MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
VOLUME 119 ISSUE 42 NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | FOR THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
PAIGE JOHNSON | THE SPECTRUM
Mark Meister, chair of the communication department, listens to faculty during Thursday’s forum at Century Theatre. Faculty expressed many concerns regarding today’s state of higher education in North Dakota.
Faculty Forum Lambastes Higher Education Leadership Better advocacy, not a vote of no confidence, currently sought after
Benjamin Norman Spectrum Staff
Faculty members had choice words for Bismarck and their boss’s bosses Thursday afternoon at an open forum in the Century Theater. For an hour, some of the 25 faculty members in attendance criticized the North Dakota University System, the State Board of Higher Education, state politicians, Chancellor Mark Hagerott and his staff and themselves for a lack of university support. Regarding media coverage and system policies, Mark Meister, chair of the communication department, said he has noticed “a void. A pretty glaring void. That void is, there doesn’t seem to be any state agency unit that is advocating for higher education in the state of North Dakota — at a particularly important time.” Meister hosted the forum, putting forth an explicit argument: those who should be advocating for NDUS schools, like North Dakota State, are not doing their jobs. “And I’m wondering why, and I’m wondering what, as faculty, we can do” about it, Meister said. ‘An orchestrated attack’ State budgets have tightened and been slashed as oil and agricultural commodities dived from record highs earlier this decade. Higher education problems, though, go beyond these cuts, faculty said. The SBHE and NDUS are changing policies so quickly that NDUS faculty
INSIDE
is struggling to keep up, Jane Schuh said. In particular, new tenure and sick leave policies have left NDUS faculty distraught. “It has been hell since December just to keep people up-to-date on one stupid policy change,” Schuh, a microbiology professor and NDSU representative on the Council of College Faculties, said. Meister said since 2010, revisions have been churned out at a rapid rate, and for motivated reasons. “We’re seeing, I think, an orchestrated attack on higher education,” he said. “I believe there is a lack of support by the chancellor and the staff of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education. “ … I believe there’s an orchestrated effort to publicly delegitimize higher education and faculty in the state of North Dakota. I believe there’s what I would call strategic ambivalence towards higher education issues to the North Dakota Legislature.” Meister said he couldn’t find a public statement from the chancellor or SBHE that advocated for NDUS institutions’ causes. That diverges from the NDUS and SBHE mission statements, which state the system offices exist to support the 11 universities and colleges within NDUS. Faculty does not have a voting member on the
SBHE, which passes system-wide policies. The CCF exists, albeit feebly. “I shouldn’t say this, oh, by the way, I’m Dennis Cooley, the immediate past president of the faculty senate,” Dennis Cooley, a philosophy and ethics professor, said. “First, CCF has sucked for decades. They have had absolutely no power. “ … The other problem is the centralization crap that’s been coming out of NDUS. The chancellor is a Navy guy, which is not a bad thing. But he thinks this should be run the way that he thinks the Navy runs — without the money.” Centralization of university emails from NDSU’s system to NDUS’s server over spring break caused headaches for students and faculty. Student senate opposed the move, creating a resolution against the merger to no avail. It’s expected that IT will continue to merge completely into the university system, as dictated by North Dakota Century Code. Centralization has driven the new system-wide sick leave policy, too, with which Schuh and the CCF struggled. “Our charge was to come up with a sick leave policy that could govern all 11 institutions, but what we should have been talking about is why the hell do all
“I believe there’s an orchestrated effort to publicly delegitimize higher education and faculty in the state of North Dakota.” - Mark Meister, communication department chair
2
Fargodome Authority reverses approval of alcohol sales at Bison football games
11 institutions need the same damn sick leave policy?” Schuh said. The latest sick leave model, the fourth version, “at least isn’t hateful.” Schuh said earlier revisions weren’t as nice. “I told the Chancellor, ‘That third revision — that’s mean. That was just mean.’ And he said, ‘Well I can assure you that there is not a conspiracy against faculty.’ And I thought, ‘Freudian slip there because I didn’t say there was a conspiracy, but it sure looks like one.’” Parties to blame All involved should share these multifaceted, systemic failures, Meister said, though he was critical of system leaders. “Most frightening to me is that there’s been an inappropriate scapegoating of university officials and faculty as a means to deflect system deficiencies,” he said. Faculty members are easy targets because they are often depicted as lazy, tenured employees of the state, Cooley said. “When I was testifying at the Legislature, people there think we’re idiots — that we’re whiners. This is what I think is wrong with the Board: They’re very nice people, but they think we’re a business. They can’t understand why we’re complaining about not being fired immediately.” Meister cautioned against completely blaming legislators. “It’s easy to perceive being a Republican as being confused with fascism,” he said. “Because political will comes through numbers, and we know that in North Dakota. “ … I believe (legislators)
8
“The other problem is the centralization crap that’s been coming out of NDUS. The chancellor is a Navy guy, which is not a bad thing. But he thinks this should be run the way that he thinks the Navy runs — without the money.” - Dennis Cooley, philosophy and ethic professor are (working in Bismarck) for the right reason.” Schuh expressed frustration toward the chancellor and his staff. “I think that you give the chancellor too much credit,” she said in response to Cooley’s critique of Hagerott. “I don’t think that he’s running the university system at all. I think that his chief-of-staff (Lisa Feldner) is running the University System.” Feldner, who is also vice chancellor for information technology at NDUS, “is not a friend of faculty. She doesn’t know what faculty do. She is inappropriate in the instances that I’ve work with her — very inappropriate,” Schuh said. Feldner, she continued, directs the SBHE on its proceedings. “They’re taking the information they get from the University System and considering it gospel,” Schuh said. Besides Kevin Melicher, no voting member on the Board has direct experience in higher education. All voting members but one have business backgrounds. The chancellor says for upset faculty to “find a different job” if they’ve got a problem, Cooley said. “That’s in line with their vision of a system” calling faculty interchangeable parts. Faculty also must take
Inner city music: Profiles of downtown street performers
10
some of the blame, Meister said. “We, as faculty, have sat on our hands,” he said. “It is absolutely, consistently true that faculty have allowed and participated in our own lack of power and structure, and I think we have to stop doing it.” ‘Selling our future’ Verlin Hinsz, a psychology professor who’s been at NDSU for 33 ½ years, said these woes aren’t new. “There’s a history behind this, if you want to know the history, there’s a lot of details. This has been going on for decades, and the university has risen to its stature in spite of a lot,” he said. “I think it depends on which stakeholder you talk to. From my perspective, the legislature wants a weak State Board. It wants a chancellor that they can put their thumb on. From their perspective, they have exactly what they want.” Larry Reynolds, a distinguished university professor, said when he started at NDSU 32 years ago, the university was not the research institution it is today. “We’ve become more than a regional teaching university,” he said. “ … There’s no place that you get training and technology FACULTY FORUM | PAGE 3
NDSU women’s soccer team looks toward the Summit League Tournament
2
News
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
ND Residents to Conceal and Carry New bill allows North Dakota gun owners to carry without a permit Phoebe Ellis Co-News Editor
Starting Aug. 1, North Dakota gun owners will be legally allowed to conceal and carry their firearms without a permit. The only requirement will be a valid North Dakota driver’s license or state issued ID. Currently, in order to maintain a permit to conceal and carry in N.D., individuals had to complete an open book test and pass a background check. The check still applies, but now it will be easier to carry a gun. Governor Doug Burgum, a gun owner himself, signed House Bill 1169 into law late Thursday. The bill only applies to North Dakota residents who must have their legal
identification for at least a year. Residents from neighboring states will still be required to have a class 1 or class 2 gun license which requires an open book test and a background check. Firearms will still be prohibited in public places such as schools and churches, and if carriers are confronted by a law enforcement officer, they must admit to being armed. “I ask legislators and law enforcement officials to closely monitor this new law with a continual focus on public safety,” Burgum said in a press release. ABC News reported North Dakota House Majority Leader Al Carlson (R) does not believe that the shooting or crime rates will go up, but rather that it is a victory for the second
amendment. ABC News also reported that the bill mentioned above came in with a series of other bills, some intended at allowing firearms in schools, places or worship, or other public spaces, however no word from the Governor about those bills have come out yet. A similar bill was proposed in South Dakota, but was vetoed. Dissension about the bill came largely from Democrats, as their platform typically does not support more lenient gun laws or regulations, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Gun safety instructor Craig Roe said he doesn’t believe the bill is an issue in terms of safety, the Forum FILE PHOTO | THE SPECTRUM reported. He added people will know how to use a gun N.D. Governor Doug Burgum has signed a bill to allow North Dakotans to conceal and carry with and how to do so safely. a driver’s license.
Annual Agriculture Week Kicks Off April Week focuses on food, agricultural production
WIKIMEDIA | PHOTO COURTESY
North Dakota State University is formerly known as North Dakota Agricultural College.
Katherine Kessel Contributing Writer
North Dakota State’s annual celebration of its roots as an agricultural college is occurring next week. The celebration, also known as Ag Week 2017, aims to bridge gaps in public knowledge of agriculture and will be held April 3 through 7 to celebrate NDSU’s roots as an agricultural college. Ag Week will feature events of food, discussion
panels and competitions. The goal of the week is to educate students and staff of NDSU and the area community on agriculture, production agriculture and the past, present and future of agriculture. It is an inclusive event to all members of the NDSU campus, regardless of major or background, as food and the agriculture industry are topics that affect everyone. As was the initial idea of Ag Week, The North Dakota State University Agriculture Collective sets the structure
for the Ag Week events, but leaves room for various agriculture clubs to put on their own events. Charles Steinberger, NDSU Agriculture Collective president, said, “The Ag Collective has been putting on Ag Week for three years now and have expanded the weeks’ events from an 5 events to our 16 events.” The week was started in response to similar events the club saw at other agriculture colleges. Highlights of the week
(218)227-0000
www.RKAKRentals.com
NOW RENTING!
LAST MINUTE RENTALS AVAILABLE
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AVAILABLE NEAR CAMPUS! Town Homes, Apartments, and Single Family Houses Along With Great incentives!
Call Today!
include a kickoff cookout at Shepperd Arena on April 3, a chili cook-off and game show night on April 5, an etiquette dinner on April 6, and a closing banquet on April 7. Discussion panels on the topics “Sustainability in Horticulture Crops” and the “Impact of the New Presidency on Agriculture” will occur on April 3 and April 4, respectively. A graduate poster competition with scholarships going to the winners will be another
feature, which allows students to connect with their peers and learn more about the academic and research side of NDSU’s agricultural programs. Jacob Dailey, a campus ambassador and founding member for Ag Week, has had a primary role of organizing the Ag Week banquet this year. He said the banquet celebrates everything to do with agriculture and highlights the importance of people knowing the origin of the food they eat.
“Ag week is inclusive and is geared toward bringing in different people from all types of majors. Every event is chosen because it allows for the opportunity to have a conversation, for people to have different opinions of about agriculture and about food,” Dailey said. Additional details on times and locations of events can be accessed on NDSU Agriculture Collective’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
3
THE SPECTRUM | NEWS | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
PAIGE JOHNSON | THE SPECTRUM
Jane Schuh, center-right, and other faculty members listen to colleagues decry the problems of higher education in North Dakota. Faculty members also mulled plans of action to implement in the near future.
FACULTY FORUM | FROM FRONT more than a university like this one, a research university. Many studies have corroborated the role of higher education in sustaining and advancing the economy. And here’s a place that thinks it has a bad economy now, so, what do they do, they are cutting our education, which, to me, is selling our future.” Misconceptions and further funding slashes will hurt NDSU, Reynolds said. “These cuts are going to take us back 30 years,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it.” Chilling effect Finding voices to advocate on behalf of the university at the university level is thorny work. “This room should be packed,” Cooley said of the sparsely populated theater. Even tenured faculty, he
continued, are hunkering down and hoping this will all blow over. “Never underestimate the ability to rule through the chilling effect,” Meister said. Faculty members who are not tenured are put in a perilous position when they speak out, as is university administration. “I would say as the faculty of North Dakota State University, or the faculty of the University System, I think we’re well-past time to have a stronger voice — because our presidents are being gagged, absolutely being gagged,” Schuh said. “You didn’t hear one president say anything when they gutted tenure.” They stayed quiet, she continued, because “the presidents and the provosts can be fired. They’re staff. They can be fired.” Statement of no confidence One route faculty senate may choose to pursue is a
“ ... Our presidents are being gagged, absolutely being gagged.” - Jane Schuh, microbiology professor statement of no confidence against the NDUS leaders, but Meister cautioned this ultimatum. “Frankly, votes of no confidence are symbolic gestures that are presently seen by administrations, high-level administrators, as badges of honor,” he said. “These are merit badges, in some cases. “I do think it’s on the table, but I’ve always thought that taking an action of vote of no confidence doesn’t make any sense when I’ve never met any of these people, yet we work with them.” Meister said he has requested meetings with Chancellor Hagerott,
Wenzel to Win Over Professor X New rules require electronic ID in write-in voting Casey McCarty Head News Editor
New voting methods have been introduced by North Dakota State’s student court to restrict voting error from students. The new rules require voters to use an electronic ID to vote for a write-in candidate. Thomas Fyffe, chief justice of the student court, said the new implications are expected to streamline the vote tallying process. Fyffe added the move is to prevent students from voting more than once for the same person, to prevent random names from being submitted and to prevent instances like Professor X from being elected. Professor X, a black cat rescued from the Fargo
streets who is owned by NDSU students, received 50 write-in votes in the 2015 student body election. This is more votes received in the same election for offcampus senator than Mason Wenzel, current student body presidential candidate and student government executive commissioner of finance, received. Professor X’s co-owner and spokesman Jacob Lynch told The Spectrum in 2016 the feline’s write-in campaign sought to increase voter participation in student body elections. In 2016, Professor X moved away from write-in candidacy to philanthropic work. Professor X is not the first four-legged friend of the NDSU community who has had its name tossed in the ring to become a student senator.
On April 28, 1987, former Spectrum news editor Jeff Kolpack (who now covers Bison sports for Forum Communications) wrote an article saying if his dog, Sparky, were to gather 25 signatures from students he could run unopposed in the following day’s student senate election. Sparky, like Professor X, was unable to be in student senate as he was not formally enrolled at NDSU. “I’m thinking Sparky the Dog would have made a better senator and student body president than Jack Maughan,” Kolpack said. Fyffe said the effect of voter turnout with regard to requiring an electronic ID was not considered when implemented. Lynch was unavailable for comment by press time.
Benjamin Norman Editor in Chief editor@ndsuspectrum.com Casey McCarty Head News Editor head.news@ndsuspectrum.com Phoebe Ellis Co-News Editor co.news@ndsuspectrum.com Rio Bergh Features Editor features@ndsuspectrum.com Paige Johnson A&E Editor ae@ndsuspectrum.com Erik Jonasson Opinion Editor opinion@ndsuspectrum.com Taylor Schloemer Sports Editor sports@ndsuspectrum.com
Madison Hilber Head Copy Editor head.copy@ndsuspectrum.com Jack Hastings Co-Copy Editor co.copy@ndsuspectrum.com Larisa Khanarina Photo Editor photo@ndsuspectrum.com Emma Maddock Design Editor design@ndsuspectrum.com Aditya Sinha Web Editor webmaster@ndsuspectrum.com Emily Beaman 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.
Pauline Dunn Office Manager office.manager@ndsuspectrum.com Kelsey Dirks Business Manager business.manager@ndsuspectrum.com Addisen Long Advertising Manager ad.manager@ndsuspectrum.com Riley Mack Advertising Executive ad.exec@ndsuspectrum.com Emily Sullivan Marketing Executive marketing@ndsuspectrum.com Connor Dunn Circulation Manager circulation@ndsuspectrum.com
The Spectrum is a student-run publication at North Dakota State University in print since 1896. New issues are published Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year, except during holidays, vacations and exam periods. Each enrolled student is entitled to one copy. Additional copies are available for $1 by prior arrangement with the Business Manager.
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff, university administration or Spectrum management. The Spectrum is printed at Page 1 Printers at 1929 Engebretson Ave, Slayton, MN 56172
to call a press conference every time we do our job.” Schuh said advocating for one-on-one conversations to fight ignorance will help, as well. “It’s all of us little strings pulling in the same direction,” she said. Looking at policy may not hurt, either, Hinsz said, pointing to the state constitution to remind the SBHE of its role. “The State Board of Higher Education, and only the State Board of Higher Education, is in the North Dakota Constitution,” he said. “The chancellor, the chancellor’s office, does not exist in the Constitution. The Constitution may be the one protector where we can keep the SBHE and remind them of their constitutionally mandated responsibility.” Meister said, “If we’re going to advocate for higher education, we are going to need the courage to do it.”
In A Nutshell Fargo Marathon The 2017 Fargo Rocks Marathon poster was unveiled Thursday. “It’s inspired by the dozens of bands and DJs who play along the running route,” the Forum reported. Thursday’s unveiling happened at the Sponsor Appreciation Social at Sanctuary Events Center, and guests were able to bid on previous years’ posters. Marathon week events will occur from May 15 through May 20. Concordia assault Police are looking for three men after a student says he was assaulted in his dorm room on Concordia’s campus late Wednesday night, WDAY reported. The assault happened in the student’s dorm room at Erickson Hall. There is no concern to the public at this time because it wasn’t a strangerstranger relationship. The student was taken to the hospital due to injuries following the assault. Cellphone workout New studies have found that talking or texting on a cell phone during a workout lowers the intensity of your
www.ndsuspectrum.com Main Office: 231-8929 Editor in Chief: 231-8629
BUSINESS STAFF
EDITORIAL STAFF
254 Memorial Union North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105
offering to drive out to Bismarck to talk. He hasn’t been successful. Schuh stressed the importance of having a singular, system-wide opinion. “We cannot be the only university (against the State Board). We cannot be the only institution, at any time” to voice opposition, she said. “The Chancellor absolutely hates our guts,” Cooley said, noting his sources from the University of North Dakota won’t be in a position to move forward with a no confidence vote. Meister stressed he is not advocating for a vote of no confidence without first
attaining proper dialogue. Better advocacy Noting widespread frustration, Meister said he has worked in getting all 11 institutions in this conversation, both face-toface and online. He started a closed Facebook group called North Dakota Faculty Advocating for Consistent Transparency and Support. Little steps, like starting conversations and teaching everyone about what faculty actually does will be important, Meister said. “That’s a place where we can start, to try to build some bridges,” Schuh said. “Clearly, the State Board of Higher Education is not getting the resources that they need to understand what’s going on in higher education.” Having policymakers and students spend a day in faculty’s shoes may dispel preconceived notions, too, Meister said. “We don’t have
exercise and can also impact your balance, Valley News Live reported. Texting while working out can reduce stability by 45 percent and talking on the phone can reduce it by 19 percent. Looking at cell phones with your head down can cause damage to the neck and spine, which leads to reduced postural stability. When working out, it’s best to keep the chin neutral and look with your eyes instead of turning the whole head. College students held back The Minnesota State system wants its colleges and universities to do more to help students with basic life needs, such as food, housing and child care, the Pioneer Press reported. This comes after a national study of community colleges found that if asked to come up with $500 in cash or credit in an emergency 60 percent of students would not be able to. Students aren’t buying books because of the cost and some are skipping or dropping classes because of a lack of food or
transportation. Minneapolis Community and Technical College established a student support center three years ago that offers emergency cash, food support and child care grants, among other services, the Pioneer Press reported. The center handed out 3,716 bagged lunches and saw 2,386 visits to its food shelf in the first two years of the program. Bad buzz General Mills started a campaign earlier this month to help bees through giving seeds away. “Native plant experts said that some of the 20 different species in the wildflower mix could be unwelcome weedy interlopers in some parts of the country, and not especially attractive to bees and butterflies in others,” the Star Tribune reported. The backlash comes after seeds that were sold to Minnesota farmers last year, were contaminated with harmful weeds that lead to a discovery of devastating weeds being found in Minnesota for the first time.
CLASSIFIEDS FOR RENT: APARTMENTS FOR RENT. Eff, 1, 2 and 3 Bdrm apartments available, Small dog in select units. Single or double garage included. Heat paid, updated building, wood floors, ceramic tile, built in microwave, walk-in closets. Cats ok. Call Shawna today at (701) 297-9500 or email evansassist@hegenes. com Northwood
Commons Apartments. Located close to NDSU! 2 bedroom apartments available as of February and March. Rent ranges from $670 to $730. Also features an indoor pool. Call Amanda at 701-2802369. The Gardner Apartments. Located in downtown Fargo with historic elements incorporated throughout the building. Efficiency and 1 bedroom apartments available as of February and
March. Rent ranges from $350 to $455. Call Amanda at 701280-2369. Short walk to NDSU! Very spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartments. Several updates including newer flooring, updated appliances, and fresh paint! Other amenities include: heat paid, on-site laundry, secure building, and much more! Available now starting at only $535/ mo. Call Jason at (701) 371-9625.
4
Features
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
BISON Holi, Holi, Holi ABROAD
Indian festival of love and color brightens the world, and people
Laura Ellen Brandjord Contributing Writer
The festival of colors, Holi, is arguably India’s most well-known festival. It’s also likely the first “color runs” used Holi as an inspiration. Holi marks the end of winter and the victory of good over evil — it is also one of the last festivals before the summer heat reaches its full force, with some places in India soaring to above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). For this native North Dakotan however, the current daily temperature of 36 degrees Celsius (96 Fahrenheit) is already plenty hot. Thankfully, Holi is often celebrated with water guns, called pichkaris, and in
some places even “rain dances” in addition to the essential powdered colors. The main celebration of Holi begins by 9:30 in the morning and continues throughout the afternoon. Many businesses are closed for this holiday. However, at my university this year classes were still in session, although some elected to play Holi hooky instead. Luckily, I only had morning classes, leaving plenty of time to take part in the festivities of the day. The only downfall of Holi is after the festival is over, as the color can dye your hair and skin. A few people in my hostel who still had purple tinted faces and pink hair a few days afterward. I still found blue in my hair even after I washed it multiple times. I didn’t
find out about the pro-tip until after the festival — applying coconut oil to your hair and skin beforehand helps prevent the colors from staining. I was also extremely fortunate to have my family there to celebrate with me. Due to the timing of my sister’s spring break, they were able to visit for a week over Holi. It meant a lot to me to be able to share the experience of this popular festival with them. Holi is a festival of joy and friendship as much as it is the festival of color. While I was not able to celebrate with many of those who are special to me, dousing those who were here with plenty of color made for memories I will never forget.
LAURA ELLEN BRANDJORD | THE SPECTRUM
Holi brings families together and brings splashes of color to people.
National Science Foundation Awards STEM Education Researcher Grant offers funding for eligible graduate students
RIO BERGH | THE SPECTRUM
Rachel Salter researches STEM education — she has found a brain full of candy encourages attendance of office hours.
Rio Bergh
Features Editor
Rachel Salter, a second year Ph.D. student in biological sciences and STEM education, won a grant from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which funds graduate students who show promise of becoming successful scientists. Past fellows include numerous Nobel laureates, and even Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google. “The NSF-GRFP grant is one of the most prestigious
awards STEM graduate students can earn,” Enrico Sassi, the Director of the Graduate Center for Writers, said, “it is an honor when an NDSU student wins one.” The award provides funding for three to five years and gives grad students more freedom to pursue their research. “I like to teach, especially since it is the focus of my research, but it takes up a lot of time,” Salter said. “I spend around three hours a day prepping for the class I teach. “So the grant frees up time since students don’t have to worry as much
about other sources for finances — or for students who were originally funded through their adviser’s grant, this could offer them the opportunity to pursue their own research,” Salter noted. Salter’s research is on evolution education and communication in the classrooms. “I’m interested in making sure instructors and students have a way to really talk to each other, especially in these large lecture classes,” Salter said. Salter noted students might often feel like their instructors don’t care about them.
“The fact of the matter is, most instructors really do care about their classes — but they are often really busy, and even excellent researchers maybe haven’t been taught the best ways to teach,” Salter said. “So I want to create better tools for instructors to use that they could drop into their courses to benefit their students.” One of the consistent problems with STEM classes is the large class size, especially since the best learning and engagement usually happens when instructors can interact individually with students. “Rachel
is working on ways to make individual feedback possible even in large classes, and her work will also help the growing area of online learning,” Sassi said. Salter would like to continue as a researcher and instructor at the college level in the future. “I don’t want anyone to take one of my classes and say ‘this was too hard; I can’t be a scientist,’” Salter said. “I want to challenge students, but I don’t want to create an intimidating environment. So my research is all about
facilitating communication between instructors and students.” While graduate students are only eligible to apply for the grant once, seniors going on to graduate programs in STEM fields are encouraged to apply as well, since they can apply again once they have graduate status. Sassi encourages seniors who plan to pursue graduate research degrees to take UNIV 440/640: “Writing for Scholars, Fellows, and Researchers,” which can assist with the grant writing process.
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
5
THE SPECTRUM | FEATURES | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
Of Midterms and Mountains Fresh air and pizza does wonders for the nerves
BISON ABROAD
Ryan Kockelman Contributing Writer
RYAN KOCKELMAN | THE SPECTRUM
The mountainous region of northern Italy offers a break from bustling city life.
It started like a bad joke: an American, a Puerto Rican and a Hungarian crammed into a tiny car and drove to a tiny village called Carona. Every once in a while, it’s nice to get out of the big city. Milan has a bit of a pollution issue, and despite the beauty of the city, sometimes just breathing the air will give me a mild headache. To remedy this, some friends and I decided to escape the city for a day and go adventuring. Italy is full of incredible landscapes. Hills, rivers, lakes and, like, other fantastic things. The northern regions of Italy, due to their
closeness to Switzerland, are full of mountains and valleys that are just begging to be explored. We parked the car on the side of a road and got out. From there, we had nowhere to go but up. The mountain range was full of rivers, waterfalls, caves and abandoned old-timey shacks and villages. The fresh air filled our lungs — a very noticeable difference. Climbing up to a mountain peak, and witnessing the breadth of creation was something truly incredible to behold. It’s not until you spend significant time away from everything that you realize how much you needed a break. With midterms approaching, everyone is feeling a little more stressed
out, and in busy times we often forget how important it is to take time (even an entire day) to rest. At the end of the day, nothing beats trying to find a stellar pizzeria and then indulging before school returns the next day. On top of studying for midterms, my family is coming to visit on Saturday. Eight of them. I have a full week of activities and places I have to take them, so there won’t be as much time to study. But, scheduled rest time might just be something we all need. Ryan Kockelman is an NDSU student who shares his experiences studying abroad at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy.
study BREAK MEDIUM
2 1 4 7 3 5 6 5 1 8
8 1 6 9 5
7 4 3 5
4
1
8 7 9 7 3 4
HARD
1
6 8
8 4 9 3 4 2 5
7 9 5 4
6 2
3
4 4 9
3 7 8 6
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
9
7
3
4
6 MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
Creating Art Through Architecture
Seven students use creativity, conceptualization to imagine architecture designs in latest Memorial Union Gallery exhibition ANTHONY FARIS | THE SPECTRUM
Using layers of screens and projections, Bailey Nelson questions what makes the architecture of American high schools in her 2017 piece, ‘Gestalt.’
Paige Johnson A&E Editor
The work on display looks more like contemporary art than the research of architecture students. Each work is stranger than the next, featuring broken cups, metal and wire sculptures
addiction in his research of an addiction center. Each cup has been pulverized, leaving scars along the pristine white paper. This also leaves the mugs unusable, taking away their original purpose. “You’ll notice when you’re looking at the work, the vessels are together but they’re in a completely different form so they
“There’s this idea that we’ve sort of separated ourselves from nature and so we feel really safe,” Faris said. “All these pieces sort of hang by themselves — they hold themselves up. But they are precarious. There’s a possibility of them falling by somebody knocking them over.” Jara’s piece is interactive, like many of the pieces
ANTHONY FARIS | THE SPECTRUM
Kara Iliff examines the effect of industrialization on clean water in her piece, ‘Echo: Natureinspired Architecture as a Method of Cleansing Freshwater in the Wake of Industrialization.’ and crumpled pieces of paper. But each student’s design is a glimpse into the conceptualization of architecture before the final design. “Speculative Architecture and Oblique Representation” was on display in the Memorial Union Gallery from March 7 though March 23. The students on display were graduate students in the College of Architecture, part of professor Stephen Wischer’s thesis studio. In his studio, Wischer challenges his students to “create artifacts” of the sites they’re researching and designing before drawing up plans. This allows the students to gain a unique perspective on the space and it gives them the chance to break traditional architectural boundaries. Student Diedrich A. Harms, in his piece “The Recovery of St. James,” used broken cup and strips of paper to represent
may not be able to be utilized in the same way,” Memorial Union Gallery coordinator and curator Anthony Faris said. “They can’t hold things the same way, but in a way, they’re holding themselves. For an exploration of addiction and the process that you do when you lose yourself and try to put yourself back together, this is a pretty wonderful metaphor.” Beside Harms’s piece is Richard J. Maas III’s creation, “The Creator: A Disposition on Play, Symbol, and Festival.” The plain, yet stark, wooden frames with delicate pieces of tissue paper, is meant to be an “institutional critique of museums.” Along the right wall are the precarious statues of Natalia Jara. Using wood and metal wire, Jara designed perfectly calibrated statues that look as if they could topple at any moment, but that miraculously hold their stature.
in the exhibition. With assistance, viewers can take one of the statues and try to lower it to the ground. While it seems easy at first, the lower the statue goes,
the harder it is to maintain your grip on the piece. It inevitably falls to the ground with the clatter of metal hitting wood. “As you get closer to the ground, there’s something that happens,” Faris explained. “You feel a sort of sense of stability and you feel like you’re gonna be able to do this. You feel almost a sense of safety. But then by the time that you get down to the bottom, there’s a humbling that happens. And that’s what happens in natural disasters. All the things that you’ve taken for granted are erased.” Moving further into the exhibition, viewers see Kara Iliff’s piece on clean water, entitled “Echo: Natureinspired Architecture as a Method of Cleansing Freshwater in the Wake of Industrialization.” Iliff soaked 4,000 different pieces of paper to display what effect water has. Gretta Berens, in her piece “Viscer(l): A Linkage Between Internal and External,” explores irritable bowel syndrome. A prone figure lies helplessly at the end of a tunnel of string. In order to get close to the figure, viewers must “get in the shape of the body. Your body has to move in the same way that the body does.”
Aaron Warner uses projections and a camera to explore time and space in “Horizons: Integrating Digital Technologies to Propel and Inspire Cosmic Progress.” “One thing that he was
Like Warner, Bailey Nelson incorporated projections in her study of how students influence the architecture of high schools. Projections within a box show a girl moving, bringing extra activity to the
“Their work was on display in the architecture department, but the work is created as an artifact for their research so it’s usually created, critiqued and then is taken down. This has turned that situation into more of a celebratory experience of allowing it to exist for longer and to be able to participate with it, which hasn’t been done before.” – Anthony Faris, MU Gallery Coordinator and Curator thinking about was time and space and how much time it takes for light to come,” Faris said. Viewers can move in front of the projection and see themselves through time. Candles encircle the piece, making an interesting connection to light and weight. Warner encourages viewers to write a burden or weakness on a note, and then place it under a candle. This action allows the candle to hold the weight, visually taking the burden off the viewer.
ANTHONY FARIS | THE SPECTRUM
The latest Memorial Union Gallery exhibition features the works of graduate architecture students, including Diedrich A. Harms’ piece, ‘The Recovery of St. James.’
already active exhibit. “The work in this exhibition is much more geared toward interacting in space than in other exhibitions we’ve had in here,” Faris said. “I think this is the first exhibition that is pretty much all 3-D work.” In total, 11 students are in Wischer’s class, but the MU Gallery could only host seven of the 11. Faris was very grateful for the students featured, who were very willing to talk about their pieces, attend the reception and engage with curious viewers. While the pieces are beautiful to look at, their primary purpose is for research. “Their work was on display in the architecture department, but the work is created as an artifact for their research so it’s usually created, critiqued and then is taken down,” Faris said. “This has turned that situation into more of a celebratory experience of allowing it to exist for longer and to be able to participate with it, which hasn’t been done before.” Faris said the gallery is planning on hosting the exhibit again next year, hopefully allowing another round of creative research to be on display.
Atmosphere, Travis Scott Announced for Soundset Lineup Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul hip-hop festival announces 2017 artist lineup Paige Johnson A&E Editor
On Wednesday, March 1, the Minnesota-created hip-hop festival Soundset announced the lineup for 2017. Headlining this year’s Soundset is Travis Scott and Atmosphere, with a special appearance by Ms. Lauryn Hill. Other wellknown artists performing at
this year’s festival will be Gucci Mane, T.I. and Mac Miller. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Soundset, which was started in 2008 by Rhymesayers Entertainment. From what began in the Metrodome parking lot, Soundset transitioned to the much larger Minnesota State Fair Grounds in the past year. The festival is Minnesota’s largest music festival and has featured
remarkable artists in its 10-year history: Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Ludacris, Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper. The festival is Sunday, May 28 (Memorial Day weekend). Tickets have already gone on sale. For general admission, the festival is $74 (with fees). For more information and to view the full lineup, visit the Soundset website: soundsetfestival.com.
WIKIMEDIA | PHOTO COURTESY
2017 marks the 10th year Minneapolis-based rap group Atmosphere (pictured here, lead Sean Michael “Slug” Daley) has headlined at Minnesota’s largest music festival, Soundset.
7
THE SPECTRUM | A&E | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
Review: ‘Welcome to Hell, You’re Dead’ Intriguing New Play from Newfangled Newfangled Theatre Company’s new play keeps audience consistently entertained
NEWFANGLED THEATRE COMPANY| PHOTO COURTESY
Gregor Horvath’s new play, ‘Welcome to Hell, You’re Dead,’ includes twists and turns that add interest and intrigue to the plotline.
Paige Johnson A&E Editor
On a Thursday night in the Walsh Studio Theatre, the lights turn off, leaving everyone awash in darkness. Suddenly, the lights flick back on. Junior Burleigh Holder is sitting in a chair, seemingly waiting for something. Then Hannah Siverston walks through the solitary door parallel to Holder’s position. Siverston takes in her surroundings. Then Holder exclaims, “Welcome to Hell. You’re dead!” Thursday was the debut of Newfangled Theatre Company’s full-length production of the year. Newfangled is an entirely student-run, studentproduced and student-
directed theater company. Each year, Newfangled hosts two productions. Fall semester is their popular 7/11 project. This spring, their full-length production was a play written by senior Gregor Horvath: “Welcome to Hell, You’re Dead.” Tony/Jim (Siverston) descends into Hell to find her soul. She believes if she finds her soul, she can make a decision about her own fate back up on earth. The first person Tony/Jim encounters is a meddling demon, Clyde (Holder). Clyde not only manipulates Tony/Jim, but also the audience. Like a good demon, Clyde’s nature is generally slippery and vile, giving mixed signals about his intentions to the audience.
Along the way, Tony/ Jim also encounters B/ Bernadette (Hanna Stout), a soul trapped in Hell, being manipulated by Clyde and who also has her own mysterious background. B/Bernadette tries to help Tony/Jim, but her own confusion about her place in Hell and her own motives for searching through Hell. “Welcome to Hell, You’re Dead” was a fascinating alternative narrative about the nature of Hell. Horvath combined elements of Christian popular ideas of Hell, with Dante’s “Inferno” and an idea of a corporate hierarchy, to make a humorous and relatable idea of what Hell is like. The idea of torture is also subtly displayed throughout the play. Clyde can be seen
taking something from his souls, and afterward, they become confused, open to suggestion. This is especially apparent in B/Bernadette. While she is trying her best to prevent Tony/Jim from getting stuck in Hell, whenever Clyde comes around, she always becomes confused on her intentions. It is uncomfortable to watch her fear, her love and her confusion at the hands of Clyde. Perhaps the best part of the play was the second act. Here the focus of the play is less on Tony/Jim and more on what his particular torture is. This is also where B/Bernadette becomes a stronger character, breaking free from Clyde’s manipulations and using his
own tricks against him. When B/Bernadette must make her final decision, whether to leave Hell or stay, the conflict between her and Clyde returns. This also creates an interesting examination of redemption, and whether B/Bernadette belongs in Hell and if she can ever leave. The twists and turns throughout the play keep the plot moving forward but also keeps the audience’s mind engaged. This made the student-made production very mature and extremely professional. There were some hiccups along the way: scene changes were sometimes clunky and awkward. They also took a long time,
leaving too much space for the audience to become disengaged with the plot. There were also moments when the dialogue was too fast. There wasn’t enough time to process the words and give the audience time to react, creating a monotony in the speech and creating more confusion than necessary. However, no production is perfect. For an entirely student-made production, Newfangled really showed their finesse for creating, producing and directing a full-length production, making it an entirely entertaining play.
Believing May Lead to Seeing: A Day with Mary Zimmerman Tony Award-winning playwright and director speaks at NDSU on theatre, artists and audience
FLICKR| THE SPECTRUM
LARISA KHANARINA | THE SPECTRUM
Playwright and director Mary Zimmerman discussed the three biggest component of adaptation (narrative voice, structure and pace and image) in her talk on Tuesday.
Alex Kleven
Contributing Writer
On Tuesday, several artists from around the Fargo-Moorhead area gathered in Askanase Hall to gain wisdom from Tony Award-winning director and playwright Mary Zimmerman. Zimmerman classifies herself as an “adapter.” She told the group she primarily works on adapting nondramatic text (novels, poems, short stories, etc.) to the stage and probing out the “embedded theatricality” from within. Zimmerman is fascinated by the challenge of staging the “unstageable,” such as “The Odyssey,” which will be performed at NDSU April 27-29 and May 3-6, and “Metamorphoses,” which will be performed at MSUM April 5-8. Zimmerman talked a bit about the role of the audience in a theater, emphasizing the importance of an audience’s agreement with the artists to “buy into something that is blatantly not what it is … When the audience understands something it creates an intimacy with the artists and defeats loneliness.” From there, she took time to delve into the art of adaptation and explain the three biggest components of it. The first is narrative voice. Zimmerman explained the narrative from a source material needs to earn its keep in the staged version and stage images must exist in
a harmonic balance with the text. In other words, she strives to think of basic language as music. The second component is structure and pace of the show. Zimmerman explained it is easier and more effective to condense an epic work like “Arabian Nights” than it would be to dilute and lengthen a short story. She compares print to a clear window, explaining how a script (if it were printed how it were to be read) should have multiple fonts and font sizes throughout. She believes the actor takes a bit of an author role in theater, because it is crucial for them to actually tell the playwright’s story. The final component is image. Zimmerman explained theater, at its core, is a metaphor. The job
the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what the audience took away from it. Artists can put all the effort in the world into creating images to convey a message or feeling to the audience, but if the audience has chosen from the get-go to not suspend their disbelief, they have left a curtain closed for the entire performance. NDSU, MSUM and Concordia College are all participating in the Mary Zimmerman Festival, an exploration and celebration of Zimmerman’s works. MSUM kicks off the festival with their staging of Zimmerman’s play, “Metamorphoses,” from April 5 - 8. Concordia follows with “The Secret in the Wings” from March 30 - April 2. Finally, Theatre
“When the audience understands something it creates an intimacy with the artists and defeats loneliness.” – Mary Zimmerman, playwright and director of the director and author is to create the images for the theater to live in. “Theater exists between the physical world of the stage and the imaginative interpretation of the images by the audience,” Zimmerman said. These aspects of adaptation ring very true in all areas of theater. An artist must have core images in their mind of what the world of the play is, but at
NDSU will host “The Odyssey” April 27-29 and May 3-6 in Askanase Hall. For information or to purchase tickets, visit: For MSUM: tickets. mnstate.edu or call (218) 477-2271. For Concordia: Call (218) 299-3314 For NDSU: tickets.ndsu. nodak.edu or call (701) 231-7969
Wolverine makes a comeback in “Logan,” an addition to the X-Men Series as well as the Wolverine movies.
Review: ‘Logan’ Adds Science Fiction to Superhero Genre Old favorites and new friends team up for a wild ride in ‘Logan’ Paige Johnson A&E Editor
In addition to the original X-Men films, there have also been a series specifically about one X-Men, Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman. “Logan” is meant to serve as a third entry in the Wolverine series of films, and follows Wolverine (whose real name is James “Logan” Howlett) as he works as a daytime chauffeur in Texas while caring for Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) at an abandoned smelting plant in Mexico alongside Caliban (Stephen Merchant). Logan must only become Wolverine when drifters are attacking his limo or there are dangerous people getting near his smelting plant home, which is a rarity since it is out in the middle of the desert. But everything changes one day when Logan is found by a woman on one of his runs. What he doesn’t realize is this woman works for Transgien, a clinic working on producing multiple children with powers like the X-Men, calling them “mutants.”
One of them, Laura, is an 11-year-old girl with claws that can sink deep into skin like Wolverine’s metal claws. The woman asks Wolverine to take Laura to a mutant sanctuary, called “Eden,” in North Dakota. Initially, he refuses. But when everything and everyone near and dear to him are put at stake due to Laura’s being wanted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), a chief of cybersecurity for Transgien, and his henchmen, Wolverine must take to the road and get Laura to safety before it’s too late. Believe it or not, this is the first X-Men film I’ve seen. Honestly, when I was invited to go, I had no idea that it was a superhero film. The fact of the matter is it doesn’t even serve as a superhero film, rather a sci-fi disaster film where a lot of people die and some crazy stuff goes on. “Logan” reminds me more of films like “The Day The Earth Stood Still” and “Babylon A.D.,” rather than “Deadpool” and “Superman Returns.” To me, Wolverine’s touting as a mutant, along with the rest of the children who went through the massive factory program that is Transgien,
makes me think science fiction. I was impressed with the storytelling of this film. In some movies, the plot is too basic or formulaic. “Logan” doesn’t do that, which makes it all the better. One cautiously added note would be things do get a little predictable at times. There were several moments throughout the film where I knew someone was about to die, something was about to explode or the scene was about to change. Predictability gets old after a while and I wouldn’t have minded a few different surprises in this film. All of the actors played their roles convincingly well, the soundtrack was amazing and the special effects were fantastic. Everything, minus the predictability, made this film a treat to watch. The cast and crew are to be applauded for the job they did. I really wish there were more superhero films like this where we also observe a science fiction aspect and even add in a bit of thriller. “Logan” is still in theaters at press time.
8
Opinion
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
Guys: You Can Totally Drink a Gallon of Milk in a Day They doubted me, I doubted their doubts CASEY MCCARTY | THE SPECTRUM
The jug in question. Not my type of jugs, but it got the job done (I’m a skim drinker). column. Food is a race against the clock. The longer you wait, the more desperate you have
bowl of “Cinnamon Toast Crunch” in front of you that you start to wonder, “How sour is too sour?”
SATIRE
GRANT GLOE Staff Writer
Ah yes, the eternal questions in life: Why are we here? Who made us and for what purpose? What is the optimal milk consumption for a 20-yearold? I aimed to answer one of these questions, and let me tell you I’m not about to touch religion in this
It was a simple question at first: How much milk could you down in a week?
to be to eat it. As someone who will pour a bowl of cereal before even checking if he has milk, let me tell you, milk is the greatest offender in this case. It’s not until you have a fresh
Well, I can now confirm there is no reason to let your milk get that bad. It was a simple question at first: How much milk could you down in a week? I figured one gallon a day
is a reasonable rate. People didn’t share my confidence, so I put my money where my mouth is. Starting about 8:30 a.m. with a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee that was 3/4 milk, I drank a gallon of 1 percent by 10:30 a.m. Honestly, totally doable. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for 1760 calories and 40 grams of fat in your diet. So now we return to the original question. As I am now the regional expert on dairy intake in my apartment, I feel confident saying I could do 10 gallons
in a week. Granted, calcium poisoning is apparently a thing, but that’s only in the long term I’m pretty sure. If there are any nursing majors or dietetics majors or human beings with common sense willing to chime in, please do so before my lack of creativity catches up to me
and I need another article. If there’s anyone out there who’d like to try it themselves, I have a couple tips: don’t eat anything too heavy, you have all day so pace yourself and talk with someone close to you until you have some goddamn self-respect.
It’s not until you have a fresh bowl of “Cinnamon Toast Crunch” in front of you that you start wonder “how sour is too sour?”
Twitter Potter and The Retweet Troll J.K. Rowling is the best worst thing ever Do we need one of the most famous authors to say people on Twitter are stupid?
WIKI COMMONS| PHOTO COURTESY
J.K. Rowling has made a name as a Twitter troll recently.
Erik Jonasson II Opinion Editor
I am a huge Harry Potter fan, but that doesn’t mean that I must enjoy everything J.K. Rowling writes. Respect is due though. Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for an amazing addition to my childhood. With that being said, I
have said this before, but let me say it again, I blame Twitter. I blame Twitter for most problems in society. From President Trump to “cash me outside howbow dah” girl, Twitter’s crimes are obvious.
Is there such thing as an overqualified Twitter troll? I believe so. And J.K. Rowling is the Optimus Prime of offenders. Big, powerful, famous and a robot. Hear me out; most people that make stupid tweets on Twitter are stupid. Imagine them as ants. Now imagine J.K. Rowling as Optimus Prime. She is an amazing Twitter troll because she is so much smarter than everyone else. Like a Nerf Gun versus an F-22, there is no actual battle. Optimus Prime smashes an ant; no one is going to flip the tables anytime soon? So, why pull the trigger? J.K. Rowling is smart, and her voice deserves to be heard, but God can we find a better medium? I mean books exist in this world, right? What about a news channel, even Fox News is more like a News Channel than ever before. Do an interview with Anderson Cooper or even Bill O’Reilly. Better yet, have a show with a bunch of white supremacists. While they
throw insults choose to be civil with them. Not because you don’t have a good come back. But, rather, because you are smarter and hold yourself to a high standard than being racist and stupid like them. Seem impossible? Well, Oprah did that. Why? Because Oprah is smart for crying out loud. She isn’t going to be out-dueled by a stupid white supremacist, and neither is J.K. Rowling. I bet she could sway the minds of smart people that choose to watch news rather than MTV and The Bachelor. She might even be able to sway the minds
not where the great thinkers choose to meet. Do we need one of the most famous authors to say people on Twitter are stupid? Hey, Thad, say Jon Doe who thinks gay people have acid blood is stupid. See it is literally that easy to create a statement that 90% of people will agree with. Why should we be okay with J.K. flippin’ Rowling to be a highly-over-qualifiedTwitter-troll? Economic majors, say it with me, poor allocation of resources. Maybe, just maybe, people would rather have a thoughtful debate, instead of self-indulging on always being right. Challenge yourselves. In order to Avada Kedavra
J.K. Rowling is smart, and her voice deserves to be heard, but God can we find a better medium? of idiots if put in the right medium. Twitter isn’t that medium though. The same place you go to rant about pineapple on pizza and praise bacon is
an opposing opinion, both need to be brought up in the right area? Perhaps a school where a bunch of 11-yearolds study magic?
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
9
THE SPECTRUM | OPINION | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
North Korea’s Failed Missile Launch Leaves World Unfazed This attempt should not be seen as a failure, but as a success. Charli Joergensen Contributing Writer
Yet again, North Korea had a failed missile test on Wednesday. This is nothing new for the hermit nation. However, their determination should not be scoffed at. We have become so used to looking down at North Korea that we don’t see their attempts for what they are, legitimate threats. Sure, they may not have the capability to send a missile to the United States yet, but how long could it possibly take to develop this technology. To me, this feels like the classic boy who cried wolf. North Korea keeps shouting threats and since
nothing comes of it, we think it never will. I fear someday there will actually be a wolf. Yes, the U.S. military is far more superior than that of North Korea and we are probably always 10 steps ahead of them in terms of technology, but they have the advantage of time and space. All of North Korea is basically an area 51. No one really knows what is going on there and Kim Jong-Un is amazing at keeping his citizens in the dark, both figuratively and literally. The people of North Korea are held down continually due to lack of food, education and money. This is purposefully done so Kim Jong-Un and the other leaders in Pyongyang can
maintain their power. This is the edge North Korea has, the lack of pushback. Even their mightier, and more economically sound neighbor, China, gives North Korea a lot of slack. Kim Jong-Un is well aware of his advantages and he is playing his cards very well. Beneath the bizarreness and isolation of this nation, there is a driving desire to achieve greatness. When creating a missile that can carry an H-bomb to the U.S. is his one burning goal, you better believe he is going to keep trying until he gets it right. At this point, it’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when.
JOHN PAVELKA | PHOTO COURTESY
North Koreans pay their respects in the capitol, Pyongyang
Celebrities to ‘Stick to Day Job’ The importance of celebrity activism
Cierra Steffensen Staff Writer
Recently there has been a lot of backlash in regards to the sudden surge in celebrity activism involving politics. There are many people who believe celebrities should keep out of politics and politicians will keep out of entertainment. As we all know, the most recent election caused a lot
of change in the everyday lives of Americans. This includes the use of fame as a platform for spreading information in regards to the election results. The morning of Wednesday, Feb. 15, Ashton Kutcher flew to Washington, D.C. in order to testify to the senate at a hearing on progress for contemporary slavery. Kutcher was there to represent the organization, Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, which he cofounded with Demi Moore. During his 15-minute emotional testimony, Kutcher stated, “the internet trolls tell me to stick to my
There is tremendous undeniable need for acceptance. There is a need for understanding and awareness of what is happening. There is a need for change. day job.” He goes on to explain what exactly his organization does and how this not only affects him but others as well. Kutcher has been known to make wonderful moving speeches that tend to grab your heart strings and rip them straight out of your chest. However, this example
specifically is exactly why celebrities (or anyone who has a solid social platform) should be getting involved in politics. Awareness is a key step to creating a successful and loving environment. One of the reasons some people believe celebrities shouldn’t be taking a political stance in
an acceptance speech or a performance is because they are “spreading opinion based information.” But isn’t that the point? If something like a presidential election creates such an upheaval, shouldn’t people with influence be spreading this information? The average person can voice their opinion or thoughts on the topics that are continuously rolling straight out of the White House, but how much of a difference will that make. We should definitely still be fighting for and speaking about what we believe in, but one measly tweet won’t reach nearly
as many people as a quick speech at the Grammys will. Celebrity activism creates movements, which then leads to change. Due to the large audiences these people captivate, there will be more conversation about what is happening. This nation, in its current messy state, needs more people like Ashton Kutcher, Meryl Streep, Beyonce and many others. There is a tremendous undeniable need for acceptance. There is a need for understanding and awareness of what is happening. There is a need for change.
Letter to the Editor | Ice-cold Spectrum Article Makes Weightlifters Nip Out When one admires the artistic touch of Michelangelo’s David, one cannot but notice two small characteristics located around the chest area. Alas! What scandalous perversion lays upon one of our world’s greatest masterpieces — we shall tear it down lest our pure eyes be tainted. Friends, beef cakes, meat heads lend me your ears. I
come to bury this article not to praise it. Earlier today I came upon a Spectrum article titled, “Getting Visually Offended at the Wellness Center” — and this is my response. OK, so the cat is out of the bag — men have nipples. Much like the great David, I spend numerous hours a week slaving over the Wellness Center weights
attempting to sculpt my body to the proportions Michelangelo chiseled 500 years ago. Due to this article apparently my hard work and dedication has come to offend people, and I must apologize for I may have spent too much time calculating my macronutrients to the gram instead of carefully picking
my outfit for the day’s workout that it may be in accordance with the strict Puritan dress codes of the gym. With one look at us workout punks, one may assume that criticism of the way we dress or the way we look may be toppled by the freight train of our ego, but trust me — we hate critiques of our looks as much as we
hate cardio. I must admit, I do see the validity of this article, because us jocks do get carried away from time to time when it comes to our cut-offs. So this is my proposal: I declare that the 2nd and 3rd floors be made nipple free zones in which casual wellness attendees can use the treadmill storage areas as a nippleless
playground. Meanwhile, us weightlifters will have domain over the first floor and enjoy our shameless Garden of Eden so we may saunter around in the bodies God gave us. So let it be said — critiquing weightlifters outfits at the gym will give you as much gains as cardio. Ricky Paulson NDSU Student
10
Sports
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
One Slow Clap for the NFL At least you tried, and that is more than the Bears
Taylor Schloemer Sports Editor
Is it really a question of having issues if everyone else can see those issues? This is what happened in the NFL, who’s downfall was well documented by most, if not all, of the sports media. Fixes were terribly obvious, and the real question was if Roger Goodell would make any changes. Thankfully, it seems like he is. Goodell was on ESPN’s
Mike & Mike last week and commented on commercial breaks. “The number of breaks, we will take that back down,” Goodell said. That is good news. The odd thing is that Goodell himself was not aware of the increase of commercials. “To my surprise, we put some more commercialization in there last year. We put some spots that I was not aware of,” said Goodell. How? That is like being the leader of the minutemen at Lexington saying “I don’t know who fired the first
shot.” It would be nice for important people to know things like that. And those chose changes will apply to Thursday Night Football. Still, that won’t fix the issues of those games. One big change that will hit across the NFL is the disappearance of the hood. That is right, the replay hoods used by officials will go away. That is because replays will now fall on the shoulders of vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. The final call will
be his, not the officials as it has in the past. Another change with replays will be that officials will announce the call to the stadium as soon as it is decided. Once again, it should move the game along at a greater pace. In other NFL news, no team has signed Adrian Peterson. The 32-year-old left Minnesota a few weeks ago, and still is searching for a team. There seem to be two reasons for this: perception of the running back, and
Peterson’s asking price. ESPN reported that Peterson is wanting more than $8 million in his first year. That would put him tied for the second largest contract in term of average per year. Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy averages $8 million, and Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell will be getting $12.5 million. The only difference is that Bell gained 1,268 yards last year and McCoy one less than that. Peterson gained just 72. The lack of production is also leading to executives
worry about if he has anything left to give. This comes as the free agent market has died down as teams have filled their needs. Very few teams need running backs now. Quarterbacks are always in need, as Chicago Bears have proved that time and time again. After releasing Jay Cutler, they have signed two quarterbacks. Mike Glennon from Tampa Bay, and Mark Sanchez. If you look carefully, you can see two W’s appear on the rest of the NFC North schedules.
Bison Football Kicks Off 2017 Season Herd take to the field in position for more championships
The Bison will look to get back atop the FCS again this year.
Thomas Evanella Staff Writer
For the first time since 2010, the North Dakota State Bison football team does not have a new ring. The quest to reclaim their crown started last week with the beginning of spring practice. The team will have 15 sessions, culminating in the annual Green and Gold Spring Game on April 22. Admission to the spring game is free and open to the public. Head coach Chris Klieman, a member of the Bison coaching staff for all five of their national titles, believes this has not made a difference in his team’s outlook. “(There is no difference) other than the fact that it’s
been three months rather than two (since the last game). From a player’s perspective, they’re pretty anxious to get back out there and compete,” Klieman stated at a press conference prior to the team’s first practice. “They’ve bought right in right away like I knew they would,” Klieman added. The Bison are returning 16 starters from last season. Offensively, quarterback Easton Stick will once again lead the Herd. Stick, a junior, played his first full starting campaign last season. Prior to that, he went 8-0 filling in for Carson Wentz in the run up to NDSU’s 2015 national title. He threw for 2,331 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. He should be set to improve on those totals with one full season under
FILE PHOTO | THE SPECTRUM
his belt. Stick’s receiving weapons will remain the same this season. Tight ends Jeff Illies and Connor Wentz and wide receiver R.J. Urzendowski are all seniors and will be used heavily in the passing game once again. Last year’s top receiver, junior Darrius Shepherd, returns as well. Shepherd led the team with 642 receiving yards last season and was tied with Illies for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with five. While the passing attack remains largely the same, the running game graduates two seniors, King Frazier and Chase Morlock. Frazier and Morlock were huge contributors in the Herd’s offense last season and throughout their time at NDSU. The senior duo rushed for 1,253 yards and
Leisure Laundry
14 scores in the past season. Morlock also added two receiving touchdowns. However, leading rusher Lance Dunn will return for his junior season. Dunn, from Waterloo, Iowa, toted the rock for 996 yards and found the end zone seven times last season. Fellow junior Bruce Anderson will aim to step into a bigger role in the upcoming season. Anderson made a big splash as a freshman, returning kickoffs for touchdowns in two consecutive games and rushing for 5.6 yards per carry. Unfortunately, Anderson’s development was derailed by an ankle injury in his sophomore season. In the nine games Anderson played, his average rose to 6.7 yards per carry.
On the other side of the ball, each level of the defense will be anchored by returning starters. On the defensive line, senior end Greg Menard will once again wreak havoc on opposing backfields. Menard led the team in sacks and tackles in his junior season, posting 15.5 and 11.5, respectively. NDSU’s linebacking corps will be in good hands with senior Matt Plank and fifth-year player Nick DeLuca. Plank started 10 games in 2016 and was the Bison’s third leading tackler with 76 stops. A devastating shoulder injury requiring surgery cost DeLuca his 2016 season, but the Butkus Award watch-list nominee was granted medical hardship and another year of eligibility in late December. The Herd’s secondary returns its top contributors
from 2016 in the form of safeties Tre Dempsey and Robbie Grimsley and cornerbacks Jaaylan Wimbush and Jalen Allison. Dempsey was named first team All-America after a junior season in which he intercepted six passes, defended 13 and had 53 tackles. Grimsley picked off five passed and Allison had four interceptions. Additionally, Grimsley was second on the Herd with 84 tackles. So much is left to develop in the five months before the beginning of the 2017 football season. With that being said, it is hardly far-fetched to think NDSU will be right back on top as one of the behemoths of the FCS, poised to begin a new national title streak.
Jimmy
801 N Universi ty Dr. Fargo Phone: 701-293-6900
Recently Expanded & Remodeled (Now Better Than Ever)
2 - 60 lb. washers 3 - 40 lb. washers 2 - 35 lb. washers 8 - 18 lb. washers 38 Ma ytag Dryers Dry Cleaning Available
40 Top Load or Bulk Laundry
Hours
Mon - Sat 7:30am - 10pm Sunday 9am - 10pm
Large Capacity Washers Good For Comforters, Sleeping Bags and other Large Items!
WE DELIVER! TO FIND THE LOCATION NEAREST YOU VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM ©2017 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
THE SPECTRUM | SPORTS | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
11
FILE PHOTO | THE SPECTRUM
NDSU took their first Summit League win of the season against Western Illinois.
Baseball, Softball Split Early Games Both teams go 1-1 on Friday and Saturday Cody Tusler Staff Writer
Both the baseball and softball teams were in action this weekend and it was a dramatic start for one of them. Baseball The baseball team visitied Northern Illinois for a three game series and game one went right to the end. With North Dakota State up 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth,
Western Illinois scored three runs to gain a 5-4 lead. The Bison answered with three runs in the top of the ninth to take a 7-5 lead. Drew Fearing led off the inning before JT Core doubled to right center, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Fearing crossed home plate to tie the game on Mason Pierzchalski’s RBI ground out. With two outs in the inning, redshirt junior Logan Busch stepped up to
the plate. Busch sent the 2-2 pitch over the center field wall for his third home run of the season to break the tie and gave the Bison the 7-5 lead. The Leathernecks hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the ninth. Bison right-hander Kevin Folman ended the threat with two ground outs and a strikeout to record his second save of the season. Busch led NDSU at the plate, hitting 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two
Participate in a Clinical Research Study
CALL NOW Inpatient & Outpatient studies available
EARN MONEY
FAST 1.877.58.NOVUM
www.GoNovum.com/Fargo 4801 AMBER VALLEY PARKWAY
doubles, a home run and four RBIs. Fearing added two hits as well. NDSU right-handed starter Luke Lind struck out a career-high eight batters. The senior threw six innings and only allowed two hits and two earned runs. Left-hander Chris Choles earned the win on the mound after throwing two relief innings. Sophomore infielder Deion Thompson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs to lead the Leathernecks. WIU pitcher Sam Cottingham-Beard recorded the loss after giving up three earned runs on two hits in one inning. The Leathernecks got back at the Bison, winning game two 5-1. Redshirt senior JT Cole hit his first home run of the season, as he was responsible for the Bison’s lone run. Senior right-handed starter Reed Pfannenstein suffered the loss as he gave up five earned runs on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts in five innings pitched. Catcher Adam McGinnis went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and two RBIs to lead the Leathernecks. WIU pitcher Preston Church earned the victory after tossing eight and allowed one earned run on two hits with 10 strikeouts
and one walk. Softball Meanwhile, the struggling softball team headed south to take on Georgia Tech. NDSU took a 12-inning win, 8-6 to defeat the Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Georgia Tech was able to take the second game 5-4. The Bison broke a six-game losing streak in game one. Zoe Stavrou hit a two-run single to right center with two outs to score Stephanie Soriano and Madyson Camacho in the top of the 12th inning. The 12-inning game tied the school record for the longest game for the fifth time. Right-hander Jacquelyn Sertic worked out of trouble of the 12th inning with the game-tying runs in scoring position. Sertic tied a school single-game record with 19 strikeouts to match Whitney Johnson against Toledo (2-912). Sertic reached doublefigure strikeouts for the sixth time this season and the 12th time in her career. Freshman Soriano tied the school record with five hits in seven plate appearances. She became the fifth Bison to hit five times in a game, yhe first since March 5, 2002, when Melissa Chmielewski hit against St. Mary’s, California. Montana DeCamp put the Bison ahead 5-2 in the top of the seventh with a RBI double. DeCamp went
2-for-5 with her third home run, a two-run shot, of the season in the second inning. Brooke Barfield and Jenna Goodrich, picking up the loss, combined for 14 walks and striking out 13. The Yellow Jackets outhit the Bison 11-9 and had four players with two hits led by Kelsey Chisholm’s pair of doubles. Georgia Tech hit six extra-base hits. Both teams stranded 14 base runners. In game two, NDSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Venessa Anderson recorded an RBI single as Bre Beatty then delivered a squeeze bunt to bring home the second run. Anderson scored on an error. Georgia Tech brought the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run by Malea Bell. Bell gave the Jackets a 4-3 lead on a two-run single in the fifth. Georgia Tech added an important insurance run in the sixth on Crosby Huckabay’s RBI single. Stavrou trimmed the lead down to 5-4 on a basesloaded walk in the seventh. Goodrich went the distance in game two and earned the win for Georgia Tech. Walking five and giving up four hits and striking out two. KK Leddy was credited with the loss allowing five hits and two strikeouts.
12
THE SPECTRUM | NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
Track and Field Marches On Bison send partial squad to California Taylor Shloemer Sports Editor
The North Dakota State Bison track and field teams continued to click up the gear at the beginning of the outdoor season. Both the men and women sent squads to the UC Riverside Track Classic. Both came away with good results. The women came out swinging in the heptathlon, placing five in the top 10. Senior Rose Jackson won the event. Jackson came within 16 points of the school
record for the second best in program history. Her final tally of 5,540 points also puts her at No. 1 in the nation in the early parts of the season. Amanda Levin, Macy Denzer, Lexy Boschee and Maea Wall finished fifth through eighth for NDSU. Freshmen Denzer and Wall competed in the event for the first time. The women added six more event wins on day three of the meet. The headlining act came by a one-two finish in the mile. Senior Taylor Janssen paced the field with a time of 4:53.93. Hot on her
heels was sophomore Kayla Huhnerkoch, finishing just three tenths of a second behind her teammate. Senior Morgan Milbrath remained undefeated in the 400m this year. She is now seven for seven with a time of 55.42. Her NDSU teammate Alexis Woods finished second with a time of 55.62. Those two combined again to help the Bison take the 4x400m relay to cap off the meet. Milbarth and Woods were joined by Amy Andrusko and Gabby Grommesh. It was also Andrusko’s second victory of the day.
Andrusko won the 800m. The Bison were able to take a pair of field events, with Lexy Wittmayer winning the high jump and Klara Lyon taking the pole vault title. Lyon and teammate Lauren Gietzen both cleared 12-05.50. Lyon won with fewer misses of the competition. The other big result came in the triple jump. Bailey DeMar finished third with a jump of 38-10.50. It was the longest triple by a Bison woman since 2012 and good for No. 10 in school history. By the end of the meet, the Bison finished second in the team standings.
There were no winners for the Bison men, who sent a partial squad out west. The best results were runner-up finishes, which the Bison had three. Once again, the multievents were the most productive for NDSU. Sophomore Ryan Enerson led six Bison to top-10 finishers in the decathlon. Enerson’s personal best 6,777 points was good enough for second place. The finish is also best in the Summit League this season. Joining him in the top-10 were Matt Neururer, Angus Stoudt, Tony Ukkelberg, Matt Moberg and Ben
Klimpke. Neururer and Moberg also had personal bests. Bringing home a second place for the Bison was Matt Jennings, who ran a personal best 4:16.26 in the mile. NDSU’s Brant Gilbertson finished fourth in the event. Elliot Stone claimed the third second place finish, with a time of 8:33.69 in the 3000m. Both teams will be back in action next weekend at the Stanford Invitational and San Francisco State Distance Carnival.
Opening August 2017!
» Dog Run & Pet Spa » Bike Storage » Fitness/Yoga Studio » Gaming Room/Theatre » Private Rooftop » Parking Garage » In Unit Washer/Dryer
Now Leasing. Contact us at 701.478.4310 or info@luxcommunities.
KNDS 96.3
NDSU Student run + Community radio listen live & online at kndsradio.com Bison sports live shows new music Whyk donate @ n d s Rplasma A d i oat BioLife? You could spend your free
time anywhere, but at our state-of-the-art centers you can relax, take advantage of free WiFi, and receive money all at the same time! Best of all, you’re saving a life.
ALL DONORS RECEIVE UP TO
$70 PER WEEK!
2617 12th AVENUE S • FARGO, ND • 701.232.4426 2960 12th STREET S • MOORHEAD, MN • 218.287.5869 801 E BEATON DRIVE • WEST FARGO, ND • 701.277.1177 SCHEDULE YOUR DONATION AT BIOLIFEPLASMA.COM
$250
DONATE PLASMA
RECEIVE MONEY
SAVE A LIFE
NEW DONORS PRESENT THIS COUPON AND RECEIVE $250 IN JUST FIVE DONATIONS. Must present this coupon prior to the initial donation to receive a total of $50 on your first, a total of $50 on your second, a total of $50 on your third, a total of $50 on your fourth, and a total of $50 on your fifth successful donation. Initial donation must be completed by 3.31.17 and subsequent donations within 30 days. Coupon redeemable only upon completing successful donations. May not be combined with any other offer. Only at participating 67005- 1138 locations.