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U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 11, 2014
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
ADMINISTRATION
Campus criticizes diversity efforts Whose Diversity? has over 700 backing its demands, and Kaler has agreed to talk to the group. BY LIZ ANDERSON landerson@mndaily.com
After a student group raised criticism on the University of Minnesota’s commitment to diversity, President Eric Kaler has plans to confront their concerns. While administrators say the school is working toward building a more diverse
RESEARCH
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climate, the student organization Whose Diversity? is among a group of students, staff and faculty that is criticizing the institution’s ef for ts to increase and retain students and employees from a range of backgrounds. Whose Diversity? sent a letter to Kaler early last week demanding he meet with members at an off-campus location — the Brian Coyle Center — to discuss how the University can work toward becoming more inclusive. In the letter, the group said it would “take action” if Kaler didn’t respond by Nov. 7.
He has agreed to set up a time to meet but said he would prefer that the meeting take place at the school. “[I] understand their point of view,” Kaler said in an interview on Monday afternoon. “It’s, I think, important that we talk this sort of exchange … and we’re on the same side as far as I can tell. I want this to be a more diverse University.” While Whose Diversity? says the school needs to ramp up its efforts to diversify campus, Kaler said in his response letter that school leaders have made significant efforts to address the issue.
This isn’t the first time the group has presented diversity-focused demands to the University. In the spring, Whose Diversity? presented Kaler with a hefty list of demands in an effort to change University policy regarding diversity and inclusion on campus. The group’s demands center around engaging with, recruiting and retaining students from historically marginalized communities. More than 700 people have endorsed the group’s demands, including u See ISSUES Page 3
WEATHER
A device developed in part by the U can screen diseases with a single drop of blood or urine. BY PARKER LEMKE plemke@mndaily.com
Screening for serious illnesses like cancer, HIV and heart disease could one day become part of routine checkups thanks to a handheld device called z-Lab, which can detect an array of ailments using only a single drop of urine or other bodily fluid. The new, potentially lifesaving technology, which uses sensors on biochips to detect early signs of disease, was developed by the Golden Gopher Magnetic Biosensing Team — a collaboration between University of Minnesota researchers and engineers, Mayo Clinic doctors and industry partners. Z-Lab won a $120,000 prize on Monday from the Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE, a global competition for health care-sensing technology. The prize money will help researchers pursue new ideas for z-Lab’s next version, said electrical and computer engineering u See Z-LAB Page 12
JULIET FARMER, DAILY
Anthony Nelson shovels the walkway in front of Coffman Union on Monday. Twin Cities residents felt the year’s first wave of winter on Monday, with new snowfall that surpassed 6 inches and temperatures that mostly stayed below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasts for the upcoming days estimate that temperatures will continue to drop and gusty winds will carry over into Tuesday.
TECHNOLOGY
ATHLETICS
Sharing-based biz owners say their products entice young people who want to cut cost.
at home, pupils in Minnesota
Millennials choose to share, divvy costs Ex-Olympians BY CHRISTOPHER AADLAND caadland@mndaily.com
Flat screen TVs, bikes and mopeds are items that many college students may consider essential, but they may not fall in a typical college student’s price range. And businesses haven’t shied away from the challenge of finding a way for young consumers to share the costs of or share the possessions they already own. Driven by the emergence of a sharing economy and the idea of collaborative consumption, businesses like ride- and product-sharing apps are sprouting up across the nation. This industry targets tech-savvy urban millennials and cash-strapped college students who business owners say take advantage of the services to consume less and save money. “It’s all about sharing of resources,” said Mallor y Kurkoski, founder and president of Dishcourse, a Minneapolis-based foodsharing business, and a par t-time MBA student at the University. “They get connection to a community of people who care about something they also care about.” On Monday, a new service launched in u See APPS Page 4
Eleven Chinese athletes who found fame at home are now studying kinesiology at the U. BY SAM KRAEMER skraemer@mndaily.com
JULIET FARMER, DAILY
CEO Dan Hobbs works on Divvy, a new web application, on Nov. 4 at Restore Creative, its home in Minneapolis.
In the United States, the media doesn’t typically cover the depar ture of American college students heading abroad for a semester. But for 11 Chinese students spending a year at the University of Minnesota, the Chinese media handled it differently, with their farewell picked up by statewide media. That’s because all of the Chinese students have participated in some sort of international athletic competition — ranging from world championships to the London Olympics — and are now studying at the University as part of the School of Kinesiology’s China Champions Program. Ten former Chinese athletes and one Olympic-level coach are continuing their master’s level education at Beijing Sport University with a year abroad at Minnesota. “They’re really celebrities in China, so u See ABROAD Page 8
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