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Monday, October 14, 2019 Vol. 120 No. 13

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865

1964 Martin Luther King, Jr. wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

Inquiry impacts class climate Professors consider how to discuss the impeachment inquiry in classes. BY JASMINE SNOW jsnow@mndaily.com

As classes begin to tackle conversations on impeachment, professors are w e i g h i n g h o w b e s t to incorporate current events into lesson plans. In light of the recent impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump launched by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, political science professors at the University of Minnesota are bracing for the impact these events will have on classroom climate. All students should have a chance to voice their opinion in the classroom, said Paul Goren, chair of the political science department at the University. Goren teaches a class on public opinion and polling. He said conservative students may feel uncomfortable giving their input in the more left-leaning environment that upper-level political science classrooms have to offer.

“[Conservative students] already know they’re kind of outnumbered numerically by their peers in class,” Goren said, “And so you need a strong individual. ... People who are numerical minorities often don’t speak up.” Goren takes a more clinical approach to his discussions, which he said helps keep partisanship out of his classroom. “We don’t get these passionate debates in class that might be interesting,” Goren said. “I try to focus a little more on kind of the science part more than the politics part. [It’s not] conservative versus liberal or Democrat or Republican. But instead ... we learn about whether voters make good decisions or bad decisions or are voters smart or are voters fools.” Political science professor Christopher Federico, who teaches a class focused on racial attitudes and party identification, tries to create a similar environment despite the more left-leaning environment in his upperlevel classrooms. “I try … [to] make it as clinical as possible,” he said. “It’s not an exercise in just talking about what I think is right or what anyone else thinks is right politically.

BY JIANG LI jli2@mndaily.com

Though the temperature plunged to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, about 60 University of Minnesota community members filled Urban Growler Brewing Company in St. Paul on Friday for the launch of a new University alumni network for LGBTQ individuals. The Pride Alumni Network, hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life and Pride at Work University of Minnesota, aims to create opportunities for LGBTQ students to maintain meaningful connections with the University and one another, said Saby Labor, director of Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life. During the event, which was held on National Coming Out Day, speakers discussed the history

of the LGBTQ community in Minnesota and the importance of maintaining it by establishing networks. Attendees gathered by round tables decorated with maroon and gold trinkets, sharing thoughts and enjoying appetizers. Steve Davis, the University Alumni Association’s director of affinity engagement, collaborated with other affinity networks to hold the event. “I am really excited [about] building that connection for the [LGBTQ] community because it is something that I feel like it is a good establishment to build and create a relationship with the students,” Davis said. Minneapolis and St. Paul were among the first cities to provide certain protections for LGBTQ individuals. In 1975, Minneapolis passed an ordinance preventing discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, making it the first city in the country to do so. C la ss of 1977 al um nus and LGBTQ advocate

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY

It’s a rundown of what empirical research says about what people believe about certain things.” But Federico sees an opportunity in the impeachment have a relevant conversation on politics and identity with students. “[The impeachment is] going to be an opportunity,” Federico said. “Party, race, religion and ideology — that’s going to make how we deal with impeachment

much more fraught and, perhaps, much more hostile than it was even during Watergate,” Michael Minta, a political science professor who teaches classes on congressional politics and advocacy, offers a different approach than Goren and Fedrico. He encourages more opinionated discussions and student input. “I let the students know to feel free to articulate

their concerns and views but that’s difficult,” Minta said. “I think students, from what I’ve been told in the past … are afraid [of] how they’re going to be viewed by their peers. I’m sure there are people … that are probably Republicans or against the impeachment. … They’re not going to say it in the classroom. No matter how much I tell students it’s OK, ... they’re not going to do it.”

Charlie Rounds was one of the speakers during the event. He said he attended the event with his husband Mark Hiemenz, who is also a University graduate. “The University is one of the leading universities on LGBT issues and yet we don’t have a very good LGBT alumni presence. So, tonight we want to change that,” Rounds said. Rounds said the event was only the beginning, and he expects the Pride Alumni Network to grow. Alumna Andrea Jenkins, vice president of the Minneapolis City Council and University adviser, said it was interesting to learn about how various alumni and different communities within the University are coming together to build a network. “I think it is really positive and poignant that today is National Coming Out Day, so to host this event on this day I think is really powerful,” Jenkins said. “You know, we always have to keep in mind equity, no matter what space we are in and how that’s

BY FARRAH MINA fmina@mndaily.com

B e f o r e m o v i n g f ro m India to the United States, University of Minnesota student Isha Mody said her biggest concern was class registration. Mody, like the majority of international students, attended one of the last freshman orientation groups in August. When she browsed classes on Schedule Builder in late July, prior to her arrival in Minnesota, Mody said she panicked. She thought she was not going to get an y of t h e c l as s es she wanted because, by that time, several classes were

already at full capacity. This issue has appeared in student satisfaction surveys, said Beth Lingren Clark, associate vice provost for strategic enrollment initiatives. After attending orientation, students fill out an orientation evaluation which asks if they are satisfied with the course schedule they end up with. Past survey results indicated that international students had lower satisfaction with the registration process compared with other students, Clark said. The highest satisfaction ratings came from students who attended June registration groups. “I understand the ine q u i t y a ro u n d a c c e s s , ” C l a rk s a i d . “ . . . W e ’ v e been working with [International Student and Scholar Services]

to think about ways to explore that registration satisfaction process.” Staff at ISSS and the Office of Undergraduate Education are discussing conducting listening sessions this semester to gain more insight about international student experiences. “We are discussing using the information from surveys to further explore student experiences and what strategies we could use to make improvements,” a statement from ISSS read. Though some departments hold seats and release them throughout the summer, some students in later orientation groups still struggle to find open seats in their desired classes. Mody, who is a firstyear psychology major,

EDITORIAL BOARD Ariana Wilson Editorials & Opinions Editor awilson@mndaily.com BUSINESS Jacob Kenyon Sales Manager jkenyon@mndaily.com Tiffany Welty Assistant Sales Manager twelty@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com Chelsea Goetz Creative Director cgoetz@mndaily.com =

Cathy Berlin talks to other University alumni at the Urban Growler Brewing Company for the Pride Alumni Network Launch on Friday, Oct. 11. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

being demonstrated with our actions.” Davis said as the network moves forward, they will try to be vigilant about creating a sustainability plan for the alumni networks. Music education senior Haruka Yukioka, the outreach manager of the Queer Student Cultural Center, said it’s important for current students and student groups to draw on the experiences and talents of alumni and to

remember that they are not alone. “It is a great step for queer [University] connected folks. Students now know that there is somewhere to go for support,” Yukioka said. “Alumni know that there are folks they can talk to to share their experiences. This is a great initiative.” Editor’s note: Haruka Yukioka serves as a student director on the Minnesota Daily’s Board of Directors.

Class registration is difficult for late orientation groups Students attending August orientation struggle to get seats in classes.

EDITORIAL STAFF Max Chao Managing Editor mchao@mndaily.com Desmond Kamas Managing Production Editor dkamas@mndaily.com Michelle Griffith Campus Activities Editor mgriffith@mndaily.com Katrina Pross Campus Administration Editor kpross@mndaily.com Madeline Deninger City Editor mdeninger@mndaily.com Audrey Kennedy Features & Freelance Editor akennedy@mndaily.com Paul Hodowanic Sports Editor phodowanic@mndaily.com Nick Jungheim Assistant Sports Editor njungheim@mndaily.com Liv Martin A&E Editor omartin@mndaily.com Jack Rodgers Multimedia Editor jrodgers@mndaily.com Emily Martens Copy Desk Chief emartens@mndaily.com Cate Tynjala Assistant Copy Desk Chief ctynjala@mndaily.com Creston Halstead Chief Page Designer chalstead@mndaily.com Morgan La Casse Visuals Editor mlacasse@mndaily.com =

U launches new LGBTQ alumni network The network aims to create opportunities for students to connect.

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

had been eyeing a microeconomics course last summer, which quickly filled up. This was a particular source of stress for her, as she had been considering adding a second major in economics. “I was so stressed about it,” Mody said. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to get any of the classes I want.’” Like Mody, international student Yara Ghazal also registered for classes in August and struggled as a result. Though Ghazal prefers in-person classes, her schedule includes an online class and a hybrid one that meets in person once a week. “[The online class] is a required course to be able to declare my major in the spring, so I had to complete it,” Ghazal said. Ghazal, who describes

herself as a planner, said she had already put together her schedule prior to attending orientation. She said her current schedule looks completely different than what she had planned because of the traffic on classes. When it came to smaller classes like honors and freshman seminars, Ghazal and Mody said it was especially difficult to find open spots within the 15 to 20 seats available per seminar. The seminars that interested them were already filled by the time they got to register. “There were a lot of other things that were stressful, but the main thing I was stressed about was I’m coming here for education. If I don’t get the classes I want, then what am I going to do?” Mody said.

Correction: A previous version of “Medical School switches to a new ‘house’ system” incorrectly stated that the new house system is only for third-year medical students. It is for all medical students. The Minnesota Daily strives for complete accuracy and corrects its errors immediately. Corrections and clarifications will always be printed in this space. If you believe the Daily has printed a factual error, please call the readers’ representative at (612) 627–4070, extension 3057, or email errors@mndaily.com immediately. The Minnesota Daily is a legally independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is a student-written and student-managed newspaper for the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. The Daily’s mission is: 1) to provide coverage of news and events affecting the University community; 2) to provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas for the University community; 3) to provide educational training and experience to University students in all areas of newspaper operations; and 4) to operate a fiscally responsible organization to ensure its ability to serve the University in the future. The Daily is a member of the Minnesota News Council, the Minnesota Associated Press, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Minnesota Newspaper Association and other organizations. The Daily is published Monday and Thursday during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and it is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 10,000 issues biweekly. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.