VOLUME 122 ISSUE 50
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
The Spectrum
ndsuspectrum.com
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | FOR THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
INSIDE Bison, Leddy open Tharaldson Park with no-hitter NDSU see streak snapped at new field CONTINUED ON | PAGE 11
Taylor Schloemer
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NEWS
Pro-choice pop-up ignites debate
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A&E
Review: ‘Us’ Evil doppelgängers terrorize a family in Jordan Peele’s latest film
Sports Editor
Sometimes it seems that there is no good way to combat Mother Nature, but the North Dakota State softball team now has a trick up its sleeve. The new Tharaldson Park’s turf surface got a workout ahead of its game debut, with a half-foot of snow getting dumped on the field 48 hours before the scheduled first pitch. Given an extra 24 hours, the surface was clear and good to roll for an opening duel that the Bison eventually won 5-0. With South Dakota State in town, an opening duel is exactly what the field got, even if the base paths were still shining after the opening game. “We are excited, excited to have a crowd. We haven’t had a crowd that big before,” Bison pitcher KK Leddy said. “If we didn’t have this, we wouldn’t be playing here (due to the weather).” The 308 fans on a cold and windy afternoon witnessed a pitcher’s duel break out among two of the best this year in the Summit League, Leddy and the Jackrabbits’ Kendra Conard. Leddy set the tone in the top half of the first inning, taking
just eight pitches to sit down the first three Jacks, putting up a pair of strikeouts in the process. Conard followed by allowing a flood of ground balls, retiring seven Bison with groundouts the first time through the lineup. South Dakota State’s Baily Janssen took the honor of being the first baserunner at the park, drawing a walk from Leddy in the top of the third. Conard’s bid toward perfection was broken in the fourth. Bison left fielder Madyson Camacho hit a sharp ground ball to Janssen that the second baseman couldn’t handle. The play was ruled an error, but the Bison had their first baserunner. Nothing came of the runner, and zeroes occupied the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. Conard started to struggle in the circle, hitting Montana DeCamp with a pitch to start the action. Katie Shoultz got a home turf spin on the infield the following at-bat. Camacho reached on an error by Conard to load the bases.
JOHN SWANSON | THE SPECTRUM
Cara Beatty breaks out of the batter’s box against SDSU on Sunday.
Exploring NDSU NDSU’s finest undergraduate research takes the stage
EXPLORE
8 Undergraduate Bison roamed the Plains Room.
James Kim
Contributing Writer
OPINION
Bee the change
We need the bees more than they need us
On April 11, the Office of Research Development from North Dakota State hosted the fifth annual NDSU EXPLORE Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in the NDSU Memorial Union. According to the NDSU undergraduate research department, the main purpose of the program is to encourage and celebrate the scholarly accomplishments of NDSU undergraduate students. There were 61 unique undergraduate researchers that presented at the event. One of the
presenters, Jeremy Dikau, described the event as, “A huge resume booster and a great opportunity. I’ve learned so much preparing my presentation, and it was fascinating.” Each group of undergraduate researchers were paired with a mentor to develop their research project. They were given several weeks to prepare their research projects. This event was organized as three sessions: a morning session from 9:3011:30 am, a lunch break that included a guest speaker from 11:30a.m.-12:45 p.m. and an afternoon session from 1-3 p.m. This year’s guest speaker was
CASSANDRA TWEED | THE SPECTRUM
Scott Meyer, the executive director of entrepreneurship initiatives at NDSU. Meyer’s speech was titled, “Growing our own:
the event, 15 presentations were delivered verbally, and the remaining 46 presentations were delivered as poster presentations.
“I’ve learned so much preparing my presentation, and it was fascinating.” - JEREMY DIKAU, NDSU STUDENT Entrepreneurship and the modern day land-grant university” and pertained to entrepreneurial opportunities for NDSU students. Throughout
Each individual undergraduate researcher delivered their oral presentation in their 15 minutes allotted, including questions, at the Rose Room of the
Memorial Union. The presentations took place in Plains Room. Unlike previous years, instead of selecting the top three from each morning and afternoon session, there will only be one overall award winner per session. The top three finishers of each type of presentation will be awarded $500, $250 or $100, respectively. Previous years’ first places winners have been: Morning Oral Presentations: Sierra Walker with the topic of “AIF: A Universal Regulator on Cell Redox Signaling.” Morning Poster Presentations: Alexandra Howatt and Isabel Krum with
the topic of “Healthy Women are Beautiful Women: Health and Beauty Practices at the Crystal Palace.” Afternoon Oral Presentations: Nathan Johnson with the topic of “Manipulation of Biological Matter Using Electrodeless Dielectrophoresis.” Afternoon Poster Presentations: Erin Richards with topic of “Mec1- Independent Phosphorylation of Rpa2 N-terminus in the DNA Damage Response.” This year’s awards winners have not been announced yet. NDSU EXPLORE ended early this year due to the snowstorm on April 11.
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The Spectrum NEWS
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
Pro-choice pop-up ignites debate
Opinions emerge from all sides of this tumultuous issue Ryan Nix
Co-News Editor
A sizable crowd took up most of the walking room outside of the North Dakota State Bookstore in response to an impromptu pop-up table by Collegians for Life, a prolife organization. Members of the Women’s Activist Organization were tipped off to the happening and showed up wearing T-shirts with prochoice slogans emblazoned on the front. Discussion and debate ensued, but according to the guy in the middle of it, Noah Maldonado, the whole debacle should have taken place outside. According to Maldonado, the display of large pink signs was originally supposed to be set up on the front lawn of the Memorial Union. Maldonado is the northern regional coordinator for Students for Life and was a part of most of the debate at the display booth. The discussion at the display was a mixed bag of support and opposition, but the coordinator said most of the people who visit the display had awesome conversations with him and his team, even the ones that disagreed over the issue. “I like to have, you know, intellectual conversations about honest issues,” Maldonado said. Even with this attitude, Maldonado disclosed that after a heated debate with a woman partially over his role as a male in the issue of abortion, he wished his ideas as a man would have been given more credence. “I think we can, you know, ascend above that and have intellectual conversations about these issues,” Maldonado said, “without kind of falling back into those identities.” Maldonado conceded that the woman raised an “amazing point” that women are affected differently by this issue. The conversation could have been more cordial, according to Maldonado, but he gave her props for approaching the booth and
giving her opinion. “Having a discussion with someone that they disagree with, I mean that’s not an easy thing to do,” Maldonado said. The same debates that happened in the Memorial Union hall between students have been happening in state and national governments with the new restrictive bill being debated and signed. Maldonado said he has worked with pro-life groups in pursuit of this legislation and deems the success of some of the bills to be an indication of where the country is going. “The American public is fed up with abortion extremism,” Maldonado said. “Pregnant women are tired of being targeted by the abortion industry.” This sentiment was not shared by Jenika Rufer, an education and outreach consultant at Planned Parenthood, who showed up with members of the WAO. “It (the display) makes me scared kind of,” Rufer said, “because of all of these negative rhetoric and fear tactics are being spewed at students.” The group was presenting information that was meant to sway and not inform like Planned Parenthood booths, according to Rufer. “They are here directly trying (...) to influence others to take care away from millions of people,” Rufer said. This was also the reason Rufer gave for why the discussions had become so heated at the display. “We are trying to be inclusive and give people access and options, and they are really doing the opposite,” she said. The crowds were noticeably larger at the display than at Planned Parenthood booths, which have become a monthly occurrence in the Memorial Union. Rufer pointed to politics and a particular campus atmosphere as the reason. “People are more likely to stop at something like this because we’re in a red state,” Rufer said. “If they stop at a Planned Parenthood booth, they might be looked down upon or looked at
“The American public is fed up with abortion extremism.”
- NOAH MALDONADO
RYAN NIX | THE SPECTRUM Large pink signs and little red crosses sit on the table in the Memorial Union. differently,” Rufer said. “Like, said she was passing by the booth posters of dead babies, screaming ‘You’re at a Planned Parenthood and was interested in the content at people. booth; you must support abortion. and commotion it was causing. “I think that the decision to You’re at a Planned Parenthood Sorrells has a pro-life have an abortion is extremely booth; you must be having sex.’” viewpoint based in her religious difficult for most people. I think The issue of male opinion on a and moral principles. “I feel like that it comes from a place of hurt,” female reproductive issue was also the choice ceases to become yours Sorrells said this is the reason a sticking point for Rufer, who said when there is another being inside she thinks the discussion around she found it astonishing how many of you,” Sorrells said. abortion needs to be less volatile. men were surrounding the table The moral grounds she said Sorrells said she does support that don’t have the biology to have she has for her opinion are based laws restricting abortion and an abortion. in sexual behavior. The path that because it would prevent the Rufer said it wasn’t surprising some choose to become sexually killing of babies. to see Maldonado, a white man, in active can lead to pregnancy, and Legislation to ban abortions the center of the debate. She found this should be their responsibility, should be paired with bills that it ironic that he was leading the according to Sorrells. make the adoption process easier debate over Planned Parenthood, Even with this pro-life stance, for people expecting unwanted a place she said Maldonado had Sorrells said the display does not pregnancies, according to Sorrells. admitted to never visiting. accomplish its goal. “I don’t think “There are plenty of people in “You’re speaking on behalf of this actually changes anyone’s the world who want babies, and services and the care provided, yet mind,” Sorrells said. if you don’t want the baby, don’t you have never had experience Sorrells also said she also kill it. Just have the baby,” Sorrells with it,” Rufer said. does not like when people protest said. NDSU student Rachel Sorrells outside of abortion clinics with
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Air moves through buildings. If your neighbors smoke in their apartment, it’s like they’re smoking in yours, too. Before signing a lease agreement, ask whether the whole building is smoke-free. If it isn’t, encourage the landlord or management company to make it
smoke-free. Find helpful tips, form letters and more at: SmokeFreeHousingND.com
Fargo Cass Public Health
THE SPECTRUM | News | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 Phoebe Ellis
Head News Editor
Block party
North Dakota State’s radio station, KNDS, is hosting a block party May 4 for the NDSU student body. The show will include Night Moves, a Minneapolis based group, and it will take place at The Aquarium event center. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and students can receive more information on the Facebook event page, “KNDS Block Party with Night Moves.”
Gunlogson presentation
The Gunlogson Presentation is set to take place at noon April 23 at the North Dakota State Archives. The presentation is set to highlight the National Women’s Conference of 1977, which is known as the first federally funded women’s rights conference. Today, the conference remains the only federally funded women’s conference. Speakers at the event include Christi McGeorge and Ashley Baggett, both of whom are professors at NDSU, one of human development and family science and the other of history, philosophy and religious studies. “During the event, North Dakota women
proposed 40 resolutions — a comprehensive plan of action that included advancing rights of homemakers, equal pay and addressing inequities faced by Native American women,” NDSU’s news page read.
Rescheduled celebration
Due to the snowstorm North Dakota State faced on April 11 and 12, the NDSU Libraries had to cancel the celebratory event that was scheduled to take place
ΔTΔ receives awards
The North Dakota State chapter of Delta Tau Delta has recently received several awards, including the Hugh Shields Award for Chapter Excellence. The chapter also won the Court of Honor Award for the fourth time. The award is given to 20 chapters each year. Delta Tau Delta of NDSU was also awarded the following: • Service to JDRF, the fraternity’s philanthropic partner • Road Programing (The Road: The Journey to Excellence is the fraternity’s comprehensive new member program) • Member Education, Northern Division • Outstanding Alumni Programming, Northern Division • Excellence in Ritual Education, Northern Division
among other things.
Nuclear news
A measure is currently being considered that would designate areas of the state of North Dakota for the disposal of nuclear waste, as reported by the Bismarck Tribune. Though a bill was passed by senators earlier this April that makes the dumping of nuclear waste illegal, amendments to the bill allows for some disposal pending federal approval. The idea has been brought to legislators after proposal of a borehole for the purposes of nuclear waste disposal by the U.S. Department of Energy. The measure is moving to the House for approval.
In A Nutshell Friday, April 12. The event has now been rescheduled to take place 1 p.m. April 26 at the NDSU Main Library. Celebrating the 50year partnership between NDSU and the University of North Dakota’s Chester
254 Memorial Union North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 Leif Jonasson Editor in Chief editor@ndsuspectrum.com Phoebe Ellis Head News Editor head.news@ndsuspectrum.com Managing Editor Ryan Nix Co-News Editor co.news@ndsuspectrum.com Miranda Stambler Features Editor features@ndsuspectrum.com Laura Ellen Brandjord A&E Editor ae@ndsuspectrum.com Jacob Elwell Opinion Editor opinion@ndsuspectrum.com Taylor Schloemer Sports Editor sports@ndsuspectrum.com
Zachary Liu Head Copy Editor head.copy@ndsuspectrum.com Victoria Moss Co-Copy Editor co.copy@ndsuspectrum.com Brittany Hofmann Design Editor design@ndsuspectrum.com Photo Editor photo@ndsuspectrum.com Callahan Stewart Web Editor webmaster@ndsuspectrum.com Cassandra Tweed Graphic Designer graphics@ndsuspectrum.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Spectrum accepts letters to the editor by email editor@ndsuspectrum.com and by mail. Please limit letters to 500 words and submit them in a word document. Letters will be edited only for clarity. They should include the writer’s name, telephone number, major and year in school or title.
event aims to highlight the positive results of the partnership between the schools. The information shared between the universities included emergency planning, weather reports and NASA documents,
Bacon discrimination
A Fargo resident and practicing Muslim woman, Alma Cipranic called the police after repeated harassment for her religion, the Forum News Service reported. Cipranic said that she has been undergoing harassment of one version or another for the past six months, but when she found bacon laid on her car and at the foot of her apartment building
where she lives with her parents, she decided it was time to call the police. Though it may seem harmless to some on the surface, the bacon is a sign of disrespect toward Muslim people as they do not consume pork as part of their religious practice. “They did it because I was Muslim. It was premeditated, choosing bacon, coming to my house and plastering it on it,” Cipranic told the Forum News Service, calling the act a hate crime.
Russia and South Dakota
A South Dakotan man has pled not guilty to several accusations in relation to interactions with a known covert Russian agent, the Associated Press reported. The case came to the attention of authorities in 2016, and some of the claims made against the man, Paul Erickson, of Sioux Falls, go back as far as 20 years. Accusations include wire fraud and money laundering. Authorities discovered the man’s work when a South Dakota woman told authorities that Erickson had sold his land for $100,000, which led investigators to discover his involvement with “fraudulent schemes” involving his two businesses across the country. The court date for the trial is currently set for July.
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Fritz Library will include speakers and some snacks for students and other participants to enjoy. Past exhibits have included “Duck and Cover: Civil Defense in North Dakota,” and the
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The Spectrum FEATURES
4 NDSUSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
Student Organization Spotlight
Just Jesus
A support system for anyone willing Miranda Stambler Features Editor
There are many religious organizations on the North Dakota State campus, so what makes them all different other than focusing on different beliefs? Just Jesus, which became an official NDSU student organization last year, focuses on Christianity and mostly work on being a support system and family for others. While many think religious organizations look to convert people to their religion, Just Jesus tries to break away from that idea. “Converting people is not really something that we talk about — that’s not really a goal,” Casey Bartlett, first-year master’s student in communication, said. Instead, they do not “push” their religion onto others. Many students have been shocked at involvement expos or when they walk by a Just Jesus booth in the Memorial Union as organizational members hand out dollar bills to people to have a good day with no strings attached. “People could not understand that idea — it was crazy that it wasn’t just a trap to bait someone in so I could talk to you and try and covert you over to my religion,” said Charlie Carlson, president of Just Jesus. The environment is a relaxed “hangout” instead of a structured service. Each meeting is hours long of eating and hanging out with others to create a sense of community and family. “You go to a lot of those worship services, and it’s really good for people that it works for,” Carlson said. “What we have is a really unstructured environment where it’s kind of dynamic, and it’s going to adapt to what
everyone needs it to be.” While some meetings consist of eating, praying, singing or studying the Bible, if someone in their community needs support or someone to talk to, they will change the entire meeting to meet the needs of that person. Just Jesus creates a family in their organization, instead of the structured idea of blood meaning family. They said they want to expand the idea to every person is family. This is why their meetings are usually a relaxed session of talking and supporting each other. “We believe that every person is made in the image of God, and therefore we are all part of the same human family,” Bartlett said. From the moment Carlson joined years ago, he noticed that there was something different about the organization. He could sense the family aspect and the importance of having this support system. During that time, it was a part of Bartlett’s pastoral duties to work with this organization. Once he became a student himself, he chose to continue being a part of the “joint venture between NDSU and University of Jamestown,” Bartlett said. Although the organization focuses on Christianity, they are not exclusive to that religion and allow anyone that practices any religion to join. They also allow others that do not attend NDSU but are in the Fargo-Moorhead community to join. “We welcome anyone to come in,” Bartlett said. Bringing Heaven to earth is their main goal of the organization. They want to make it a physical aspect you can experience. For more information, visit the Just Jesus MyNDSU page.
Just Jesus allows anyone to hang out and eat with them to create a support system.
CHARLES CARLSON | PHOTO COURTESY
FA R G O F O O D I E
Breakfast cookies
Quick and healthy breakfast to grab and go Brittany Hofmann Contributing Writer
It’s that time of year where things are getting hectic with school and work, and finals season is looming on the horizon. It’s getting harder and harder to not hit the snooze button in the morning, which can lead to rushing out the door and maybe skipping the most important meal of the day. For those on the go (or for those of us who hit the snooze button too many times) skipping breakfast isn’t healthy, and we can take all the extra energy in the morning we can get. Take 10 minutes before bed to make these simple breakfast cookies for when you need to grab something quickly before you head out the door so you don’t have to skip out on breakfast.
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup peanut butter • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1-3 tablespoons chia seeds • 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
Optional mix-ins
• Mini chocolate chips • Coconut flakes • Chopped almonds or pecans • Raisins • Pumpkin seeds • Protein powder • Flax seeds
Directions
1. Place peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds. (I did 30 seconds.) Mix well. 2. Add in oats, chia seeds and other mix-ins. Stir to combine. 3. Roll mixture into eight balls (I did five) and place on baking sheet lined
with parchment paper. 4. Press balls somewhat flat, then place in fridge for at least an hour. 5. Store breakfast cookies in a container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Each breakfast cookie with the base ingredients will be about 190 calories and packed with protein to help you stay full and energized. Personally, the breakfast cookies are very rich, and one is enough for a quick breakfast. I think they could be made without either the honey or vanilla to make them lighter. I added lots of chia seeds, some chocolate chips and a sprinkle of coconut flakes for texture, and they turned out perfectly. They were incredibly easy to make, and I will be experimenting with different add-ins in the future. With only five simple ingredients, they’re quick to make.
BRITTANY HOFMANN | THE SPECTRUM
THE SPECTRUM | Features | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
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Throw out your stuff One man’s trash is another man’s treasure Ruby Redekopp
Contributing Writer
The much-anticipated arrival of warmer weather beckons the phenomenon of spring cleaning. With finals looming, though, it may be hard to get motivated to start getting ready for the springtime. Spring cleaning has psychological benefits. According to Jonathon Fader from Psychology Today, spring cleaning “has been associated with improved mood, decreased stress and heightened creativity.” “Messy spaces cause stress by bombarding the senses with unnecessary stimuli,” Fader explained. So while cleaning out your dresser drawers or reorganizing your desk might seem like a waste of time, it can actually be a productive activity to help you relax and focus and boost your attitude before your exams. Spring cleaning will also ease your stress after the semester ends. Once you finish your last final exam or turn in your last project, you will be ready to begin your summer as soon as possible. However, whether you are heading home, relocating for an internship or simply moving to a new apartment, packing all of your belongings can be a significant undertaking. If you live in the residence halls, you will not have much time to pack up before you move out of your room. A hurried moving process will likely increase your stress if your room is in massive disarray.
The solution is to start cleaning your room little by little for the rest of the semester. That way you will reap the relaxation benefits of spring cleaning over and over as your studying increases, and you will be prepared to move out after finals end. To truly clean, you will need to do more than reorganize. You will need to get rid of items you do not use or need anymore. Hint: if you did not wear your blue sweater at all this winter, it may be a good time to give it away. Once you are done cleaning, bring your giveaway pile to a thrift store instead of throwing it in the trash. Thrift stores accept used items and resell them to fund their organization’s mission. Not only is donating to thrift stores better for the planet, it allows you to support a local nonprofit and give someone else the joy of using your items. Finding where and when to drop off your items can be a hassle, so below is a list of local thrift stores and their donation details so you can focus on cleaning. All locations listed are in Fargo, North Dakota. You can find more stores in the greater Fargo-Moorhead area online. Before you go to the store, double check each organization’s donation policy to see what items they do and do not accept. Most thrift stores will accept clothing.
Fargo thrift stores Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
Locations: 1001 Fourth Ave. N., 1601 32nd Ave. S., 619 13th Ave.
E. and 5289 51st Ave. S. Cause: Provide residential treatment for troubled children
Easter Seals Goodwill
Locations: 1525 32nd Ave. S. and 4325 13th Ave. S., Suite 1 Cause: Help people with special needs and create jobs with career development training
Heirlooms Thrift and Gift
Location: 3120 25th St. S. Cause: Hospice of the Red River Valley
New Life Center Thrift Store Location: 221 19th St. N. Cause: Help homeless men
Savers
Location: 1623 38th St. SW. Cause: Support local nonprofits and create jobs
St. Francis Thrift Store
Location: 1425 First Ave. S. Cause: Serve people in poverty
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
Location: 2796 Fifth Ave. S., Suite B Cause: End poverty
The Arc Attic Treasures
Locations: 255 N. University Dr. and 3201 43rd St. S. Cause: Educate and support people with intellectual disabilities If you are cleaning out nice clothes and are looking to make some money, there are stores that will buy your clothes from you.
Clothes Mentor
Location: 2551 45th St. SW. Focus: Women’s clothes
MIRANDA STAMBLER | THE SPECTRUM
Organizing your closet can help relieve stress and distract from studying.
A Bison Abroad | Comedy festivals in Melbourne MICF shows off local and international comedians Erin Thostenson Contributing Writer
One of Melbourne’s largest events of the year is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF). Taking place for nearly a full month from mid-March to mid-April, MICF gives local and international comedians alike the opportunity to show their best work and try to make people laugh in venues across the city. No matter what style of comedy makes you laugh, no matter how weird or outrageous you like your jokes to be, MICF is bound to have your dream comedian ready and waiting for you to discover them. Here are just a few of my favorites who have made me laugh until my sides hurt.
Demi Lardner’s ‘Ditch Witch 800’
Demi Lardner’s show at MICF is called “Ditch Witch 800.” If that title doesn’t say it all, nothing will. She’s the only comedian I know who has the brilliance to win the Directors’ Choice Award at MICF and the Underbelly Award at Edinburgh Fringe in the same year. She then used her time during the MICF Gala (the biggest event at MICF) to do a five-minute set of completely new material that involved her both rolling around on stage and creeping through
the audience like a diseased velociraptor. One of the bits involved her pumping a bottle of hand soap directly into her mouth. The audience found this bit to be one of the better and more memorable. Lardner’s comedic appeal is perhaps a hard sell if you’ve never encountered her work before. She mangles the English language in a way that’s a l m o s t artistic.
Fancy Dinner Party,” Double Denim explored friendship and redemption through the medium of a “battle royale” cooking show and choreographed musical numbers.
Double Denim’s ‘A Very Fancy Dinner Party’
The duo consists of Laura Frew and Michelle Brasier (of Aunty Donna fame). Together as Double Denim, they’ve managed to take home Sydney Comedy Festival’s Best Newcomer title and MICF’s Director’s Choice Award in 2018 alone. In this year’s show, “A Very
how to read the room and get the audience involved. They’re the perfect mix of energetic, silly and serious, and they know exactly how to make fun of themselves and the audience in a way that invites the audience in. Instead of just telling jokes, Double Denim somehow manages to make the audience feel like they’re a part of the jokes themselves. Not to mention, “A Very Fancy D i n n e r Party” is my favorite comedy show that involves a ballad arrangement of Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time.”
Sanspants Radio’s ‘Big Deal’
Brasier and Frew do such an incredible job at making their audiences have a great time, chiefly because they know exactly
Sanspants Radio is a podcast network that has been delivering wonderfully silly nonsense to the airwaves since 2012. Now they’re taking to MICF with a show unlike anything they’ve done before.
Imagine waking up at 2:28 a.m. after a fever dream. You’re delirious from cough medicine and somehow too tired to fall back asleep, if that’s even possible. Not knowing what’s real and what’s not anymore in this witching hour, you turn on the television and flip to the nearest game show. You’re so exhausted, you have no grasp of the rules and aren’t even sure if the contestants are competing to win anything at all. Yet you watch on, dazed and slack-jawed, unable to look away. Capture that feeling in a bottle, shake it until it’s funny and what falls out is something nearing the seriously wild comedy vibes delivered in Sanspants Radio’s nightmare quiz show “Big Deal.” This show has everything: dangerous hats, champagne bottles that are secretly filled with milk, life model drawing and trivia. “Big Deal” puts its contestants (new each night and picked from amongst Sanspants’ own crew and comedy friends) through an Olympics of bizarre situations that are both upsetting and delightful. Led by Sanspants’ own Jackson Baly, who is a man equal part charismatic and Willy-Wonkadevious. “Big Deal” is a show that somehow offers nothing you want, but everything you need from a made-up game show.
The Spectrum
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
Rev iew: ‘Us’
Evil doppelgängers terrorize a family in Jordan Peele’s latest film Kelsey Young
Contributing Writer
Summary
The movie “Us” opens on a scene in the year 1986 with a young girl and her parents at the Santa Cruz boardwalk at night. She ends up separating from her parents to walk out on the empty beach. Her eyes find an attraction that is on the beach, and she walks into what looks like an abandoned maze of mirrors. In the maze, she discovers something deeply terrifying — her doppelgänger. After the opening scene, the movie shifts to the present day where the Wilson family is heading to their vacation home. Adelaide, the little girl from the opening scene, is now a mother and is nervous about returning to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Her husband Gabe found her reaction to be overexaggerated, but ultimately tries to help her feel at ease. He wants to take their kids Zora and Jason to the beach to meet up with some old friends. After one small scare and a number of bizarre coincidences on the beach, the Wilson family returns home for a quiet night in. However, the quiet night quickly turns into a night of horror as they are terrorized by some unlikely trespassers that lined up across their driveway: doppelgängers of themselves.
Review
There are a number of things that I enjoyed about this movie. I thoroughly appreciate that this movie allows for there to be multiple interpretations of what it symbolizes. I also thought the casting choices were superb. Jordan Peele casted Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Anna Diop and Evan Alex as the Wilson family members. All of them did an excellent job playing both their main characters and their doppelgängers. Nyong’o, who plays both Adelaide Wilson and her doppelgänger Red, flawlessly sells the complex nature of both her roles. The doubles actually maintain a lot of the character traits of the originals. However, all the actors manage to convey this without speaking for the most part, and in such a manner that the clones have this subtly offkilter manner that is disconcerting. The movie has plenty of humor to it, most of which ties into the great depiction of the central family unit. The Wilsons are a close and supportive family that do not get dragged down by the thinly-veiled contempt a lot of movie families have for each other. They are all quite capable, with the father managing to dispatch his double while suffering from a broken knee.
A combination of great casting and an engaging storyline combine in ‘Us.’
‘US’ FACEBOOK | PHOTO COURTESY
Everything from Star Wars Celebration I m p o r t a n t n e w s f r o m t h i s ye a r ’s c o n v e n t i o n Max Borman Staff Writer
Star Wars Celebration, the annual convention devoted to Star Wars, happened over the weekend in Chicago, and it did not disappoint. So many trailers and amazing Star Wars content filled the weekend. For your convenience, here is a nice little summary.
‘Star Wars Episode IX’
Kicking off Star Wars Celebration was the highly anticipated announcement for “Star Wars Episode IX.” “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” was revealed to be the movie’s official title, and it came along with a fantastic looking trailer. Seriously, it’s amazing. Shots of lightsabers, planets, BB-8, a voice over by Luke Skywalker and even Death Star debris all made an appearance in the trailer. On top of that was a maniacal laughter from the one, the only, Emperor Palpatine. That is right. The infamous Emperor is making his return to finish the saga that he manipulated. We have no idea how or why. It’s a surprise for sure, but a welcome one. On top of that, Ian McDiarmid came on stage himself afterward and demanded the trailer be rolled again in his evil voice. Joining the Emperor
is everyone’s favorite space entrepreneur, Lando Calrissian. The film releases Dec. 20, so all of our questions will be answered, and the Skywalker Saga will come to an end.
‘Jedi Fallen Order’
The game that was announced last year by Electronic Arts without anything more than a flash of a logo has finally gotten a trailer. While it did not contain any actual gameplay, it showed the time period and the story of the new game from Respawn Entertainment. In the game you play as Cal Kestis, a former Padawan that escaped Order 66 and has been on the run ever since. The game will be story driven with absolutely no microtransactions, a surprise given that EA publishes it. EA has had a rocky relationship with Star Wars fans based on how the games they have made with the license have been received, so this may win some fans back. The game releases Nov. 15 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’
One of the biggest surprises from last year was the announcement that “The Clone Wars” was getting a seventh season. Well, Star Wars
Star Wars Celebration took place in Chicago April 11-15. Celebration graced us with more news regarding this highly anticipated season. A trailer was shown off at a panel depicting the amazing storytelling that the series is known for. The new season will take place mere moments before the start of “Revenge of the Sith.” It will see the main trio, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka reunite for one last battle on Mandalore. They will be joined by Captain Rex and Commander Cody and fight in the Siege
of Mandalore before the call from Chancellor Palpatine, which is the same call that we see Anakin and Obi-Wan answering at the beginning of “Revenge of the Sith.” The season will premiere on Disney Plus, Disney’s new streaming service.
‘The Mandalorian’
The highly anticipated new live-action series from John Favreau, the director of “Iron Man,” got some more news. While a trailer was
FLICKR | PHOTO COURTESY
only shown to Star Wars Celebration attendees, the rest of the panel was open to all through live streaming. The first season will feature eight episodes and will serve as a good entry point for those who have not seen Star Wars. It will feature brand new characters and a new time period. The show will be available at launch on Disney Plus later in the year. It will be the first live-action Star Wars show, so be prepared for the amazingness.
Other than some more news on Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, the theme park for Star Wars, there was nothing else from Star Wars Celebration. After “Episode IX,” not much is known on what Disney plans to do with Star Wars in regard to movies. So, I guess we will learn at next year’s celebration. At least we will have “The Clone Wars,” “The Mandalorian” and “Episode IX” to tide us over until then.
Review: ‘The Silence’
THE SPECTRUM | A
& E | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
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Netflix drops the ball on another apocalyptic film
A good idea, but poorly executed.
Brittany Hofmann Staff Writer
Some may call it Netflix’s version of “A Quiet Place,” but I call it garbage. “The Silence” is a Netflix Original and released April 10. Given the cast and premise, I expected a good movie featuring a new spin on a post-apocalyptic world, but my expectations were hardly met.
‘THE SILENCE’ FACEBOOK | PHOTO COURTESY
With Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka as the featured actors, I was hoping for good things, but the film just brought them down. In hindsight, the story was unique, but just not executed well. A species of “bats” thought to be extinct were released from a cave being excavated, and now they are hungry for anyone who makes noise. Therefore, staying silent is the key to
survival. This is perfect for the Andrews family because they had to adjust their lifestyle after Ally (Shipka) was in a car accident in which she lost both her grandparents and her hearing. It was evident that the budget for the film wasn’t exceptional when 20 minutes in another starring actor was killed off (John Corbett playing Uncle Glenn), and
from there on out, it was just the Andrews family fleeing to the farmside. Obviously, they couldn’t afford to pay the former “Sex and the City” actor to stick around long enough to have a backstory. The title of the film is what you can expect to get when you watch it —silence. Given that staying quiet is part of the plot, there isn’t much dialogue. Throughout the film, the
CGI was poor and wasn’t even close to looking real. Not only were the visual effects abysmal, but the storyline was far too dramatic at parts given the circumstances, making me cringe from the awkwardness. The movie could have been better, which is unfortunate. Maybe Tucci and Shipka can make a spin-off. Oh, and spoiler alert:
Review: La Dispute’s ‘Panorama’ Experimental hardcore band out of Michigan release sixth full length Laura Ellen Brandjord A&E Editor
The first single released, “Fulton Street I” is still my favorite from an all-around great album. The dynamics at play in this song are breathtaking: starting out so soft I had to double check that my Spotify was working properly, before building to an aching scream. Simple strumming is joined by a shaky voice as it recalls the discovery of human remains under some leaves after the spring thaw. As the song progresses, the narrator becomes anxious, and his voice becomes loud and urgent. The song morphs into a panic attack as the narrator contemplates how he would deal with the paralyzing grief of losing someone. The chorus cries, “Never needed to live and suffer through the pain/ All the tyrannies of grief, if I ever do/ Will I even have the strength to do anything? / Could I go and leave flowers by the street?” The flowers refer to the monuments one can see along the roadside to mark where someone died.
‘IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN’
Immediately following “IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN,” “VIEW FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW” flips the script, starting out the dim realities before introducing the rosy daydreams. The instrumentation is more aggressive from the get-go than most of the other tracks, but this is far from a bad thing. Bass and mid-tom heavy drums and tambourine comprise the percussion, while melodic guitar layers above a simple rhythm guitar.
Society of Automotive Engineers invites you to 9th annual Spring Car Show
Contributing Writer
‘FULTON STREET I’
‘VIEW FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW’
Start your engines Nathan Wetrosky
La Dispute has made a place for themselves in the Grand Rapids, Michigan scene with their experimental hardcore, blending elements of spoken word, punk and hardcore. March 22 marked the release of their sixth full-length album, “Panorama,” a glistening, sharp-sided look at loss and grief.
Multiple songs on the album speak of minerals and semi-precious stones that are prized by some for their perceived positive effects. Black tourmaline is mentioned in this track. This mineral is seen as a strong protector and remover of negative energy. The track sees the narrator reminiscing about a trip they took with their significant other to Northern Michigan where they camped by the water. Bass forward, this track is overlaid with a thin mist of synthesizer and accented with the metallic staccato of the triangle. Like the storyline of “FULTON STREET I,” “IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN” takes a left turn halfway through. Suddenly, the song is about the narrator’s fear of losing his loved one as he watches them wade into the lake. At first he is paralyzed, only able to helplessly watch. The song ends with the narrator breaking free of his fear and running into the water after them.
there’s a dog, and it dies, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise since the dog always dies. “The Silence” gets 1/5 stars from me for the unique and interesting plot, but it fell short in its execution. Sorry Netflix, maybe you’ll get an apocalyptic film right one day.
BRITTANY MIRALDI | PHOTO COURTESY
‘Panorama’ explores themes of guilt, loss and grief.
All storms end, and perhaps their presence makes their absence appreciated more deeply. “I gripped the wheel tight when the storm burst, and clouds split suddenly open to the sky/ All the colors that were in us, dumbstruck with love and terror and both.”
‘THERE YOU ARE (HIDING PLACE)’
The second to last song of the album, “THERE YOU ARE (HIDING PLACE)” is the only track to have what could be more traditionally considered singing with the repeated phrase, “Shuffling off to sleep.” Snare heavy percussion is contrasted by the predominance of bass riffs as duel chorus guitars play a modified “call and answer” style. The lyrics speak of wanting to prove themselves to a loved one: “And in the summer, we’ll get a new home/ I’ll get a new start, I’ll get to be a new better me now, a new better me/ I won’t be guilty, I won’t be sorry, I won’t feel angry every day.”
Attention car and vehicle enthusiasts: the NDSU Society of Automotive Engineers will be hosting their annual Spring Car Show April 28. The show will take place in the Auxiliary Enterprise parking lot. The lot is located on the NDSU campus, right off 12th Avenue North and next to the NDSU police station. The show starts at 2 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. Admission is free to the public. There will also be hot dogs, chips and pop. The goal of the event is to incorporate the surrounding communities into NDSU activities to create a welcoming and fun atmosphere for everyone. To do this, the Society of Automotive Engineers is inviting anyone to come by and show off and display their vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, tractors, et cetera). If you are interested in what the members of Society of Automotive Engineers do, their shop will be open to the public on the day of the event. The open doors allow for viewing of the projects organization members have been working hard on. These projects include a clean snow sled (diesel-fueled snowmobile with reduced carbon emission), a mini Formula 1 racecar and a mini Baja car. Because this festival of gas and engines is taking place on the NDSU campus, a waiver will be required to show your vehicle. This waiver will be available closer to the date on the NDSU Car Show Facebook page. The Society of Automotive Engineers would like waivers to be filled out and turned in before the car show. However, they will be accepting and handing out waivers before and during the event as well. For more information, the NDSU Society of Automotive Engineers posted a map on their Facebook page. There are also various flyers scattered around NDSU and in surrounding businesses around the NDSU campus.
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The Spectrum OPINION
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
Master win for Tiger This is amazing for the game of golf Jacob Elwell Opinion Editor
As many of you hopefully watched, the greatest golfer of all time won another major. (The four men’s major golf championships are the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open Championship.) What makes this so special? Well, a lot of things. I would be wrong not to share my opinion on this given the importance of what just happened. Tiger Woods won his 15th major on S u n d a y. He is now just three behind the major wins leader, J a c k Nicklaus. T i g e r hadn’t won a major in 11 years. The last one he won was the 2008 U.S. Open while he was battling an ACL injury. Those 11 years in between major wins for Tiger haven’t been smooth. He has been plagued by injuries that have affected his swing and his mental game. However, Woods finally defeated the odds and won another major, something lots of people said would never happen again. This is amazing for the game of golf. Now that Tiger Woods is back in contention, the ratings are going to go right back to where they left off when he won his last major. Ratings skyrocketed on Sunday when Woods won the Masters.
It’s also awesome that of all the majors, he won the Masters. We all know the Masters is better than any other major, or at least more viewed and cared about. I’m not ripping on the significance of other majors, but I am saying the Masters is a unique tournament that everyone wants to win. It’s weird in golf how inconsistent the players are. It just shows how hard of a game it is. Consistency isn’t given by any means. W h e n ’s the last time you heard the names of recent top-tier golfers like Rory M c I l r o y, J o r d a n Spieth, Adam Scott or Phil Mickelson? They haven’t done hardly anything in the past couple of years. Now it seems as if it’s Tiger’s turn to take over once again. I certainly hope that’s the case. Who knows how Tiger will do in the next major. I would love to see him win another one this year, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Winning two majors in one year isn’t easy, and only a handful of elite golfers have done it. I am just happy to see Tiger win another major and show that he still has some gas in the tank. Tiger Woods won his 15th major championship last Sunday.
PIXABAY | PHOTO COURTESY
Bee the change We need the bees more than they need us Abby Petersen
Contributing Writer
It isn’t news to most people that bee populations are in distress. With the urbanization of much of their habitats, populations are decreasing at an alarming rate, which is bad news for both us and them. I wanted to give North Dakota State students some ideas on how to help out our furry, flying friends this summer. Why are bees important? With all this buzz about saving the bee population, it’s important to understand why we need bees. A slightly oversimplified explanation is that most of
our fruits and vegetables require pollination. This includes avocados, broccoli, blueberries, peaches, apples and even almonds and cotton need bees in order to grow. These crop industries are worth billions of dollars. If bees disappeared, not only would we suffer health wise, but economically as well. Needless to say, bees are very important. How can we help? Plant bee-friendly flowers Bee-friendly flowers include daisies, bellflowers, forget-me-nots, calendulas, mint, honeysuckles, sedums, lantanas, cosmos, coneflowers, dahlias and many more. Do your research. If your
living situation allows it, make a bee garden with a combination of any of these plants. Not only does it help the bees, but it also really spruces up any yard, windowsill or deck. Always avoid harsh pesticides; there are other natural alternatives. Make a bee bath Bees get thirsty. They work hard and need a drink just like us. Making a bee bath is simple: take a shallow dish, put some rocks on the bottom, fill with fresh water just covering the rocks and place next to your plants. Change the water daily and wash the dish weekly. It takes little effort, but helps
tremendously. Support local beekeepers Buying honey from local beekeepers not only helps out the bee population, but it tastes so much better than regular store-bought honey. Research beekeepers in your area or go to farmers markets. If local honey isn’t available in your area, order online. A great website is beeraw. com. They have a wide selection of products, and they support local beekeepers and other organizations working to help the populations. There are many other ways to help out. These are just a few simple ideas. If you want to get more involved, there are so many organizations
that are dedicated to this very cause. One of my favorites is called Tees for Bees, and they sell clothing, hats, pins, stickers and more, and donate the profits to saving the bees. Lastly, bees are not out to get us, I know most people are scared of them, and yes, getting stung hurts. However, killing every bee you see isn’t necessary. Instead of calling someone to come kill a nest, consider contacting a local beekeeper to relocate the hive. Changing small behaviors can lead to a big change. Let’s bring the bees back.
THE SPECTRUM | Opinion | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
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Change your major Catering to your passion is worth it in the long run Jacob Elwell Opinion Editor
Can’t decide what you want to do with your life? I get it. There are so many major options in college that it’s tough to choose one and stay committed to it. Everyone has their passion hidden inside them somewhere. It just takes some longer than others to find it. If you legit have not even the slightest idea for what you want to do, take University Studies. It’s designed for students whose goals cannot be met via a traditionally established major or minor. You can take a variety of different courses and discover more about your passion as you go on. To those of you scared to change you major, don’t be. Coming from someone who has changed his major a few times, I can tell you that it’s not a huge deal if it’s what you want. Not even that, it’s not a huge deal even if you think it’s what you want. You might switch to a major
you think you’re pretty interested in only to find out it’s not what you expected. This is a learning experience and not bad by any means. There are studies that back this up. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 80% of students in the United States end up changing their major. On top of that, college students change their major at least three times on average. That’s a very interesting stat. They are saying students change it at least three times, which means it could be even more. This just goes to show how common a major change is. Changing your major to cater to your passion is well worth it in the long run. If you stick with a major because you’re too lazy to go through the process of changing it, then that’s a poor decision. You won’t have to do anything at the moment, but you’ll be stuck
with classes you don’t necessarily want to take and a degree you’re not passionate about. If you get your major
change done, you will not regret it later in life. Do you think you’re going be
too far behind to change it? Say less. Chances are you won’t even be that far behind. It does depend when you decide to change, however. If you’re changing your major as a senior in college as opposed to a sophomore, you might have some catching up to do. However, you can still catch up. There are classes every NDSU student has to take, so there will only be a select amount of classes that will put you slightly behind. Even with this, you can still catch up easily by taking a little more credits. You might even match up more than you think. I changed from hospitality and tourism management to sport management, and I found out I can still graduate on time quite easily. Because both of these majors
require a business administration minor, I am already on the right track. There could be a similar scenario in which you find yourself in. If you really don’t know what you want to do, take a year off of school and think about it. Life doesn’t have a schedule. Some people figure out their lives a little later than others. (These people can be referred to as “late bloomers.”) Taking a year off will allow you to make an informed decision on what you really want to do. It will also save you a ton of money. Why go to school if you aren’t sure what you want to do? Just think about this as we register for classes yet again for next fall. I know a lot of students struggle to find a major to stick with, including myself. There’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of when switching to a different major. After all, you’ll regret not changing it more than changing it because you can always change it back.
Five ways to steal food from your roommates A guy’s gotta eat when a guy’s gotta eat Grant Gloe
Contributing Writer
If any of my roommates are reading this, I obviously would never steal from you. Honestly, this article isn’t even funny because I would never do this, so how would I know how to do it? You should just stop reading and check out of The Spectrum’s other great columns. Great, now that the suckers are gone, let’s get down to business. What can I say? A guy’s gotta eat. The first one you can try is burying it. This one is kind of a long con. Simply cover some of their food in the fridge or freezer with more and more of your food. Eventually, they’ll forget they still have it or where it is. Congrats, it’s now up for grabs. Now we get to my bread and butter: bread and butter. Bread is easy. Take it from the middle, never heels. Don’t overdo it, and rotate which roommate makes the donation. You may not feel good about it, but you know what they say: No pain, no grain. The butter is a little riskier. It’s worth it for that golden, artery-clogging goodness. You need roommates that butt their
butter from boxes with four or more sticks. It’s crucial that you buy the same brand butter with a similarly large box. The trick is that you never touch the current stick in use. You simply move one of the full sticks from their box to yours. No one keeps track of how many sticks of butter they have left; they only care about the one that’s open. The boldest strategy is to just see if they’ll call you on it. You can play it off as a joke. A sitcom classic is to just pick up someone else’s food and start eating it. Depending on your roommate dynamic, you could also just start eating from their cabinets and challenge them to start something by the look in your eye. The most devious strategy of all, however, is to be nice to them. Ask them how they are doing and laugh at their jokes. Spend quality time with them. Maybe even share your food with them or buy them meals on special occasions. The damn idiots will actually offer you their food! Oh man, some people I tell ya.
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The Spectrum SPORTS
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
Tharaldson Park finally gives NDSU softball a worthy home Renovated facility home worthy of program
Montana DeCamp crosses the plate for the first run at Tharaldson Park.
Thomas Evanella Staff Writer
When envisioning a softball program that has won nine conference championships in the past decade and has a national title to its name, lackluster facilities don’t spring to mind. That situation, however, is exactly how North Dakota State found itself prior to Sunday. After a grueling winter, the Bison finally christened their new home field, Tharaldson Park, this weekend with a pair of wins over South Dakota State. Construction was completed in two phases beginning in 2017. The new facility is a massive and well-earned improvement for NDSU. After years of success, the only blemish on the program
was its shoddy field. At best, the field was an eyesore. At worst, it was a hindrance to recruiting and wasn’t fanfriendly. Dramatic changes have altered the field as well as the seating, which all exist on the same footprint. The most visible change is in the playing surface, which was switched from natural grass and dirt to FieldTurf. The turf figures to be a massive boon to the softball team’s ability to play more home games. Last year, the Bison’s home opener came on April 28. NDSU only played six regular season games at home that season. The number of home games NDSU plays has frequently been in the single digits. Hosting the Summit League Tournament in each season since 2014 has helped the Bison keep more games in Fargo, though.
JOHN SWANSON | THE SPECTRUM
The turf surface will help mitigate the drainage issues that the Bison had faced. Because Fargo’s normal winter snowfall is 49 inches, wet infield and outfield conditions are an annual headache. “I have heard stories from the past when they shoveled when it was dirt. It was a lot harder since the dirt gets muddy,” Bison freshman pitcher Paige Vargas said. The likelihood that the field will be too wet to play on is greatly reduced with the arrival of turf. The turf drains quickly and doesn’t hold water, allowing it to dry faster. Seeing as how Fargo received 65.4 inches of snow this winter, the timing couldn’t be any more prescient. “If we didn’t have (the field), we wouldn’t be playing this week. We would be in Omaha or somewhere,”
Bison senior pitcher KK Leddy said after the first day of play. Beyond the field itself, Tharaldson Park features massive improvements over its predecessor. From a viewer perspective, the facility was sterile. Phase one, which was completed in 2017, solved that issue. The metal bleachers behind home plate were replaced by 552 chairback seats. There are still bleachers down the right field line, which make for a total capacity of 735, the largest in the Summit League. “We have never played in front of a crowd this large,” Leddy said on Sunday. On a cold day when Tiger Woods was on the prowl at Augusta, 307 fans came out for the first games, and that number should only grow. Netting from dugout to dugout behind the plate
replaced the previous chain-link backstop. A new digital scoreboard was also added during phase one. In total, the facility is dramatically improved over its predecessor from a fan perspective. Turf bullpens and batting cages were added to the facility, which along with the field itself were a part of the second phase of renovations. The Bison softball team no doubt earned the renovations with its non-stop success on the diamond. All of this success came in spite of a poor home field. Still, the Summit League trophies piled up, and successful recruits kept enrolling. “A facility like this is, this is going to open up a lot of new ways to recruit,” Leddy said. Head coach Darren Mueller finally has a sparkling new home to
showcase, which will aid in landing top recruits as well as boosting the program’s profile. If NDSU wasn’t already the top destination in the Summit League, Tharaldson Park no doubt cements that status. With a new field now opened, Fargo will continue to be the top destination for the conference tournament as well. Hosting the tournament provides the Bison with a considerable home-field advantage. NDSU has made the most of that leg-up, winning the last five titles, all of which have been contended in Fargo. Tharaldson Park was a long time coming for the Bison. Now that it’s complete, it will help secure NDSU’s spot at the top of the Summit League for years to come.
Out of the oven | Nowitzki and Wade retire What’s next for two of the greats Philip Atneosen Staff Writer
Last week, the NBA said goodbye to two of its all-time greats. NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade played their final NBA games. Both are considered the greatest of all time for their respective franchises. Wade has been in the league since 2003 and Nowitzki since 1998. The NBA won’t look the same without them, but it’s not like they’re going anywhere. So where are they’re going?
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki, who is sometimes referred to as “The Dunking Deutschman,” was drafted out of Germany in 1998 by the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. It was there that he spent the next 21 seasons. By the end of it all,
he accumulated a slew of achievements. His 21 seasons are the most ever played for one franchise by a single player. He finished third all time in minutes and games played and sixth all time in points scored. He’s been selected to 14 NBA All-Star games and has also been awarded the MVP (2007) and NBA Finals MVP (2011) awards. He’s widely regarded as the greatest European player to ever play in the NBA. Now that he’s retired, Dirk has decided it’s time to relax. In a postgame interview, he stated that he wants to travel and enjoy his family for a couple years before he begins his next chapter. After that, I think he’ll return to the Mavericks and begin coaching. The Mavericks held a postgame ceremony last week for Dirk’s final
home game. During the ceremony, he told the crowd that he is going to stay in Dallas
newspaper, he said he could see himself coaching or managing in the NBA after a year or two. Based on that, I think becoming a shooting coach with the Mavericks in the next couple years is a realistic possibility. He might work his way up the ladder to an assistant coaching job or even head coach one day.
Dwyane Wade
with his family and that Dallas is his new home. In an interview with a German
Dwyane “Flash” Wade was drafted fifth overall in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft. Ahead of him were players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. He played most of his 16 NBA seasons in Miami, although he had a couple of short stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Like Dirk, Wade established himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
He was voted an All-Star 13 times, won an NBA Finals MVP and won the NBA Finals three times. Wade retired with career averages of 22 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Wade’s future is much more up in the air than Nowitzki’s. Little is known about his future plans, except that he plans on spending more time with his family. He has a wife and three kids, aged between newborn and 17. It’s possible he stays in Miami until they’re grown up, but I don’t think Wade sees NBA coaching in his future. If he has a future in basketball at all, I think it will be as a broadcaster or high school basketball coach. It is also possible that he ends up more like Kobe Bryant after retirement. He might show up every so often, but he’s more or less out of the basketball industry.
THE SPECTRUM | Sports | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019
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Bison, Leddy open Tharaldson Park with no-hitter
NDSU see streak snapped at new field CONTINUED FROM | COVER
JOHN SWANSON | THE SPECTRUM
Zoe Stavrou hit in the first run in the new park with a grounder to short that allowed DeCamp to score when the catcher could not complete the play at the plate. Maddie Hansen and Cara Beatty knocked in two each, and the Bison had a five-run lead. For the second time this season, Leddy carried a no-hitter into the seventh. This time the senior closed the deal, registering her fifth strikeout of the day on Megan Rushing to seal the 31st no-hitter in program
history. “I didn’t realize I was throwing it until the sixth inning,” Leddy said. “That last pitch, Maddie (Hansen) got really excited, and I was like, ‘Whoa, I just threw a no-hitter.’” Another pitchers’ duel broke out in the second game of the afternoon. Paige Vargas stepped to the mound for the Bison and held the Jackrabbits at bay for the 1-0 victory. The Jacks had runners on base in each inning, but they stranded 10 runners in
the game. Otherwise, action was few and far between. NDSU tallied the only run of the game in the third. Vanessa Anderson opened the inning with a stand-up double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. DeCamp hit into a fielder’s choice, but the throw to the plate was off the mark, allowing Anderson to score. The Jacks threatened in the final frame. Vargas allowed the first two batters to reach, but the Bison defense came up clutch.
Camacho charged in hard to make a shoestring catch on Julia Andersen and fired quickly to second for the double play. Vargas struck out Rushing to end the game with the shutout, her third of the year. “Sure, the pitcher gets the credit, but you can’t get a shutout without the defense,” Vargas said. A rainy Monday saw an even longer delay to the action, pushing the game back further four hours. Once the sun came out, the
Jacks flipped the script, breaking the Bison’s 20game win streak with a 6-2 score line. SDSU got off the line in the second inning, with Lyndsey Crist opening the frame with a double and scoring three batters later on a throwing error. NDSU put up one run in each of the following two innings, with Camacho and Anderson hitting RBI singles. But the lead would not last, as the Jacks got to Leddy in the sixth. With
the bases loaded, Rushing cleared them all with a double to give the Jacks back the lead. SDSU added two more in the seventh, and Conard kept the Bison bats quiet for the win. The loss was the first Summit League loss for the Bison this season, but the Herd stay near the top of the league standings. Next up is a three-game series in Vermillion against league leader South Dakota in the final road series for the Bison.
Early season MLB thoughts
Sorting through some shocking starts Ian Longtin Staff Writer
Major League Baseball is back in full swing (it was a low hanging fruit), and the first few weeks have given us a lot to digest. Are the Red Sox having a World Series hangover or is it something more? Are the Orioles *gasp* average? Is Mike Trout powerful enough to wield all six Infinity Stones? We won’t be able to accurately answer these questions for a few months, but let’s have some fun with it. Here are some early questions and takeaways from the MLB so far.
Has Boston become the city of ‘Loozahs’?
The short answer here is no, but why have the Red Sox been so bad? Well, for one, their starting pitching has been awful. Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and David Price are all former Cy Young winners, but are a combined 1-7 to start the year. The Red Sox offense has not been much help either. Defending
AL MVP Mookie Betts is hitting just .233 so far. Really, the only positive the Red Sox have going for them right now is J.D. Martinez’s hot start. Their 6-11 record is peculiar, but Sox fans shouldn’t panic yet. There is too much baseball left to be played, and this team is far too talented to count them out at any point in the year. A few quality starts from their studs and a couple series victories and they’ll be right back to where everyone thought they would be.
Didn’t anyone tell the Orioles they were supposed to be bad?
Who do the Baltimore Orioles think they are? Do they think
they can just come out and play mediocre baseball without raising a few eyebrows?
potentially one of the worst teams of all time. So, what should we make of their 7-10 start? I am going to go with this team read all the newspapers and heard all the talk shows saying how bad they were going to be, and it torqued them off. Sure, they won’t make the playoffs. They know that. Their fans know that. However, it is good to see a team that did not roll over and submit just because people said they were supposed to.
Mike Trout is better than you are
Before the season started, the Orioles were being pegged as
Mike Trout is the best baseball player on the planet. There is no debate. The two-time MVP is off to a scorching start. In just 12 games, Trout has 5 home runs and 12 RBIs to go along with a .406 batting average. His AL leading 1.8 WAR is mindboggling considering he missed a week of play with a groin injury.
Sure, when the season ends, there will be guys that will have hit more home runs or hit for a better batting average or both. But Trout is the most complete five-tool player in the game, and the world deserves to see him in the playoffs. Hopefully, the rest of the Los Angeles Angels can figure it out and help get him there.
Something is brewing in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Brewers were one game away from the World Series last year. This year, they are out to prove it was not a fluke. The Brewers are just … solid. They do not have an alarming weakness in their lineup. Christian Yelich is once again playing like an MVP and is the biggest reason the Brewers are on a short list of teams that can win it all. The one thing they could use is a starting pitcher. This team has the potential to be playing deep into October, so when the trade deadline rolls around expect them to be big time buyers.
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The Spectrum | North
Dakota State University | THURSDAY, April 18, 2019