A tour of the new BlueStone Flat, A3
THE STATESMAN
WWW.UMDSTATESMAN.COM
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2014
There’s an app for that Two apps, RoverTown and Yik Yak, are circulating UMD students’ phones, one focused on saving money, the other on anonymous, locative posting BY MAKAILA MILLER Staff Reporter
An app that allows people to make anonymous comments is sweeping through UMD. Yik Yak is a free, anonymous social networking app for people ages 17 and up that is gaining popularity among colleges around the country. The app provides users with a live feed of what is going on around them while keeping their identity unknown. Yik Yak users are grouped into areas called communities, which is based on their phone’s GPS location. Anyone in that community can see or create posts, which are limited to 200 characters and referred to as Yaks. Yaks range from jokes and quotes to comments about what people are doing or thinking that apply to the location or the college people are in. Users can reply to and share Yaks, as well as “up-vote” or “down-vote” the Yaks depending on what they like or dislike. For many, the appeal of this new app lies in the anonymity it provides. On some social media sites people might feel the need to put on
a face, but being able to post anonymously allows users to not worry about what others think of their posts. Though people can judge a post by up- or down-voting it, they cannot judge the person who posted it. To UMD sophomore Gabby Novoa, who has had Yik Yak for a month, Yik Yak’s popularity stems from the fact that people enjoy knowing what others are doing. UMD junior Becca Tahmooresi finds Yik Yak to be an entertaining way for college see YIK YAK, A3
BY AISLING DOHENY Staff Reporter
These days, smart phones play an important role in life. Smart phones can connect you with those around you, tell you the latest news, and even save you money. A new app on the market called RoverTown has come to Duluth. RoverTown is free and local. The app connects with universities around the country and offers relevant discounts at popular businesses. Students who install the app only need to connect through Facebook
Cramming for failure
to see offered discounts in their neighboring area. Duluth shops such as Domino’s Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Vertical Endeavors and Baja Tanning are among those that feature discounts on RoverTown. RoverTown is a paperless coupon book. The company coins the phrase, “all of your local student discounts, always in your pocket,” on its website. UMD Junior Rachel Cook says that RoverTown seems like a great way to see local discounts. “There are many other ways out there to find discounts,” Cook said, “but it’s cool that RoverTown gives you access to deals at anywhere and anytime.” The app supports Android and Apple iOS operating systems. Once the app is installed on a device, one only needs to hit the “redeem” button at the time of payment to receive the discount. The discounts are only valid if redeemed in person. It is also recommended you have a student ID. Unless a business or discount indicates it in fine print, students can use their RoverTown student see ROVERTOWN, A4
BlueStone development continues
Flats will include oneand two-person living units and an indoor pool BY AISLING DOHENY Staff Reporter
Students study in Kirby Lounge. Because students have so many obligations, they often resort to cramming before tests. However, it may be more effective to study on a day-to-day basis. SARAH STAUNER/STATESMAN
The age-old practice does not work in the long-term BY MAKAILA MILLER Staff Reporter
You have an exam in a week. Add a job, time to spend with actual friends and not just books, 15 credits worth of classes and (of course) Netflix, and now you have to cram. Due to busy schedules or feeling pressure to receive a good grade instead of a good understanding of a subject, many students resort to the method of cramming for exams. As a result, students simply gain a short-term recognition INDEX:
of the information but are incapable of actually recalling or understanding the information in the long-term. Frank Gulbrandsen, a professor in the education department at UMD, maintains that many students have numerous obligations and interests besides the subject they should be investing their time in. Because of this, studying and learning shifts from becoming something students want to do to something they have to do. “Students will take on the mindset of ‘there’s a test coming up, so I need
to know it for the 50 minutes I take the test,’” Gulbrandsen said. “In this process, students are motivated by what should be the secondary reinforcer — the grade — instead of the primary reinforcer: knowledge.” By cramming several chapters of notes into four hours of studying, students often assume they have learned the information because it’s fresh in their mind. However, after a week or two, they will notice they have forgotten. see CRAMMING, A3
News: A1 - A4 | Sports: B1 - B2 | Student Life: B3 - B5 | Opinion: B6
BlueStone Commons Expansion to Include Flats and New Restaurants and Shops Construction is in the air. Just a year after the BlueStone Lofts on Woodland Avenue were completed, architects and owners are adding to the development. BlueStone Commons has seen many changes in the last year, including new living spaces and a marketplace. Now, this area can expect many more additions in the years to come. The BlueStone Commons renovation began in 2012 when discussions about building a residential area close to campus were brought to life. Mark Lambert, the fundamental developer of BlueStone Commons, said he saw this project as something big. “I saw it as a great opportunity to build something fun,” Lambert said. “But most importantly, I saw this as something the Duluth community needed.” The BlueStone Commons project exists in three phases. Phase one is the finished living space that we see today — the lofts where UMD students and Duluth residents alike live. Phase two is the addition of another living area — BlueStone Flats. see BLUESTONE, A3