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Thursday, October 31, 2019 PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT CULTURAL CENTER
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costumes. She remembers seeing people around her dressed as kung fu fighters or wearing kimonos on Halloween. Wearing cultural and traditional clothing as Halloween costumes is disrespectful,
Yang said. “It’s just a costume you put on for a day, and it’s like nothing,” she said. “You’re just wearing it to wear it. It’s affecting us. You’re not representing us. You don’t support minorities or those that are marginalized at all. They’re just wearing it because they can.” The representations take
away from the significance of a culture or tradition by turning it into a consumable product, Mattson said. “They don’t really think of [non-European cultures] as true cultures or human beings. They think of it as something that’s just very performative.” The AISCC board said by giving people the possibility to be intentional about
Halloween ahead of time, they hope people will reconsider wearing cultural clothing as a costume. “There are peoples that actually do subscribe to this culture, and it’s disrespectful [to appropriate it] and leads to more negative stereotypes and judgements against that community,” the board said.
UMN research prompts discussion on opioid crisis The program aims to collect 10,000 more survey responses throughout the state.
ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY
BY NATALIE CIERZAN ncierzan@mndaily.com
A University of Minnesota research program is looking to increase discussion about the opioid epidemic in underrepresented communities throughout Minnesota. The program aims to reduce stigma around the opioid crisis, especially in communities of color, according to the research report. After communities participated in opioid surveys, researchers then presented their data back to the communities. Now they’re aiming to collect 10,000 more survey responses from additional communities in Minnesota. “We’re doing [this] because we think that it’s degrading to have stigma around opioids and that further disadvantages people in communities of color who are hoping to address and overcome the challenges of opioids,” said Karen Monsen, a researcher and professor at the University’s School of Nursing. Researchers want to instead focus on the strengths in these communities, she said. The program began with outreach to 13 different communities around Minnesota to try to get a sense of what was happening, Monsen said. From presentations to focus groups, they found a common theme — adverse feelings toward opioid use. Communities have seen the dangers of opioids, and they’re looking for alternative solutions, Monsen said. Different communities heard about the program and wanted to be involved, said Robin Austin, a researcher and assistant professor in the University’s
MSA School of Nursing. “A lot of times we were there just to listen,” she said. Community partners from Hue-MAN Partnership, Parents in Community Action, the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council and Minnesota Head Start Association connected communities to the research program. “Knowing the history of how other epidemics have been described for our communities, we decided we needed to have our own narrative,” said Clarence Jones, the community engagement liaison for Hue-MAN. For many communities of color, opioid issues are often considered normal, he said. They don’t realize they’re apart of the epidemic. “In our community we don’t talk about opioids, we talk about heroin and OxyContin,” Jones said. The MyStrengths MyHealth application involved in this program was created to keep the terminology simple and accessible to the general public, Monsen said. “This was prevalent on both sides. The medical field didn’t describe it for us, and we didn’t describe it
like that,” Jones said. Many people are impacted by the epidemic and they don’t even know, he said. “People go to the doctor, they get these pills and pretty soon they become addicted,” Jones said. “...So when they can’t get those pills, then they go to other drugs.” Another problem they’re trying to change is the history of distrust between the University and communities of color, he said. University researchers were good partners on this project and involved communities in every aspect of it like they should, Jones said. “What we realized is that the conversation about opioids wasn’t being had in our community because we weren’t being included in the conversation,” said Samuel Simmons, a member of Hue-MAN. “How do you have a conversation with a community that hasn’t been included?” Communities of color often remembered the mistreatment and lack of compassion they received during the crack epidemic, he said. “There were times
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where professionals would say, ‘Why do they keep bringing that up?’” Simmons said. “Because it still has an effect on the community to this day.” However, these surveys are helping start conversations, he said. “We can talk about disparities, which we often do, but sometimes that disparity is actually even made larger for the lack of conversation. A lack of being a part of the conversation. And a lack of effort on the part of the individuals who have the information,” Simmons said. Communities are learning what to look for, he said. “Building on a relationship we already had with the University made it easier,” Simmons said.
“Knowing the history of how other epidemics have been described for our communities, we decided we needed to have our own narrative,” CLARENCE JONES Liaison for Hue-MAN
BY BROOKE SHEEHY bsheehy@mndaily.com
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stimulant for change.” The City presented the project in September at the sixth annual Trans Equity Summit in Minneapolis. To preserve the project’s materials, city officials also reached out to the University’s Tretter Collection, the largest archive of LGBTQspecific historical materials in the Midwest. Discussions led to an agreement between the city and the University to house and preserve the project while making it available to researchers and the public. Tretter Collection curator Rachel Mattson said transgender and nonbinary stories
in the past were often told by individuals who aren’t part of that community, and in some cases in exploitative and dehumanizing ways. Oral histories like the Stonewall project attempt to remedy that and emphasize the importance of transgender and nonbinary stories being told in their own voices, she said. “We’ve really only gotten a very narrow view on that history, and I think there’s so much more work to be done in that area,” Mattson said. “We’re really excited to be able to help preserve those stories and make those stories, or a few of them at least, available to the wider public.” The Stonewall project joins the Tretter’s own Transgender Oral History Project,
which is currently in its second phase. Ward 8 City Council member and City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins conducted almost 200 interviews for the first phase of the project between 2015 and 2018. Jenkins, the first black transgender woman to be elected to public office in the U.S., said providing the public with more resources to learn about the transgender and nonbinary community amplifies its voice. “The more we can bring attention to these issues, and awareness and compassion and empathy to this community, the more likely it is that people can live healthy and fruitful and successful lives,” Jenkins said.
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resignation of six high-ranking MSA members since July 2019. Some members discussed the possibility of student body president Mina Kian’s resignation. “MSA is meant to be a check and balance in favor of students … so that if they have ideas on how to make the campus around them better, they have space to go to. When MSA is not functioning, it’s a disservice to students because they can’t enact their vision for our campus,” said former MSA representative Austin Berger, who resigned Oct. 22. Berger called for Kian’s resignation during the closed session. “People are afraid of retaliation. There is a culture of a fear to speak up,” Berger said at the session. “I think we need someone to just say it like it is.” Kian declined to comment for this story. “Organizational culture is extremely important and I am more than open to hearing feedback and collaboratively finding solutions that provide better support for student leaders and stronger pathways to advocacy,” Vice President Jael Kerandi said in a statement. When voting to have the closed session, some
members of the forum proposed an action to remove the Minnesota Daily from the meeting. It did not pass. The general direction of MSA’s current advocacy priorities is a common concern among some who have resigned. “MSA obviously isn’t the real government, but we still have the ability to effect change on campus. We have relationships with administrators, our voice matters, we were elected to do this,” former Ranking At-Large Representative Andrew Knuppel said. Some student groups are unwilling to work with MSA on advocacy project because of MSA’s internal culture, said former MSA Communications Director James Farnsworth. Addison Scufsa, current MSA student group representative for UMN College Republicans, said most conservative groups aren’t interested in having representatives in a student government, and that this year’s leadership has not addressed issues the groups have been having. “At the end of the day, when there is organizational conflict, [it] really impedes the ability of the officers of the organization, or any member of the organization, to do the work that needs to be done on behalf of students,” Farnsworth said.
LIV TRU Nutrition opens in Stadium Village The smoothie shop’s owner hopes it will draw in students looking to study.
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the Trans Advisory and Action Team, also presented. Karmen McQuitty, a senior staff attorney in SLS, organized the event and spoke on the panel as well. During the panel, McQuitty addressed legal questions that had come up during the process of drafting the policy. As the policy was being drafted, there was a concern that it would infringe on First Amendment rights to require the use of preferred names or pronouns. This is not the case, McQuitty said, and much of the University community has been supportive of the policy. “I think the U community is very supportive, it’s kind of outside media who might not really know, but I don’t think there’s been a lot of backlash in general,” she said. The part of the policy that included punishment for discrimination was removed after it raised concerns during the consultation process. Noelle Noonan, chair of the Professional and Administrative Senate, echoed a sentiment that was emphasized in the panel, that the University is a leader when it comes to this specific policy. “We want to be supportive of … being on the front edge of this, so that we can, if we take this step and take it well, we can encourage other universi-
ties, other systems across the country to do the same,” Noonan said. Rita Richardson, an academic adviser in the College of Education and Human Development, said she went to the event to learn more about policies at the University. “As a new employee, I feel it’s really important to be more involved in some of this policy work. I’m very intrigued and this is a hugely important topic to me,” Richardson said. Tasia Tigue, associate director of advising and degree progress in CEHD, said she values being educated about policies on campus so that she can better help to prepare students. “I do think it’s important that we understand policies that are on campus,” she said. “As advisers we are interacting with students on a regular basis so the more we know the better armed we can be to prepare them for any difficult conversations they might have on or off campus.” Tigue said she is pleased to see the work that has been done to be inclusive when it comes to gender expression and identity at the University. “[I’m] proud to hear that we’re trying to be leaders with this specific policy, but also, you know, I’m proud that it’s becoming part of our regular professional practice here to share pronouns and to be inclusive with our facilities and our buildings and our events,” Tigue said.
A new nutrition company recently opened in Stadium Village where Mesa Pizza’s second location previously stood. Mesa Pizza closed its Stadium Village location in November 2017. After almost two years of vacancy, Olivia Wolbert signed the lease last month and opened her first “healthy smoothie shop,” LIV TRU Nutrition, for business on Oct. 14. Wolbert said while the space did not require major renovations, she added amenities like more tables and seating to make the area more welcoming for students to study. LIV TRU markets a three system nutritional meal made up of an aloe shot to support healthy digestion, cold or hot energized tea to boost metabolic function and a fully certified meal replacement protein smoothie, Wolbert said. “There are over 40 different flavors to choose from,”
Wolbert said. “Each smoothie has 24 grams of protein, and there are options to customize your smoothie to fit your nutritional needs.” Wolbert said she thinks college students are her “target market” because students need an energy source from healthy foods to be productive and study well. “A lot of college students go to coffee shops, go out to eat, and chat with friends or want to study,” Wolbert said. “We got good tunes, good vibes. It’s all about creating [LIV TRU] as a healthy hang out with a fun and healthy atmosphere.” University student Lauryn Collins heard about LIV TRU when one of her friends posted about it on Instagram. “I thought it looked super cute, and I have been waiting for a smoothie place like this to open in the area for a long time,” Collins said. “I would come here and study, and it’s also a quick grab-and-go on my way to class which is super convenient.” Wolbert’s business also allows customers to make their smoothies at home. She stocks the products used at the store for retail sale, an option she said
college students will appreciate because it is more cost-effective. University student Haley Oster has been to LIV TRU many times since it first opened almost three weeks ago. “It’s nice and quiet. It’s more low-key. There are busy times, but it calms down unlike other coffee shops. It’s healthy. I mean it’s a little expensive, but it’s justifiable,” Oster said. After the business’ first 90 days, Wolbert said she will begin to hire more nutritional coaches and expand business hours. LIV TRU is currently only open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday with occasional additional hours during Gopher football games.
“We got good tunes, good vibes. It’s all about creating [LIV TRU] as a healthy hang out with a fun and healthy atmosphere.” OLIVIA WOLBERT Owner of LIV TRU Nutrition