November 18, 2019

HEALTHY SHAKE SHOP TO OPEN IN DINKYTOWN PAGE 2

EARLY WEEK MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

MNDAILY.COM

SERVING THE UMN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900

A&E

HEALTH

UMN pilots women-only gym space

Sound in

Students collaborated with the U’s RecWell to create a space for women to exercise.

Motion

BY FARRAH MINA fmina@mndaily.com

Humble beginnings In the 1990s, Tasch was a resident DJ at First Avenue while attending school at the University of Minnesota, where he studied architecture and art before earning a master’s degree in education.

There, he witnessed firsthand the opposition to the genre and the resistance to recognize it as a respected form of music.

But by the early 2000s, the dance music culture was starting to gain a foothold, moving from the underground into nightclubs.

At the same time, Tasch’s first promotional endeavor dissolved and SIMshows rose from the

In an effort to create a comfortable space for women to work out, the University of Minnesota’s Recreation and Wellness Center is piloting a women-only gym space.

Around two years ago, University students Sumaya Noor and Fahima Osman began researching physical activity rates in the Somali community. They found that many Somali women were not comfortable exercising in co-ed gyms due to beliefs regarding modesty. Last month, the RecWell began piloting a women-only gym space as a result of Noor and Osman’s research on perceptions of physical activity in the Somali community.

They did not imagine that their recommendations would be implemented at the RecWell.

“Many people mentioned that their reasons for not exercising were due to not feeling comfortable exercising in a space with men or not being able to exercise with their hijabs and their abayas,” Noor said.

Noor and Osman collected the data in their research by conducting interviews with members of the Twin Cities Somali community who were over the age of 18. Though male participants tended to cite external factors for not exercising,

u See EDM Page 5

u See RECWELL Page 3

Saxophonist Tyler Allix performs with JackTrash as the group JTandT at REV Ultra Lounge on Saturday, Nov. 17. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

How a local EDM promoter became a powerhouse in the Twin Cities.

BY NORAH KLEVEN nkleven@mndaily.com

W

hen you walk into an electronic dance music show, don’t expect a traditional concert experience. LED screens display otherworldly scenes or patterns, lasers and lighting frame the stage and the bass can be felt in your bones.

But many don’t think about who is behind the curtain

facilitating these unique experiences in the Twin Cities.

Sound in Motion, known commonly as SIMshows, has been bringing electronic artists to the Twin Cities for 20 years. The promotion company was founded

by John Tasch — known more often as Jack, JT or by his DJ alias, JackTrash. For 20 of his 29 years in the music community, he has been working to build and provide for the local electronic dance scene through SIMshows.

Tasch started by hosting raves in warehouses and First Avenue, and later in the basement of the Xcel Energy Center, which he said drew crowds of thousands.

Today, SIMshows has grown

into a local electronic dance promotion powerhouse, operating between local venues and artists to book, market and produce about 60 EDM shows in the Twin Cities per year.

In the past two years, SIMshows has booked world-class talent such as Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, Zedd and Armin Van Buuren. The company partners with popular venues including The Armory, Rev Ultra Lounge and Skyway Theater.

Despite having a full-time job as a fifth grade teacher, Tasch’s passion for music has kept him in the music industry.

“The reason I’m still in this is because it’s here,” he said, gesturing to his heart.

CAMPUS

Anti-Semitic graffiti at University indicates larger problem on campus About 20% of Jewish students at the U report feeling welcome on the campus, per a survey.

BY DYLAN ANDERSON danderson@mndaily.com

Last month, several swastikas and the phrase “white power” were graffitied in a bathroom stall at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Law School Dean Garry Jenkins was quick to condemn the vandalism in a statement: “We were – and continue to be – angered by the hateful, anti-Semitic language and imagery that was found in our building last month. It was despicable and has no place on our campus or in our community.”

The several anti-Semitic incidents on campus in recent years can do more than make students feel unwelcome, making them feel unsafe. About 20 percent of Jewish

students on campus reported they felt their group was respected in 2018, compared to about 42 percent in national surveys, according to figures presented to the Board of Regents last month.

“In my six years as the Hillel director on campus I have yet to experience more than a six month period without an anti-Semitic or anti-Israel incident,” said Benjie Kaplan, Minnesota Hillel’s executive director, in an email to the Minnesota Daily. “I can only assume these types of incidents are a large part of what led to these statistics.”

Some say the “appallingly low” numbers are an indicator of ways Jewish students are constantly reminded they are not part of the majority culture.

“Not only do we feel scared, hurt … but then we have to take time out of our already busy schedules to address the issue when students who are not impacted continue to be unimpacted,” said Meredith

Gingold, vice president of the Jewish Law Student Association, in an email.

‘It’s a threat … a death threat.’

In 2017, a swastika and depiction of a concentration camp was drawn inside a Jewish student’s dorm room. Last year, anti-Semitic vandalism was found in another residence hall and fliers promoting white supremacist and Nazi sentiments were found on campus.

“A swastika sends a message that we support those who murdered six million Jews,” said Natan Paradise, associate director of the University’s Center for Jewish Studies. “It’s a threat … a death threat.”

On college campuses across the country, 54 percent of Jewish students reported experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitism, according to a report published in 2015

by Trinity College. For public universities in the Midwest, this figure is higher — 65 percent. The

FOOTBALL

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY

report says findings indicate antiSemitism is a nationwide problem on college campuses.

After anti-Semitic incidents

occur, the University’s response is often to condemn the messages in a u See ANTI-SEMITISM Page 3

MEDICINE

University student group enters fight to combat racism in medicine White Coats for Black Lives is aiming to diversify the Medical School’s curriculum.

Defensive back Benjamin StJuste looks to deflect a pass during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday Nov. 16. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)

Gophers’ undefeated streak ends in Iowa City The Gophers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes 23-19 on Saturday, which could end their playoff hopes.

BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com Last week, the Gophers upended No. 5 Penn State’s perfect season with a 31-26 victory at TCF Bank Stadium. On Saturday, Minnesota was on the receiving end

of an upset.

A perfect season was not to be as No. 7 Minnesota (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) fell to No. 23 Iowa (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) 23-19. The Gophers dropped their fifth consecutive game in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale against the Hawkeyes, and still have not won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999.

“We fell down early and it took us out of our rhythm,” said head coach P.J. Fleck. “It came down to

the blocking, tackling and execution of plays and they did a better job of that than we did.”

After receiving the opening kick, Iowa running back Tyler Goodson ripped off a 26-yard run on a well-designed misdirection play, fooling the Minnesota defense. Five plays later, following a fourth-and-one conversion, redshirt freshman Nico Ragaini took u See FOOTBALL Page 4

BY JASMINE SNOW jsnow@mndaily.com A group of second-year medical students is trying to improve treatment of patients of color in a historically white healthcare system.

The University of Minnesota’s chapter of White Coats for Black Lives was established in 2014 and works to increase diversity and awareness of racism in the medical field. WCBL is especially focused on curriculum, which members said is not representative of the diversity of patients they might see in the field.

The group recently held its second annual Health Equity Week, consisting of lunch lectures and evening workshops to address a disconnect between race-related issues and health education. The group also took on a lack of diversity practitioners within the field.

“We want to make sure that we’re training physicians who will be capable of taking care of patients of color in the future,” said WCBL officer Michelle Kihara. “Similarly,

highlighting the experiences of minority physicians and health care workers and how to be an ally.”

Members said that diversity in healthcare is important at the University, which is one of the largest producers of physicians in a state with some of the worst racial health disparities in the country.

Julia Weston, an officer in WCBL, said it was important for the University to address these issues to better prepare their future physicians for Minnesota’s diverse population.

WCBL officer Salma Hassan pointed to a 2016 University of Virginia study, which found that bias or false beliefs about biological differences between black patients and white patients held by some medical professionals can contribute to disparities in pain treatment.

“If you’re a medical student and you believe that black people feel less pain than white people, imagine what’s going to happen when you’re in the emergency department and someone comes in with a fractured bone,” Hassan said. “You’re going to give [the patient of color] Tylenol when, if they were a white person, you would’ve given them a narcotic.”

WCBL officer Megan Lucas said u See MED SCHOOL Page 3

VOLUME 120 ISSUE 23

2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

MN DAILY

Daily Review

MNDAILY.COM

CAMPUS EVENTS CALENDAR MONDAY

Speak Out Night

TUESDAY

6 - 8:30 p.m. in the Mississippi Room Join in a night of mental health conversation with a free dinner provided.

Painting with PAWS

6 p.m. in the Great Hall Come destress and learn to paint with furry friends as well as light snacks.

WEDNESDAY

Nutritious U Food Pantry

From noon on Nov. 19 until 6 p.m. on Nov. 21 in Coffman Union Get free food to fill up your pantry.

Monday, November 18, 2019

THURSDAY

Vol. 120 No. 23

Queeraoke

5 p.m. at the Presidents Room Join the Queer Student Cultural Center for a night of singing. Plus, pizza!

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900.

2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Copyright © 2019 The Minnesota Daily. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

1978 Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones leads his followers to a mass murder-suicide at their Guyana commune, leading to the deaths of 909 people.

HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

Lecturer illustrates U’s ties to slavery The series comes as the University remains divided on renaming buildings.

BY DYLAN ANDERSON danderson@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota has ties to slavery, even owing money to one of the largest slaveholders in South Carolina when the Civil War broke out.

Last Thursday, Christopher Lehman, chair of the Department of Ethnic and Women’s Studies at St. Cloud State University, was the featured speaker at the inaugural John S. Wright Luminaries Lecture Series in Africana Studies. The series comes as the University community is exploring how to reckon with the institution’s past after the Board of Regents declined to rename several campus buildings last spring.

“Since the inception of the department in 1969, we have desired to have an endowed lecture series,” said Tade Okediji, chair of the Department of African American and African Studies.

“It’s a great experience for us and a great opportunity to have scholars, activists interact … with faculty and students as well as the campus community.”

The series is funded by a private donation and

Professor John S. Wright, center, speaks during the Luminaries Lecture Series in Africana Studies at Northrop Auditorium on Thursday, Nov. 14. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily)

matching funds from the College of Liberal Arts.

Groups across the University, including the Office of the President and the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History, sponsor the event.

“President [Joan] Gabel offered very soon after arriving here to join forces here and her plan to establish new channels of collaboration and creative investigation about campus history,” said John Wright, professor emeritus in the department of African American and African studies.

The department plans to hold a lecture every year, potentially multiple a year if they have the funding.

Lehman’s book, “Slavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State,” recently published by the Minnesota Historical Society, illustrates several ties between the University and those who profited from enslaved people. Regent Henry Sibley, who secured the University’s land grant from the federal government in 1851, worked for a company owned by slaveholders. Regent John Nicols owned slaves before

serving on the board in 1863.

In 1856, the University was struggling financially and received a of loan of nearly $15,000 from William Aiken Jr., who at one time owned more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. This money helped build one of the first campus buildings, Old Main.

The University repaid about half of the loan in 1857, but the rest was still owed when the Civil War broke out in 1861. The Rebellion Act passed by the Legislature in 1862 made it impossible for Aiken to retrieve the rest of his money.

“At the very least, the University can make public acknowledgment of its debt to enslaved labor,” Lehman said at the lecture. “The University should present this relationship as a fundamental and essential part of the University’s history.”

Lehman’s work challenges a dominant narrative of Minnesota stringently rebuking slavery when it was the first state to volunteer troops in defense of the Union in the Civil War. “I think we have this mythology about Minnesota,” said Ann Pflaum, who has been a University historian since 1999. “That’s something we all didn’t know, including me. [Slavery] was much more extensive than you would ever imagine.”

Students at the lecture, some of which attended a discussion about reckoning with the University’s history earlier in the day, said they were tired of talking and wanted action. One student asked a panel after the lecture what the vision for reckoning with this history should be.

“I would say that there is not a vision for how to go forward,” said Riv-Ellen Prell, professor emeritus of American studies, in response. “This all happened because of student activism … and as any activist knows, back to work.”

Meet the energy plant reducing U’s emissions The dual electricity and heat plant helps to reduce UMN’s emissions by a tenth.

The stack disperses what little waste heat remains after recapture at the Main Energy Plant on Thursday, Nov. 14. By using heat generated by the main turbine to produce steam, the plant greatly reduces the amount of energy lost.

(Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

BY NATALIE RADEMACHER nrademacher@mndaily.com The entrance to Positive Vibes Nutrition’s new Dinkytown location as seen Friday, Nov. 15. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)

Healthy shakes will be coming to Dinkytown The Positive Vibes Nutrition owners say their business will add healthy options.

BY CAITLIN ANDERSON canderson@mndaily.com

A new healthy shake establishment is set to open in Dinkytown this week.

Positive Vibes Nutrition will be located at 1316 4th St. SE., Suite 6 in the indoor retail corridor. The establishment’s owners say Positive Vibes will meet a demand for healthy options.

“This opportunity came, and we took it,” said Dominick Dahmen, co-owner of the new health club. “[The shakes] taste amazing.”

Dahmen, 21, will run the new club with his fiancee, 22-year-old Christine Douglas. Dahmen said he grew up in a fitness-centered atmosphere because his parents have run a similar establishment for about 18 years.

The club will sell shakes, tea, energy drinks and power bars. Protein shake flavors will range from blueberry almond cheesecake to peanut butter cup to banana cream pie. Energy drink flavors include Grape Vine and Skittles.

The location previously housed another nutrition shop, The Shake Shoppe (previously Go-4 Nutrition) until it moved to downtown Minneapolis earlier this year.

Dahmen said he’s excited

to bring healthier options to Dinkytown.

“We’re so close to campus. ... We’re going to be a great healthy option in that spot for people,” he said.

Dinkytown lacks healthy food options amid many fast food joints, said University of Minnesota junior Anna Bougie. The new club would be place to stop by for something both quick and healthy, she said.

“I would definitely go,” she said. “If there were more places like that on campus, people would utilize them.”

Other health-focused businesses like LIV TRU Nutrition, Crisp & Green and SIMPLS, have all opened around campus recently.

A new healthy establishment, while intriguing, could still struggle, said Randal Gast, owner of Dinkytown Qdoba.

“I hope it works out.

Everybody likes to see more diversity in the business landscape of Dinkytown,” he said.

“It’s really whether the marketplace is going to respond and support it.”

Gast also said students seem more willing to try new things, which could help the establishment succeed.

Dinkytown is in the middle of several communities that might benefit from the product, including students, Greek life and athletes, Dahmen said. “[It’s] just a great opportunity to be apart of the U of M community,” he said.

Tucked away near the Mississippi River over by Sanford Hall lies the University of Minnesota’s Main Energy Plant, which is responsible for supplying energy to the Minneapolis campus.

The plant uses a unique combined heat and power system that is helping reduce the University’s greenhouse gas emissions. Since it began operating in 2017, the plant has helped reduce around one-tenth of the University’s carbon emissions, said Shane Stennes, the University’s director of sustainability. This is a significant step in helping the University reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

A more efficient plant About 65 percent of the University’s emissions come from heat and electricity, Stennes said.

While it is common for universities to produce their own energy, the University of Minnesota is unique because it is pioneering initiatives that help reduce its carbon footprint.

The plant produces heat and electricity using the same fuel source. District Plant Manager Josh Svejcar describes this as a twofor-one deal, which is more energy-efficient.To produce energy, a giant turbine in the plant spins a generator that makes electricity and uses excess heat to transform water into steam. The plant produces about 90,000 pounds of steam an hour. The steam is sent out to heat campus through tunnel systems 90 feet underground.

Underneath the East and West Bank campuses are around nine miles of tunnels and piping, a hidden system

that supplies heat to University buildings. Some tunnels were built in the 1910s, with 5-foot thick walls to keep groundwater out. About 90 percent of the steam sent out to campus gets condensed down and returns to the plant as water through the pipe system using gravity. It is then reused in the process.

This greatly reduces how much water the University uses and energy needed and saves millions of gallons of water that otherwise would come from the city’s water supply.

“You get more bang for your buck,” Svejcar said.

A growing campus The University built the plant because it realized the other plant on the East Bank campus would not be able to continue reliably supporting campus as it continues to expand.

The campus has grown around 3 million square feet over the past decade, with a majority of those acres located on East Bank, according to Stennes. Even as campus continues to grow, initiatives such as using more efficient lighting systems have kept the University from greatly increasing its energy use and

carbon footprint.

While efforts to reduce the University’s energy use have helped, the plant was built with extra space to expand if demand does increase.

Cost efficient, reliable and sustainable Construction of the Main Energy Plant was a key component of the University’s 2011 Climate Action Plan, which guided the University and its emission reduction goals through 2020.

The University is now undergoing efforts to create a long-term energy master plan for campus. Administrators are looking for ways to continue pushing the University toward its long-term goal of offsetting 100 percent of emissions by 2050.

“The energy system has a huge impact on the University’s emissions,” Stennes said.

As these efforts are underway, Stennes said the team is balancing cost effectiveness, reliability and sustainability.

While other universities are also making similar efforts, Stennes said the University has been able to make more progress with reducing emissions in a cost-effective way that continues to be reliable.

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 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 lmartin@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 =

=

=

EDITORIAL BOARD Ariana Wilson Editorials & Opinions Editor awilson@mndaily.com Samantha Woodward Editorial Board Member swoodward@mndaily.com BUSINESS Jacob Kenyon Sales Manager jkenyon@mndaily.com Tiffany Welty Assistant Sales Manager twelty@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com =

=

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.

3

Monday, November 18, 2019

Anti-Semitism u from Page 1

statement or campus-wide email. While a clear and strong rebuke is good, some say the University needs to be more proactive in sending welcoming messages to Jewish students.

“What anti-Semites want to tell Jewish students is you are not welcome here,” said Rabbi Yitzi Steiner, co-director of Chabad’s University branch. “The way for the University to combat that is to say that’s not true, we do welcome you here.”

Sending a message Steiner said the recent opening of the first fully kosher restaurant on campus, House of Hummus in Coffman Union, is a way for the University to send welcoming messages to Jewish students.

“It’s a wonderful step in the right direction,” said Carli Shaps, a Jewish student. “Does it solve every problem? No, it’s one restaurant … but it’s a wonderful step.”

A problem for many students is that the academic calendar is structured around the Christian

calendar. Paradise said this often requires nonChristian students to choose between their religious obligations and their schoolwork.

“Most of the students are not Muslim, they’re not Jewish, so it doesn’t affect them,” Paradise said. “But we need to do a better job of thinking about those needs because if you want students to feel welcome here and feel like they belong, you can’t be asking them to make these choices.”

In the fall semester there are several Jewish

holidays, many of which are celebrated on days that cause Jewish students to choose between being fully observing Jews and keeping up with their classes.

Instructors are told to consult the calendar of holidays and religious observances when creating their syllabus, but Paradise said this often doesn’t happen. While an absence for religious reasons is considered excused under University policy, making arrangements to complete missed work can be difficult for some students.

“I’ve actually stopped asking for accommodation, because it’s so much of a hassle to explain why,” Shaps said. “It’s very frustrating to have to explain, year after year, why it is important.”

Shaps said it would be easier if she could just tell a professor she needed to miss class for a Jewish holiday and they understood the significance without more explanation.

“Students should never be asked to check their whole identity at the door in order to feel comfortable here at the University,” Paradise said. “You should

be able to have all your identities as a student and as a Jew or Muslim or whatever, fully present.”

overwhelmingly positive.

“People were giving stories like, ‘I never went to the gym before this,’” Osman said. “People were talking about how they don’t go to the Rec because they think it’s uncomfortable, but now that this exists, they will come.”

Although Osman herself prefers working out in women-only spaces, she said

female gyms in Minneapolis are both scarce and expensive. “Never did I think I would have access to be able to do something like that,” she said.

The space is available Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. It is enclosed with curtains for privacy.

Third-year student Maryan

Osman was the first person to use the space. It was her first time exercising in a women-only area, and she said it was an empowering experience.

“It’s also a supportive space,” Maryan Osman said.

“A lot of the women there are people I know and are from my own community … so it was just really nice to have that space with

them — especially since this was created by Somali women, people that identify with them.”

In the future, Noor and Fahima Osman also hope to collaborate with local gyms in the area to increase access to these spaces for women.

“It’s something that we needed that we didn’t know that we needed,” Maryan Osman said.

“It’s very frustrating to have to explain, year after year, why it is important.”

CARLI SHAPS Jewish student at the University of Minnesota

Sumaya Noor, left, and Fahima Osman, right, pose for a portrait outside of the University Recreation and Wellness Center on Saturday, Nov. 16. Noor and Osman initiated a women’s only fitness project after their UROP project discovered many Somali women do not exercise due to a lack of availble spaces. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

RecWell u from Page 1

like lack of time, most female participants’ answers were related to modesty, Osman said.

Noor and Osman presented their findings at the Undergraduate Research Symposium last spring. Though they included designating

time for female-only gym use as a recommendation of their research, they did not think it was feasible until the director of undergraduate research encouraged them to collaborate with the RecWell.

Prior to the initiative’s launch, Noor and Osman released a survey to gauge interest in the space. The results were

White Collars for Black Lives members pose for a portrait outside of Malcolm Moos Health Sciences Tower on Thursday, Nov. 14. WCBL is a medical student group working to overcome racial bias in medicine. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

Med School u from Page 1

that, despite researchers with the Human Genome Project disproving the theory that race was a biological factor in 2003, many medical students and physicians still believe it is.

Other studies also show that patients of color often wait longer in emergency rooms than their white counterparts. They also wait longer for pain medications, often in comparatively lower doses and have higher maternal mortality rates.

Evidence suggests racial discrimination triggers a stress response which, when repeated over time, can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia, heart disease, skin rashes and gastrointestinal problems, according to a 2004 University of

Miami — Coral Gables study.

Physicians of color can be discounted by their peers and superiors, an added stress when providing care, members said.

“As a future white physician,” Lucas said, “I don’t think it’s just my peers of colors’ job to address this. This is absolutely not their job.”

WCBL members said the group has met with University administration and the Medical School curriculum team to discuss addressing bias in the curriculum.

“Things move slowly,” Hassan said. “We haven’t gotten a ‘no’ or ‘this is not going to happen’ or anything like that. We’re continuing to work with them.”

The group sent out a survey last year to gauge student’s satisfaction with race and racism in the curriculum. The group intends

to use data collected from that survey along with data collected during Health Equity Week to further discussions.

“If you’re a medical student and you believe that black people feel less pain than white people, imagine what’s going to happen when you’re in the emergency department and someone comes in with a fractured bone.”

SALMA HASSAN White Coats for Black Lives officer

4

Sports

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

SCOREBOARD Football NOV 14

u from Page 1

Women’s Basketball

a pass from Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley 21 yards for the game’s opening score.

Trailing 6-0, Minnesota responded with a 12-play drive but came up empty after redshirt freshman Brock Walker missed a 50yard field goal attempt. Iowa then marched back down the field, adding another score by way of a Goodson rushing touchdown.

Both teams’ offenses drove the ball with ease in the first half. The difference was the Gophers stalled in the red zone while the Hawkeyes managed to convert for touchdowns.

Behind by two scores, the Gophers moved the ball 87 yards in 12 plays but had to settle for a Walker field goal.

On Iowa’s third drive of the game, Stanley led the Hawkeyes to their third touchdown. The senior quarterback passed for 58 of the drives 69 yards, capping it with a five-yard touchdown to junior Ihmir Smith-Marsette making the score 20-3.

“It was just not us being prepared,” senior Thomas Barber said of the defense’s slow start. “They just came and hit us in the mouth.”

The teams traded punts, giving the ball back to Minnesota with 39 seconds left in the first half. Working with no timeouts, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan completed two passes to get the Gophers inside the Iowa 10-yard line.

Once again though, Minnesota failed to reach the end zone. A Walker field goal bounced off the upright and through the goal posts to cut the deficit to 14 points at the break.

Minnesota: 77 Milwaukee: 61

Volleyball

Minnesota: 1 Wisconsin: 3

NOV 15

Women’s Cross Country NCAA Midwest Regional Minnesota: 3rd place

Men’s Cross Country NCAA Midwest Regional Minnesota: 6th place

Women’s Hockey Minnesota: 7 Bemidji State: 1

Wrestling

Minnesota: 17 Rider University: 21

Men’s Hockey Minnesota: 2 Penn State: 8

Men’s Basketball Minnesota: 69 Utah: 73

NOV 16

Football

Minnesota: 19 Iowa: 23

Women’s Hockey Minnesota: 3 Bemidji State: 0

Volleyball

Minnesota: 3 Michigan: 0

Men’s Hockey Minnesota: 3 Penn State: 6

Source: Gophers Athletics.

Times and scores accurate as of time of publication.

Wide receiver Demetrius Douglas carries the ball at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16. Iowa defeated the Gophers 23-19 ending their winning streak and bringing their record to 9-1. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

“Things weren’t necessarily going great for us,” Fleck said. “Going into halftime with the ball, I felt like my message would be way different if we got the points.”

It took the Gophers just 3:25 to finally break through after receiving the ball to start the second half.

Receiver Tyler Johnson found a seam through the Iowa defense and Morgan found him on a play action pass for a 28-yard score.

Johnson finished the game with nine receptions for 170 yards to lead the team. “[Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca] did a great job with the game plan,” Johnson said. “We were able to get receivers in the right spots. Tanner did a great job stepping up in the pocket

and putting us in the right positions.”

After an Iowa punt, Johnson played a crucial role on the ensuing Gopher possession. With a chance to tie the game Johnson hauled in a 30-yard reception on a third-and-six to get Minnesota into the red zone.

However, he dropped what would have been a fourthdown conversion four plays later to turn the ball over on downs.

“That was on nobody but me,” Johnson said of the drop. “Tanner did a great job, the offensive line did a great job protecting. I was able to create separation. I just have to make that play, that’s it.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Minnesota’s offense got another chance to tie

the game after the defense forced a punt, but could make nothing of the opportunity. A fair catch interference penalty on the punt gave Iowa a short field.

Taking advantage, the Hawkeyes tacked on a field goal with 7:13 remaining to restore their lead to two scores.

The Gophers went down fighting, adding a one-yard touchdown run from redshirt senior Rodney Smith.

Minnesota got one last possession with 1:52 remaining but consecutive Iowa sacks on first and second down sealed the game.

Despite the defeat, Minnesota still maintains a onegame lead in the Big Ten West standings. With a victory at Northwestern next Saturday and a Wisconsin

“Tanner did a great job, the offensive line did a great job protecting. I was able to create separation. I just have to make that play, that’s it.”

T YLER JOHNSON wide receiver

loss to Purdue, the Gophers would clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.

“This is one game, that’s all that means.” Fleck said.

“Everything we want is right in front of us. Nothing has changed.”

VOLLEYBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

Minnesota held the Wolverines to a .080 hit percentage.

leaves Minnesota with mixed results

Gophers take win over Michigan Midwest Regional Women qualified for the NCAA championships with an at-large bid.

BY NOLAN O’HARA nohara@mndaily.com

Coming off their loss to No. 7 Wisconsin, the Gophers volleyball team rebounded Saturday with a decisive win over No. 23 Michigan.

The Gophers got the sweep: 25-21, 25-23 and 25-20.

Initially it looked like it would be a difficult match for the Gophers. Michigan opened the match up 5-1, appearing to build momentum. Outside hitter Claire Sheehan answered, dropping back-toback kills to cut Michigan’s lead to two. The Gophers continued to battle back from the early deficit. Middle blocker Taylor Morgan got back-to-back kills, the second coming off an overpass, giving Minnesota a 16-13 lead.

The momentum continued to swing Minnesota’s way.

They led for the remainder of the set until outside hitter Airi Miyabe closed out the first with a kill. The Gophers limited Michigan to a .021 hit percentage in the first set.

The Gophers carried the momentum into the second, taking an early 9-5 lead as Morgan and Miyabe stuffed a Michigan attempt. Michigan tied it at 12, but the Gophers pulled away again, pushing

WRESTLING

Gophers stunned

by Rider Redshirt Senior Carson Brolsma holds an opposing Rider wrestler at Williams Arena on Friday, Nov. 15. The Gophers went on to fall to Rider with a final score of 21-17.

(Liam Armstrong / Minnesota Daily)

BY BRENDAN O’BRIEN bobrien@mndaily.com

Libero CC McGraw dives for the ball at the Maturi Pavilion on Thursday, Nov. 14. The Gophers ended the night with a 3-1 loss against the Badgers. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

the lead back up to three as middle blocker Regan Pittman’s kill made it 17-14.

Michigan tied it again at 20 and took a 21-20 lead on the other side of a Minnesota timeout. Tied again at 22, the Gophers were scrambling, getting the out-of-system ball to Morgan who pushed it over for a kill. Leading 24-23, Sheehan closed out the set and gave the Gophers the 2-0 lead.

Both teams went back and forth early in the third, but Minnesota was able to gain separation as a kill from Morgan put the Gophers up 11-9. Minnesota led the rest of the way. Morgan got her

ninth kill of the match to put the Gophers up 18-16. Her nine kills were a team-high.

She also added three blocks.

Pittman stuffed another Michigan attempt for the solo block to get Minnesota to set point, and Sheehan closed out the match with a forceful kill.

“We got some good blocking certainly,” said head coach Hugh McCutcheon.

“I thought back row defenders also did a good job.

Michigan’s a very good team, so we did well to contain them a little bit, but they’re a dangerous team.”

Defensively, the Gophers were outstanding. As a team,

they had 13 blocks and limited Michigan to a .080 hit percentage for the match.

For Michigan, it was a rough night. They had an abysmal 30 attack errors and added five more errors from the service line. “[It was] doing a good job with my pins and staying connected and communicating about where we see everything going, so we can connect and do what we got to do,” Morgan said about the Gophers’ success at the net.

The Gophers have another big matchup on Friday when they take on No. 6 Nebraska at Maturi Pavilion at 8 p.m.

In a crucial meet for extending the racing season, Minnesota’s cross country program saw mixed results Friday morning at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

After performing well throughout the season and at the regional meet, the women’s team earned an at-large bid to compete at the NCAA Championship meet. However, the men’s season will come to an end as the team did not qualify for the championship meet.

The Gophers learned about their fate Saturday after the NCAA Cross Country Committee announced the at-large teams for the championship meet.

On the women’s side, the Gophers finished third overall with 130 points in the Midwest Regional meet.

The team was eight points away from finishing second in the meet and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championship meet.

However, the Gophers needed the at-large bid to continue their season.

Redshirt sophomore Anastasia Korzenowski was the lead runner for Minnesota, finishing ninth overall with a six-kilometer time of 20:56.3. Redshirt junior Abby Kohut-Jackson also had a strong performance, finishing 13th overall with a time of 21:03.8. Redshirt juniors Sarah Werking, Lindsey Greenlund and Carissa Dock rounded out the top five finishers for the Gophers, finishing 24th, 41st and 43rd respectively.

Coming into the meet Friday, Illinois was one of the favorites to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship meet. The

Illini won the meet with 108 points with four of their top five runners finishing among the top 25 runners at the meet. Tulsa earned the second automatic qualifying bid by finishing second with 123 points.

The men’s team came into the Midwest Regional meet ranked seventh in the region. Minnesota improved slightly with 181 points which was good for a sixth place finish.

Redshirt junior Alec Basten once again led the Gophers in what could have been his last cross country race in the maroon and gold. Basten had a strong showing at the Midwest Regional, finishing fourth overall with a ten-kilometer time of 30:48.3.

Redshirt junior Jack Manderscheid and redshirt sophomore Jordan MacIntosh each finished almost a minute after Basten at 31st and 35th respectively. Redshirt freshman Khalid Hussein and redshirt junior Owen Hoeft rounded out the Gophers’ top five runners at 48th and 64th respectively.

Tulsa and Iowa State earned the two automatic qualifying bids on the men’s side in the Midwest Regional. Tulsa had a dominant team performance, finishing with 37 points and four runners finishing in the top ten overall. Iowa State finished second with 54 points.

Iowa State swept the individual titles at the meet.

Junior Cailie Logue won the women’s individual title with a six-kilometer time of 20:20.6. Senior Edwin Kurgat was the men’s individual title winner, clocking a 30:38.3 in the ten-kilometer race.

The women’s team will have one week of recovery and training before the NCAA Championship meet.

The Gophers will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana for the meet on Saturday, Nov. 23 for their third consecutive appearance at the meet.

5

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

MUSIC

EDM u from Page 1

ashes. The very first SIMshows event took place in a warehouse in Northeast and drew a little too much attention. “[Cops] literally pulled up with buses and they took everyone and put everyone in buses,” Tasch recalled.

“They had scanners. They took everyone’s ID — it was really scary,” he said.

Twenty years later, he can now laugh about the experience. While his shows getting busted is a relic of the past, the company was not immune to other hardships.

Tasch said remaining profitable has historically been a challenge for SIMshows. But Tasch’s teaching job has given him and the company a unique advantage.

“I’ve never had to worry about making a certain amount of money to pay my mortgage or to take care of my kid,” Tasch said.

The work that SIMshows has been doing for the past two decades is paying off. Today their events

sell out the Armory, with crowds sometimes exceeding 7,000 people.

Cristian Baca manages events, social media and DJs for SIMshows. He noted that the growth of the EDM fan base can be measured by the venues that artists are selling out.

He said that years ago Deadmau5 sold out the now-defunct Epic Nightclub which had a capacity of 2,500. Last August, he nearly sold out the Armory and is on track to sell out when he returns to the cities in December.

“It’s been a long journey,” Tasch said. “There were years where it was very, very up and down.

Right now, it’s great. On the EDM side, it’s stronger than it’s ever been, by far.”

Company culture Tasch said SIMshows has seen success largely because his employees have a genuine love and dedication to the industry.

Rebekah Hanson, operations manager for SIMshows, found SIMshows as a concertgoer and started working for the company in 2015.

“I took something that I really enjoyed doing and I immediately turned it into a career. I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” she said.

Ian Ferrer is a University graduate and the production manager for SIMshows. For him, the most gratifying part of his job is working behind the scenes to create memorable experiences for fans. In addition to playing an integral role for SIMshows, Ferrer enjoys supporting the local music scene.

“I would consider my role in the community as a music fan first,” he said.

Tasch has a history of relying on his musically well-versed staff to help make booking decisions.

Tiesto made his North American debut in Minneapolis nearly 20 years ago for a SIMshows event.

“One of my street guys… was like ‘check out this Tiesto guy,’” Tasch said. “So I looked into it, we booked him and probably 500 people came — all based on a suggestion that one of my guys made.”

The work SIMshows has done in the cities has

earned them a loyal fanbase.

Nicole Reid has been an avid EDM fan for 20 years.

After being introduced to the local scene by a friend, she now attends SIMshows events biweekly, if not weekly.

For Reid, shows are a sober event — for getting lost in the music and making music-loving friends.

“I went to a show at Rev [Ultra Lounge] Saturday night and I probably knew 30 people there,” she said.

“It’s like a family.”

Stephanie Xu, a University student in the College of Biological Sciences, makes sure she finds the time to attend electronic dance music events.

She said nearly all of her friends share a passion for the music genre.

“We all go to shows, that’s like what we do,” Xu said. “It’s just nice having that common interest.”

Looking back Remembering the early days of EDM, Tasch said the genre was often written off as “nightclub music.”

“The irony is that years later, electronic dance

music is a full fledged culture. It’s a lifestyle — from the festival side of things, to the big shows, to the small shows,” Tasch said.

To truly understand this culture, Hanson said it’s best to attend the immersive experience yourself.

“We can provide opportunities for people to escape their normal life and experience something bigger than themselves,” Hanson said. “We get to do that all the time and that, to me, rules.”

The range of artists that SIMshows has brought to the Twin Cities has helped foster the community.

This September, SIMshows brought Martin Garrix for his debut in the Twin Cities — a rare American appearance outside of Las Vegas nightclub residencies and headlining festival slots.

Rezz, whose dark, industrial sound has launched her to fame, has dedicated her past three Halloweens to playing for thousands of fans in the Twin Cities.

These opportunities are no coincidence. Tasch said knowing and caring about

music and the artists he books is a key part of what helps SIMshows arrange the impressive events they do.

“When you can sit down and have a conversation [with artists] about the music they make, they get that,” Tasch said. “These artists, at the end of the day, know that it’s different than if someone just books a concert because they know it’s going to sell tickets.”

Over the course of 20 years, Tasch has booked about one thousand shows, from small to large, profitable to insolvent.

But despite the money lost, personal sacrifice and time spent working after he has already put in a full day’s work, Tasch said the reward of what he does keeps him going.

“There’s a tremendous amount of payback in the experiences that people have [and] in the friendships that people make,” Tasch said.

“People come up and give me a hug and thank me. There’s so much irony in that because I can’t do what I do without them.”

MUSIC

Underground Update: Trap Zilla, the plug’s plug Twin Cities rapper Trap Zilla brings his own take to the rap game.

BY ALEX STRANGMAN astrangman@mndaily.com

An appreciation for movement, art and technology are a few of the characteristics that define Connor Simone.

Now in his senior year at the University of Minnesota, Simone studies dance and computer science. And after three years of hard work, he is both a part-time student and full-time trainee at TU Dance, a Twin Cities-based dance company.

Simone’s path to TU started from a young age. “I sucked at sports. I was just awful,” he said. Uninspired by baseball, which he played in his youth, he followed the lead of his older sister and started dancing.

He attended the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts for high school, where he realized that dance was more meaningful than a hobby. Simone describes his dance style as contemporary modern — classical ballet fused with modern dance.

This style fits well within

TU Dance.

The dance company, located in St. Paul, has a national reputation for pushing the boundaries of dance.

TU dancers are skilled in modern dance, classical ballet, African movement, the Horton technique and urban dance.

Simone is one of two trainees, a role which is the first of two steps before dancers can become company members. He began training in August and will stay until the season finishes in May. It’s been rigorous but worthwhile. “I see so much value in art and being an artist,” he said.

Maxine Yamazaki, a senior at the University, met Simone years ago through their involvement in TU Dance. In the time since they met, Yamazaki and Simone went through the dance program at the University together and became closer than ever.

“He’s one of the most inspiring friends I have in terms of dancing,” she said.

“He works so hard in every aspect of his life, and it just pushes me to be a better person altogether.”

As a fellow dancer, Yamazaki can see the nuances in Simone’s movements.

“I don’t even know if he realizes he does it. But every single chance he gets, he will stick his leg out in front of him and balance on his ‘relevé’ — his tippy toe,” she said.

“He has an amazing center of gravity so he can balance in any position, but he will take the opportunity for sure to stick his leg out and balance for as long as possible. That’s the signature Connor.”

Abdo Rodriguez, managing director at TU Dance and a dance instructor, has been teaching Simone since he was in high school.

He first and foremost described his student as hardworking. But he said the characteristic that defines Simone as a dancer is the power he has on stage. Rodriguez noted that Simone performed with the company this fall, an opportunity which is rarely presented to trainees.

After his contract with TU ends, Simone hopes to be hired on as an apprentice and, maybe one day, a permanent member of the company. Though he is wellrounded in many areas, he hopes to continue dancing for as long as he can.

“Why not be an artist if you can and it’s your passion?” he said.

Trap Zilla poses for portraits on Friday, Nov. 15. Music has changed his life for the better and led him to the belief that finding what you love is most important.

(Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)

He works so hard in every aspect of his life, and it just pushes me to be a better person altogether.”

MAXINE YAMAZAKI Senior at the U

PHOTOGRAPHY

U alum launches new youth photography program The “Visual Voices” photography program is funded by the Minneapolis Park and Rec board.

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com

As a kid, getting your hands on a camera feels oddly powerful. You’ve been given this device to capture moments that carry meaning to you and those around you.

However, if you’re not getting the hang of it, the shortlived hobby can end up being pushed aside.

Jerusa Nyakundi, a University of Minnesota alumna, wants to inspire youth to continue capturing those moments on camera. Nyakundi is teaching a six-week photography program for kids ages 12 to 18 funded by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board at Fairview Park. “[Teaching] has been such a wonderful experience,” Nyakundi said. “The kids are just looking for space to express themselves and learn something new.”

The program includes exposure trips to places like art museums and lessons in editing, portrait shots and more.

“Visual Voice” began on Nov. 6 and runs through Dec. 4 to give participants the time to explore how they want to express themselves.

“Visual Voice” came about after Sarah Williams, an activities coordinator at the Parks and Recreation Board, had been discussing the possibility of starting a digital program for kids.

“I played around with the idea of how I can use media in a positive way,” Williams said. “I felt that technology was a piece of that, and so I wanted to combine technology and media as a tool for engagement.”

Williams’ goal for the program was to teach youth the foundational skills of photography to create a dialogue about their community.

A coworker gave Nyakundi’s contact information to Williams after hearing about the idea, so she reached out.

Once Williams and Nyakundi met, they both knew this was the path for them.

“It was really exciting for her and I to come together as strangers around something that we’re passionate about,” Williams said. “We didn’t really know how we were going to do it, but we trusted the process that if we do come together to create this vision, we’ll get funding somehow.”

“Visual Voice” is funded by the Walter Dziedzic Recreation Innovation fund, and it has allowed Nyakundi the opportunity to fulfill a goal that she spoke into existence back in January.

“I didn’t have any expectation or plan anything out, but when I was writing in my journal one day, I saw that I had put down teaching photography as one of my 2019 goals,” Nyakundi said. “It just manifested into reality.”

So far, the experience has been rewarding for Nyakundi. She’s seeing participants become more comfortable with their cameras, regardless of whether or not they’ve held a camera before.

“Being able to actually hold a piece of technology and us it is like a whole different thing to some of these

kids,” Williams said. “It’s a tool of engagement and they’re interested in it. They want to use it, create with it, explore with it.”

Williams and Nyakundi have expressed a wish to continue the program, or a similar one, in the future.

“The Park Board is moving more in the direction of the creative technology space,” Nyakundi said. “It’s gotten good feedback from the whole board moving forward and I want to see the program go on every month.”

Nyakundi has said the kids have expressed wanting to be photographers for National Geographic Magazine and impacting their communities through their new skills. She hopes to help them explore those goals throughout the six weeks.

“The way that they’re learning and investing into themselves, they can use that for change in their communities and to help solve problems in Minneapolis.”

Editor’s note: Jer usa Nyakundi is a former Minnesota Daily employee.

Jerusa Nyakundi teaches a creative photography class at Fairview Park on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Nyakundi’s class was fully funded with the help of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation board. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

6 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

EDITORIAL

Petty criticism is the opposite of productive

Making snide comments at public figures online isn’t going to make a difference.

R

oxane Gay, well-known author of books like Bad Feminist and Hunger, recently tweeted about her trip to Asia. If it seems completely innocuous, it is. Gay only tweeted about her delight at how clean the Tokyo airport was.

That didn’t stop people from replying to the tweet with petty commentar y about who was keeping the airport clean for her. Gay tweeted back, “What, exactly, is the point of your comment?

And do you mention this to ever yone who mentions a place is clean?”

That same day, Gay tweeted about being in Singapore, and got even more reactionar y comments, as she responded with “It’s fascinating how ever yone wants to tell me about Singapore as if America isn’t also a brutal place with a militarized police.”

These lines of criticism ar en’t just fruitless but they won’t result in anything. They’re unnecessar y and extreme. Who cares if Roxane Gay is having a nice time in Asia? What’s the point in trying to make her feel like she shouldn’t enjoy herself?

Gay is not the only person who receives this kind of petty criticism, but she’s someone who calls it out when she sees it. These comments don’t add

anything to a conversation about social justice. Roxane Gay, as a writer, has actually fostered a great deal of real, fr uitful dialogue about inclusiveness and intersectionality.

Would a straight white male writer be given the same treatment if he dared to enjoy himself? Or is that treatment reser ved for queer black women?

Beyond that, these petty comments are almost always aimed at people who tr y to do actual, substantive work for marginalized identities. The people who don’t tr y are hardly ever held to any standard whatsoever.

These critics are just tr ying to pull a gotcha! moment and make public figures who actually care about social justice out to be hypocrites. Thinking about ever y single person all the time is an impossible standard, and insisting that someone does won’t actually fur ther any par ticular cause.

It’s just an ego boost for the critic to make them feel superior.

It’s impossible to consider ever y possible angle ever y time you speak.

T h a t ’ s u n n e c e s s a r y. S o m e t i m e s , like in the case of the Tokyo airpor t cleanliness, criticism doesn’t matter in the slightest and helps no one.

As Gay tweeted after criticisms about an article she wrote, “My work is not meant to be universal. My opinions don’t invalidate yours. And I don’t have to account for ever y reality in ever y piece. Inclusion and universality are not synonymous.”

Gay is right. Sometimes, things are meant to be specific, and not always about ever y single person. Even if you think they should be, that doesn’t require your needling commentar y on social media.

A public figure should be able to enjoy a trip across the world without every moment of their enjoyment being nitpicked for a “problematic” aspect.

Not ever y comment a person makes requires a victim.

COLUMN

Rodney Reed is innocent

R

odney Reed has Caroline Skoog been on Texas’ columnist booming death row for 22 years after an all white jury convicted him of the 1996 murder of Stacy Stites. Reed was scheduled to be executed on Nov. 20 despite a wave of evidence and updated testimonies in recent years that incriminate the case’s original suspect Jimmy Fennell, Stacy Stites’ fiance and a local police officer

at the time. On Friday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted Reed’s execution after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended reprieving Reed’s execution.

The case has garnered national attention, and Reed’s right to live is being defended by people both for and against the death penalty – abolitionists and Ted Cruz alike. The verdict essentially presents one of the primary arguments against capital punishment: the State is often wrong. Deliberately wrong, in this case.

Stacy Stites was found on the side of a road raped and strangled to death on April 22, 1996.

At the time she lived with her fiance, Fennell.

Rodney Reed became a suspect in her murder a year later after investigators identified DNA found on Stites’ body as Reed’s. Reed maintains the two were having a consensual affair.

Moreover, an affidavit from Charles Wayne Fletcher, another local officer and a friend of Fennell, indicates that in March 1996, Fennell told him that his wife was sleeping with a black man. However, Reed’s DNA served as the primary basis for his conviction; once again, a conviction decided by an all white jury.

Fennell served a 10-year prison term for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman while working as an officer in 2007. He plead guilty to kidnap and improper sexual activity.

While in prison, Fennell admitted murdering Stites to Arthur Snow, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, according to an affidavit filed by Snow. In the affidavit, Fennel also stated “I had to kill my n*****-loving fiance.”

Additionally, Stites’ decompositional fluids were found at the bottom of Fennells’ truck.

The State’s medical and forensic experts present in the 1998 trial have all repudiated their previous testimonies. Investigators never tested the murder weapon, a braided belt, for DNA evidence.

The case has been sent to the Texas appeals court for review of new evidence in a trial court.

Rodney Reed is innocent. His indefinite stay of execution is undoubtedly positive compared to death. But the 22 years he’s been wrongfully on death row is state-sponsored violence in and of itself. He shouldn’t have been in prison in the first place. An insurmountable pile of evidence exonerating Reed has sat at the feet of the judicial system for decades,

Minnesota Daily

Content Diversity Board Public Forum

and while it’s not too late to bar his execution, a court ruling can’t restore the 22 years stolen from an innocent person. The trial court’s decision determines Rodney Reed’s fate. The results will show the lengths to which the U.S. judicial system will go to justify and institutionalize racism. The State’s complete disregard for evidence, due process and societal context mean that Reed should’ve been walking free yesterday. Anything less than an acquittal is radical injustice.

The jury’s indefensible conviction, of course, is not an isolated incident. Reed’s 1998 trial is an artifact of an archaic, racist and fixed judicial system. As the justice system didn’t start outside of the context of the country’s race relations, its policies and practices do not protect people of color. The State has generations of blood on its hands, targeting, abusing and killing people of color. This context, the very foundation of U.S. ‘law and order,’ is why a government’s death sentence can’t be trusted.

Caroline Skoog welcomes comments at cskoog@mndaily.com

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.

Dec 6, 2019 2-4 pm The Memorial Union, Room 303

The MNDaily Content Diversity Board invites campus community members to a public discussion about diversity and representation in our coverage. The goal of the forum is for attendees to express their opinions and have conversations with board members and other Minnesota Daily representatives.

If you have any questions, please email contentdiversityboard@mndaily.com

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

7

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

MN DAILY

HOROSCOPES

Today’s Birthday (11/18): Abundant resources flow your way this year. Diligent communication, outreach and connection builds a profitable network. Earn a creative win this winter, propelling you to shift educational direction. Budget for an income shift next summer before your investigation hits pay dirt. Build for the future.

MNDAILY.COM

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Written by Nancy Black

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — Make future plans over the next six weeks with Mars in Scorpio.

Take profitable actions. Invest energy and time into growing your family nest egg.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is an 8 — Avoid reckless spending. Revise the budget to include important purchases. Cash flows with more intensity over the next six weeks with Mars in Scorpio.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 9 — Clean a mess at home. Put action behind your words in a partnership with Mars in Scorpio. Dance together.

Take turns taking the lead.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — You’re energized and feel spurred to take action with Mars in your sign. For about six weeks, focus on personal development. Use your power for good.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Focus physical energy on work, health and fitness routines for about six weeks with Mars in Scorpio.

Practice your moves for excellent performance.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 7 — It’s easier to decrease clutter with Mars in Scorpio.

Clean closets, garages and attics over six weeks.

Meditate in nature. Make long-term plans.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Cash flow increases. Actions speak louder than words over the next six weeks with Mars in Scorpio. Passions spark easily. Have fun with someone adorable.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Pull together for a big job. Anything seems possible for your team with Mars in Scorpio. Collaborate and coordinate efforts over the next six weeks.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 9 — Take charge.

Make repairs to your living conditions. Change domestic infrastructure over the next six weeks with Mars in Scorpio. Physical efforts get results.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Partnership flowers. Advance in your career. For about six weeks with Mars in Scorpio, move forward boldly.

Energize your professional endeavors.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 7 — Consider your plans. Take action on writing, publishing and communications projects over six weeks with Mars in Scorpio. Launch creative projects. Get the word out.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — Maintain healthy routines. Classes, seminars and conferences spark huge growth and development. Travel and explore over six weeks with Mars in Scorpio.

DR. DATE Dr. Date,

I went out with this girl last week who seemed like the perfect match. We had good chemistry, but most important, within the first thirty minutes, she insinuated we would end up at my place later. We had planned on a movie and drinks, so I decided to take her to this bar I go to pretty often. She’s 21, and I’m 20, so I pulled out my fake to buy us both a drink.

Well, apparently this bar has some new staff, because the server ended up calling over the manager to check my ID. I was trying to talk my way out of it from the beginning (yes, I pulled the “Dude, this is my real drivers license, how am I going to get home?!»), but all they did was tell me to call the cops if I really needed it back. Needless to say, this turned into a 20-minute encounter during which she sat on her phone, pretending she didn’t know me. I tried to salvage the date by ordering food, but they kicked us out after taking my fake and told us not to come back.

She immediately called an Uber home and told me maybe next time.

Dr. Date, I’m humiliated, but I did like her! How can I convince her that I’m worth a second date?

–Blarney Boy

Dear Blarney Boy,

YIKES. I’m sure it was embarrassing for you, but seeing you argue with management for 20 minutes was humiliating for her. To be honest, I don’t think you can salvage this one. You can always make a joke about hitting her up when you turn 21 (and text her the next day saying it’s your birthday), but don’t get your hopes up.

Dr. Date,

Every day I take the same train to downtown St. Paul for work, and every day I see the exact same guy. He’s always on the other side of the platform at the Prospect Park station, waiting to take the train into Minneapolis. And oh my god, is he hot. I can’t help but stare at him every time — I know nothing about him, but I have a feeling he’s my dream guy. He leans against the wall reading a book, what’s more attractive than that?

I want to go talk to him, but I’m always in a rush to go to work. Plus, it’s probably pretty weird to go up to someone and say, “Hey, I’ve been watching you for weeks, wanna go out?” So, how can I talk to my dream man without being too “Girl on the Train”-esque?

–Love on the Light Rail

Dear Love on the Light Rail,

It’s not the weirdest meet-cute I’ve heard. How about getting to the stop 10 minutes early and trying to talk to him?

Go up to him and say you don’t normally do this, but you think he seems really cool (bring up the book thing, maybe?) and you’d love to talk more sometime. If you’re super terrified, you could write him a note or something with your Snapchat or phone number listed. As long as you don’t come on too strong, it could be flattering? Just don’t force it if he doesn’t end up reaching out to you — at least you aren’t on the same train every day!

–Dr. Date

–Dr. Date

Dr. Date is a satirical advice column dissecting real-world situations. Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com

SUDOKU CROSSWORD

Last Issue’s Puzzle Solved Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

11/18/19

For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.

Last issue’s solution

© 2019 Michael Mepham. Distributed

by Tribune Media Services.

All rights reserved.

8

Monday, November 18, 2019

U educators discuss climate change Educators are finding new ways to communicate climate change data.

BY YVES DE JESUS yjesus@mndaily.com

For Kenneth Blumenfeld, climate change is more than just a conversation topic.

Blumenfeld, senior climatologist at the Minnesota State Climate Office, travels the state to engage with Minnesotans about the science of climate change.

“I think society has had this assumption that if you are trying to convince people of something, all you need are facts,” Blumenfeld said.

“It’s much harder than just standing at a lecture and yelling facts to an audience, then hoping that ... everyone goes home and changes their lightbulb.”

Scientists and educators at the University of Minnesota are finding ways to connect Minnesotans to the global conversation about climate change. This is part of an effort to explain its local impacts. University Extension, whose mission is to share research knowledge across the state, is trying to make climate change data more relatable.

According to a 2019 Yale University study on climate opinion across the United States, 66 percent of adults in Minnesota think global warming is happening. At the same time, 64 percent say they rarely or never discuss it as a topic.

The previous model of science communication focused on presenting facts as is with little context, said Joel Larson, an Extension leader at the University’s Water Resources Center.

“We can’t just get up there, present this information and expect people to understand,” Larson said. “We have to … contextualize to what they know.”

The majority of scientists do not receive any training in communication, which becomes a challenge when translating and presenting their research to the public, Blumenfeld said.

Part of the problem with talking about climate is localizing its large-scale impact,

Michael Schmitt, CFANS associate dean for Extension programs, poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8. Schmitt provides leadership for all extension program teams in the food, agriculture and natural resource area. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily)

Larson said.

“It’s really hard to conceptualize what a two degrees Celsius increase actually means,” he said. “Two degrees may not feel like a whole lot if you’re sitting in a room and the temperature rises, but it has a tremendous, tremendous impact … on the global scale.”

Connecting to Minnesotans Term-usage goes a long way in addressing the effects of a warming climate, said University Extension regional educator on soil and water quality Jodi DeJong-Hughes.

“I could talk about climate change and if I say that or global warming, it puts [farmers] on the defense — they quit listening,” DejongHughes said.

She said breaking it down in terms of money saved helps many understand why their choices are important.

“We show you can [farm] with two thirds of [fertilizer] and still get the same yield, and it saves you money,” she said.

Associate Dean of Extension Michael Schmitt, who oversees the agriculture side of Extension programming, is well aware of the political connotations of the phrase “climate change.”

He takes terminology into account when advising the Extension team.

“We want to go to the science that leads to the practices,” Schmitt said. “We sometimes did get into those debates and meetings [about terminology] and that’s not productive for us.”

Schmitt and the University’s Extension team have instead focused the conversation on climate adaptation.

“The research and education that we’re doing is how is climate change

affecting our water quality in the state? How’s it affecting invasive species?

How’s it affecting you as a homeowner?” Schmitt said.

Heidi Roop, an incoming climate communication specialist joining the University next July, is part of the group leading the conversation. Her job will consist of talking to communities, public officials and city planners about how climate change affects their daily lives.

For Roop, finding a common denominator with the audience and identifying shared values is just as important as communicating facts.

“I always try to provide globally relevant climate information and help people see why climate change matters to them in their daily lives,” Roop said.

Roop’s secret is interactivity in her workshops, presentations and talks.

“How I think we move

forward is actually allowing people to be part of a conversation about climate change, rather than be told what they should think, do or know,” Roop said. “If you don’t see yourself a part of the story, why are you going to add it to your list of things to be worried about?”

Public opinion and reactions Students and faculty have also picked up on the complexity of climate change communication, with some raising questions about its effectiveness.

Sophomore Alexys Wetzel said news on climate tends to be sensationalist in nature, which can impact how the message is delivered to the public.

“Fear is not the best way for them to understand what’s going on with the climate,” Wetzel said. “Because if they’re just scared,

ILLUSTRATION BY HAILEE SCHIEVELBEIN

then they’re not understanding ... what they can do as an individual.”

Mark Pedelty, a University professor who teaches environmental communication, said scientists should be mindful of the landscape in the conversation.

“I think one always has to be cognizant that they’re not putting out information in a vacuum,” Pedelty said. “There are strategic communicators out there that are very well paid in order to cast doubt on the consensus of climate science.”

Part of the issue is the lack of prominent figureheads in the field, said Joelle Van Gaalen, a graduate student studying horticulture.

“I don’t think that many scientists’ voices have gotten out into the public,” Van Gaalen said. “The people that I think are climate leaders and talking about climate are either journalists, activists or politicians.”

Roop has seen an increase in demand from young scientists wanting to learn more about the communications side of science.

“I’ve mentored a lot of young scientists who want classes [on how to convey their research],” Roop said.

“They want experiences doing this work. They want to build portfolios.”

While the responsibility falls on more than just researchers to stir up discussion on climate change, Roop sees big potential for the future of science communication.

“There’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of value added to the scientific endeavor by creating scientists who are more effective communicators,” she said.

Midday robbery in Marcy-Holmes The robbery, which occurred on Friday afternoon, is the second SAFE-U alert on a robbery sent out in November.

BY CAITLIN ANDERSON canderson@mndaily.com

A robbery occurred in Marcy-Holmes Friday afternoon, according to an all-campus alert.

The incident took place near 14th Avenue Southeast and Eighth Street Southeast at 3 p.m. Two

male suspects – one described as wearing acidwashed jeans and a blueand-white sweater, and the other described as wearing a grey hoodie pulled around his face – fled the scene in a white car. No other details about what occurred have been shared.

This SAFE-U safety alert is the second this week and third this month.

On Tuesday at 1:30 a.m., a sexual assault was reported near 7th Street Southeast and 12th Avenue Southeast, also in Marcy-Holmes. The alert listed two suspects. On Nov. 9,

a robbery by four to five suspects was reported in Dinkytown.

Earlier this week, the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association hosted its first safety committee meeting in response to a series of violent crimes in the past few months.

This is a breaking news repor t. More information will be added online as it becomes available.