that look like that, all I do is shake my head and almost hope that person gets something stolen from them. You are broadcasting to everyone in the world that you will be out for a long time, making it very easy for someone to see that you are gone and break in while you are out of town.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘my friends on Facebook wouldn’t break in to my house,’ and that may be true, but there friends who may not even know you might see it and then you may have problems. Keep it simple, figure out when you are going to head home for the break and do it, no Facebook post, no tweet, nothing.

Keep your front entrance clear of cues that you are out If you are not on good terms with any of your neighbors, now might be the time to start doing so. Have your neighbors pick up your mail, newspaper or anything else that is delivered to

you while you are out of town.

A pile of newspapers stacked up and a full mailbox can only mean one thing, you are out of town. So deliver a plate of cookies to your neighbors and ask them kindly to pick up anything delivered to your house before someone drives by and realizes no one’s home.

Don’t pile gift boxes out by the garbage This one tickles me as much as the Facebook posts about leaving do. Imagine someone drives by and sees an empty Play Station 4 box, right next to the box for your new television and a box that held those brand new skates you just got. Why not just take out an advertisement saying ‘I had a great Christmas with a bunch of expensive items that I now own.’

Once again, you are asking for someone to come in and clean you out. Keep the boxes in a storage room until the holiday season is over and then start throwing them out, before you come home and realize the gifts, and the boxes for that matter, are gone.

Leave a light on somewhere in the house We’re college kids, most of us do not have automatic lights on our houses to make it appear that we are home when we are really not, so maybe just leave the bathroom or someone’s room light on for an extended period of time over break.

If someone is stalking your house, they will know that you

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Detroit bankruptcy decision puts pensions at risk Process plays out as Detroit undergoes the largest bankruptcy in US history. ble-digit unemployment, catastrophic debt deals, thousands of vacant homes and wave after wave of population loss.

Behind closed doors, mediators have been meeting with Orr’s team and creditors for weeks to explore possible settlements. The judge has told the city to come up with a plan

by March 1 to exit bankruptcy.

Orr has said he would like to have one ready weeks earlier.

The city is so desperate for money that it may consider peddling masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts and selling a water department that serves much of southeastern Michigan. In a report Wednesday, New York auction house Christie’s pegged the value of city-purchased art at $452 million to $866 million.

It’s just a fraction of what the museum holds.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents half of city workers, vowed to appeal Rhodes’ decision.

Orr’s team got “absolutely everything,” attorney Sharon Levine told reporters, adding: “It’s a huge loss for the city of Detroit.”

Orr, a bankruptcy expert, was appointed in March under a Michigan law that allows a governor to send a manager to distressed cities, townships or school districts. A manager has extraordinary powers to reshape local finances without interference from elected officials. By July, Orr and Gov. Rick Snyder decided bankruptcy was Detroit’s best option.

Detroit, a manufacturing hub that offered well-paying, blue-collar jobs, peaked at 1.8 million residents in 1950 but has lost more than a million people since then.

Former hospital executive Mike Duggan takes over as mayor in January, the third mayor since Kwame Kilpatrick quit in a scandal in 2008 and the first white mayor in largely black Detroit since the 1970s.

Orr is in charge at least through next fall, although he’s expected to give Duggan more of a role at City Hall than the current mayor, Dave Bing, who has little influence in daily operations.

Web Photo Homeless dogs rumble through Detroit as the city continues to struggle.

ROCK

ated in good faith in the weeks ahead of the July filing, a key condition under federal law.

But he said the number of creditors — more than 100,000 — and a wide array of competing interests probably made that “impossible.”

Detroit “could have and should have filed for bankruptcy long before it did. Perhaps years,” the judge said.

The decision set the stage for officials to confront debt with a plan that might pay creditors just pennies on the dollar and is sure to include touchy negotiations over the pensions of about 23,000 retirees and 9,000 workers. Orr says pension funds are short by $3.5 billion; most who collect get less than $20,000 a year.

“We’re trying to be very thoughtful, measured and humane,” Orr told reporters. “The reality is there is not enough money to address the situation no matter what we do.”

The city has argued that bankruptcy protection will allow it to help beleaguered residents who for years have tolerated slow police responses, darkened streetlights and erratic garbage pickup — a concern mentioned by the judge during a nine-day trial that ended Nov. 8.

Before the July filing, nearly 40 cents of every dollar collected by Detroit was used to pay debt, a figure that could rise to 65 cents without relief through bankruptcy, according to the city.

City truck mechanic Mark Clark, 53, said he may look for another job after absorbing pay cuts and higher health care costs. Now a smaller pension looms.

“Most of us didn’t have too much faith in the court. ... The working class is becoming the have-nots,” Clark said outside the courthouse. “I’m broke up and beat up. I’m going to pray a whole lot.”

Marcia Ingram, a retired clerical worker, said she may need to find work but added: “How many folks are going to hire a 60-year-old woman?”

The judge spoke for more than an hour in a packed courtroom, reciting Detroit’s proud history as the diverse, hardworking Motor City devoted to auto manufacturing. But he then tallied a list of warts: dou-

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DETROIT (AP) — A judge has given Detroit the green light to cut pensions as a way out of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, a decision that puts the case in the laps of thousands of retirees who had hoped that the Michigan Constitution would protect them from getting smaller checks in their golden years.

Judge Steven Rhodes said the city is eligible to stay in bankruptcy court and scrub $18 billion in debt, with about half of that amount linked to underfunded pensions and health care obligations. But he also warned officials that they’ll need to justify any deep reductions.

The case now turns to crunching numbers and trying to strike deals, although unions are pursuing an appeal.

Some retirees said they felt socked by the outcome Tuesday.

“We’ll be thrown out of our homes and starving if they seriously slash our pensions.

Then they’ll tell us to go to the soup lines,” said David Sole, 65, who retired from the public works department in January after 22 years and whose wife also is a city retiree.

“We don’t know what they are going to take,” Sole said.

“The judge said he would not tolerate steep cuts. What’s steep?”

The judge, who wondered aloud why the bankruptcy had not happened years ago, said pensions can be altered just like any contract because the state constitution does not offer bulletproof protection for public employee benefits. But he signaled a desire for a measured approach and warned city officials that he would not “lightly or casually” sign off on just any cuts.

“This once proud and prosperous city can’t pay its debts.

It’s insolvent,” Rhodes said in formally granting Detroit the largest public bankruptcy in U.S. history. “At the same time, it also has an opportunity for a fresh start.”

The ruling came more than four months after Detroit filed for Chapter 9 protection.

Rhodes agreed with unions and pension funds that the city’s emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, had not negoti-

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 9

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Despite reforms, Myanmar still enlists boy soldiers

CHAUNG THA, Myanmar (AP) — He disappeared when he was 12 years old, a skinny boy named Min Thu from the wrong side of town who thought he’d stumbled onto the golden ticket.

It began one afternoon when a swaggering, potbellied businessman bumped into Thu at the market, offering him an escape from a neighborhood where the houses are made of lumberyard scraps and the air smells of fish and decay and woodsmoke.

It ended with four years in the army.

The businessman, a smalltown mogul of plastic kitchenware and cheap polyester clothing, has three tiny shops. To Thu, whose father makes a living pedaling a bicycle rickshaw through the streets of this small beachside town, he seemed impossibly successful.

“The guy comes by and says, ‘You’ll have a great life if you come with me,’” says Thu, now a stone-faced 17-year-old, still skinny, and occasionally revealing a stutter he developed in the years he was gone. The older man made promises: that Thu could eat his fill at every meal, that he’d get a salary he could use to help his parents. Thu could barely believe his luck, even if he understood little of what was happening.

“I was in fifth grade. I didn’t even know what the guy was saying,” says Thu. This is what he was saying: Thu was joining thousands of boys who have been swallowed up over the years by Myanmar’s army, one of the most feared institutions in this country, also known as Burma. The businessoman was also a broker for army recruiters, most likely paid the standard fee about $30 and a bag of rice for every person he persuaded to sign up. It didn’t matter if his recruits hadn’t reached puberty.

Over the next four years Thu would spend countless days carrying supplies and working on army-owned farms. He saw people die, in combat and in training. He’d see much of his $30-a-month salary taken by his superiors.

Once, when he was 14, he fought in a chaotic gunbattle with ethnic Karen rebels, alternately crawling and shooting as his heart pounded. He speaks with no pride about the experience.

“I just did what I was told to do,” he says. “It was all about fear.”

As Myanmar shifts away from decades of military rule, emerging as a quasi-democracy where generals still wield immense political power, the gov-

ernment craves international respectability. Political prisoners have been freed, censorship has been abolished and, the government promises, the days of child soldiers are over.

The United Nations and local rights activists say recruiting of underage soldiers has gone down, but many boys remain in the army, despite a government agreement to clear the military of anyone under age 18 by Dec. 1. Some have been taken in just the past few months.

“What we see and what the government is saying are completely different,” says Mya Sein, 65, a small-town rights activist who has worked with the families of child soldiers. “I don’t believe their promises.”

Still, in the often paradoxical ways of the new Myanmar, a system has been created to get children out of the army. If a boy soldier — or more likely his family — is able to contact an activist or international aid group, a bureaucratic process can be started leading to the boy’s discharge.

Officials in numerous government ministries, and the military, did not respond to requests for comment. But senior military officers regularly appear, along with relief group officials, at discharge ceremonies for underage soldiers.

“Some time ago the government came out of denial, which was excellent, and now there is firm policy in place,” says Steve Marshall, Myanmar head of the U.N.’s International Labor Organization, which has helped arrange many child soldier releases. “The critical issue now is getting that policy applied.”

Analysts say it’s unclear how many children are in Myanmar’s military. About 500 boys have been discharged in the past few years, some as young as 11, though most between 14 and 16 years old, Marshall says. He adds, though, that those children “are a small proportion” of Myanmar’s total number of child soldiers.

Go into Myanmar’s villages, where poverty is the norm and high school degrees are rarities, and the stories of boy soldiers come tumbling out. There’s the 15-year-old troublemaker with a second-grade education given the choice of arrest or the army; the 16-year-old who went to the market, met a recruiter, and never came home.

There’s San Htet Kyaw, 16, who left home in July, hoping to find work as a day laborer in Yangon. Instead, an army recruiter dazzled him with tales of the money he’d bring back to his mother.

The village he left behind,

Kanyin Kauk, is a speck in the Irrawaddy River delta. Twenty minutes by boat from the nearest paved road, it has no electricity, no stores and no jobs but farming. It’s a place where five families will pool their money to buy a cheap mobile phone.

“There was nothing for him here,” says his mother, San Myint.

Sometimes, activists say, young recruits are simply forced into the army. More often, as with Thu, they are boys who fall victim to fast-talking pitches, cannot reverse course once they realize what has happened, and are kept in the military by a toxic combination of fear and disorientation.

Myanmar has some of the deepest poverty and highest unemployment in Asia. Government jobs, particularly in villages and small towns, are seen as holy grails offering small-butreliable paychecks.

But despite that, the Tatmadaw, as the army is called, has long had trouble attracting recruits.

The country of 55 million has one of the largest armies in the region, analysts say, with at least 400,000 soldiers. It has grown immensely since a failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising against military rule.

While top generals have turned their power into immense wealth, at the bottom of the army is a vast underclass of soldiers who don’t even have ranks. They are the barely educated muscle that keeps the Tatmadaw running. They work in the army’s farms, its timber reserves and its factories. They are sent into battle, and work as household staff for officers. Their salaries are not bad by the standards of rural Myanmar — now about $60 a month — but officers regularly skim off much of that.

That is the army Thu saw.

Within hours of meeting the businessman, and with his parents completely unaware, Thu found himself at an army camp, terrified and confused.

“As soon as we got to the base I knew we were in the wrong place,” he says. “I started crying.”

Tears did not help. “They punched us and slapped us, shouting, ‘This is not a place for crying.’”

So Thu learned to get by. He stifled his tears, he marched in formation, he did what he was told.

For years, occasional phone calls were his parents’ only connection. Then, suddenly, he called from a Yangon military hospital, saying he needed help.

They found a boy so swollen

from kidney disease that he was barely recognizable.

His father, Saw Win, is a tough-looking man with tattoos running down his arms. Now 60, he walks slightly hunched over, after decades pedaling customers on a battered blue rickshaw with its ripped seat. Nearly all his life has been spent in a military dictatorship, and until then he would not have dared breaking army rules. But that day, he did not hesitate. “’We’re running away,’” he told his son. So they slipped out of the room, out the back door of the hospital, and into a taxi.

Months more medical care followed, paid for with loans, and finally a return to Chaung Tha. Thu hadn’t seen his hometown for four years. He barely knew how to act around his family, and felt distant from boys who were once his friends. Fearing arrest, he spent days hiding in a nearby swamp. While the authorities now leave him alone — an activist has started the paperwork to have him officially discharged —

he’s always ready to run. He cannot imagine returning to school.

Occasionally, he cuts timber for a couple dollars a day.

He has become a silent presence in the family’s two-room wooden house, where the rickshaw is parked out front and thumbnail-sized crabs scuttle in the dirt yard.

“He doesn’t care about things anymore,” says his mother, Daw San, 58, painfully thin from the years her son was gone. “He’s forgotten how to live with his family.” As she spoke, Thu, in a black shirt advertising Lucky Eleven whiskey, sat silently.

They all still see the businessman who persuaded Thu to join the army. His little stores are thriving. Given his relative wealth and his army connections, the family knows he won’t be punished. That’s not how things work in places like this.

“We pass in the village, but I don’t think he recognizes me,” Thu says. “He doesn’t react at all.”

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

A final ode to the Metrodome

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Memories will remain after the Dome is demolished in February.

SAM WILMES News Editor It may be the way the teflonwhite roof looked in the Minneapolis skyline, or it might be my memories made in the place, but I will miss the 31-year- old Metrodome after it is demolished in February.

While the stadium lacks charisma and is generally seen as one of the worst professional stadiums in America, I grew up with it. My first memory was in the Summer of 2000 when my childhood hero Sammy Sosa came to town with the Chicago Cubs, far before his true self was exposed as a steroid user.

My 8-year old self was ecstatic when Sosa launched a pitch over the left field bleachers in the game. At that time I thought the place was a magical one, with the baggie and the oddlooking roof.

I remember at the time my wonder of how hard the Metrodome pushed you outside. I remember the trips I took with my Grandpa to the dome and the trips beforehand to the Old Spaghetti Factory. When the Twins moved outside in the spring of 2010, he vowed to never attend a game in the new place due to the unpredictable weather. While he has kept his promise, I can’t help but think of all he has missed out on.

I saw the Twins beat the game’s greatest closer ever, Mariano Rivera, in one of the most thrilling-regular season baseball games ever played in the stadium.

I remember in November of 2006, my Freshman year of high school, when our undefeated high school football team faced Luverne at the Dome in the 2A Football High School Championship.

Four quarters later we were celebrating a 70-21 victory, a

Final fall MSSA meeting held

prep bowl record that’s marking still sits in the ever-cramped hallways of the stadium. For the three years after on varsity, that was my dream, to play in the stadium, if only once.

We never made it.

I remember the summer after graduating, a teammate and I traveled up for an open tryout for the Twins baseball team. I remember sitting in the dugout and quickly finding out why the Twins had been so anxious to leave the rust-covered dugouts and ugly baseball setting.

I visited the Dome a final time last Sunday. While sitting next to some fellow Bears fans, I quickly found myself again realizing all of the ugly, yet beautiful imperfections of the place.

You would have needed binoculars to see the closest video board, a far cry from the magnificent video screen Target Field features. I found myself agreeing with the Bears fans who had traveled from Illinois that the everything about the place was artificial, from the turf to the noise, still I couldn’t help myself from reminiscing.

When I left , it felt like I was closing a chapter of my childhood. After eating with my mother at a nearby restaurant and passing the Dome in the dark of a quiet Minneapolis Sunday night, I understood that even with the trappings a cathedral-like new stadium will bring, I will still keep the memories the decrepid, cheap stadium created.

PRATAKSHYA BHANDARI Staff Writer The last MSSA meeting for Fall 2013 took place yesterday, with some senators absent and some senate positions still vacant. As last meetings usually are, this one was met with a lot of retrospect and a vision for future.

Some major events that are coming up in the spring that were briefly discussed during the meeting were the Spring MSSA elections and Recycle Mania, an eight- week long program to measure the recycled materials collected at MSU campus and compare the numbers with other Universities. Major changes coming to campus facilities include the construction of Einstein Bros coffee shop that will open at Myers fieldhouse in the spring. While the Gage parking lot does not have an official opening date yet, issues are being streamlined by the parking advisory committee.

The Library advisory committee is currently discussing a plan to open a coffee shop at the library.

Some policy changes that were discussed include streamlining as well as implementing changes to the MSSA and RHA elections, and a stricter implementation of the smoking ban policy that might also soon include an indoor E-cigerrates ban. Also briefly discussed was the MavGuard program, now at its final stage of implementation. Some proud supporters of the program

include The CSU, campus security and Mankato public safety.

With an end goal to make an impact that lasts many years to come, the Senate discussed some futuristic goals and dismissed with an agenda for the future. Some major points in their agenda include improvement of first year experience at MSU, strategic partnerships, student involvement and a more active role from MSSA in the future of MSU. Other issues on the Senate’s agenda include more study abroad opportunities as well as policy changes to help ease the transfer of credits, reshaping of general education requirements to provide students more flexibility and control and helping build a greener and more sustainable campus. In terms of numbers, the Senate hopes to increase enrollment at MSU by 3%, bring down the number of freshmen class dropouts from 25% to 15%, cap student fee increases at 1% and increase voter turnout by 50% in the coming year. Other goals include coming up with recruitment plans to inform graduating high school seniors in the Mankato area high schools about MSU. Also briefly discussed were achievements of the 81st MSSA Senate and the improvements that could be implemented to make it a more student friendly government. The various committees under the 81st senate have been able to bring about

MSSA • Page 12

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MSU Reporter • 11

Mount Kato officially open for business as Winter returns

e s d -ASHLEY GERKEN e Staff Writer n - Colder weather has brought tan early open to local Mankato ,snow hill. e Mount Kato’s slopes opened eon November 24 with two new sfeatures for people who enjoy eskiing, snowboarding and tub-ing. o A new conveyor lift on the ,tubing hill has replaced the prenvious cable lift, but tubing won’t sbe open until after Christmas. d “It’s like a magic carpet,” eGeneral manager of Mount Kato fJeff Putrah said. “All you have to odo is jump on the belt and ride yup the hill.” f The old cable lift consisted of mpeople getting on their tubes and -grabbing the cable to be pulled rto the top of the hill. g “We are hoping to add an-other conveyor lift to help beginoning skiers on a different hill,” lsaid Putrah. The second lift hwould help people avoid the new fears of riding a regular lift. e The snow groomer has also Abeen replaced with a 400 Piston sBully, which is twice as large oas the previous groomer. The ygroomer is more economically -friendly and the purchase has ealready proven effective with tvisual improvement of the hills.

The Piston Bully will be dealing with the snow on 19 runs. Currently there are 10 runs open, compared to the six that were open by December 12 of last year.

Putrah is hoping for more snow instead of the virtually made snow. Yesterday’s weather brought in a huge amount of real snow for the hill. Even though the man-made snow is made of air and water, fresh snow helps bring in more people.

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Early cold, snow has helped.

Special deals are also available this season.

Sunday Fun Day features two lift tickets for $40 after 2 p.m.

Monday and Tuesday night is rollback lift tickets when the price goes back to the original price of a lift ticket 16 years ago.

College night is Thursday night, where university students can get discount tickets with their student identification cards.

On Fridays, bring a friend to buy one lift ticket and get the second ticket for half off.

Mount Kato offers many deals and opportunities for the area and surrounding communities, and it is close to the campus. Minnesota State University - Mankato also offers spring semester classes, that take place at Mount Kato.

Beginners can also learn to ski and snowboard for $170 in December. The beginner will get three lessons, three rental tickets and three lift tickets. After completion, the beginner will get a full season pass.

Regular, season passes for college students are $249.

Putrah hopes this year will improve from last year. There was barely any snow last year during the ski season, but Mount Kato is opening earlier and has more runs open already then last year, which has already proven to be more successful.

For more information, Putrah encourages people to call in to the office or visit the website.

“Everybody come out and take advantage of the specials,” Putrah said.

Web Photo Mount Kato offers enticing deals and fun to many in the Mankato area.

12 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Graduate a testament to the power of human will

After many difficulties, soon-to-be WSU graduate Sarah Bluhm gets to see her dreams fulfilled.

SAM WILMES News Editor With the holiday season and a new year closing in around us, there is someone who begs recognition for all that she has went through in her seven and a half year journey to hell and back on her way to a diploma: my sister Sarah.

Sarah, who will be graduating in a week from Winona State University, should serve as a testament to all you who may be thinking that they can’t make it through, that they can’t make it through the finish line of schoola sprint to some, a marathon to most.

In the spring of 2006, Sarah was a high school senior. Enveloped in a destructive relationship with a man she had met at work, Sarah was seriously considering moving into a trailer in Kasson with him.

After many angry exchanges with her parents she decided to move into a small, one bedroom

apartment in Winona and attend school at Winona State University. Loneliness and a fear of change led her to make weekly trips back to Kasson to work at the local grocery store, much to the dismay of her parents and fellow siblings.

Judgments led us to believe that she was lazy, that she didn’t have what it took to be a fulltime college student. Little did anyone know that she was actually suffering from two debilitating mental disorders, social anxiety and depression, leading her to not want to get out of bed in the morning.

After the fall of 2008, her GPA slid below two. On the premise that she had obtained an internship at Erdman’s, she moved back home. During this time she broke off her three year relationship with Matt, which ended up bringing out his mental instability.

He stalked her, the length of which is unknown. She described times when she would

leave work at 10:30 at night only to find him waiting for her outside the car.

Luckily, the storm passed, mostly due to the help of a guardian angel. In the winter of 2008-09, Wally Bluhm, a man five years her senior, truly came to her rescue. They began dating a few months after her relationship ended with Matt.

Winter turned to spring and then to summer as speculation began to swirl of their future plans, of marriage and kids. Sarah, undoubtedly scared to break the news to a Catholic family, refused to admit the truth, but finally admitted six months into her pregnancy that she was pregnant, that she had gotten pregnant only a few months into her relationship.

Christmas Eve in 2009 brought a major snowstorm.

Sarah and Wally, who were to be married the following spring, were also anticipating the arrival of a baby boy in mid- January.

My father, in a sort of Christ-

mas premonition, eerily said that they ought to get home, that they ought to just in case the baby was born that night, and sure enough he was. Elliot Bluhm was born the next morning, on Christmas Day 2009 in the midst of a snowstorm, three weeks early.

While taking care of her infant and still working at the grocery store, she returned to school the following fall. Amidst it all, she proved that a little dedication and a little help from the loved ones around you can really turn around your life.

She ended up soaring, double majoring in Human Relations and Business, while drastically improving her grades, all while becoming the best mother anyone could ever dream to be.

Next Friday I will gladly make the 80- mile trek to Winona to celebrate what five years ago seemed impossible. In living proof that anything is possible, Sarah proved that nothing can stand in the way of your dreams.

She proved that no matter what

you are going through at the present moment, life can change for the better.

For anyone considering leaving school, hopefully this can serve as a testament to the fortitude of the human spirit to not only barely get by but to face your demons and conquer them.

MSSA continued from 10 noticeable changes, some of which include the establishment of graduate studies advisory board, increased number of internships at the College of Business, establishment of MavGuard, opening of the CSU-library connection, involvement in the RHA consultation process, OrgSync/ StarID implementation as well as successful marketing of the textbook reserve program through faculty involvement.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

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MSU Reporter • 13

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

WHERE TO WORSHIP Bethlehem Lutheran, ELCA

It's ok to dress casual for church.

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Sunday Services 8:15 & 10:45 am Wednesday - 6 pm

1250 Monks Avenue 345-4011 On the corner of Monks Avenue and Balcerzak Drive. www.bethelmankato.com

SERVICE TIMES: Sunday: 8:30 a.m.............................. Family 9:45 a.m........................Traditional 11:00 a.m................. Contemporary Sunday School will be at 9:45 a.m.

College Age Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m.

Close walking distance from MSU! - Excellent Bible-based teaching - Choice of music styles: - Contemporary includes full band playing relevant worship songs - Traditional includes organ and hymns

Give Bethel a try and see if it can be your 'church home away from home'!

Come - just as you are - now is the time to worship.

Whoever you are, Wherever you are on life’s journey, YOU are welcome here...

Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

150 Stadium Ct., Mankato, MN 507-387-6592 Deborah Celley - Pastor

First Congregational UNITED CHURCH of CHRIST www.mankatoucc.org

An Open & Affirming - “God is Still Speaking” - Congregation

Pastor Jay Dahlvang Pastor Collette Broady 720 S. 2nd St. 507.388.2925 www.bethlehemmankato.org

Lunch 4 $1 Tuesday from 11-1 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH 1114 W. Traverse Road St. Peter, MN 56082 www.flcstp.org

WORSHIP SERVICES AT: 8:15 & 10:30 A.M. SUNDAYS 7:00 P.M. WEDNESDAYS We are an ELCA, Reconciled in Christ Congregation.

Worship Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Crossroads Campus Ministry 331 Dillon Avenue Mankato, MN 56001 www.crossroadsatmnsu.org

MONTHLY RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY

16 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, December 5, 2013 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

Email the A&E Editor: reporter-arts@mnsu.edu

507-389-5157

Seven films to see over winter break ‘Tis the season for Oscar hopefuls and anchormen.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & E Editor Out of the Furnace (December 6) – Out of the Furnace stars Christian Bale. That, in itself, is enough of a recommendation. A gritty revenge thriller set in the rust belt about a man attempting to rescue his brother from a criminal fighting ring = cool. All that jazz starring Christian Bale and coming to us from the director and writer of Crazy Heart = awesome.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (December 13) – Last year’s first installment of the Hobbit adaption wasn’t the endall Lord of the Rings experience it may have been thought to be beforehand, but at the very least it was a fun time, which is what The Desolation of Smaug looks to provide as well.

Bilbo Baggins and the band of dwarves continue their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain

but first must dodge giant spiders and treacherous elves before reaching their destination and the danger that lies within – the deadly dragon with a Benedict Cumberbatch-ian voice, Smaug.

Given this major plot point and the film being just slightly shorter than the previous film, Desolation of Smaug has the potential to be the most entertaining entry in the Hobbit series.

American Hustle (December 20) – David O. Russell’s last two films, Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, were darlings for both critics and audiences alike, generally speaking. So how does the cast from the two joining forces in a dark period comedy about the government combating political corruption by recruiting two con artists sound? The only acceptable answer is amazing.

It’s going to be really difficult deciding what shines the brightest in the film: Christian Bale’s sleazy con man with an elaborate

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comb-over, Jennifer Lawrence’s scene stealing side role, Russell’s capturing of the ‘70s in all it’s perm-tastic glory or any moments of comedic/dramatic genius the script has to offer. Either way, the result will hopefully be a treat for moviegoers everywhere.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (December 18) – Great Akham’s Razor! After

nearly a decade, Will Ferrell’s permanent entry into the pop culture pantheon is returning for another go at it.

With the Channel 4 news gang roaming New York City in the ‘70s, shenanigans are sure to go down as Ron Burgundy competes with established anchors from the Big Apple. Can Ferrell recapture the irreverent magic of the first Anchorman or will he put us in a glass case of negative

emotions?

August: Osage County (December 25) – This, boys and girls, is what we call “Oscar bait”. A cast full of Academy Award winners and nominees in an adaption of a famous stage play about a seriously dysfunctional family practically screams attention for awards season (with a good

7 FILMS • Page 20

Home for everyone to see Local vocal group Home Free to be featured on broadcast competition next week.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & E Editor A slice of home will be making its way to the national stage.

Home Free, Southern Minnesota’s area a cappella vocal group, will be featured on NBC’s vocal competition show, The Sing Off. The group of five will be competing against vocal solo groups from across the country in an attempt to impress judges and viewers alike.

Not your typical bow-andtie barbershop quartet, Home Free has been a name around Mankato since the five man group started in 2000 and have performed all around the world since. Made up of vocalists Austin Brown, Chris Rupp, Rob Lundquist, Tim Foust and Adam Rupp, Home Free can be seen anywhere from entertaining local high school assemblies

as part of their encouragement of music education in schools to serenading passengers on Norwegian Cruise Lines, to name just a few.

Starting on Monday, the seven-part season of The Sing Off will see Home Free appearing and competing to make it to the top, all leading up to the twohour season finale on December 23.

To do that, they’ll need to make a mark on judges Jewel, Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman and host Nick Lachey with their unique pop, country sound.

Samples of their energetic covers and a quick preview of their opening piece for the first episode can be found on the group’s Facebook page, as well as more general info at www. homefreevocalband.com.

Tune in Monday at 9 p.m. on NBC to catch Home Free belt it out.

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 17

A&E

Winners and Losers of 2013

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ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer

2013 is almost to a close, and with it, a look back at the winners and losers of the entertainment field. Box office juggernauts and cinematic misfires, surprise successes and faltering returns, history-making ratings and a slew of cancelations -- it’s been a whirlwind of unexpected results in the movie and television field where anything could happen.

WINNERS | The clear winner of the year at the multiplexes was Disney and Marvel’s Iron Man 3, riding off the postAvengers glow as it racked in $1.21 billion dollars worldwide.

Ushering in the Phase Two era of Marvel’s cinematic universe, Iron Man 3 redeemed the so-so Iron Man 2, and cemented Marvel’s power in the film industry.

Next to that list of runaway successes was, as expected, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, unanimously praised and well on its way to $600 million worldwide and beyond. Warner Bros. accomplished the seemingly impossible: they made Superman cool again. Man of Steel brought Superman back in the public conscience, and with the announcement of 2015’s Batman vs. Superman, Warner Bros./DC Entertainment seem to be planning their own cinematic universe to rival Marvel.

What succeeded and what failed were unpredictable this year. World War Z seemed doomed from the start. Heated clashes between actor and director, costly reshoots, and a complete third act rewrite, few could have expected the Brad Pitt zombie movie to, well, catch fire.

Similarly, the magician-centric Now You See Me was small potatoes upon opening day, but magnificent swimming legs banked in $200 million worldwide, and scored talks of sequels. Rated R comedies like The Heat, We’re the Millers, This is the End, and The World’s End all outperformed expectations. Horror films like The Purge and The oConjuring, made for consider-

ably little money, became massive hits thanks to strong word of mouth and staying power, proving that horror, if done in an inventive and respectable way, will bring in the crowds. Other cinematic winners: clearly the minions of Despicable Me 2, as few audience members were talking about Gru (Carell), and Fast & Furious 6, which is one of those rare cases that a series becomes more popular with each passing movie.

Scripted dramas were also stars of the year. Netflix’s Original Programming kicked off with the much-hyped and longdesired fourth season of Arrested Development. Whether or not the content of the 15-episode season satisfied longtime fans and casual viewers is up for debate, potentially zeroing this title in more towards the losing column, but Netflix became a powerhouse entity in the world of original material in 2013. Eclipsing AD was Orange is the New Black, a Netflix original that received universal critical acclaim for its writing and performances. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the Netflix originals are as high caliber as Breaking Bad. Bad concluded its run on AMC in September, with eight episodes of television’s best drama ever seen and seismic ratings increases with each episode, making the show’s final season a true winner. AMC’s The Walking Dead and CBS’ The Big Bang Theory continue to be creatively at the top of their game and likewise ratings mammoths, frequently hitting 12 and 19 million viewers, respectively.

In a time when live viewership has declined in favor of streaming devices, Dead and Big Bang Theory are the prime dominating scripted shows on television.

Other winners of the tube include the cultural shock HBO’s Game of Thrones gave viewers on the penultimate episode of the third season, nicknamed “the Red Wedding.” The series, and its books, have risen to even greater popularity in the last year. Supernatural and science fiction series are also one of the few shows surviving and gain-

ing renewals on networks. FX’s American Horror Story: Coven is a clear standout winner, as ratings are up, a fourth season renewal already inked, and has received very positive reviews.

FOX’s Sleepy Hollow was one of the few fall debuts to amass a fan following immediately and secure its second season renewal, and BBC America’s sci-fi cloning series Orphan Black, and its star Tatiana Maslany, became the subject of Emmy whispers and “Best of” lists. In a time where reality shows are still banking their millions of viewers, scripted dramas are getting all the attention.

Finally, one of 2013’s most entertaining success stories came from the least likely of sources. Sharknado, the latest in a series of hybrid creature features from the Asylum production company, became a social phenomenon early July. Tweets from high-profile celebrities like Damon Lindelof, Wil Wheaton, Olivia Wilde, and Cory Monteith humorously picking at the movie became a sensation and Sharknado’s popularity grew to the point it had a one-night only theatrical release.

LOSERS | Despite admirable box office numbers, Star Trek Into Darkness’ creative force’s choice to keep the identity of Khan a secret, going so far as to digitally replace the name Khan with John Harrison during a sneak preview of a key scene, was a massive misfire and fail for the filmmakers and frustrated headache for audiences. The once powerful comedy series The Hangover barely made mint with its lackluster and critically panned third and final installment, showcasing what happens when Hollywood stretches a onenote joke far beyond its tolerance. Disney will always invest large sums of money into their productions, but The Lone Ranger, an idea that looked swell on paper, was a gamble that didn’t pay off. With a loss of $190 million, Disney’s Ranger failed to make any impact outside of being an embarrassing bomb.

The same could be said for the Will Smith/Jaden Smith/M.

Night Shyamalan sci-fi drama After Earth, where all three of them plus the company are the losers. Financially unimpressive receipts, critical ridicule, and asinine performances, Shyamalan’s career is nearing Uwe Boll proportions (a German filmmaker whose each movie is successively worse) and Will Smith is scrambling to get tied up in secure money making franchises (read: Independence Day 2).

Ryan Reynolds didn’t fare any better, with two thuds coming out the same weekend: Turbo and R.I.P.D., with Turbo just being a tiny bit better received.

Television shows have been dropping like flies. The Goodwin Games, Save Me, Crossing Lines, Camp, Cult, Do No Harm, 1600 Penn, Bunheads, Magic City – all shows made with high expectation and promise, and evaporating from the face of the earth rapidly. AMC’s own Low

Winter Sun and Hell on Wheels were barely blips on the radar.

Through some miraculous intervention, Wheels was granted a fourth season and the low-tozero viewer interest in Winter Sun guarantees its forthcoming execution.

Futurama spent two years on Comedy Central as a winner, returned from death by Fox, only to be canceled again (for the foreseeable future) in September.

ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., one of the fall’s surefire hits, premiered with massive numbers, but over the following eight weeks suffered viewership decline and a lack of narrative cohesion – it’s future is a sure bet but the series is struggling to find its voice. And the biggest loser of all were all the fans of Showtime’s Dexter, who lost seeing their favorite serial killer end on a good note instead of the widely hated finale they were given.

Limit of 1 Per Person Code: MSU5 Expires: 12/19/13

18 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

A holiday kiss from us to you Timely recipes for traditional cookie with chocolate kisses to give you a happy holiday.

MIRANDA BRAUNWARTH Staff Writer With only a week left of the semester dreams of free time are on everyone’s minds. I know you can’t wait for that free time to pull out your flour and butter.

What better way to enjoy the holiday season and celebrate the end of the semester with warm fluffy homemade cookies that melt in your mouth There are many new cookies you can try this season that you can keep all for yourself or give away as a gift to friends and family. There are traditional holiday cookies as well as some that are more daring. In the following I’ll give two recipes that you’ll devour mere minutes after they come out of the oven.

When you’re baking cookies it’s nice to know some rules of thumb that can make your life so much easier and cookies so much more delicious.

Always remember to follow the recipe carefully for cookies, other cooking recipes are less important when it comes to measuring, this is not true for cookies. As well, a general rule of thumb is mix dry ingredients with dry ingredients and wet ingredients with wet ingredients, unless the recipe says otherwise.

If the recipe calls for softened

butter do not put it in the microwave to soften it, you will most likely ruin your batch. Instead leave out for a couple of hours.

One more tip mixers and whisks are not the same thing. This is the most important when you are making a recipe that calls for something whipped such as eggs, sugar, and butter etc. This comes up often in homemade frostings.

If you’re ever in doubt for temperature for cookies almost every recipes says 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Kisses may not be holidazzled but they are one of my favorites growing up as a kid at Christmas time. This recipe is so easy, keeps well when frozen and are perfect peanut butter morsels. This recipe is special in that it comes from my great grandma and has been passed down three generations.

Peanut Butter Kisses Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 egg 2 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 bag Chocolate Kisses

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all of your dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, sugars in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine your shortening, peanut butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine both bowls together and mix well.

Roll your dough into about an inch balls and press with a fork making a cross pattern, put onto a cookie sheet putting about a dozen on a pan. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Once done baking put a chocolate kiss on cookies while still hot.

Bring out the mistletoe with these next cookies because similar to the first kisses are being used. Striped candy cane kisses to be exact adorn the dazzling Candy Cane Blossoms, another drop cookie for the Holidays.

Candy Cane Blossoms Note: Recipes from the blog “Baked Perfection” Ingredients: 1 bag Hershey’s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 egg 2 cups flour

W I S E R E N T S .

C O M

Web Photo Candy Cane Blossoms

1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons milk Red and Green colored sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat together butter, sugar, vanilla and egg in bowl blending well. In a separate bowl mix together, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix the dry mixture into first bowl alternating with milk while mixing. Blend all together. Roll dough into one inch

balls and dip in colored sugar (This can be made by shaking white sugar in a sandwich bag with food coloring). Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Once done top with Candy Cane Kisses.

With Holiday greetings lurking in the air indulge in sense cradling cookies that fill you with warmth and chocolate kisses.

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 19

A&E

Videogame mystic predicts 2013 VGX winners

Bioshock: Infinite or Grand Theft Auto 5? Tomb Raider or The Last of Us? ADAM MILLER Staff Writer Spike TVs Video Game Awards are coming up this Saturday with a new twist on the old formula. This time around the show has been rebranded as VGX 2013. Instead of being broadcast on the main channel, the awards will be streamed online. This allows them to add more to the awards then they were able to in the past.

So, who will win what category? Let’s take a look at the predictions: Best Shooter: Who will win: Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty: Ghosts

r Who should win: Bioshock gInfinite g s Bioshock Infinite will defidnitely walk away with a few wins eunder its belt. The visuals that are -out of this world and the combat

is smooth and effective. In addition to this, the storyline, includ-ing an ending that really made eyou think, delivers a truly great ugaming experience. However, in -the category of Best Shooter the lack of multiplayer in Bioshock Infinite is what is going to make it loose this category.

Best Game:

Action

Adventure

Who will win: The Last of Us Who should win: The Last of Us The Last of Us takes the player on a non-stop rollercoaster of

excitement as Joel and Ellie travel and fight to survive across an infected United States. The game was one of the most anticipated since Naughty Dog announced its existence and it didn’t disappoint.

Best RPG: Who will win: Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn Who should win: All of them The only thing that makes this category hard to call is that differences between the games nominated. Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is an online RPG, one that has the potential to dethrone World of Warcraft as the king of MMOs. Pokemon X/Y on the other hand is a game that has been around for years and has a strong, loyal fan base.

Beyond that in this category is Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a game which mixes a great gameplay and imbues it with Studio Ghibli’s signature art style and story-telling.

Web Photo From left to right: Bioshock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto 5, Super Mario, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider

that is both new and nostalgic at the same time. By removing the stable items such as the bow and arrow and bombs from dungeons and making them all available from a shop the developers managed to return the Zelda series back to its roots were exploration is the focus of the game.

Best Casual Game:

Best Handheld Game: Who will win: Pokemon X/Y Who should win: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Despite the fact that Pokemon X/Y are strong additions to the Pokemon franchise they are essentially the same game as all of the other Pokemon games with more Pokemon to catch and the same formula for the story line.

A Link Between Worlds however takes the traditional Zelda formula and changes it in a way

Who will win: Skylanders Swap Force Who should win: Plants vs.

Zombies 2: It’s About Time While Skylanders has better graphics, more in depth game play and is arguably more fun than Plants vs. Zombies, the reason it shouldn’t come out on top is that any game that requires you to buy extra toys in order to fully enjoy the game is hard to be considered casual. Plants vs.

Zombies 2 is a free game that

you can play for 10 minutes at a time and embodies the spirit of a casual game.

pated and that is because of the legacy behind the developers.

Most Anticipated Game:

Game of the Year: Who will win: Toss up between BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us Who should win: One of those two.

All in all, it has been a great year for gaming but among all of the titles that have come out these two are the ones that attracted not only hard-core gamers, casual players but even some people who don’t play games very often at all. They were the most antici-

Who will win: It is impossible to guess.

Who should win: Destiny

This category is up for grabs as all the nominees are games that look amazing. But of those nominees, Destiny has the most potential. The new title looks to be a perfect blend between firstperson shooter and role playing game, not to mention it is a game being developed by Bungie, who has made a name for themselves with the Halo franchise.

20 • MSU Reporter

A&E

7 FILMS “Can Ferrell recapture the irreverent magic of the first Anchorman or will he put us in a glass case of negative emotions” continued from 16

Web Photo

chance of actual screaming being involved too). Look for some epic dinner table smack downs from the likes of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch, to name a few.

If nothing else, August: Osage County will provide a strange example of how thankful audiences should be that their families aren’t made up of the nut jobs on display here. Or maybe they are, in which case… yeesh.

The Wolf of Wall Street (December 25) – Much like August, Martin Scorsese’s latest tale about greed and excess on Wall Street (a timely subject matter for sure) starring Leonardo DiCaprio is also looking to garner some awards buzz.

But unlike August, The Wolf of Wall Street comes with far more interesting questions beforehand. Will Leo finally nab an Oscar for his portrayal of the erratic Jordan Belfort? Can the movie justify being almost three hours long? What depravities do Belfort and company commit that Scorsese had to trim the

film in order to avoid the dreaded NC-17 rating? Has there ever been a more dope use of Kanye’s “Black Skinhead” in a trailer?

Find out for yourself this Christmas.

Nebraska (now in limited release) – Yeah, this probably won’t be for everyone. Yeah, this probably won’t even find its way to theaters here over the holiday break or at all. But if you’re perusing the uptown Minneapolis area over break, its worth remembering that director Alexander Payne makes some pretty damn great films.

Payne, whether going from the exotic locales seen in The Descendants to the drab setting of About Schmidt and this film, always captures an essence of dark, quirky comedy with stories that are profoundly true to the human condition.

This latest story of an elderly alcoholic traveling from Montana to Nebraska to receive fake prize money with his son will surely be another in a long line of dramedy winners for Payne, who does it better than anyone else.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Production on Fast 7 shut down indefinitely

NEW YORK (AP) — Universal Pictures has shut down production on “Fast & Furious 7” indefinitely following the death of its star, Paul Walker.

The studio announced Wednesday that the film will shut down “for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise.”

The seventh installment of the street car racing series had begun shooting in September. While much of “Fast & Furious 7” has been filmed, it’s far from complete.

When Walker died in a fiery car crash Saturday north of Los Angeles, the film was on break for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Shooting had been planned to resume Monday in Atlanta, but production was put on hold following Walker’s death.

Universal had been trying to fast-track “Fast & Furious 7” for a July 11 release, a date that’s likely to be postponed. Universal hasn’t yet announced any release date change.

“Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to provid-

ing support to Paul’s immediate family and our extended ‘Fast & Furious’ family of cast, crew and filmmakers,” the studio said in a statement.

Walker was killed by injuries from both the impact and subsequent fire when the high-powered Porsche driven by his friend crashed, according to autopsy results released Wednesday.

The actor died from the “combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries,” according to the autopsy released by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

At the wheel was Roger Rodas, Walker’s friend, financial adviser and co-owner of a professional racing team. The two died when Rodas’ 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed into a light pole and tree, then exploded in flames.

Sheriff’s investigators were still trying to determine what caused Rodas to careen out of control. They have said speed was a factor in the one-car crash about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Rodas was killed by the impact alone, the doctor who per-

formed the autopsy concluded.

Results of toxicology testing for drugs or alcohol will take another six to eight weeks.

The limited-edition Porsche was previously owned by IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, who has said it was difficult to drive.

It is not just fast — it can hit 100 mph in less than 7 seconds — but also unforgiving in its handling.

Walker starred in all but one installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, which has been particularly lucrative for Universal. “Fast & Furious 6,” released in May, was the highest grossing film in the series, earning more than $788 million worldwide.

Universal announced Tuesday that it will donate a portion of the proceeds from the upcoming DVD, Blu-ray and digital release of “Fast & Furious 6” to Walker’s charity Reach Out Worldwide.

Walker, 40, founded Reach Out Worldwide in 2010 to give first-response aid to victims of natural disasters. Walker was hosting a fundraiser for the nonprofit on Saturday afternoon before the crash.

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MSU Reporter • 21

A&E

Homeland starts on strange, uneven foot

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.

Web Photo

ANDREW SIMON - Staff Writer

-

With Homeland’s second g season ending on a shocker, the e series’writers had a wide open canvas of avenues they could have explored, so many different ways they could have tackled the devastating aftermath of the second season finale events, and true to form, they chose the route least expected. Unfortunately for them, they also chose the route least interesting.

Picking up some weeks later, s the CIA is under government - investigation for their seem- ing incompetence and Carrie (Claire Danes) is the prime target. Discredited, disgraced, and confined to a mental institution for ignoring her prescriptions, Carrie becomes a target of interest for an extremist group hoping to use her intelligence against the agency.

Meanwhile, Brody (Damien Lewis) is on the run, held up in South America and suffering from a gunshot wound. The Brody family isn’t faring better, as his daughter, Dana (Morgan Saylor), attempted suicide and wishes to distance herself from the family name. Saul (Mandy Patinkin), acting director of the CIA, has a new play in mind to catch the bomber and crush an Iraqi dictatorship but it’s going to require a lot of sacrifice.

It took four episodes for Homeland to find its groove again and that’s pushing it. The series spent three and a half episodes exploring the deteriorating mental stability of Carrie, creating such a wedge between her and Saul, setting up this massive investigation into the CIA and depicting the destroyed lives of the Brody family – only for most of it (spoilers) to not matter, as everything Carrie and Saul did was part

of a rouse to get the attention of the Iranian front-heads in charge of the Langley bombing.

It’s a twist that’s entirely within the absurd world of Homeland but with how everything in those three episodes were dramatized, it’s one of the few cases where, despite how much one can argue in favor of it, the story and the events onscreen don’t line up, making for a largely unimpressive opening arc. The senate hearing also is thrown to the side after two episodes, its usefulness fulfilled for sake of character, but it was an interesting enough idea that it deserved room to breathe.

Then there’s the Dana problem. For some critics, the idea of dedicating thirty percent of screen-time to Brody’s wayward daughter wasn’t the smartest allocation of story content and it’s hard to argue against it when the episodes have been rather so-so, but there is merit in dramatizing the effects Brody’s action has on the family. It may not be the most thrilling subplot in the pot but the Homeland writers stuck to their guns and went with this story, giving it an emotional honesty and the right balance of melodrama with well-written material.

Ultimately, where the viewer’s acceptance or distaste on this subplot lands depends on how one appreciates the season.

It’s quite clear that season three of Homeland isn’t the same adrenaline-paced, anythingand-everything-happens thriller of the first two years and instead opted for a slow burn, allowing for more detours in character-land. Normally, that would be welcomed with open arms on another show but for a series that has already established itself as an unpredictable thriller, the change in speed is jarring and disconcerting.

Once the season sets up its stakes, affirms its mission statement and puts all the players in the game, Homeland is back on its feet. The intensity of the first two years is sadly not as profound, but there are enough pieces in the air to keep the show engrossing and when that fails, the show‘s secret weapon is Mandy Patinkin’s mind-boggling amazing performances and compelling monologues.

Nicholas Brody has been a largely absent figure for most of the season, but when he returned, Damien Lewis gave his Emmy-winning work in the series.

At this point, the show is very much like 24 was in its later years – lots of family drama, betrayals, big moments that two episodes later are revealed don’t mean a thing because it was all part of some act, espionage and terrorist infiltration that goes awry. It’s both a compliment and a complaint. When 24 made it work, they did it amazingly well. For Homeland, it’s struggling to find the right balance for all its parts, but the series is in such a bombastic state where anything can happen, it’ll be interesting to see where the parts fall.

Homeland’s third season is wildly uneven but perhaps it’s trying a different approach than its first two years. For any show to have longevity, it needs to grow and change and with a fourth season renewal already announced, the Homeland writers need to figure out where this series is heading and what its future looks like. For now, Carrie, Saul and the CIA have everything resting on a plan, with a lot of unpredictable assets in play – Homeland, season three, seems to be heading for a game-changing finale.

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Mavericks to spend Winter break doing what they love The men’s hockey team has one more homestand this weekend before the winter break portion of their season starts, which includes a trip to Alaska.

DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer With winter break approaching quickly, students will soon be headed home for the holidays.

The Mavericks men’s hockey team, however, will be hard at work. The Mavericks play seven games between the end of fall semester and the beginning of spring semester, including three conference series and one exhibition game.

With fall semester ending next Friday, the Mavs will head to Huntsville, AL. to play a conference opponent in the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers in a two game weekend series. Last season, the Mavericks opened their season at Huntsville with a tie and a win over the Chargers. This is a series that the Mavericks will be heavily favored in and hope to come away with two wins and

four more points in the WCHA standings. The Chargers currently sit in last place in the 10-team WCHA with a 0-8 league record, and an overall record of 0-14.

While Huntsville played a tight game against a very good Maverick team last season, they seem to be struggling so far this year and this should be a weekend where the Mavs walk away with two more wins on their record.

The Mavericks return home to the Verizon Wireless Center Dec. 17 for an exhibition matchup against the U.S. National Team Development Program. For those who aren’t familiar with the USNTDP, it is a program consisting of the best high school players in the nation based out of Ann Arbor, Mich. The under-18 team plays in the top junior hockey league in the U.S., the United States Hockey League, as well as playing exhibition games versus collegiate teams, while

David Bassey• MSU Reporter So far this season, junior forward Max Gaede (above) has assisted in three goals.

the under-17 team plays in the tier II North American Hockey League. Between the two teams in the program, 36 players have committed to a Division I college to play hockey so these games serve as preparation for their college careers. The game will not count for any official NCAA or WCHA standings, nor will stats from this game.

After a short break for the holidays, the Mavericks return to the ice Jan. 3 when they head to Fairbanks, Alaska to face off against another conference opponent in the University of AlaskaFairbanks Nanooks. This will be a special trip for one Maverick in particular, as goaltender Stephon Williams is a native of Fairbanks. Last season, the Nanooks were not a member of the WCHA so this will be Williams’ first time as a collegiate goaltender playing in his hometown.

With a 2-6 league record, Fairbanks sits in ninth place of the WCHA, and carries an overall record of 5-7-2. After finishing in the top half of the very competitive and now dissolved Central Collegiate Hockey Association, I picked the Nanooks to be one of the teams to finish among the top three in the WCHA, but they haven’t quite found their groove this season. This is another series where the Mavs will be favored and should certainly come away with some points in the league standings.

From there, the Mavericks will again play a series in Alaska when they travel to Anchorage the following weekend to play another series against the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, who they swept last weekend in Mankato. The Seawolves are in eighth place in the WCHA with a 3-5-2 league record, but sit only two points behind the Mavs, who are tied with Lake Superior State University for third. Anchorage proved they could be a tough team to beat last Friday night when the Mavericks squeezed out a 3-2 win in the third period after the game was tied 2-2 at the conclusion of the second period.

Saturday night, the Mavs rolled past them though, beating them

David Bassey• MSU Reporter Sophomore forward Brett Knowles (above), who is from Vanderhoff, B.C., has one assist in the Mavericks’ 2013-2014 campaign.

7-3 for the sweep. Although this series is at Anchorage, the Mavs proved with the sweep last weekend that they are a deeper, more skilled team than the Seawolves and will be looking to leave Alaska with a win, if not a sweep.

Now that we are nearing the midway mark of the college hockey regular season, let’s take a look around the WCHA at some of the teams the Mavericks have yet to face.

The Ferris State University Bulldogs are currently in first place with a commanding lead, carrying an 8-0-2 league record and 11-2-2 overall. The Bulldogs were the team I predicted at the beginning of the season would challenge the Mavericks the most for the top spot in the conference.

Just two seasons removed from losing the national championship title game, the Bulldogs look like

a promising team to make the NCAA Tournament. They are the highest ranked WCHA team on the national scale, coming in at number six in this week’s poll and even received one first-place vote.

Behind Ferris State sits the Bemidji State Beavers. A familiar team that has been in the WCHA for the past three seasons, Bemidji has found themselves to be more competitive in the new conference. In second place, the Beavers sit one point ahead of both Minnesota State and Lake Superior, who have each played two less games. It’s fair to say Bemidji likely won’t hold the number two spot once these teams have caught up in games played. With a 5-4-1 league record, the Beavers have

HOCKEY • Page 24

Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 23

Sports

Who stays on the gridiron past week 17?

Web Photo One of the biggest reasons the Carolina Panthers are 9-3 is the play of quarterback Cam Newton.

While the AFC has its playoff spots basically spoken for, teams in the NFC make last minute adjustments while they scramble to earn a playoff position.

ADAM PIERSON Staff Writer

The AFC has less than half of their teams in the hunt with three weeks left in the season, on the other side of the league, the NFC has nearly half of the teams fighting for their division because the wildcard is basically spoken for.

The AFC has teams with rcommanding leads in each division beside the West where the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are competing for the AFC West Championship. The loser will take the AFC wild-

card.

The New England Patriots are 9-3 this season with the Miami Dolphins next behind them at 6-6. The Patriots are returning players and becoming healthy at the right time. Winning their last two games the Patriots should be able to win two of their last four games at home against subpar opponents. Tom Brady has played like himself in recent games and as one of the all-time greats in the playoffs, the Patriots look good moving forward.

The 8-4 Cincinnati Bengals who will more than likely

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narrowly clinch their division with the 6-6 Baltimore Ravens trailing behind them lead the AFC South. The Ravens finish their season on a tough note against the Detroit Lions in Detroit then the Patriots at home then the Bengals in Cincinnati to end their season. The Bengals have some impressive wins this season, winning against the healthy Green Bay Packers, the Patriots, the Lions at Detroit and last week’s victory in San Diego against the Chargers. The Bengals are far too inconsistent to be a real threat moving forward in the playoffs but for now, it’s safe to say they have a spot. But who knows, it’s all about getting hot at the right time.

The 8-4 Indianapolis Colts safely have the AFC South spoken for. With two of the last four games at home against teams that they will almost certainly beat and two tough games against the Bengals in Cincinnati and against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City. Trailing the Colts is the 5-7 Tennessee Titans who are in too big of a hole to make the playoffs this season.

The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs twice in the last three weeks. Considering the Broncos have a favorable remainder of their schedule and appear to be the more well rounded team with a one game lead over the Chiefs, the Broncos should win the AFC West, thus leaving the Chiefs as the AFC wildcard. Without the Chiefs playing an unheard of caliber of defense, like they did the first half of the season, their offense just can’t sustain with the high-scoring league.

Web Photo Since Reggie Bush was brought in to the city of Detroit, he’s added even more flare to this already exciting offense.

The NFC on the other hand is tainted with injuries and mediocre records for the majority of teams.

The NFC East has two teams in the race. Both at 7-5, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will need to finish their remaining four games better than the other to make the playoffs. Both teams are 6-2 in their conference and currently Dallas has the upper hand after beating the Eagles in Philadelphia 17-3 earlier this season on top of

their remaining schedules. The Eagles finish their season on the road, while the Cowboys have two of their four at home including the season finale against the Eagles in Dallas. With that being said, the Cowboys inconsistency throughout the year and the explosiveness of the Eagles offense lead by Chip Kelly and Nick Foles should make for an interesting end of the season.

The NFC North is a mess, with the healthiest team on top.

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Sports

When will the goals come?

At the December mark, the Minnesota Wild own a record of 13-6-5, giving them 37 points. If the Wild want to contend for the Stanley Cup this season, the puck needs to find its way in the back of the net on a more consistent basis.

Web Photo Josh Harding, 29, has been the most consistent player for the Wild so far this season. He owns a 14-4-3 record in 19 starts.

LUCAS RYAN Staff Writer

When the Minnesota Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on Independence Day two summers ago, it appeared that the team’s roster should be capable of contending for the Stanley Cup for many years.

After a shortened season last year and 24 games this season, I am not sold that this team is a serious Stanley Cup contender -- yet. The Wild (13-6-5, 37 points) have shown at times they can compete with the best teams in the league but have also made it clear that they lack the scoring consistency that the great teams have.

You can’t win if you don’t score. For the Wild to take the next step in building their team, they need to sign or (quickly) develop a top goal scorer.

The Wild have out chanced and out possessed their opponent in nearly every game, but it is alarming Minnesota has scored just three more goals than they have allowed this season.

Since the days of Jacques Lemaire, the Wild has never exceled at scoring. Now the team has an abundance of talent and the problem remains. This team’s mantra seems to be ‘if we keep playing like we are, the goals will come’. But how long you can the Wild continue to stick by their play before they take a more aggressive approach to dealing with this team’s inability to score. Hopefully they figure out a something soon.

The Wild have scored two goals or less in 16 of their 24 games this season. Luckily, the Wild won more than one third of those games, but that was in large part because Josh Harding has provided outstanding goaltending. It is great the Wild can win low scoring games, but great teams do not bank on outstanding goaltending to win games. They also can win high scoring games.

Josh Harding has started the season red hot.

Harding leads the NHL in goals against average with a 1.45, has the second best save percentage (.939) and is tied for the fourth most wins in the league.

I think the general manager of the Wild Chuck

Fletcher is a major reason the Wild have had success the last two years. He has drafted great and made arguably the biggest free agent signing of any sports franchise in Minnesota, but he needs make a splash somehow to resolve this problem.

Fletcher had to make some major roster move this offseason to keep the team under the salary cap. With the roster changes this offseason the team has remains a playoff contender and at times as looked improved from last year, but the fact remains, the Wild do not score a lot of goals.

This problem however is not as easy to fix. The NHL’s top goal scorers only come into the league every so often. Most teams hope to develop players into allstars, but that is sometimes a long process that does not pan out. The Wild have Granlund and Jason Zucker, who are two players with offensive abilities that are rare in this league, but they are still in the process of honing in on their skills and understanding how they can be successful in the NHL. Sometime in the future these players will be elite offensively, but they are not there yet.

The other option for Wild management is to pursue a player in free agency. One player the Wild are rumored to have interest in is Thomas Vanek.

Vanek has several ties to Minnesota and would be the type of player the Wild is lacking. Vanek is a two-time 40-goal scorer, but he will be 30 years old this January and might have already played his best years. I think that Vanek is exactly the type of player the Wild need to target this offseason.

The Wild will begin an important stretch of games against top teams in the Western Conference starting tonight. This is the first season after realignment of the conferences, and at this point, it appears as though there is major discrepancy between the two conferences. The Wild would be a top two team in the Eastern Conference, but in the West they find themselves in seventh place and currently would not even make the playoffs.

The Wild cannot afford to give up two points to Western Conference teams and will also need to win the majority of Eastern Conference games just to maintain pace in the west.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

HOCKEY “After a short break for the holidays, the Mavericks return to the ice Jan. 3 when they head to Fairbanks, Alaska to face off against another conference opponent in the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks.” continued from 22 already eclipsed their total of four league wins last season.

Lake Superior State sits tied with the Mavericks in third place in the WCHA with an identical 5-3 league record. The Lakers have surprised many early on this season, climbing to number 14 in this week’s national rankings. They were a team I thought could challenge the Mavericks this season but have shown themselves as a legitimate threat for the WCHA crown early on.

A longtime member of the WCHA, the Michigan Tech University Huskies are in fifth place in the league, tied with the Mavericks’ opponent this weekend, Northern Michigan University. Both teams carry a 4-3-1 conference record thus far and could sneak up on some teams. Had either of these teams won the games they tied, they would be tied for third place heading into the weekend.

While many picked Minnesota State to be crowned the WCHA champions in 2014, right now the conference looks like a tossup.

With the exception of Huntsville, each team has enough season left to make their way up the standings and fight for the top spot, as can be seen with how tight the standings are right now from second place through eighth place.

The Mavericks hit the ice this weekend at home against Northern Michigan. The Wildcats will look to move ahead of the Mavs in the league standings while the Mavericks will look to move ahead of Bemidji for the number two spot. Friday night’s matchup will begin at 7:37 p.m. with a slightly earlier 7:07 p.m. Saturday puck drop.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Sports

MSU Reporter • 25

Don’t Worry Maverick fans, it’s just the beginning

In this new age of Maverick athletics where the term, ‘fighting for championships’ gets thrown around on a regular basis, the fall season could be seen as a letdown of a follow-up after last year’s fourth place finish in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup (given to the team in each division that has the most athletic success).

Yes, the football and soccer squads took home two more coveted NSIC championship trophies and the gridiron gang even got to boast as the no. 1 team in the country for the better part of their 2013 campaign, but both teams ended up being knocked out of the national tournament early by conference foes.

Soccer would fall to Southwest Minnesota State, while football laid victim to St. Cloud State last weekend in an epic showdown of offense. Both were premature exits on MSU’s side that forces the school to not gain as many points in their respective, and the Maverick faithful who came up empty on two possible national championships were disappointed, but don’t you worry about a thing MSU, the Mavericks have not even begun their reign of terror in the NSIC and the national spectrum and should be able to regain a few steps they lost in the fall with their upcoming athletic prowess.

In men’s hockey, the squad currently boasts a 5-3 record in the WCHA and 7-7 overall, a step back from last year’s improbable run at the second Final 5 in school history, but lately they have been showing signs of improvement. After dropping three straight to in-state foe Minnesota and Bowling Green, the Mavs answered back REECE HEMMESCH Editor in Chief

David Bassey • MSU Reporter After the first eight games of the 2013-2014 season, senior guard Gage Wooten is putting up 12.8 points per game while bringing down 6.6 rebounds a night.

with a Saturday win over BGSU two weekends ago, before sticking it to Northern Michigan last weekend by a final tally of 10-5 over the weekend.

The men’s hockey team closes their pre-Christmas half of the season with a series against AlabamaHuntsville this weekend, which should yield two more wins and get MSU back in the winning ways when they come back against Alaska on January 3rd.

As for hoops, both the men and women’s teams have gotten out to quick starts in their 2013-2014 campaigns and show no signs of stopping. Both teams were predicted to take the conference in most peoples eyes around the NSIC and we should expect at least one conference title out of the two combined.

The men’s team recently cracked the Top 10 of the polls after Saturday’s big win over Concordia St. Paul.

They are no. 9 in the country and are the only NSIC team to crack the top 25. Individually, Assem Marei, the preseason NSIC south division player of the year is currently brining in just over 15 points and six rebounds a game.

As for the women, they sit at no. 13 in the country, with just Augustana (no. 10) ahead of them for NSIC squads. They also have suffered just one loss early in 2013 as they get set to play host to Upper Iowa and Winona State this weekend at the Taylor Center.

So fall may not have turned out how we planned as just two more NSIC titles make their way into the trophy case, but keep the faith Mavericks, this season still has sports just waiting to make a splash in the national Division II spectrum.

CONGRATULATIONS MSU FOOTBALL ON A GREAT SEASON!

26 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, December 5, 2013

2014 Maverick offseason outlook: Can squad continue legacy?

With a number 1 national ranking and NSIC Offensive Player and Co-Defensive Player of the Year this season, next year’s squad has their work cut out for them.

JOEY DENTON Sports Editor Even though this season’s football squad didn’t find themselves in the NCAA Championship game or even the semifinals like the previous year, it still doesn’t take away how superior the team was in 2013.

Being the first team to be ranked no. 1 in all Divisions is a real pronounced accomplishment, but to look at this program from the start and to be the first team to do so, that’s something these players can carry with them wherever they go after hanging up the cleats.

Players such as Jon Wolf, Chris Schaudt, Sam Brockshus and all the other seniors will leave this great legacy behind, but everyone else knew that once Monday came around, it was time to continue the legacy.

Interim head coach Aaron Keen and his staff didn’t waste any time moving towards 2014 with their first recruiting meeting taking place on Monday.

“We had a great year. We have a lot to sell,” Keen said. “We’re just moving full speed ahead in the recruiting process and starting to identify those great players who become the next Mavericks.”

As they look far down the road for the program right now, the players received a well-deserved break, but once the players reach campus for spring semester, the 2014 season has started.

Not a lot of teams in college football have the luxury, and burden, depending on how it’s perceived, of replacing both the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Wolf and Schaudt set the standards sky high in regards of talent, determination and leadership.

“Chris Schaudt on defense has been an incredible player for four years and is going to be very

difficult to replace,” Keen said.

Sophomore defensive end Josh Gordon was taken under Schaudt’s wing for his first two years playing on the opposite side of the line and has shown to be able to keep anchoring down this defensive line that only allowed 74.4 rushing yards per game.

Gordon was an NSIC South Division All-Conference Second Team Defense member who finished the 2013 season with 47 tackles, a team-most seven sacks and two forced fumbles.

What else is there to say about Wolf, other than there will never be another Jon Wolf, but there will be a Mitch Brozovich, a Nick Pieruccini, a Neico Stokke, or a Zach Evans taking the snaps next season.

“I think on our roster now we have very different players if you look at the four guys who are currently on our roster, and we will build the offense around the skills and abilities for whoever takes over that quarterback position,” Keen said.

No doubt this will be the biggest position the Mavericks focus on from offseason workouts, to the spring ball game and all the way to week one in 2014. Even though Brozovich took the second most snaps this season, that doesn’t mean he will take the most next year. Pieruccini opened up some eyes last spring when he completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown. Pretty sure he’s been looking forward to show how much he’s improved this next spring game since he walked off the field back in April.

“It all comes down to how that person handles himself in practice going from a number two to potentially being a number one,” Keen said. “How to handle that competition, how to handle being ‘that guy’.”

Even though the Wolf-Dennis Carter connection is leaving Mankato, there shouldn’t be any worry for whoever is under center; they will be in good

David Bassey • MSU Reporter After rushing for 956 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground this season, sophomore running back Connor Thomas will be receiving more carries with Jon Wolf graduating.

hands with great athletes in the receiving corp. With a nagging hamstring throughout the whole season, sophomore receiver Kyle Riggott wasn’t as much of a fac-

tor as anticipated, but junior receiver Austin Rieder stepped up and adequately seized the no. 2

FOOTBALL • Page 27

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

MSU Reporter • 27

Sports

FOOTBALL “No doubt this (quarterback) will be the biggest position the Mavericks focus on from offseason workoust, to the spring ball game and all the way to week one in 2014. Even though Brozovich took the second most snaps this season, that doesn’t mean he will take the most next year. Pieruccini opened up some eyes last spring when he completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown.

Pretty sure he’s been looking forward to show how much he’s improved this next spring game since he walked of the field back in April.” continued from 26

receiver role.

“I think with the addition of Kyle Riggott coming back healthy next year, now we’ve got guys who are proven pass catchers,” Keen said. “Keyvan Rudd I think had some significant development this year as well.”

The three leading receivers returning next year were Rieder, 530 receiving yards and five touchdowns, sophomore tight end Bryce Duncan, 199 yards, and Rudd with 157 yards.

Before Wolf took the majority of the carries starting last season, junior running back Andy Pfieffer was a 1,200-yard rusher who touched the ball almost 30 times a game. Granted, they didn’t possess the wild-man runner in Connor Thomas that year, but with Wolf gone and to give the new quarterback some time to get comfortable in the r NSIC, those two will be relied heavily to move the chains.

Players start their winter strength-conditioning program that will go five days a week. For five weeks before spring break the coaches take over for a morning conditioning period. According to Keen, “That’s where championships are won.”

For the first time in four years, the Mavericks coaching staff needs to find their next consistent placekicker, and there aren’t many out there like Brockshus. Keen’s goal is to locate a transfer player for the spring rather than throwing a freshman out there in the fall.

The Mavericks were lucky enough to fill the void former linebacker Marcus Hall-Oliver left last season with sophomore Tyler Henderson having a breakout season, but will they have the same luck with Isaac Kolstad leaving? Sophomore Evan Koehler could be that guy.

With 41 tackles, 19 of them solo and a sack this season, he’s proven to be a great tackler, which will always get a player playing time.

Safety Jordan Hale will also leave a player a daunting task in filling his shoes, but the Mavericks have groomed junior Sam Thompson for the last three seasons to be ready to compete for that starting role next season. Thompson worked in with different formations throughout his career and finished with 28 tackles and three pass deflections this season.

This is a tough senior class to watch walk out the locker room for the last time, but the program under Keen doesn’t rebuild—it reloads.

“That’s kind of the fun of coaching,” Keen said. “From my perspective, is the challenge of replacing people like that.”

NFL “The NFL is all about getting hot at the right time and fielding a healry group of guys. Any twist or injury can dramatically change the outlook of a season. My bet woul be the Patriots and Seahawks facing of in New York for the Super Bowl this season. ” continued from 23 The Lions lead the division at 7-5 but are trailed by the 6-6 Chicago Bears and the 5-6-1 Packers. At this point, each team has a couple home and away games with a similar difficulty in their opponents. If the Packers return their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, you simply cannot count them out, with that being said, they need to win now and hope the Lions or Bears don’t go on a hot streak. It will be a race to the end in the North if each of those three can play up to their potential.

The NFC South is an exciting battle between the 9-3 Carolina Panthers and the 9-3 New Orleans Saints. The battle will be showcased on Sunday Night Football this Sunday in New Orleans and again two weeks later in Carolina. Based on their remaining schedule they both should win their two remaining games against other teams, so if one team can sweep the other, they should have the division claimed.

The NFC West has been dominated by the Seattle Seahawks who are an impressive 14-0 at home since second year quarterback Russell Wilson has taken over. Coming off their 34-7 victory at home against the Saints and clinching home field advantage in the playoffs, it appears the Seahawks have a clear path to the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, they have played inconsistent throughout the year, their 8-4 record may not hold up against the records of the Saints or Panthers in the wildcard race. The same goes for the recently surging Arizona Cardinals who are currently 7-5. It’s going to take a hot streak for the 49ers and Cardinals make the playoffs, although I don’t foresee that happening.

With a lot of brutal season left it’s hard to say who is going to prevail. After the beating the Seahawks handed the Saints last week, it’s hard to believe anyone will come to Seattle and beat them. Personally, I think Carolina’s defense on top of Cam Newton’s play-making ability, they have the best shot to take them down.

The Broncos and Patriots are my favorite moving forward into the playoffs. With their veteran quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady it will be tough to take them down. Manning’s 9-11 playoff career with eight one-and-done playoff trips stacked against Brady’s two Super Bowls. With all that being said, the young Andrew Luck, who took Manning’s spot in Indianapolis, has the potential to take either down.

The NFL is all about getting hot at the right time and fielding a healthy group of guys. Any twist or injury can dramatically change the outlook of a season. My bet would be the Patriots and Seahawks facing off in New York for the Super Bowl this season.

David Bassey • MSU Reporter The Maverick offense wouldn’t have been as explosive if they didn’t have one of the best offensive lines in Division II. In 12 games, the Mavericks rushed for 3,536 yards.

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Thursday, December 5, 2013