A&E’S GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL GROCERS IN MINNEAPOLIS PAGE 4
LATE WEEK THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
MNDAILY.COM
COMMUNITIES
STATE GOVT.
UMN alums form PAC to aid funds
For youth program, outreach means heading back home
The Maroon and Gold PAC aims to boost University funding from the Legislature. BY MOHAMED IBRAHIM mibrahim@mndaily.com
In an effort to advocate for the University of Minnesota this upcoming legislative session, some alumni are taking their support to the Capitol. Following years of partially fulfilled capital investment requests by the Legislature, an independent group of alumni, former regents and other individuals formed the “Maroon and Gold” political action committee last month. The PAC hopes to use its members’ connections to improve the University’s chances of seeing its full request allocated. “The fact that a bunch of people got together independent of the University and feel that it’s important we hope will show the importance that individuals feel about the University,” said Ross Levin, University of Minnesota Foundation board member and PAC member. Political action committees are organizations that gather money from contributors and donate the funds in support of specific candidates, causes and legislation that represent their interests. The Maroon and Gold PAC began organizing last year after taking inspiration from a similar organization that advocates for the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the state’s budget process. The PAC plans to contribute to lawmakers and caucuses related to the higher education and capital investment committees, which will work most closely with the University this session. Regent Emeritus Thomas Devine, a member of the group, said the share of higher education funding in the state budget has decreased significantly over the years. As the portion of the University’s budget from the Legislature shrinks, the University’s donor base cannot fill the gap, leading to tuition increases, he said. Devine said the organization hopes to prevent these tuition increases and ensure allocation of sufficient funding to renovate the University’s infrastructure. “We’re hoping that through the effort of what we do in delivering PAC checks, we can help tell that story and have a little bigger impact on what’s going on relative to supporting the University’s overall requests,” Devine said. In terms of infrastructure funding, the University received about $79 million of its $238.5 million capital request in 2018, the most recent bonding year. Last session, a bonding bill failed to pass in the Senate, leaving the University with no state funding for infrastructure. This year, the state received more than $5 billion in total bonding requests. While DFL members on the u See PAC Page 3
SERVING THE UMN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900
Youth Coordinating Board staff member Iqbal Maxamed roams the hallways Patrick Henry High School on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in an effort to connect with students and monitor their well-being. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)
The Youth Coordinating Board spent last summer in CedarRiverside after receiving funding. BY J.D. DUGGAN jduggan@mndaily.com
Abdul Sero grew up in CedarRiverside. He remembers it as a fun neighborhood, all his friends lived nearby. They played soccer or hide-and-seek well into the afternoon until their parents had to call them home for lunch. That was more than a decade ago. Sero spent last summer working with the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board for its first year in the area. The YCB just secured $50,000 for another year in Cedar-Riverside and Seward. The YCB was a chance for Sero to give back to the changing community. He said crime has worsened and the opioid epidemic hit Cedar-Riverside especially hard. “Around my time there wasn’t that. A lot of things were not easily accessible to young kids like us, you know, like drugs, guns
u See YOUTH WORKER Page 4
After success last year, Gophers embrace expectations Minnesota returns a cast of a familiar characters following a historic 2019 season. BY NOLAN O’HARA nohara@mndaily.com
The Gophers softball team is set to return to the field with high expectations, coming off their first-ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series in 2019. Last season, the Gophers proved they could compete with any team in the country, finishing the season with a 46-14 record and closing the year as the No. 8 team in the nation. A loss to Washington put an end to the Gophers’ historic run and with last season in the rear-view mirror, Minnesota is set to embark on its 2020 campaign ready to get after it. “We got back on campus being able to celebrate some of the u See SOFTBALL Page 3
Members of the Gopher softball team celebrate after winning the game against Louisiana State at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on Saturday, May 25, 2019. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily)
RESEARCH
Training on international students ramps up for graduate school staff
New School of Public Health group pushes for more qualitative research Named “Quali-tea,” the group hopes to inspire a more community-based way of taking in data.
The training will teach basics about visas and strategies for work with international students.
International Student and Scholar Services will offer its first training solely for University of Minnesota graduate school program coordinators and other staff later this month. The training on Feb. 25 is aimed at University employees who often work with graduate international students. It is intended to help them gain understanding about the international student population, learning basics about visas and communication strategies. This is the first year that graduate and undergraduate training will take place
basketball with the teenagers and soccer with the younger kids. They’d break up fights and act as “big brothers,” Sero said. Stepping into the neighborhood was “a little weird” at first, Sero said. The young people in the community did not trust the workers. Some thought they were cops or fishing for information. But the outreach team built trust over time by reassuring community members that they were just there to help — and often shared water or Gatorade on hot summer days. “Youth are here” was emblazoned on the group’s bright yellow shirts to draw attention. “Once they started understanding why we’re there and they saw how sincere we were to
SOFTBALL
GRADUATE STUDENTS
BY NIAMH COOMEY ncoomey@mndaily.com
and all the stuff,” Sero said. “But now it’s just [on] your front step. So, it’s scary.” In its first year in the neighborhood, the YCB mainly connected youth to resources, but they also helped homeless adults who needed a hand. LaToya Balogun, director of youth operations with the YCB, said the first year was about getting a “lay of the land.” The workers initially connected with local institutions to reach the youth. The nine-person Cedar-Riverside outreach team built relationships with security at Riverside Plaza to try to get youth off trespassing lists for minor infractions. The team handed out vouchers to young men who may have been intoxicated, which could be redeemed at local businesses for food to sober up. The workers played
A pedestrian walks by the International Student and Scholar Services center on West Bank on Tuesday, Feb. 4. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)
in separate sessions. Training for undergraduate and graduate staff used to be combined, but due to the unique needs of students at different academic levels, they will now be held in two separate sessions, said Beth Isensee, the assistant director for student engagement and intercultural initiatives. The amount of time that graduate students spend at the University, as well as how that experience is structured, is very different from the undergraduate level, Isensee said. ISSS has been hosting similar
training for staff and faculty for more than 20 years, Isensee said. The upcoming training will be at capacity with 36 attendees, and ISSS will likely host another session due to the demand. Through this training, ISSS tries to highlight how staff and faculty can support students through the many restrictions and regulations for students with visas, Isensee said. These rules can impact required credit numbers and work authorization for students, among other things. u See GRAD TRAINING Page 3
BY HANA IKRAMUDDIN hikramuddin@mndaily.com A group of University of Minnesota researchers are creating a group to promote the use of qualitative data in scientific papers. The group, to be called “Qualitea,” is being formed by a handful of lecturers and researchers in the School of Public Health. Members say qualitative data-based research is more accessible and can be more more easily implemented by community leaders. Qualitative data, usually focused on traits and characteristics, has often been used to help scientists generate hypotheses. Quantitative data, on the other hand, is often used to measure exact quantities, specific numbers and data. “Qualitative serves a really unique function,” said Jude Mikal, a member of the group’s leadership committee. “If you come blindly at a particular phenomenon and just start asking
questions, you by virtue of even asking a question are making a qualitative assessment.” This research style can give researchers a better look inside particular instances or patterns, especially within specific communities, Mikal said. A study Mikal recently released looked at how breast cancer patients change their interactions with social media after being diagnosed. Another study covered how refugees engage with the internet and social media. These topics are more likely to require researchers to communicate with their subjects personally as opposed to in a lab or purely from a computer. These interactive questions are best answered through the use of qualitative data, which has historically been missing from health colleges, said Mikal. “The importance of being able to communicate meaningful scientific evidence that is more than just a simple statistic is really important,” said Stuart Grande, a public health lecturer and member of the group. “The purpose of u See QUALITATIVE Page 3 VOLUME 120 ISSUE 36
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
MN DAILY
Daily Review
MNDAILY.COM
CAMPUS EVENTS CALENDAR FRIDAY
Improv Show of Love
SATURDAY
7 - 9 p.m at 10 Church Street, $3 Come out for Minnesota Long-Form Improv’s first year team debut.
SUNDAY
2020 Tê't Show
6 - 9 p.m. at the Carlson Family Stage Celebrate the Vietnamese holiday with “An Ocean Apart” and other live shows.
Oscars Watch Party
NOW PLAYING
5 p.m. at Coffman Theater Watch the awards ceremony with friends (and hors d’oeuvres!)
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Fri. and Sat. at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the Coffman Union Theater; Friday at 8 p.m. at the St. Paul Student Center
Students clash with eco-anxiety UMN students are turning climaterelated anxieties into activism. BY BECCA MOST bmost@mndaily.com Caroline Arkesteyn has always considered climate change a “monster under the bed.” As a master’s student studying environmental policy, Arkesteyn said she learns something worse about the environment every day. And even if it is not something she actively thinks about, climate change is always something that lurks in the back of her mind. The term “eco-anxiety” is relatively new, and it describes a feeling of distress or anxiousness related to environmental change. Eco-anxiety can be hard to measure, but experts are seeing it increase among young people. More than half of American teenagers said they felt scared about climate change, according to a 2019 poll conducted
by the Washington PostKaiser Family Foundation. Kristi White, a clinical health psychologist, said that even though ecoanxiety is not classified as a mental health disorder, she has seen a recent influx of patients who come in suffering from its symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of anxiety and are often characterized by an increased heart rate and a constant state of worry. Climate-related distress can also worsen pre-existing mental health conditions like depression and general anxiety disorder. Although anxiety can be beneficial if it motivates and encourages helpful behavior change, White said climate anxiety can sometimes be so overwhelming it is immobilizing. “The distress people are experiencing around this is not irrational … [it] is an appropriate concern for something that is happening,” she said. “I think sometimes we can [help] people channel that energy and that distress and that concern into
meaningful action.” For Katherine Schmid, co-leading a MN Youth Climate Strike chapter on campus last November helped them channel their eco-anxiety into something productive and meaningful. “I come across students that are like, ‘Well why does this even matter, we’re all going to die anyway’ — stuff like that,” Schmid said. “I can’t let myself think that way because then I would never want to do the work that I’m doing.” Schmid said last year they were so frustrated and anxious about political inaction with climate change they stopped participating in activism all together. “I felt like it was too big of a problem for me to handle, so I just shut down,” they said. “I didn’t deal with it for a while.” After attending last September’s youth climate strike, however, Schmid had a change of perspective. “I think what is really hard about climate
Illustration by Sarah Mai / Minnesota Daily
change … is that people think that you have to take it on alone,” they said. “And it’s not realistic.” With MN Youth Climate Strike, Schmid said they found a sense of community among those who cared about the state of the
BY CAITLIN ANDERSON canderson@mndaily.com
Photo courtesy of Go Gopher Rentals
neighborhood and beyond. “It’s one of the things that I think we’re going to see a lot of citywide,” he said. Go Gopher also recently proposed a similar project at a site of a single-family home in Prospect Park last fall. The project currently proposes four parking spaces, which has concerned some residents, said Marcy-Holmes resident Sam Penders. He said nearby transit can help alleviate
environment and felt the same eco-anxiety they did. “Being in a group of people who support the work that I want to do and who also are ready to do that work has been the most important thing,” Schmid said.
parking issues. “I don’t think parking will be a problem at all,” he said. “[With bus stops nearby,] you can easily get to the Quarry to get groceries … [or] you can take that to class.” In a document sent to MHNA, Go Gopher said fewer parking stalls “will encourage alternative modes of transportation such as busing, car sharing, biking and walking.” When houses like the one on the current site
are inefficient and falling apart, new development puts the land to better use, Fletcher said. “Being able to convert that to a duplex or a triplex and make better use out of it and make more homes for more families especially in a neighborhood so close to transit and biking and walking distance to the U,” he said. “I think that’s a positive development in a lot of cases.” Penders said a newer, denser project has multiple benefits. “There’s also just like such better energy efficiency, and this is also just adding a lot of density to that lot,” he said. “It’s just a overall better use of space” University student Sam Ricker said more housing in the area could help ease a shortage that makes living near campus difficult for students. “When we signed our house in Como, we started [looking] fairly early,” he said. “With other places too, it seems like the culture is that you have to sign your leases early because they fill up so fast.” The developer plans to meet with the neighborhood again on Tuesday to provide more details on the project.
Grad student, MPHA team up to lower eviction rates Weston Merrick is working to help those who seek government aid. BY ERIN ROSE BAKER ebaker@mndaily.com A University of Minnesota graduate student is working with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority to help lower eviction rates within public housing. Weston Merrick, a student in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, is finding solutions to create a more cohesive relationship between the government and citizens seeking services. One of his main focuses includes improving notices for residents about rent payment methods. “It just bothered me that often government was not designed in a way that thinks about the citizens’ experience then so I, from a personal level, you know
[want] to improve the outcomes of folks that also [want] to just see a government that works better and that people like interacting with more is important to me,” Merrick said. He emphasized that low-income citizens interact with the government more frequently than others while participating in assistance programs. If these exchanges are complicated, it can discourage people from seeking government assistance, he said. T h ro u g h s u r v e y i n g renters, Merrick is working on creating a more user friendly letter informing residents of auto withdrawal for rent payments. The new letter was distributed to residents in half of the MPHA highrises, and information is being collected to improve future versions of it. “This design-based process is still pretty uncommon [in] government, so we’re pretty excited to
... learn more about how to bring these techniques to the public sector,” he said. MPHA Director of Research and Analytics Alyssa Erickson spoke of the results that have come from the partnership. “He brings the statistical capabilities, and we can really say this thing that we tried made the difference we expected, or it didn’t,” she said. She emphasized that MPHA tries to maintain housing in every case possible and avoid evictions. MPHA will continue to work on the rent payment letter for the next three months, and Merrick will analyze the results over the summer. Merrick plans to conclude his research in August, Erickson said. Jodi Sandfort, Merrick’s adviser and a Humphrey school professor, said in an email to the Minnesota Daily that Merrick’s research is important to the Minneapolis community.
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Go Gopher Rentals LLC has proposed building denser housing in the area.
four new rental units totaling 20 bedrooms. Each unit would total more than 2,300 square feet with three and a half bathrooms. Plans also include a bike and scooter shelter, and improved landscaping outside the building. Ward 3 City Council member Steve Fletcher, who represents MarcyHolmes and Dinkytown, said he expects more single-family homes to be converted into larger developments throughout the
Vol. 120 No. 36
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OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Cleo Krejci Editor-in-Chief ckrejci@mndaily.com (612)-227-5914 Kyle Stumpf Business Operations Officer kstumpf@mndaily.com (612)-435-5772 Charlie Weaver General Manager gm@mndaily.com (612)-435-5657
New housing could convert single-family home
A single-family home in Marcy-Holmes could be seeing new life as denser rental housing, mirroring a larger trend in campus neighborhoods. Representatives of Go Gopher Rentals, LLC met with the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association last month to present plans for rental units on the site of an existing single-family house at 813 12th Ave. SE. The project is one of a number of developments converting single-family homes into denser housing near the University of Minnesota. “We would like to improve the current site with a new … building that makes good use of the site and fits into the neighborhood,” said Mike Swedahl, a representative for Go Gopher in a letter to MHNA. Swedahl declined further comment. The developers plan to demolish the existing twostory home to construct
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Minneapolis City Council Member Abdi Warsame addresses the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority on Wednesday, Jan. 29. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)
“Weston’s research combines design and behavioral nudges, trying to help address a persistent implementation problem in housing for people with limited means. This work is part of a long tradition at the Humphrey School of engaged scholarship, doing rigorous and relevant studies to bring evidence into use,” she said in the email.
“It just bothered me that often government was not designed in a way that thinks about the citizens’ experience.” WESTON MERRICK Humphrey School student
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Thursday, February 6, 2020
Grad traning u from Page 1
Youth Coordinating Board staff member Iqbal Maxamed speaks to a student during a passing period at Patrick Henry High School on Wednesday, Feb. 5. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)
Youth worker u from Page 1
help them, that’s when they started, you know, being relaxed around us,” Sero said. Before coming to CedarRiverside, the YCB saw success since 2012. Other YCB teams include those in Downtown and North Minneapolis. The team’s work in Cedar-Riverside extended from June until November last year. Ward 2 City Council member and YCB
board member Cam Gordon is optimistic for the group’s future. “I’m hoping they’ll still continue to build relationships and end up getting youths connected to help,” Gordon said. He and Ward 6 Council member Abdi Warsame proposed funding for the program in the city’s 2020 budget. The Cedar-Riverside team’s charge for the upcoming program is to educate elders and youth about what opioid addiction looks like, Balogun said. Balogun, director of
youth operations, said showing kids that people who look like them and come from their neighborhood found a way toward success is an important part of rerouting negative behavior. The nine men in Cedar-Riverside are of East African descent. “I think a big piece of it was to say like, ‘Look, we all make mistakes,’” Balogun said. “But as a community, we can’t ostracize folks, we have to kind of bring them back into the fold.” Sero also founded and currently runs a nonprofit,
the Ten Thousand Lakes Foundation, which aims to provide opportunities to youth in the Twin Cities. His family came from a war-torn country, so he said they experienced a lot at a young age. Now he wants to show the youth from Cedar-Riverside that they can be successful. “I just try to see this opportunity. The opportunity I had,” Sero said. “And I could use this knowledge and help a lot of people. That’s one of my dreams. So yeah, that’s why I try to do these things.”
This staff training is “more needed than ever,” Isensee said, due to national conversations about immigration in recent years. “There’s just a lot of focus on immigration in the national politics, and that makes it very stressful for the students. It can create a really unwelcoming atmosphere,” Isensee said. Changes in the political climate have created more interest among staff to want to better understand some of the challenges international students face, such as the travel ban and changes to unlawful presence, Theresa GanglGhassemlouei, a co-facilitator of the training and assistant director of advising in ISSS, said in an email to the Minnesota Daily. “[Staff] want to know how to support students and what they can do to help them engage, be successful and feel appreciated and an integral part of campus,” she said in an email. It is important for staff
and faculty at the University to practice cultural curiosity, Isensee said, and to listen to the individual stories and experiences of international students. Undergraduate academic advisers also go through training focused on international students, said Claire Hilgeman, senior academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts, in an email to the Minnesota Daily. Annual training sessions often include panels of students who describe their experiences at the University and how advisers can best help them, Hilgeman said in the email. Advisers also get timely updates on international events that could impact international students, Hilgeman said in the email. “What I see from faculty and staff is they really want to support students, and sometimes it’s just they’re not sure how,” Isensee said. “If we can help them in finding ways to better understand the students and to reach out to them, it’s a win for all of us.”
Qualitative u from Page 1
“There are people doing some really cool stuff in this space, and it would be useful to get people together and have more of a unified voice.” STUART GRANDE member of Qualitea
qualitative research isn’t simply just to translate, but it is to communicate very difficult and complex materials in ways that resonate with community members.” In addition to bringing awareness of the values and meaning of qualitative research, the group intends to bring together individuals and teams who may want to put out similar research, but lack resources or mentorship. “There are people doing some really cool stuff in this space, and it would be useful to get people together and have more of a unified voice,” Stuart said. “The more people we get
The Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2019. (Tony Saunders / Minnesota Daily)
PAC Jude Mikal, whose research is examining the relationship between quantitative and qualitative data, poses for a portrait in his office on Tuesday, Feb. 4. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)
together, the louder we can be.” According to the researchers involved, qualitative data also has the added benefit of offering actionbased plans to tackle certain issues. Qualitative data collection can offer researchers the chance to support the
communities they study, often through empowering voices to speak up and encouraging engagement with these issues, said Rebekah Pratt, a member of the group. “We’ve noticed in public health, and in medicine that there has been a preponderance of research in one area,
and we believe that the time is now and the gap is present, for there to be a more expanded scope of of work and to think outside the box, especially with some of our very new problems today,” Stuart said. “The intersection of qualitative and quantitative work can be a solution.”
u from Page 1 are aiming for a “robust” $3.5 billion bonding bill, Senate Republicans would prefer to stay under $1 billion, said committee Vice Chair Rep. Fue Lee, DFLMinneapolis. While Lee said he is a proponent of limiting the influence of outside money in politics, the group represents a worthy effort to advocate for alumni and other University supporters. The PAC met for the
first time Tuesday night and hope to make their first contribution before the session starts next week. Devine said that while the PAC is just getting started, both Republican and DFL lawmakers have been receptive to the organization’s effort. “The fact that we’re delivering it on a nonpartisan basis, meaning we’re not tilting the scale one way or another politically, [and] the fact that we’re spending money on that kind of a basis has also been very favorably received at the Legislature,” he said.
Crime Update: January property crimes down, besides auto theft Minneapolis Police Department sent an advisory or citywide auto theft trends. BY J.D. DUGGAN jduggan@mndaily.com
Most property crimes, like burglary and theft from a motor vehicle, have declined in January 2020 compared to 2019 around the University of Minnesota. Auto thefts have increased slightly compared to January last year, according to Minneapolis Police Department crime statistics. Crime trends Burglaries have declined throughout all University neighborhoods, with the exception of Prospect Park, which remained steady at four incidents. Marcy-Holmes experienced the most burglaries, with six in January, a decrease from 14 this time in 2019. Alternatively, auto thefts have risen slightly throughout the month. Between Cedar-Riverside, Southeast Como, MarcyHolmes and Prospect Park, 18 total auto thefts were reported. Thirteen auto
thefts were reported in those neighborhoods in January 2019. Statistical significance is harder to determine with smaller numbers, but MPD has reported that auto thefts are up throughout Minneapolis in recent months. They issued an advisory late last month about auto thefts trends and prevention. Notable Crimes The University of Minnesota Police Department was dispatched regarding a man who was escorted out of a restricted area of the Carlson School of Management building on Jan. 24, according to a UMPD incident report. The caller stated the suspect placed a knife on the ground prior to entering a restroom. When the officer said he was under arrest, the man said it was hard to be handcuffed because of frostbite on his fingers. The officer noted the man was missing the upper digits of his fingers and appeared to have open sores and blisters. The suspect was sent to the hospital. Officers learned the man had an active warrant in Hennepin County for theft. The suspect was
Illustration by Hailee Schievelbein / Minnesota Daily
already disallowed from Middlebrook Hall and all West Bank buildings for trespassing, effective until August 2020. After the recent incident, he was issued a new trespass warning that expires January of next year. A burglary in Appleby
Hall reportedly occurred between Jan. 16 and 21. A University employee in the Office of Student Affairs reported that the locking mechanism on her door had been broken. The victim’s University-owned laptop, valued at nearly $1,300, was stolen.
The responding officer noted pry marks on the door frame and door. Another door on the same floor exhibited similar pry marks, but was not broken into and no loss was reported. Two burglaries occurred at the 600 10th Avenue Apartments in
Marcy-Holmes near I-35W, according to MPD incident reports. The first incident occurred on Jan. 26 or 27. The second incident reportedly occurred on Jan. 28 or 29. Items were taken from the boiler room, according to the incident report.
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MNDAILY.COM
MN DAILY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
FOOD
BY MEG BISHOP AND FRANKIE CARLSON
Whether you’re looking for live music, or to spend some time outdoors, this weekend in the cities is full of events you won’t want to miss.
FRIDAY:
Battle of the Bands Stop by the basement of Coffman this Friday and check out the best bands and solo artists that the university has to offer! Get the chance to cast your vote for the performers who you want to see move on to the next round of the battle. Come show support for your talented peers in the first preliminary round of this historic competition.
Three local grocery stores worth your time and money These stores offer fresh meats and produce alongside hard-to-find items. BY NORAH KLEVEN nkleven@mndaily.com
If you are fed up with being fed by large corporations, look no further than the Seward and Northeast neighborhoods of Minneapolis. Both neighborhoods are rich with diverse markets and familyowned grocery stores. Here are a few of the standouts. United Noodles When Ramon Tan left the Philippines for Minnesota, he was not sure what the country had in store for him. “My wife used to work for Northwest Airlines,” Tan said. “She said ‘Minnesota is a beautiful state’ [and] brought me here.”
8 p.m. Whole Music Club (located in the basement of Coffman Memorial Union) Free
He has been making the most of his life in the United States ever since. In 1972, Tan opened the United Noodles marketplace. Today it is among the most diverse pan-Asian markets in the Twin Cities. The store boasts a collection of foods, spices and beverages from different countries of the world including Korea, Singapore and Vietnam. And if you get hungry while you are shopping, stop at UniDeli, the in-store ramen shop with prices starting at $7 for a bowl of hot, fresh noodles. Annie Dingle, co-owner of the market with her husband, Eric Fung, said Korean ramen is a best-seller and noted it is difficult to find elsewhere. Other popular goods at United include freshly cut meats and seasonal produce. The store is a well-loved fixture in the Seward community and a place where customers can get lost in the endless possibilities of Asian cuisine. “We have people that come in even on a date night,” Dingle said. Outside of the Twin
SATURDAY:
Winter Fest
United Noodles
Enjoy Loring Park’s winter free for all! Grab some hot cocoa, s’ mores, and a pair of free rental skates from the warming house while you enjoy one of my Minneapolis’ favorite parks. The event will also include music, crafts, face painting, and if you really want to embrace the season’s charm, carriage rides.
Right, current co-owner Anne Fung, left, and former owner Ramon Tan, right, eat ramen from the restaurant located inside of United Noodles on Thursday, Jan. 30. Above, Elizabeth Groshens, a frequent United Noodles customer, says that after returning from a recent trip to Japan, United Noodles offers the ingredients that a store like Cub Foods cannot. (Andy Kosier / Minnesota Daily)
1 - 3 p.m. Loring Park Free
SUNDAY:
Use Your Voice: A Voter Registration Concert Registering to vote just became a lot more fun! Stop by Inbound BrewCo. this Sunday for an evening of live music, great people, and a chance to register to vote in the Primaries. This event is completely bipartisan and is not promoting any party or candidate. Get involved in politics while you kick back to some great performances. All ages welcome! Noon to 6 p.m. Inbound BrewCo. 701 N 5th St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 Free
Sentyrz Market Left, Wendy Cupryna makes kielbasa by hand at the butcher shop inside of Sentyrz Liquor & Supermarket on Friday, Jan. 31. Below, employee of 18 years Mike Vickers, left, and owner Walter Sentyrz, right, sit in the back office of Sentyrz Liquor & Supermarket on Friday, Jan. 31. Sentyrz says that long time employees like Vickers are essential to maintaining the store and its personal feel. (Andy Kosier / Minnesota Daily) Cities, the m a rk e t h a s even gained national attention from the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Sentyrz Market This family-owned grocery store opened its doors in 1923 in the Northeast neighborhood. It originally started as a Polish market, but today, Sentyrz Market has evolved to be a staple of Northeast and is a one-stop shop for produce, fresh meat and alcoholic beverages. It is one of five establishments in the Twin Cities that Walter Sentyrz Jr., the owner of the store, said is permitted to sell alcohol alongside other goods, as the business was grandfathered into having an alcohol permit. “My grandfather … decided that people ought to do two things: they have to work, and they have to eat,” Sentyrz said. “So he bought a grocery store.” The market features an impressive selection of regional beer and aisles of liquor and fine wines.
Little India International Market Little India International Market is an easy drive from campus. Located on Central Avenue, the large store specializes in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi foods and ingredient s. The market is operated by Faheem Khan and his family. They offer quick and easy frozen meals alongside select American eats. Little India is a great place to stock up on beans, fresh vegetables and rice. You can even find bags of rice up to 20 pounds and bags of naan are sold for $7. The market also has inhouse butchers, who serve halal meats, and there is a counter in the back of the store that offers Eastern baked goods.
THEATER
‘MOTH’: University alumni use the stage to process trauma The play will be showing at BryantLake Bowl & Theater Feb. 28 – March 7.
MOTH
Feb. 28 – March 7, 7 p.m. Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis $18 in advance, $20 at the door The show is ages 13+, and there is a suggested content warning for trauma
BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com
On a night out to the theater in the Twin Cities, you will find yourself among Shakespeares, Arthur Millers and Tennessee Williamses. However three University of Minnesota alumni want to present Australian playwright Declan Greene’s two-person play, “MOTH.” Ben Lohrberg and Sophina Saggau, both graduates of the University and Guthrie BFA program, have been each other’s go-to creative collaborators since high school. During their senior year of college, they each produced a Freeplay Project as part of the program, but still found ways to work together. “We got to explore something artistically in a really safe environment. So I think that was the first feeling of like, ‘Oh, we can do this and pull this off,’” Lohrberg said. The two spent some time working on separate projects and plays but eventually felt like they were coming to a standstill. They wanted to do more. So, they talked about starting a theater company. “Some of those projects weren’t what fueled me,” said Saggau, who will act as Claryssa in “MOTH.” “So why am I continuing to expend so much effort on this? So, I was kind of reaching that point a year out
Courtesy of Ben Lohrberg.
of school.” Saggau and Lohrberg took a step back and decided to try their hand at co-producing first. They started searching for the perfect play and eventually landed on “MOTH.” “It’s not like traditional storytelling elements,” Saggau said. “It’s not ‘Death of a Salesman;’ it’s not a lot of the classic stuff we did in our program. But the skills that we got from our program are absolutely going to be used.” The play centers around two friends who are considered outcasts in their high school. After facing a troubling event, their friendship and their lives are changed as they begin to process their trauma. “It’s like if you took somebody’s brain after
It’s like if you took somebody’s brain after they’ve experienced trauma and made that into a play.” BEN LOHRBERG University graduate and “MOTH” co-creator
they’ve experienced trauma and made that into a play,” Lohrberg said. “It’s like the feeling when you’re reliving trauma or when you’re trying to understand it more, and your mind is like, ‘What’s true? What isn’t true?’”
They started an Indiegogo campaign in which they raised $3,760 in 12 days, eventually putting them past their $3,500 goal. They also invited Luke Myers, a fellow graduate of the University of Minnesota and Guthrie’s BFA program, onto the project as Sebastian. Myers often worked with the two in college. “The two of them have helped me figure out what sort of artist I want to be,” Myers said. “We already have a similar vocabulary of working together, and I know they understand where I’m coming from. I feel like I’m in a safe place to jump in and do some crazy and vulnerable stuff together.” The rehearsal process hasn’t officially started, but
the three have spent a lot of time on the phone developing the show and running lines. They use a horizontal leadership structure, where they’re all involved in making artistic decisions. “The show is really about the power of storytelling,” Myers said. “The two of them enact each other’s memories, and you really get to see how hurt they are. Despite that, I’m always looking for the silver lining. It shows how important it is to be there for each other.” Lohrberg, Saggau and Myers want to emphasize that the play comes with a content warning. It deals with traumatic events and the way in which our brains process them. However, they’re hoping audience members can identify with the characters and feel a sense of healing. “It’s the type of play where people will walk away being like, ‘What was that? What stuck with you?’” Saggau said. “I hope that it facilitates conversation or excites enough that people walk away wanting to talk to somebody about it.”
5
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
MN DAILY
MNDAILY.COM
Editorials & Opinions
COLUMN
Fixing campus minimum wage On-campus jobs are the only option for many student workers.
I
Sidney Clarke n 2017, Minneapolis columnist and St. Paul became front-runners among Midwestern cities to adopt a $15 minimum wage. Both cities have implemented a plan to achieve the wage increase by 2024. By state law, minimum wage is $9.86 for large employers and $7.87 for smaller employers. However, considering the cost of living in a metropolis, these rates put many workers thousands of dollars below the poverty line. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter stated the wage hike will impact about 56,000 workers in the cities. However, among those fallen through the cracks and caveats of legal policy are University of Minnesota student workers. The University is a land-grant institution that was parceled out in the 1860s as a result of the Morrill-Land Grant Act. The act displaced many Native American populations and deemed the campus property federally owned. The land-ownership transfer created lasting repercussions for its original inhabitants, the Dakota, and also for its future students. For example, since the University is under federal jurisdiction, campus minimum wage is only legally subject to change by the state, not Minneapolis or St. Paul. At this time, one cannot simply take a few steps off campus, find a job similar to the ones offered on campus and immediately expect to be paid $15 an hour. The current plan is to gradually increase minimum
wage in the cities over the next few years. Right now, the large-business minimum wage in Minneapolis is around $12.25 and heading for $13.25 this summer. By comparison, however, most student jobs run between $10 and $11.75 per hour. In fairness, on-campus jobs offer certain advantages which outside employers do not, but this only reinforces student dependency and the need for higher-paying positions on campus. Transportation options put students at a disadvantage by limiting them to jobs within walking, biking or busing distance. On-campus jobs are also well known for offering flexible hours, compatible with academic obligations, of which other employers might not be as understanding. University fees have been growing at a steady increase over the last decade. According to College Tuition Compare, tuition and fees alone at the U have increased over 119% in the last 10 years. In that same time, the total cost of attendance (which also includes books, housing and living) has grown 68%. Student job compensation is not reflective of these growing costs, which forces students to divert more of their time away from academics. In a recent activity report from the Minnesota Student Association, the committee outlined the details of a meeting held last month to discuss student wages with President Gabel. The discussion was inconclusive, but they have plans to meet again this February. The question about where funding for higher student wages will come from is inevitable, but proponents hope to impress upon University faculty the severity of the issue. Students need the flexibility of on-campus employment to focus on their academic endeavors and compensation that is proportional to their needs.
Sidney Clarke welcomes comments at sclarke@mndaily.com.
COLUMN
Catching xenophobia How the pandemic of a viral disease has led to the spread of discrimination.
L
ast Friday, the Samantha Woodward columnist Trump administration declared a public state of emergency after the coronavirus outbreak spread globally. NBC reported that “at least 21 people are currently under investigation” for potential exposure in Illinois. Twelve cases have been confirmed to have the virus, reported by The New York Times. How our culture has reacted to this epidemic can translate into how some feel about the people affected by it in the first place. This panic, supposedly directed at the virus itself, is being projected onto the population where it first took lives: China. Concern and unease are no excuse for xenophobic attitudes, nor is it anything new when it comes to outbreaks in our country’s history. Last Friday, when a coronavirus public information session was held in New York City, the question arose of whether eating Chinese food was still safe. This attitude of fear and rejection seems to only face minority groups. The coronavirus has been confirmed in 25 countries, yet the focus lay on the population who was infected first. People are afraid of those different than them and use epidemics as an excuse to exhibit their discrimination. In the 1980s, the AIDS epidemic reached its peak, as did discrimination toward gay people. The gay rights movement was already facing widespread discrimination in American society, and with the outbreak of AIDS, people felt that they had more of a reason to withhold rights from the gay community. At the time, fear was growing after AIDS infected and killed 150,000 per year throughout the decade. Gallup reports that 28 percent of Americans avoided spaces where gay
people might frequent in order to avoid contracting AIDS. This number rose to 44 percent in 1986. Discrimination in these times of fear has ranged from outright hatred to hurtful jokes on social media. During the Ebola outbreak of 2013, people poked fun at black people and the fear of contracting the disease. Robin Wright, an American foreign affairs analyst, told the BBC that the disease is “persistently portrayed as … from countries in a part of the world that is racially black, even though nothing medically differentiates the vulnerability of any race to Ebola.” Being fearful and anxious when outbreaks occur is completely understandable. Being cautious of how we live our daily lives and the ways we protect ourselves is to be expected. However, we must not let paranoia and precaution add fuel to the discriminatory fire as we have seen in past epidemics. Although washing your hands, not touching your face and maintaining a healthy diet have the ability to keep you healthy in times of mass health hysteria, resulting to discrimination disguised as caution sets our society back to the time of the Black Plague. As humans, our natural instinct is to secure our own survival. However, disregarding the fact that using misguided information and internal bias play a factor in how we treat others during times of fight or flight makes us no better than a virus without sympathy. We can’t make the same mistakes as our society’s past and let fear encourage discrimination. The discrimination that minority groups have suffered through has gone overlooked in the past as society’s institutional prejudice is perpetrated against those different from us. While this is true, it is crucial to note that specifically in times of mass hysteria, we need to be aware of how we interpret news and apply it to our daily lives. We need to be cognizant of our humanity and find the balance between doing what’s best for ourselves without sacrificing basic respect for others.
Samantha Woodward welcomes comments at swoodward@mndaily.com.
CARTOON
Robert McGrady welcomes comments at rmcgrady@mndaily.com.
Dr. Date,
love is a game, then I’m in search of a tutorial. I’ve been single since the end of my last relationship (go figure) before my freshman year, and since then, I’ve had some personal changes. Now, finally freed from my earlier complications, I’m looking for love. I’ve been trying to be self-motivated to rectify this, downloading apps and swiping (the REAL game of love), but I haven’t had any success. For some reason, I just don’t feel very attached to the connections I make through these services. I think it detracts from my experience, and the others who I converse with, a lot. I just end up regretting a lot of the decisions I make on them. Although I am primarily a gamer, I have a pretty wide range of interests like cooking and exploring different new music. My interests are important to me, and finding someone I’m a bit alike to would be very nice, but I’m not great at approaching people out of the blue. It’s hard to approach someone like that without the fear you’ll bore them in conversation. So I turn to you, the TRUE knowledge of all things love on this campus to ask: Where do I start? How do I begin?
–Gamer for Life
Dear Gamer for Life,
A wise man once told me that all it takes to find love is the right kind of map. Okay, I know, that’s super cliche — but I think
you’re on the right path. You’ve determined that dating apps aren’t for you because of the impersonal connections, so why not try something in-person? You said it yourself, you have a wide range of interests. While I don’t suggest you join a few groups exclusively for the dating scene, going to a couple Hook Club (for new music) or Minnesota Cooking Club meetings could result in becoming part of an actual couple. You’ll already have things in common, so start up a conversation about the topic and see where it goes from there. And if you don’t find true love, you still can build a community of new friends and have fun doing things you already like. Don’t sell yourself short — dating can be a total pain, but remember that most people are also nervous about being boring and dying alone. As long as you’re open to new experiences and won’t be a total jackass if you get turned down, you’ll be alright.
–Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and yet again, I’m not in a committed relationship. But fear not, I’m talking to at least four guys on Tinder, which is the same thing. Each guy seems nice enough, and all of them are super hot, so all of my criteria is met! You’d think guys would all go silent around V-Day (what is it about this time of year that strikes fear of relationships into the hearts of 20-something dudes?), but not this time. Three of the guys have asked me on a date that night! This is only half
humble-bragging — I’m torn on what to do. When you’re on dating apps, everyone kind of knows that you’re not just talking to them, but I don’t want to shoot any of them down. (Like I said, super hot.) They all suggested different things at different times, so I could theoretically go out with each of them that night. I don’t want Valentine’s Day to go to waste — what can I do?
–Ready to Mingle
Dear Ready to Mingle,
Congrats? But even though you have men lined up to go on dates, I guarantee any schedule you create to try and see all of them will backfire. What if one of them wants to “show you their bedroom”? Speeding through sex to meet another guy doesn’t sound like the best idea. Instead, choose one guy (the criteria is up to you) or cut them all loose for the night. You can always reschedule for another day, and it’s not fair to the other person if you’re rushing to get to the next date the entire time. If that doesn’t change your mind, think of the multiple Ubers you’ll have to take — surge pricing, anyone?
SHARE YOUR VIEWS The Minnesota Daily welcomes letters and guest columns from readers. All letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number for verification. The Daily reserves the right to edit all letters for style, space, libel and grammar. Letters to the editor should be no more than 500 words in length. Guest columns should be approximately 350 words. The Daily reserves the right to print any submission as a letter or guest column. Submission does not guarantee publication.
letters@mndaily.com Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board.
–Dr. Date
THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM Dr. Date is a satirical advice column dissecting real-world situations. Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com
6
Sports
UPCOMING
Softball
FEB. 6
u from Page 1
Women’s Basketball
success of the previous season, which was a historic season, a special season,” head coach Jamie Trachsel said. “But at this stage, we’re kind of getting ramped up to get our journey started with this new group and this new team as we accept the challenge of our opportunities in front of us.” Minnesota will open the season ranked No. 8 and will have its first chance to compete on Friday when it takes on North Carolina
at Wisconsin 7 p.m.
FEB. 7
Softball
vs. North Carolina State 1:30 p.m.
Softball
vs. Missouri State 4 p.m.
Women’s Hockey at Bemidji State 6:07 p.m.
MNDAILY.COM State and Missouri State. It may be a new team and a new year, but the Gophers roster will look relatively familiar with a number of returners, including pitcher Amber Fiser, designated player Natalie DenHartog, infielder Hope Brandner and infielder MaKenna Partain, who were all named to the Softball America 2020 top-100 list. The Gophers will, however, be forced to begin the season without Brandner, who hit .354 last season and had a team-high 19 home runs. Brandner has not been medically cleared to play and her status moving
forward is unknown. Fiser, along with making the top-100 list, also made USA Softball’s top50 Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Fiser has 666 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA for her career, and finished with a 1.27 ERA and a 31-9 record last season. The Gophers’ ace fueled the team’s historic run, and her dominance on the mound will be needed during the team’s challenging 2020 schedule. “I have a lot of personal expectations for myself as well, and I know everyone does. Just being able to separate those from the
MN DAILY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
things you can’t control and the things you can control,” Fiser said. Along with their strong returning core, the Gophers have also added six freshman to the roster: Sydney Strelow, Olivia Peterson, Delanie Cox, Kianna Jones, Ava Dueck and Shyann Beddow, as well as a pair of transfers in Brooke Vander Heide and Autumn Pease. Trachsel is pleased with the progress they’ve made throughout practices. “They’re getting better,” she said. “We talked about getting better every day, better by inches, and that being our focus. When you
add up enough of those days you can really see and feel the difference.” With their 2019 season behind them and expectations rising in their upcoming campaign, the Gophers have a new goal: meet them. “Embrace the expectations, and that’s a challenge for the individuals and our team,” Trachsel said. “If you want to be great and you want to be elite, you want to separate yourself from everybody. That’s what comes with being at the top. We welcome the challenges and expectations.”
Men’s Hockey
vs. Michigan State 7 p.m.
Men’s Gymnastics vs. Washington 7 p.m.
FEB. 8
Softball
vs. Missouri 11:30 a.m.
Softball
vs. South Alabama 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball at Penn State 3 p.m.
Women’s Hockey at Bemidji State 3:07 p.m.
Men’s Hockey
vs. Michigan State 5 p.m.
Women’s Gymnastics vs. Iowa 6 p.m.
FEB. 9
Softball
vs. Kentucky 10 a.m.
Wrestling
vs. Penn State 1 p.m.
Source: Gophers Athletics. Times and scores accurate as of time of publication.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Gophers’ Gadiva Hubbard closing in on 1,000 career point milestone
The guard is only 16 points away from hitting the scoring mark. BY BRENDAN O’BRIEN bobrien@mndaily.com When asked how it felt to be close to reaching 1,000 career points, redshirt junior guard Gadiva Hubbard did not give an immediate answer. In fact, before answering, a surprised look fell upon her face. “I am?” Hubbard asked. “Oh, okay! Well now that I know ... I guess this is exciting.” Hubbard played 55 games in her first two seasons at Minnesota before missing all of last season due to a foot injury. She said coming off the injury was challenging for her. She didn’t feel like herself on the court until Minnesota’s win against Arizona State in November. But now, Hubbard is only 16 points shy of the 1,000-point club with seven games left in the regular season. Throughout her career, Hubbard has been known as one of the Gophers’ primary sharpshooters. In her career thus far, she has shot 34.9 percent from 3-point range and has had at least 120 3-point attempts in every season she’s played. This season, Hubbard is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting 35.4 percent from three. Her skills also translate to the defensive end of the floor as she leads the team with 40 steals.
Guard Gadiva Hubbard squares up on defense at Williams Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2. The Gophers won in overtime 73-71. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)
With the milestone on the horizon, Hubbard has fallen into an untimely shooting slump. Against Indiana and Nebraska last week, Hubbard scored only eight points and shot 12.5 percent in those two games combined. She climbed out of the slump Sunday and caught fire in crunch time of the Gophers’ doubleovertime victory against Rutgers as she made three 3-point shots in the fourth quarter and finished with 17 points. But arguably the most important thing Hubbard p ro v i d e s t h e G o p h e r s
is her leadership. After Minnesota’s close win against Nebraska, head coach Lindsay Whalen said Hubbard’s leadership played a key role in encouraging the Gophers when things were not going their way. Whalen also noted how Hubbard has become more of a leader as the season has progressed. “[Gadiva’s] been great. Obviously missing the whole year last year was tough, but all year I think she’s worked herself back to where she’s been someone on the team taking a vocal leadership role,”
Whalen said. “She’s been someone who we’ve been able to rely on during games and practices and off the court as well.” Senior guard Jasmine Brunson echoed similar thoughts about Hubbard. Brunson and Hubbard came to Minnesota at the same time and have been teammates since the 2016-17 season. Brunson is in her final season for the Gophers, but Hubbard has one more year of eligibility left. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hubbard will continue to add to her points total next season for
the Gophers. For Brunson, Hubbard has been a great teammate as well as friend away from basketball. “I love her ... She makes me better,” Brunson said. “She pushes me and more importantly she has my back off the court as well so I just really love having her around.” Hubbard will be the 26th member to reach the 1,000-point mark for Minnesota’s women’s basketball program. The last player to reach the milestone was Destiny Pitts earlier this season in a win against Arizona State.
MEN’S GYMNASTICS
Gophers to host Huskies in “Flashback Friday” meet The meet will use the classic 10-point scoring system in a throwback move.
“Shane [Wiskus], last week, did a 15.100 p-bar set. It was phenomenal, but I guarantee no one went to work next week and talked about it.”
BY AJ CONDON acondon@mndaily.com When the Gophers’ men’s gymnastics team hosts the Washington Huskies on Friday, Feb. 7 at Maturi Pavilion, they will do so hoping to get more casual fans familiar with the sport. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) open-ended scoring system that the men have used since 2006 will be replaced in the arena with the traditional 10.0 scoring that most casual fans are familiar with. While the team will still be judged using the open-ended scoring for official results, the fans in attendance will see the score converted into a 10.0 scale on the scoreboard for a “Flashback Friday.” Head coach Mike Burns enjoys the aspects of FIG open-ended scoring, but thinks that the 10.0 scale will help market their sport and increase their fan base. “Everyone around the world knows what a perfect 10 is. Seeing a perfect 10, that’s something people understand,” Burns said. ”Shane [Wiskus], last week, did a 15.100 p-bar set. It was
MIKE BURNS head coach
The Gophers huddle up during the meet against against the Fighting Illini at the Maturi Pavilion on Friday, Jan. 24. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)
phenomenal, but I guarantee no one went to work next week and talked about it.” Under FIG scoring, instead of judging on an arbitrary 1-10 scale, each routine is judged on both its difficulty and execution. The more difficult the routine is determined to be, the higher scoring potential the routine has. The scores then
combine to give each routine a total score which almost always exceed a score of 10. For reference, Wiskus’ 15.100 was the highest parallel bar score in the NCAA this season. Burns’ reason for using the 10.0 scale is he thinks there’s a disconnect with people’s understanding of the scoring in
men’s gymnastics. “The disconnect has even worked into a lot of the NCAA gymnastics alumni community. Some of the guys I’ve spoken to don’t want to come in because they say they don’t get the scoring,” Burns said. Junior Shane Wiskus was scored in the 10.0 system in his early years of
competition. He thinks that instead of changing the scoring for the fans, they should educate them about their current scoring. “I don’t feel that the current system is that difficult. I’m all for trying anything new that might bring some more people to our meets, but ultimately I think people will be confused by the scoring
regardless,” Wiskus said. “I think more attention needs to be put on educating the people that are at the meets beforehand. [The scoring] is not that hard, it’s just no one ever explains it to people.” With the Gophers doing this trial run, Wiskus is interested to see how the fans react during the meet and also hearing the feedback from those in attendance. “I’m hoping for more engagement [from the fans] and maybe some more information on getting some feedback from the people watching the meet,” Wiskus said. “There have been a lot of conversations about the 10.0 system and now that it’s being put to the test, we really need to listen to people watching the meet and see what they have to say about it.”
7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
MN DAILY
Sports
MNDAILY.COM
Sophomore Omersa energizes Gophers Forward Jarvis Omersa lays up the ball at Williams Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Minnesota defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 75-69. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)
Omersa’s playing time increased by five minutes from the last season. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Jarvis Omersa is tough to miss. The 6-foot-6 sophomore with bleached-blonde hair is easy to spot on the court, either sprinting up the court to catch an alleyoop or cheering on his teammates from the bench. Coaches and teammates often praise Omersa for the energy, enthusiasm and passion he demonstrates representing his home state in maroon and gold. In fact, he even has the word “Minnesota” tattooed prominently across his
back. However, according to Omersa, his decision to play for the Gophers was not an obvious one. “When I first started my recruiting process, I thought I would never play here,” Omersa said. “I came on my visit, I realized I took Minnesota off the table without giving it a chance. Coaches were good, facility was great, we were getting a new facility at the time. The Barn is incredible to be in. From there I was just like, ‘Don’t be stupid.’” Another significant factor in Omersa’s decision was his two AAU teammates, fellow sophomores Daniel Oturu and Gabe Kalscheur. The Howard Pulley stand-outs all committed to Minnesota, creating the Gophers’ young,
productive core. As freshman, Omersa saw limited playing time, but Oturu and Kalscheur made instant impacts. In 2018-19, Oturu averaged 10.8 points and seven rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Kalscheur shot 41 percent from behind the arc and scored 24 points in the team’s first-round victory over Louisville in the NCAA tournament. “I am nothing but happy for them,” Omersa said of Oturu and Kalscheur. “We’d always talk after every game, good or bad, but especially after the good ones. We all live together, and it was nice because we’d talk about the games and I’d be telling them things they didn’t even remember doing.”
CROSSWORD
Last season, Omersa averaged just eight minutes per game, but has seen that figure increase to 13.4 minutes per game in 2019-20. In an early-season game against Utah, Omersa got his first-career start, but that game did not go as planned. Omersa played just five minutes as Utah jumped out to a 16-0 lead, ultimately winning 73-69. To his credit, Omersa bounced back to have the best game as a Gopher nine days later in a 79-56 victory over North Dakota. That evening, he scored 11 points and nine rebounds, both career-highs. “With Jarvis it’s never a doubt about playing hard,” head coach Richard Pitino said after the North Dakota game. “He’s got a high
SUDOKU
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2/6/20
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2020 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
Last issue’s solution
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motor and he plays with great energy. Now it’s about production and filling up the stat sheet.” Since that game, Omersa has not made the same impact statistically, scoring no more than four points in any game, but teammates say he never questions his sophomore’s work ethic and energy. “He’s always a hype man on the bench,” Kalscheur said. “But he also puts in a bunch of effort during practice. He just competes, he’s a competitor. He battles with [Oturu] in practice every single day. They make each other better.” With two senior forwards, Alihan Demir and Michael Hurt, graduating after this season, Omersa will likely continue to play
an integral role in Minnesota’s front court. While the athleticism is evident, there are still a few areas where Omersa must improve before he can start full time. “That’s the whole thing with Jarvis,” Pitino said. “He plays with such energy, it’s now a matter of playing without fouling and getting some more rebounds ... and then, being a threat offensively.” There is, however, one particular area where Omersa excels: dunking the basketball. Throughout his career, he has brought the home crowd to its feet with his high-flying alley-oop finishes. Omersa is not bashful when he says he’d beat any of his teammates in a slam dunk contest.
8
Thursday, February 6, 2020
New UMN sociology course focuses on neighborhood social connections “Sociology of Neighborhoods” explores race and society in housing. BY BROOKE SHEEHY bsheehy@mndaily.com A new course at the University of Minnesota aims to connect students with community members to examine social connections in Minneapolis neighborhoods. “Sociology of Neighborhoods” professor Evan Roberts has students attending community m e e t i n g s a n d c o n d uct ing interviews to discover how local neighborhoods’ perceptions and opinions have evolved over the past 20 years. The class covers three neighborhoods off-campus and focuses on current events, including affordable housing changes, racial covenants and Minneapolis 2040, a plan which sets the region’s growth and development. A key objective of the class is to gain an understanding of each neighborhood’s history and plans for the future, Roberts said. “I’ve had a long interest in urban history, and so I was really lit up at the opportunity to connect my personal interests to teaching about neighborhoods,” Roberts said. Nokomis East, Kingfield and Central are Roberts’ neighborhoods of choice for the semester, with each neighborhood assigned to a group of four to eight students. “I wanted to deliberate-
A street sign denotes the area as a Historic District in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The neighborhood provides housing for a significant number of University students. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)
ly get students away from neighborhoods that they may live in themselves to expose them to other areas of the city which they may never have been to,” Roberts said. The class plans to explore racial covenants, which are residential segregations based on race. They include things like redlining, a practice some banks used to limit or refuse loans and
mortgages to low-income or predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods. “Historically, there have been a lot of racial covenants around Nokomis, some in Kingfield and a few in Central,” Roberts said. “[As a class], we will be looking at how that influences people’s perceptions of their neighborhood, and what they see as issues around diversity.”
Roberts and his Nokomis East team started field work by attending Nokomis East Neighborhood Association’s first board meeting last week. Students Anna Harvatine and Suzy Scotty, who work together on the team, said they have already noticed a lack of accurate representation on NENA’s board. Harvatine said she noticed that for a
neighborhood that has a sizable population of black and Hispanic residents, the NENA’s board did not seem to accurately represent the neighborhood’s demographic. “It’s funny to see how leadership can be so different from the population that lives in a place,” Harvatine said. “I think it’s just important that we raise issues about how neighborhood associations
can be problematic.” Both Harvatine and Scotty said they support Roberts’ choice of neighborhoods because it has encouraged them to explore parts of Minneapolis further away from campus. “It feels cool to kind of be starting up something that hopefully will continue and maybe turn into a greater project,” Scotty said.
Surgeon general releases report on the end of smoking with U professor Report emphasizes quitting smoking is beneficial at any age and ups lifespan. BY NATALIE CIERZAN ncierzan@mndaily.com A University of Minnesota professor contributed to a new federal report that aims to put an end to smoking. The report was re leased by the U.S. surgeon general, the leading spokesperson for public health within the U.S federal government. This was the first report by the surgeon general focusing on smoking cessation in three decades, and it emphasized that quitting is beneficial at any age. A University professor served as an official reviewer of the paper and focused on examining the tools available in the U.S. to stop smoking. “There’s all these different products out on the market, and I think it’s really important for people to know that quitting smoking and pos-
“We need to get a better handle on the type of products that are out there and are being sold to the customers in the U.S.” DOROTHY HATSUKAMI University Professor
sibly all tobacco products is really important for their h e a l t h , ” s a i d D o ro t h y Hatsukami, the reviewer and a University professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Current products like electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches weren’t steadily available three decades ago like they are now. “So much has changed in our knowledge since 1990, and we’re also in the midst of an epidemic from e-cigarette use by our young people. More than ever, we have to be looking at smoking cessation, nicotine addiction cessation,” said Pat McKone, regional senior director of the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. “It’s overdue, actually, in putting this back on the table.” Quitting smoking can add nearly a decade to peoples’ lives, as well as reduce the risk of many different cancers and diseases, the paper found. “[The report makes] a strong case of the importance of smoking cessation at any age,” said Anne Joseph, a professor of medicine and a University tobacco research group member. When the smokers are either elderly or sick, people question whether quitting would make a difference or not, she said. Regardless of the disease or age, quitting smoking early on could affect the risks associated with smoking. “I think for college students, they should know that it’s really important to quit smoking
ILLUSTRATION BY EVA BEREZOVSKY, DAILY
earlier,” Hatsukami said. “Primarily because the shorter time you have for smoking, you have a greater chance of reducing your risk for smoking-related disease to the level of never smokers.” The report also emphasizes system-level intervention, Joseph said, which is different from the individual efficacy
approach. It listed raising the prices of cigarettes or maintaining statewide tobacco control programs as ways to increase smoking cessation. “Part of the objective of the report is to try both to encourage clinicians … patients and healthcare systems to be more active in connecting smokers with evidence-based treatment,” she said.
The report came out alongside statewide tobacco use control efforts, McKone said. “When we talk about policy, like raising the price of tobacco, adopting smoke-free policies, having comprehensive programs — all of those b e c o m e e n v i ro n m e n t s where choosing health becomes easier than choosing tobacco,” she said. Right now, little data
exists to show whether electronic cigarettes aid in smoking cessation or not, Hatsukami said. It’s difficult to conduct clinical trials to find out. “We need to get a better handle on the type of products that are out there and are being sold to the customers in the U.S.,” she said. “I think that in the future that may be possible.”