Statesman November 14, 2012

Page 1

Bulldogs to Playoffs UMD football, volleyball teams head to postseason

Men across the globe grow facial hair for charity B5

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The attorney for Rod Raymond has released an “open letter to the UMD community� comparing Raymond to the victims of the 1920 lynching of three black men in Duluth, asking people to stop assigning blame before things get out of control. In 2009 Raymond, currently UMD’s Fitness and Wellness coordinator, was investigated for sexual harassment after complaints from two students were brought forward. The investigation, handled through the university, was settled and Raymond was kept on staff in spite of recommendations from the investigator that he be fired. It has been confirmed that he is again being investigated, but the details will not be released until the university reaches a verdict. Raymond’s attorney Lindsay Jones writes that it is important for a community to remain fair and objective, saying that Ray-

mond’s treatment is a “miscarriage of justice.� He recalls the historical hanging of three black men as an example. In 1920, what is now known as the 1920 Duluth lynching, three African-American men were accused of raping a teenage girl. Before a trial could be appointed, rumors of this rape got out of hand, and the three men were publicly hung from a lamppost on First Street in Duluth. “I share this story with the UMD community to ask you to pause in your judgment, to cease in the mob calls to lynch Mr. Raymond,� Jones wrote. He also wants people “to remember the importance of allowing for due process, and to be open minded and patient, until both sides of the full story have an opportunity to be heard, so that the conflicting accounts can be fairly weighed and measured.� Jones also goes on to attest to Raymond’s two decades of service at UMD, saying he helped create one of the best physical fitness and well-being programs in the country.

“Mr. Raymond is a graduate of UMD whose own personal and professional achievements demonstrate the pursuit of excellence,� Jones wrote in the statement. “This was Rodney Raymond before his good name and reputation was dragged through the mud.� According to his personal website, Jones received his B.A. from UMD in 1988 and later studied law at the University of Minnesota Law School. He also worked at the St. Louis County Attorney’s office in Duluth. He is currently associate director for the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution and adjunct professor of law at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta where he is also an attorney for Cook, Hall & Lampros, LLP law firm. Jones has made a career of defending individuals in civil rights, personal injury, consumer, employment, and wrongful death cases. You can read the entirety of Jones’ letter at www.umdstatesman.com.

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COURTESY OF THE DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE/ SUBMITTED

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Students have one more option for student housing BY SHANNON KINLEY kinle005@d.umn.edu

SUBMITTED BY BLUESTONE LOFTS

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Minnesota made history this election by becoming the first state to reject a marriage amendment. “No other state has done what we just did,� said Josh Winters, the executive director of Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG). “We did the impossible. We beat it. It’s just incredible. It really speaks to the kind of state we live in.� The defeat of the amendment that would have defined marriage as only being between one man and one woman was passed and added into 30 other state constitutions, making Minnesota the first state to break the trend. The final count of the ballots showed 51 percent of Minnesotans voted against the amendment, while on college campuses the percentage was much higher. On average, colleges across the state voted 79 percent in opposition to the amendment. Specifically on the UMD campus, 76.3 percent of students that cast their ballot on campus in precinct 10 voted “no� on the marriage amendment. Winters said that the high numbers are reflective of this generation, in that it doesn’t view gay marriage the same as older generations. “This younger generation looks at gay marriage very differently because they are connected, they know people who are out, they

have loved ones that are out,� Winters said. “Previous generations weren’t as connected.� Because the race to define marriage was so tense, claiming to be statistical dead-heat just days before Minnesotans cast their votes, the high turnout on campuses election night was a key factor in the defeat. “It’s wonderful to see how influential the youth really are,� said Mariana Glitsos, a junior at UMD who is also the vice chair of the state board of directors for MPIRG. “We really do care about where our state and our country is going.� Glitsos described election night as a “huge relief � and smiled as she recalled the moment she heard that the marriage amendment had been defeated. “I have never felt such an overwhelming emotion,� said Glitsos. She also added she thought it was sad to be in a position of defending rights of friends and family in the first place. Winters echoed this feeling, saying that tears of joy were definitely shed over the results that night. Even students not involved with MPIRG felt buoyant after the hearing the amendment was defeated. Mikayla Schwartz, a junior at UMD from St. Francis, Minn., thought this year’s election was “interesting,� and said she was nervous voting for her first. see AMENDMENT, A3

option similar to Campus Park and Boulder Ridge in that it offers off-campus student housing with many amenities, but it is different in the fact that retail and restaurants will also be brought into the mix. “We offer about 12 different options depending on what you like,� said Director of Leasing for BlueStone Lofts Emily Lewis.

This fall students will be able to live, shop, hang out, tan and work out all under the same roof, and still be able to walk to campus. Construction of BlueStone Lofts, which will include student housing and retail opportunities, is currently underway at the old Woodland Middle School site. BlueStone Lofts will be an

see HOUSING, A3

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In our tech-abundant age, there is no shortage of distractions to keep us from the tasks at hand, and if not handled responsibly this constant flow of communication can come at a costly price. In 2009, a study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed 5,474 deaths, as well as an additional 448,000 injuries, occurred on U.S roadways as a direct result of distracted driving that year. Distracted driving, according to the NHTSA, is considered to be more than just talking on the phone. A variety of factors can keep a driver from looking at the road, including: GPS navigation systems, radios or MP3 players, and the most widely recognized, and perhaps deadliest, distraction of them all – texting. According to the NHTSA’s website, “because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.� Edward Downs, professor in UMD’s Department of Communication, has studied the effects that these distractions can have on people trying to operate a vehicle. Downs said the ways in which the human brain processes information can be broken down into three resources: cognitive, percep-

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tual, and motor. These resources allow us to store information, receive information, and move our bodies. All three resources are

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required to perform tasks, such as driving a car. see DISTRACTED DRIVING, A3

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Statesman November 14, 2012 by The UMD Statesman - Issuu