February 7, 2019

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2019

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Diversity Career Fair to be held Feb. 28 in CSU Ballroom

OLUWATOMIKE BALI STAFF WRITER The Diversity Career Internship Fair prep workshop was an event organized by the Career Development Center specifically for students of color, held in the CSU this past Monday and Tuesday.

The purpose of the workshop was to help students get ready for the fair coming, putting their resume and cover letter in order and what to expect at the fair.

Career advisor and graduate assistant, Jessica Castellanos, who coordinated the event, said, “It is a collaboration between Institutional Diversity,

Maria Ly | MSU Reporter

the African American Affairs and their Pan-African Conference coming up soon.

The workshop is to help students gets prepared for the Career Fair. The Career Fair which is coming up towards

the end of the month has over 40 employers registered, more than last year. These are companies that are interested in representing a diverse environment and culture.”

These companies will be

here to talk to students in terms of career and internship opportunities.

Castellanos focused primarily on what it looks like to have a resume ready. She showed different videos on

dressing attires and career fair information, and making sure the students have different copies of their resume printed out. Also, she emphasized that students come dressed in business casual outfits, and not jeans or leggings.

Castellanos further said that students should make sure to target every employer they are interested in talking to because there are going to be a lot of employers with a very short time frame. Afterwards, students were given time to ask any specific questions they had.

Castellanos encouraged everyone to attend the Career Fair, which will be held Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the CSU Ballroom. She hopes students will attend and take advantage of the fair to network and connect with employers.

Leadership U: Creating the next generation of leaders

JOSHUA SCHUETZ STAFF WRITER There is no field of work in the world where leadership isn’t a crucial driver of success. Instilling the qualities associated with leadership to students will produce a stronger, healthier, more workready generation of graduates.

Leadership U, a program dedicated to empowering students to become that next generation of leaders, is doing just that.

“Leadership U is a threepart leadership development program for any student at

Minnesota State University, Mankato,” said Emi Menk, an Assistant Director at MNSU. The leadership program consists of a series of weekly workshops, each tailored specifically to improve core competencies in various skills associated with leadership, all of which are extremely useful both in the professional world and in life more generally. On Tuesday, the workshop was dedicated to the improvement of writing skills.

The second part of the program is an annual Leadership Retreat, which took place last weekend. The final part of the program is a Leadership Awards Ceremony which will be conducted April 14.

“We use Corey Seemiller’s Student Leadership Competencies Guidebook,” said Ms. Menk. “It outlines

Samuel Oluwadoromi | MSU Reporter

60 different competencies over eight different areas of leadership development. Each year, we cover about 20 of the competencies.”

According to Ms. Menk, leadership programs have been around for a couple of decades, but it’s only recently

IN THIS ISSUE: Retiring developer leaves lasting legacy ........... Page 3 Mankato observes CHD Awareness Week ........ Page 5 Sweedish MNSU student’s latest music .......... Page 7 Mavs baseball kicks off season in Arkansas ... Page 12

that they’ve been reorganized and expanded at MNSU. “Leadership programs, in some shape or form, have been happening since the 1990s,” Ms. Menk said.

The Leadership Retreat at the University is currently in its sixth year, while the Leadership

Awards have been going on for about 10 years. Over time, the programs have been integrated and redesigned to better fit the needs of a growing student

LEADERS PAGE 2

WEATHER OUTLOOK: THURSDAY (2/7)

H: 16 L: -12 Snow; breezy and colder.

FRIDAY (2/8)

H: -2 L: -18 Sunny; bitterly cold.

SATURDAY (2/9)

H: 9 L: 4 Clouds & sun; not as cold.

SUNDAY (2/10)

H: 17 L: 7 Cloudy; bit of snow, cold.

MONDAY (2/11)

H: 21 L: 13 Low clouds.

Have a story idea?

Email News Editor Madison Diemert madison.diemert @mnsu.edu

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, February 7, 2019

LEADERS

Women’s Center explores toxic masculinity from page 1

JOSHUA SCHUETZ STAFF WRITER U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday was an effective speech, and one that was clearly designed with the new Democratic House of Representatives in mind.

The President touted the creation of jobs-particularly in manufacturing-and women’s gains in employment, amongst other economic successes.

It was a remarkably orthodox speech, for the President. Unlike the “American Carnage” of his inauguration speech, this address was generally quite positive in tone and content.

The President honored World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors, and called for funding for the elimination of AIDS and the treatment of childhood cancer.

Immigration came up, of course, as is to be expected.

But it was not the central topic of the evening. The tax cuts were mentioned sparingly.

But the combativeness came back, at times. Socialism was decried, a clear jab at Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But another thing was decried, “partisan investigations”, likely referring to both the Mueller investigation and House Democratic attempts to engage in further investigation of the administration.

That statement will likely receive the lion’s share of media attention, given how much it deviated from the remainder of the speech.

Nevertheless, it’s fairly clear that this address constitutes a political win for President Trump. What remains to be seen is if the priorities laid out will be acted upon.

NABIN BISTA STAFF WRITER An event titled “Toxic Masculinity” is planned for noon, Thursday in the Women’s Center in the CSU at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

This event features casual, interactive discussions on the social origins of male gender in American society addressing the meaning of toxic masculinity and how toxic masculinity has been socially constructed.

It explores how masculinity is constructed socially and what expectations this construction places on men in America.

Hunter J. Beckstorm, one of the organizers, said, “As men, we are not born with an inherent notion of what it means to ‘be a man’, rather we are told how to ‘be a man’ by our parents, peers, television shows and movies, schools, the government, and more.”

Organizers of this event hope that participants will bring their own perspectives and experiences of toxic masculinity to the event as they encourage a broad discussion of the phrase rather than a lecture, exploring many examples of toxic masculinity in popular culture, we hope to analyze and breakdown these examples as a group to have a better understanding of how toxic masculinity is learned and normalized. Additionally, audience can expect a challenging conversation around masculinity that will incorporate multiple views in order to gain more understanding of this topic and how it can affect those around you.

As far as definition of the term “toxic masculinity” goes, Taylor Bergstorm, who is another organizer

Maria Ly | MSU Reporter

says, “Toxic masculinity is a political buzzword that has a connotation that says “being male is toxic.” But a more academic understanding of the term comes from R.W. Connell’s “Hegemonic Masculinity”, which essentially states that the portrayal of masculinity in society perpetuates men to be a position of power. In other words, being male means having a higher position in society while being anything outside of traditional “male” leads to a lower position in society.

The organizers’ goal towards the event will depend on the views and participation of those that are present, and as the result of discussion can branch out in different ways.

The main goal of the event is to facilitate a discussion that can help people learn something new.

Approached by Liz Steinborn-Gourley to lead a conversation on this topic, this event is open to people of all identities, as anyone can have experiences, perceptions, interactions with masculinity. Organizers hope to bring in male students on campus as it is truly men’s role to help redefine and transform traditional norms

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of masculinity, it is believed that anyone can benefit from an understanding of toxic masculinity and how it harms everyone in society.

body.

“The program’s most current form started about two years ago, but prior to that we were still doing a weekly workshop series,” Ms. Menk said.

The organization’s web page, located in the Organizations and Activities section of the University website, features the workshop schedule.

In addition to this, the organization also has an online toolbox, with free content geared towards helping students improve their leadership skills, covering topics such as burnout, time management, leadership theory, and relationship building.

The next workshop will take place Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Its topic will be “Leadership and Facilitation.”All workshops are free to attend, and are held 5-6 p.m., every Tuesday, in CSU 245.

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Thursday, February 7, 2019

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Retiring developer leaves lasting legacy Through the website changes, tech pioneer says goodbye on Friday

DAVID BASSEY EDITOR IN CHIEF For almost two decades, his colorful explanations have helped guide the changes we have experienced through the IT Solutions department.

Tedmund Johnson, Assistant Chief Information Officer for Applications Development & Web Services will be retiring Friday, after 18 long years of service to Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Johnson began his career on the Maverick campus on Jan. 12, 2001, hired on by then and now CIO, Mark Johnson.

Back in the 2000s, it was the wild west of web development as there was no official web template for the University’s website, and different colleges had come up with their own websites.

Johnson, along with his student worker, was tasked to come up with a list of

requirements and designs for the University’s website.

With the help of nowgraduated Alexi Lazar, recommendations from then assistant vice president for Integrated Marketing, Jefferey Eisenmenger to the president, the official website template was born, following multiple template iterations. Various campus departments were then given a year to transition to the new template.

Johnson enjoyed his work daily, essentially tasked with the responsibility of stewarding creative ideas like the currently used registrar’s graphical

that benefit them, and they agree and take ownership, then it’s a sustainable advancement for the campus.”

Although the pace of technology seems to be taking enormous strides, Johnson feels confident in the direction that the University is heading in, and sees this as a great opportunity to let the younger folks who have a natural rhythm make headway with some of the advances in IT. Since the union which he is in does not provide an option for sabbaticals, his retirement will feature an extended sabbatical, one not IT related.

Johnson’s advice to young professionals is to “keep listening and noticing the changes and new directions.” scheduling system to its rightful owners. He feels that “when we partner with people across campus and we envision things

He plans to visit Germany on a mission trip with his church this May. When asked, Johnson

Photo courtesy of Tedmund Johnson

expressed that he was really grateful to have worked with wonderful professionals here at the University, noting that in technology, waiting just long enough could just be the saving grace when embarking on a novel project.

The rate of technology is growing rapidly, and on the MNSU campus, we have seen numerous changes to the responsiveness of our web and mobile app environment.

Johnson’s advice to young

professionals is to “keep listening and noticing the changes and new directions.”

He understands that as far as the trends in IT are concerned, no textbook can keep us up with what is going on. So paying attention to where new developments are being revealed is the key to growth.

We’re certainly going to miss his wonderful smile, analogies and colorful explanations as he sets on his sabbatical.

More than $1 million in scholarships.

How much could go to you?

Apply now! mnsu.edu/scholarshipfinder An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.

4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, February 7, 2019 EMAIL THE EDITOR IN CHIEF:

DAVID BASSEY

Students: stop bullying teachers online

david.bassey@mnsu.edu

RateMyProfessor shouldn’t be an outlet for anger against professors

MICHAEL MCSHANE STAFF WRITER

We’ve all had that class.

Loads of homework, tests with confusing questions, and syllabuses that read more like prison guidelines than course descriptions.

Those classes can be brutal and those who fail can feel angry, and rightfully so.

But more often than not the blame over that bad grade is pinned on the teacher, who has to deal with large class sizes, multiple different classes a day, a tight schedule, and at the end of the day, bad reviews on RateMyProfessor.

RateMyProfessor.com is a website created in 1999 as a way for college students to, well, rate their professors for others to read.I personally see this as a good idea as it informs students about the teaching style the specific teacher has. The student can then judge which one is better for how they like to learn.

That’s the good part of

RMP. The bad part of the site is the spiteful, unneeded comments that vilifies the professor. “horrible teacher. horrible. aviod,” one review states.

Simply saying a class sucks and then following that statement by explaining it’s because the course was hard is not a valid reason.

Saying the teacher is bad because their lectures are boring is not a valid reason.

Can classes be hard and teachers boring? Yes, but to attack them and call them “horrible” or “the worst teacher ever” is not going to solve anything. In fact, it

every single lecture, it was completely useless,” one user wrote.

“DO NOT TAKE ANY CLASSES WITH THIS PROFESSOR. His accent makes him difficult to understand and he does not explain concepts,” another user wrote.

Both of those reviews were of different teachers.

There’s a simple solution when you have a teacher with an accent. Go up to them after class and talk to them one on one about the assignment or issue.

I’ve had teachers who have thick accents and it is hard to understand them at

“Simply saying a class sucks and then following that statement by explaining it’s because the course was hard is not a valid reason.” makes the student writing the review look worse than the teacher.

The bullying is even worse for teachers with ethnic backgrounds.

“He has a very thick accent and you cannot understand him. I sat in the front row and came to

times. The teacher knows this and that’s why they give time for students to come to them, either after class and during office hours to talk and clear things up.

The idea that because a class is difficult means that it is also bad is nonsense.

We’re college students

writing about teachers like we’re back in middle school complaining that we didn’t get our way. Many of the reviews I saw read like the person disliked being challenged and simply associated difficulty with poor quality.

Not only are we college students, we’re adults too and we should act like it when push comes to shove.

We shouldn’t resort to going on a website and denigrate a teacher because we didn’t like their teaching style or didn’t like the grade you got.

While there are users on there that actually give positive, constructive criticism which is what this website was meant for, but the bullying that I see on there is hard to ignore and prevalent throughout Cyberbullying has become wide spread throughout online forums, comment sections and websites and RateMyProfessor showcases that even teachers are not safe from it as well.

The simple solution to this problem is better teacherstudent communication and for students to not pin the blame squarely on teachers when they don’t like something.

OR AT reporter-editor@mnsu.edu

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“Do you use RateMyProfessor.com?”

BENJAMIN BOWLIN, AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

SAUD AL, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

“Yeah, I’ve used it before a few times.”

“Yes, I do.”

DOMINIK DRABENT, AVIATION MANAGEMENT “I do, it’s useful sometimes.”

SYED TALHA HASHIM, AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING “I’ve just used it once.”

MUHAMMAD AHSAN, IT “Every once in a while, when I’m registering for classes.”

Compiled by Maria Ly

AWAIS QARNI, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS “Yes.”

Thursday, February 7, 2019

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Mankato observes LGBT “Safer Sex” Carnival to be Congenital Heart Defect both educational and fun Awareness Week MICHAEL MCSHANE STAFF WRITER

On Monday, Jan. 28, the Mankato City Council declared that the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 14, as “Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week”. The measure passed unanimously in one motion along with a list of other resolutions.

Congenital heart defects are, as the name suggests, are defects of the heart that occurs when the heart or blood vessels near the heart are not properly formed and developed while in the womb.

There a more than a dozen different forms of heart defects that range in severity, but all have a life changing effect on a newborn’s life that stays with them for their lives.

The American Heart Association reports that eight out of 1,000 births will have some form of Congenital heart defect. There is no definitive cause for CHD, but many health officials point to

genetic history.

The Mankato City Council proclaims CHD Awareness Week as a week “designed to inspire compassion, encourage research and raise awareness so people can get necessary treatments to help people thrive in their communities.”

The campaign to create the proposal was spearheaded

by Lasting Imprint, which spoke in front of the City Council in support of the measure. The director for the non-profit organization, Kristen Thomas, stated it was her daughter who has CHD as the reason for her advocacy.

During the City Council meeting, the members of Lasting Imprint supported an external defibrillator that would be placed in the soon to be open Spring Lake Park warming house.

The CDC states that 97 percent of newborns with non-severe CHD live survive the first year of their life with 95 percent expected to live into adulthood.

KAITLYN JORGENSEN STAFF WRITER If you love trivia and want to become better educated about non-binary sex, be sure to check out the LGBT Center’s booth at the “Safer Sex” Carnival from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 12, on Mav Ave, hosted by the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Student Health Services.

The LGBT Center’s booth will be focusing on what it means to be “Non-binary in the Bedroom” with the goal to better provide individuals with information and resources on safer and non-penetrative sex, STI awareness and testing, and actions to take after testing positive.

Visit their booth and take your chances at “Spin and Win” trivia. There will be candy and bigger prizes such as mugs and t-shirts to those who answer the more challenging questions correctly.

Some other fun events featured at the Safer Sex Carnival will be NuvaRing

Reporter Archives

toss, a photo booth, ”Guess the condoms” and more!

Julia Knutson, a senior at MNSU and an intern at the LGBT Center, stated, “I am excited to pass along my newfound knowledge on this subject and hopefully make an impact on individuals. Often sex education focuses solely on heterosexual relationships, and this is part of our efforts to try to get involved in our community and provide more inclusive education about sex for LGBT members.”

Other upcoming events will be the LGBT series of “Tea

Talks” in which they will be discussing a multitude of topics including the new PREP pill which is an HIV and AIDS preventative medication and navigating eating disorders within the queer community.

They are also looking forward to hosting their “Pleasurably Positive” event which discusses healthy communication between partners after testing positive for STIs. The LGBT Center would also like to thank the Student Health Services for giving them the opportunity to represent themselves at this event.

Double standards arise after Super Bowl halftime show

MARIA LY STAFF WRITER Many people watching Super Bowl 53 this past weekend took to social media after the halftime show to question the double standard of Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction and Adam Levine’s shirtless performance.

The event, nicknamed “Nipplegate”, put a halt on Jackson’s career as a slight wardrobe malfunction occurred during her halftime show with Justin Timberlake.

During the performance, the two stars did a duet of Timberlake’s song “Rock Your Body” with suggestive dance moves. The performance ended with Timberlake pulling a part of Jackson’s outfit revealing her right breast.

After the incident, the Federal Communications Commission took CBS and Viacom to court and tried to sue the two big companies

$550,000 for indecent exposure on live television. The fine was eventually appealed and voided.

Jackson was then asked by CBS to write a written apology while Timberlake remained clear of any punishments.

Jackson was also banned from performing and presenting at the Grammys a week later while Timberlake was not.

The punishment did not stop there as Jackson was also blacklisted from Clear Channel Communications who also own Infinity Broadcasting and Viacom who own a number of channels such as MTV and CBS. All of Jackson’s music was banned from airing making her album “Damita Jo” her lowest selling album to date.

The singer was also forced to resign from a movie deal.

What happened to Timberlake? Nothing.

The “Nipplegate” situation has sparked controversy in this year’s Super Bowl as Adam Levine stripped away his clothes and exposed upper body during his performance.

This outraged fans as they called out the double standard with many taking to Twitter to express their concerns.

One Twitter user, Vicky Mochama tweeted, “Wow. So brave of adam levine to

honor janet jackson’s legacy by showing both of his nipples.”

Another Twitter user, Kory Kuhl, shared, “friendly reminder that janet jackson got blacklisted for exactly what adam levine just did.”

The event also garnered celebrity attention as rapper Aminé tweets to his followers, “ay if janet can’t show skin why can adam?”

Why are Levine’s nipples acceptable and not Jackson’s?

Why was Timberlake’s career not affected by “Nipplegate” even though he was the one who exposed her? Why did Jackson have to take the fall while others did not?

Jackson was briefly exposed with one nipple for one second during the show and had part of her career ruined whilst Levine had two exposed nipples for over two minutes with no consequences.

Jackson had no control over the exposure of her nipple, and Levine purposely tore his shirt off. Why does the media have this double standard when it comes to males and females?

Representatives from the Women’s March wrote on Twitter that CBS and the NFL should apologize to Jackson, writing, “White male performers like Levine and Timberlake are allowed to

Photo courtesy of Flickr

do what they want with their bodies; to show their nipples and even expose others,” the statement continues, “Black women, on the other hand, are demonized for having their nipples shown, even without their consent. The double standard is clear. It’s time

the NFL, the entertainment industry, and the nation stop policing and hyper-sexualizing women’s bodies.”

Due to this controversial event, Feb. 3 is now deemed Janet Jackson Appreciation Day with many using the hashtag to honor the singer.

6 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, February 7, 2019

WINTER IS COMING!

HERE!

’ Don t Wait out in the cold

The New Bus Locator is LIVE! You can now track all 13 bus routes in real time at: https://secure2.mnsu.edu/bustracking/ STEPS: (1) Go to University's website (2) Search "Bus Tracking" (3) Click Mankato Area Bus Tracking

TRY IT NOW!

Thursday, February 7, 2019

MSU Reporter • 7 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

EMAIL

A&E Editor Lucas Torborg

lucas.torborg@mnsu.edu

Swedish MNSU student hopes to write the soundtrack to your life

MARK REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER Singer-songwriter Selma Wedberg will be releasing her first single, “Turn it Off,” at the end of February.

Wedberg is a senior at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Growing up in Vännäs, a small town in northern Sweden, she has been surrounded by music her whole life.

“My parents are musical, and Sweden has really good schools for music,” she said.

“So, it’s like, in public school they have a music program where all kids can take discounted music lessons. It’s very inexpensive, so pretty much everyone can. So, I was doing lessons from a young age, then I started playing guitar.”

Looking to further her education and experience,

Photo courtesy of Rachel Bonderman

Wedberg moved to Minnesota when she was 15.

“I definitely feel like the experience of coming here and having to be in a completely new environment and not knowing anyone pushes you.

I feel like that’s helped me in music too. Just being more okay with just doing stuff and not necessarily having to be

perfect,” she said.

The music industry major became interested in songwriting while playing the bassline to Maroon 5’s “This Love” on her dad’s guitar, making up her own lyrics as she played. Since then, she has fallen in love with it.

“I like that you’re able to create something complete-

ly new and put your world view and ideas into it and have something tangible from nothing. I just think that’s a really cool thing,” she said. “Like, you just sit there and feel something or just get inspired by something.

And you just get something completely new out of that. I think it’s really cool.”

Wedberg’s music has come from many places. While she considers her music to be indie pop, she incorporates her vast musical history into her songs.

“I played a lot of blues and jazz. I loved John Mayer. I still do! Maybe not super inspired writing-wise right now, but I just feel like it’s a lot of my background,” she said.

“It’s just always doing music that keeps me inspired, you know?”

Her single, “Turn it Off,” is a soulful expression of heartache that will ring true to so many people. Wedberg’s initial sweet, timid tones lead you gently into the song, then she reveals a brilliant depth of emotion and feeling in the chorus.

“It’s essentially a love song about being hurt. But also, I feel like it’s bigger than that,” she said. “You just get sick of feelings sometimes and there’s just so much.

MUSIC PAGE 8

“Resident Evil 2” is scary-good

Capcom recreates gaming classic for a new genration

KOLBY SPOMER STAFF WRITER

“Resident Evil” has been a mainstay in gaming for years. Originally releasing to critical and commercial acclaim in 1996, the franchise has seen many successes and a few failures over the years. The latest addition to this storied franchise, the remake of “Resident Evil 2”, is one of its biggest success yet.

Using what they learned from their last venture into the survival horror jugger-

Photo courtesy of Flickr

naut, Capcom has created a masterclass of clean gameplay, natural scares and above all else unbelievable

tension. This game will have you on the edge of your seat for the majority of its nearly 20 hour runtime, and

you’ll love every moment of it.

As this is a remake, it seems fitting to note what

has changed between the now and 1999, the original’s release date. First and foremost are the visual and audio aspects. While this is a remake, it is practically a brand new game as the developers had to craft it from the ground up using new technology. The visuals are breathtaking, as you can see things character’s skin pores and detail in their fabric like stitching and threads. In addition, the audio has been remade, which may be the games strongest feature.

If you play with a headset (which I highly recommend

EVIL PAGE 9

8 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Liam Neeson under attack for racist comments JANESSA HAMMERS STAFF WRITER

A word of caution about the internet- it never forgets. The internet is notorious for taking a small piece of information and spinning it into viral headlines, and no one can predict exactly what will pique its interest next. Within the recent political climate America has become divided, quick to judge one another and voice the verdict to all of our followers.

In an interview with the British publication The Independent, Liam Neeson was recorded making racist remarks towards black people. Neeson was relaying back a story in which his close friend was raped by an unknown black assailant and was recorded saying, “I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody,” using a British term that describes a clublike weapon. “I’m ashamed to say that, and I did it for maybe a week — hoping some black bastard would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him.”

When the interview was released on Monday the internet was immediately enraged and the interview skyrocketed to the top of trending. His comments make me immediately question his logic but factoring in the emotional response linked to this statement it becomes more understandable, as Neeson was intending to lash his anger out towards the rapist and not the black community as a whole. Neeson continued the interview saying, “She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way, but my immediate reaction was, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person.”

After the backlash from these racist comments surfaced and demanded an explanation, Neeson gave several more interviews to save face and promote his newest movie, “Cold

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Movie star Liam Neeson defending his statement on “Good Morning America”.

Pursuit”. In each interview he has staunchly asserted that his anger was not towards black people but towards rapists in general, telling ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he is not racist, but had a “primal urge to lash out.”

Though these are Neeson’s words to explain himself now, he said that at the time of the rape he “went out deliberately into black areas in the city looking to be set upon so I could

unleash physical violence.”

Pairing this statement with his previous “black bastard” comments many people have become disturbed

by Neeson’s presence in Hollywood. As of only a few hours before the premiere of Neeson’s new movie “Cold Pursuit”, the said premiere was cancelled due to the controversy surrounding the star. Organizers of the New York red carpet premiere cancelled

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all photo and interviews at the screening.

Since Monday when the original fateful interview with The Independent went viral, the consequences Neeson has experienced due to his words seem to be beyond what he could have foreseen when he gave the interview, as he initially just wanted to start a wider conversation about racism.

Well, Liam, looks like you got what you came for.

MUSIC

Continued from page 7 “I definitely believe in the whole, like, ‘I don’t want to go with my feelings the whole time.’ Because sometimes I feel like my feelings conflict with what I want or what I know. And it’s like, ‘turn my heart off.’ Being like sick of feeling so much and just wanting to escape from it.”

Wedberg’s music comes from a place of connecting.

Music lets you experience someone else’s story and perspective.

“When you walk around listening to music, then it kind of becomes the soundtrack to your life,” she said. “I just think that’s a really cool way of consuming music, and I think it’d be cool to have my music be part of somebody else’s soundtrack.”

“Turn it Off” will be released on all major streaming platforms near the end of February. For more information, you can find her on social media at @selmawedberg or at selmawedberg. com. Above all, Wedberg wants people to see her character in her music.

“I want to be respectable to people and just nice. And see the world as the happy place that it could be. Like, make things the best that they could be,” she said.

“Trying to make things good.”

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Thursday, February 7, 2019

A&E

EVIL

Update: 21 Savage in 23-hour lockdown for expired visa

Continued from page 7 for horror games), you can pinpoint where an enemy is. More often than not, you will hear something chasing you (I won’t spoil what, but good god is it scary) and that can cause for some stress levels I personally find simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

In other areas, the game was forced to change. 20 years of innovation in gaming as a medium can make this necessary. The camera, for instance, has been moved to a more standard over the shoulder position, which improves gameplay ten-fold.

In addition to this the controls have also been updated from the original’s tank movements, which makes for not only much more satisfying gameplay, but added immersion. As you slowly walk the halls of the Racoon City Police Station, you feel the anxiety and terror with your character in a way that was impossible to back in 1999.

However my personal favorite addition to this remake is the way zombies react to bullets. The injuries caused by a weapon stay with each zombie for the entire game. So if you shoot off a zombie’s jaw off early on in the game and come back later to the same area, that zombie will still be there with a missing jaw. This level of attention to details is

a big reason as to why this game is such a big success.

The publishers cared about what they were making, and it shows.

Some things stay the same, however. The story, characters, and locations haven’t changed very much.

While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the story is okay as far as video games go, it would have been nice to see some updates in the way they play out.

In the game, there are two main playable characters, Leon and Claire. You play through both of their stories, but separately. So while playing as Leon, you won’t ever play as Claire and vice versa. However, as they are both running around the same area at the same time, I personally would have liked to have seen a little bit more interaction between the two. For instance, if I broke a ladder as Leon, I shouldn’t be able to use it as Claire.

Despite this small gripe I have with the game, I found myself completely taken by it. It is, in my opinion, the best game of this franchise, and I’m very excited to see what they come up with next. Hopefully they stick to horror, because nothing in gaming scares like “Resident Evil”.

Reporter Rating

4.5 5

MSU Reporter • 9

ALYSSA BUNDE STAFF WRITER

Rapper and Grammy nominee 21 Savage has been in the custody of ICE since the Super Bowl Sunday due to his illegal status in the U.S. With new information coming out daily, Savage’s case grows with intensity.

Fans have known Savage to be from Atlanta, Georgia. However, it was confirmed that he is in fact from the United Kingdom. In a birth certificate acquired by the CNN, it states that Savage was born in the London borough of Newham.

The artist’s legal team has released various statements regarding the case.

One statement obtained

by PEOPLE expressed, “Many have speculated as to possible ulterior motives for his arrest and detention, including that he released music five days prior to his arrest by ICE, which included new lyrics condemning the behavior of immigration

officials for their detention of children at the border.”

ICE has not commented on these speculations.

The rapper’s legal team also took on the claims against Savage and cleared the air. They stated, “He remained in the United States until 2005, when he departed for approximately one month to visit the United Kingdom. He returned to the United States under a valid H-4 visa on July 22, 2005.”

According to CNN, “H-4 visas are granted to the children of immigrants who hold H-1B visas, which are given to foreign workers in specialty occupations.”

Unfortunately, that visa expired in 2006 and left the rapper undocumented in the United States.

Minnesota State University, Mankato student Aaliyah Navejas expressed her support for the rapper, “21 Savage deserves his card (visa) renewed. He’s paid enough taxes and has established himself well in the U.S.” According to CNN, an application for a U-visa was filed in 2017. This was four years after being in an incident with a now de-

ceased friend. Savage was reportedly shot six times during the event. Immigration attorney Charles Kuck stated, “The visa is pending with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

According to ICE in a CNN article, “The visa is available to those who have been the victims of a crime in the United States, have suffered physical or mental injury as a result of a crime and who are “helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.””

TMZ approached rapper ASAP Rocky with the topic of 21 Savage. Rocky stated, “Shout out to the U.K., shouts to 21 Savage,” he continued, “I ain’t know he was a Brit, though. Shout out to the homie.”

Savage’s legal team took to Twitter to give an update. It stated, “just got off phone wit Savage… he is in lockdown for 23hrs of the day no tv or any communications besides our 10 min phone calls… everything I’ve told him that has happening made him happy & makes this time fly by thank y’all for the support.”

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10 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, February 7, 2019 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Mavs baseball kicks off season in Arkansas The team plays their first set of games this weekend versus the Weevils in Monitcello

AARON YOUNG STAFF WRITER Spring is upon us and that can only mean one thing: It’s baseball season! Yes, there is still snow on the ground, but that isn’t preventing the Mavericks baseball team from preparing for their season opener this weekend, as the Mavs start out on the road with a three-game series against the Arkansas Monticello Weevils in Monticello, Arkansas.

Saturday starts with a doubleheader, with the first game beginning at noon, followed by a 2 p.m. game. This is followed up with the final game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Mavs ended last season a three-game losing

Photo courtesy of Maverick Athletics

The Mavericks come into the season looking to prove they belong with the big boys in the NSIC conference. streak. This included two losses in the playoffs against the Concordia Golden Bears and the Minot State Beavers.

Heading into the series, the Mavericks are 6-2 against

the Weevils in their school history. In their last meeting, the Mavericks swept the Weevils way back in 2016.

Then they faced them twice in the playoffs, winning the

first matchup, 7-6, and losing 13-6, which would conclude their season.

Junior infielder Teddy Petersen and sophomore pitcher Trevor Divinski were both

on the 2019 NSIC Players to Watch this year. In the 42

BASEBALL PAGE 11

Mavs hockey tamed by the Huskies at home The team dropped their third game in a row Tuesday night to St. Cloud State

BRADY OLSON STAFF WRITER It was a tough Tuesday night for the Minnesota State women’s hockey team, as the St. Cloud State Huskies rolled into Mankato, and scored a 4-1 victory at the Verizon Center.

The first period was mostly dominated by the Mavericks, but you could hardly tell by the numbers on the scoreboard.

The Mavs outshot St. Cloud State, with 17 shots on goal to the Huskies’ seven.

The Mavs also won the faceoff battle in the period, winning 10 of 17 faceoffs.

Regardless, the game was scoreless throughout the period, as Huskies goalie Emma Polusny stopped all 17 shots that went her way.

Kjerstin Hall | MSU Reporter

Senior defenseman Megan Hinze (18) and the Mavericks had a rough Tuesday evening trying to hold off the Huskies.

The second period saw the Huskies up their offensive attack, this time putting up 13 shots on goal. They converted on three shots in the period, including one on what

would be the only power play of the game for either team.

The Mavericks still put up 14 shots of their own, but Polusny continued to shut down the Mavericks’ attack

as the Huskies pulled the game out of reach.

By the time the third period came around, it would have taken a miracle for a Mavericks comeback, and

both offenses were stagnant for the majority of the period. When the next goal was scored with under four minutes to play, it was St. Cloud adding onto their lead.

Maverick goalie Abigail Levy finished with 25 saves on 29 shots.

The Mavericks, however, were determined to get on the board, and would accomplish a score late in the period, with junior Taylor Gulenchyn powering the shot through.

The loss is a continuation of a frustrating WCHA campaign for the Maverick women. The Mavs drop to 3-12-3 in WCHA play, and to 9-135 on the year. It has been a struggle ever since November ended, as they have won only once in their last twelve contests.

The Mavericks will now hit the road this coming weekend, as the team faces of against Wisconsin this Saturday and Sunday in Madison, Wisconsin. Hopefully the team can grind out a couple of victories.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Sports

MSU Reporter • 11

Foles gold: Way too-early predictions for NFL offseason As the NFL season concludes, it’s time to look ahead to free agency and the draft

KEVIN KORBEL SPORTS EDITOR The NFL offseason is set to begin after the Patriots escaped with a narrow victory against the Rams in the Super Bowl. With the team still dominating still in the league, teams across the league will be doing anything they can this offseason to compete for the Lombardi trophy.

Here are my big three predictions for this year’s offseason: Antonio Brown traded to the 49ers Brown made shockwaves around the league after a post he recently made on social media saying, “open for business.” Now if this isn’t a cry to be traded from a team, I don’t know what is.

With the 49ers looking to get back to the playoffs for

the first time in six seasons, Brown would be a perfect fit for this young, rebuilding roster that will have a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo back next year, and a 2nd overall pick to play with in this year’s draft, this team is in position to make some noise in 2019.

Le’Veon Bell signs with the Jets Another big name on the Steelers will be on the move this offseason. While the team didn’t make the playoffs in 2018, the Pittsburgh Steelers proved everyone that they were still a dangerous team on offense without the help of Le’Veon. James Conner and Jaylen Samuels filled the void of Bell with flying colors, and because of this don’t have to depend on the services of Bell.

The Jets will have big wallets this offseason, with over $100 million dollars in projected cap space. A team that was one of the worst in the league on the ground, look for the Jets to be in hot pursuit of Bell.

Foles traded to the Jag-

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (above) looks to capitalize on another season of stellar play with a big pay day. uars for two first round picks After declining his $20 million dollar player option, it is likely Eagles quarterback Nick Foles will get franchised by the team, and then eventually traded this offseason.

The best place for Foles to go this offseason would be the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars, who in 7 of their 11 losses were by less than four points, need a quarterback like Foles to lead them back to the promise land, and in doing that it’s going to come at a hefty cost.

The price tag for Foles this season will likely be two first round picks, and while that might be a lot, it would be re-

warding in a long-run for the team, especially competing in a division that has Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck.

As the NFL offseason slowly takes shape, look for teams this offseason to play desperate and make many moves in 2019.

BASEBALL Continued from page 10 game he played in, Petersen hit .328 with an on base percentage of .416 and slugging percentage of .491. He also had 23 RBI’s and has 22 career sacrifice hits, which is seventh-most in programs history.

Divinski made his debut last year and recorded a 5-1 record in 13 games, six of which he started. The right-hander finished the year with a 3.80 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched.

Another player to look out for is senior Joshua Hart, who is known for hitting the ball out of the park.

He hit 7 HR’s last year with 31 RBI’s and a .660 slugging percentage, and that was in only half of the Mavs games.

Hart has 25 home runs in his career and nine triples on his career, both fifth all-time in program history.

The Arkansas-Monticello Weevils are coming off a great season, finishing at the top of the Great American Conference, with an overall record of 30-19.

One challenge for the Weevils is they lost seven of their nine starters last year, meaning they must get a whole lineup ready to go.

Two returning players who will be key for them against the Mavericks are

junior Dylan Borman and sophomore Jordan Johnson.

Both players hit above .300 with at least 10 doubles, 40 RBI’s and eight home runs.

As for their pitching rotation, the Weevils have four

returning players who posted a 6.43 ERA. This looks to be a good one folks, and get ready for another season of Maverick baseball.

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12 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, February 7, 2019