CAMPUS & METRO
Two men caught stealing scrap metal
Sen. Klobuchar has proposed legislation to stop scrap metal theft. u See PAGE 5
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
SPORTS
The Kerry diaries
The Transition: Quincy Lewis
America’s new secretary of state has a complex job on the road ahead.
A member of the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team, Lewis now works as an associate development officer for Gophers athletics.
u See PAGE 7
u See PAGE 8
A.M. SNOW SHOWERS HIGH 25° LOW 10° U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 5, 2013
POLITICS
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
FINANCES
Obama brings gun law platform to Minneapolis
Campus banking to get look from feds. The U has a long-term agreement with TCF Bank. BY KIA FARHANG mfarhang@mndaily.com
ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY
President Barack Obama speaks in support of tighter gun control Monday at the Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center.
Relationships between universities and financial institutions, like the one between the University of Minnesota and TCF Bank, are being analyzed to see if they take advantage of students. While University and TCF officials say their relationship is fair to students, some students said they felt pressured to open a checking account with the bank during orientation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a release Thursday it would request information on how arrangements between banks and higher education institutions are structured. The request comes amid increased scrutiny over how banks and universities do business. In August, Higher One, a Connecticut-based company that handles financial aid disbursement, paid $11 u See U CARD Page 3
It’s the first time he’s brought his gun control message outside of Washington. BY ALEXI GUSSO
soon” in changing gun laws, in-
agusso@mndaily.com
cluding placing bans on assault weapons and implementing uni-
Amid a debate over a term-
versal background checks for gun
defining issue, President Barack
sales, something he said wasn’t “a
Obama made a brief trip to Min-
liberal idea or a conservative idea”
neapolis to meet with law enforce-
but a “smart idea.”
ment and elected officials Monday to push for tighter gun laws.
On his way out to speak, Obama shook hands with many
Speaking from the Minne-
representatives from state and lo-
apolis Police Depar tment Spe-
cal law enforcement, whose seats
cial Operations Center in North
formed the backdrop of the presi-
Minneapolis, Obama laid out his
dent’s speech.
“common sense” proposals for
“If we’re serious about prevent-
stricter gun control in the context
ing” tragedies like the Newtown,
of recent mass shootings.
Conn., school shooting and other
“We don’t have to agree on
shootings that occur ever y day,
everything to agree that it’s time
“then law enforcement and other
to do something. That’s my main
community leaders must have a
message here today,” Obama said.
seat at the table,” Obama said.
The president called on Con-
“They know what works, they
gress to “do its par t, and do it
know what doesn’t work and they
u See OBAMA Page 3
New complex aims for affordability BY KELSEY SHIRRIFF kshirriff@mndaily.com
MOVING UP?
THE CHANGING BUSINESS OF STUDENT HOUSING
There’s another apar tment complex springing up near the University of Minnesota, but it isn’t as high end as other new developments. The unnamed Dinkytown project will have 12 townhome-style units and is designed to be more affordable for students. The development, which will replace houses on the corner of 15th Avenue and Seventh Street, is slated to open in summer 2014. In light of the number of luxur y apartments popping up in the area, the MarcyHolmes Neighborhood Association is seeking more affordable housing options for students, according to association President Doug Carlson. “We would like to see more affordable housing, no question about it. Everything that seems to be getting built right now is pretty costly,” he said. “Nobody seems to be interested in building affordable housing.” The Minneapolis Planning Commission u See APARTMENTS Page 12
DIVERSITY
ENVIRONMENT
Lack of black students causes campus concern
U’s solar panels provide little energy BY HAILEY COLWELL hcolwell@mndaily.com
BY MEGHAN HOLDEN mholden@mndaily.com
As Minnesota ups its solar capacity, the University of Minnesota has no plans to expand its efforts. While the state has doubled its solar installations to 7,000 over the last two years and activated the largest solar electricity generator in the state, according to a Star Tribune article, the University only has two solar arrays on the Twin Cities campus. The largest one, a 38.4-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panel — which powers about 4 percent of the building — is located on the roof of the Univer-
The University of Minnesota’s small population of black students has been a cause of concern for some time. Of the fall 2012 Twin Cities campus freshman class of more than 5,000 students, 3.4 percent identified as black, causing students and community members to urge the University to take more action to diversify campus. Saron Theodros, communications sophomore and Black Motivated Women officer, said people notice her more at the University than at her high school, which she said was very diverse. u See BLACK STUDENTS Page 12
sity Office Plaza building, which houses the Minnesota Daily suite. The $230,000 ar ray came from a $1.35 million grant through the Minnesota Department of Commerce Of fice of Energy Security as par t of the Energy Innovation Corridor — a series of energyefficient projects along the Central Corridor light-rail line. Xcel Energy donated the other solar installation, located on the roof of Rapson Hall, to the University u See SOLAR Page 5 One campus array makes up 4 percent of its building’s energy.
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
Solar panels located on the University Office Plaza building create an estimated 38.4 kilowatts of solar electric power — about enough energy to supply five homes a year.
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 66
2
Daily Review
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1994
White supremacist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in the murder of African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers over 30 years after the crime occurred. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH
SLIDESHOW Vol. 114 Tuesday, February 5, 2013, No. 66
An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865 Copyright © 2013 The Minnesota Daily This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted. OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Cali Owings cowings@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and Editor-in-Chief (612) 435-2759 Morgan Hay-Chapman mhay-chapman@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and President Nathan Moen nmoen@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and Business Operations Office =
=
=
NEWS STAFF Katherine Lymn klymn@mndaily.com Managing Editor Lisa Bain lbain@mndaily.com Managing Production Editor Charlie Armitz carmitz@mndaily.com Sports Editor Sarah Harper sharper@mndaily.com A&E Editor Joe Kleinschmidt jkleinschmidt@mndaily.com Assistant A&E Editor Mark Vancleave mvancleave@mndaily.com Multimedia Editor Jenn Moe jmoe@mndaily.com Copy Desk Chief Claire Fenimore cfenimore@mndaily.com Assistant Copy Desk Chief Kelsie Klaustermeier kklaustermeier@mndaily.com Visuals Editor Josh Jones jjones@mndaily.com Chief Page Designer Kevin Burbach kburbach@mndaily.com Policy Editor Tony Wagner awagner1@mndaily.com City Editor Jill Jensen jjensen@mndaily.com Campus Editor Jeff Hargarten jhargarten@mndaily.com Web Editor =
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
More than 200 children showed up for Give Kids a Smile Day on Saturday at Moos Tower. Give Kids a Smile Day is an annual and national event where students, staff and faculty provide free oral health care to low-income children across the country. View the full slideshow and others online at mndaily.com/multimedia/slideshows.
=
=
=
WORLD BRIEFING
=
Beating, torture fuel sense Egypt police unchanged BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO — The video outraged Egyptians, showing riot police strip and beat a middle-aged man and drag him across the pavement as they cracked down on protesters. The follow-up was even more startling: In his first comments after ward, the man insisted the police were just tr ying to help him. Hamada Saber’s ac count, which he has since acknowledged was false, has raised accusations that police intimidated or bribed him in a clumsy attempt to cover up the incident, which was captured by Associated Press footage widely shown on
Egyptian TV. “He was ter rified. He was scared to speak,” Saber’s son Ahmed told The AP on Monday. Saber recanted his story on Sunday after his family pushed him to tell the tr uth and acknowledge that the police beat him. The incident has fueled an outcry that security forces, notorious for corr uption, torture and abuse under former President Hosni Mubarak, have not changed in the nearly two years since his ouster. Activists now accuse Mubarak’s Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, of cultivating the same culture of abuse as police crack down on his opponents. The outcr y was further
heightened Monday by the apparent torture-death of an activist, who colleagues say was taken by police from a Tahrir Square protest on Jan. 27 and held at a Cairo security base known as Red Mou n t a i n . Moh a mmed el-Gindy’s body showed marks of electrical shocks on his tongue, wire marks around his neck, smashed ribs, a broken skull and a brain hemorrhage, according to a medical report. Blatant abuses by security forces under Mubarak were one factor that fueled the 2011 revolt against his rule. The highly public nature of the new cases put new pressure on Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, which was long repressed by security
forces, to hold security officials responsible for any abuses. Egypt’s presidency said it was following up on elGindy’s death, adding that there will be “no retur n to violations of citizens’ rights.” The Interior Ministr y denied that el-Gindy was ever held by police. Morsi met with top police of ficials Monday, but the state newspaper Al-Ahram said the talks did not touch on the beating of Saber or elGindy’s death. The paper said Morsi told officers he understood they operate under “extreme pressure” in the face of protests and that he would work for a political resolution to ease unrest.
=
=
EDITORIAL STAFF Eric Best ebest@mndaily.com Editorials & Opinions Editor William Bornhoft wbornhoft@mndaily.com Senior Editorial Board Member =
=
BUSINESS STAFF Megan Grossardt mgrossardt@mndaily.com Sales Productivity Director Stacia Burtis sburtis@mndaily.com Advertising Production Manager Tyler Hamilton thamilton@mndaily.com Distribution Manager Dan Ries dries@mndaily.com Controller Nick Lundquist nlundquist@mndaily.com Retail Sales Manager Lisi Arnstrom larnstrom@mndaily.com Classified Sales Manager =
=
=
=
=
=
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Morgan Goronkin mgoronkin@mndaily.com Human Resources Manager =
Daniel Barnard dbarnard@mndaily.com Online Manager Justin Tan jtan@mndaily.com Information Systems Manager Justin Schlitz jschlitz@mndaily.com Marketing Communications Director =
=
=
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DAILY
Pakistani girl shot by Taliban appears on video BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — In her first video statement since she was nearly killed, a Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban remained defiant in arguing for girls’ education, saying Monday she would keep up the same campaign that led to her attack. Speaking clearly but with the left side of her face appearing rigid, 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai said she is “getting better, day by day” after undergoing weeks of treatment at a British hospital. “I want to serve. I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated. For that reason, we have organized the Malala Fund,” she said in the video, made available by a public relations firm. Malala drew the world’s attention when she was shot in the head by Taliban militants on Oct. 9 while on her way home from school in northwestern Pakistan. The Islamist group said it targeted her because she promoted girls’ education and “Western thinking” and criticized the militant group’s behavior when it took over the scenic Swat Valley where she lived. The shooting sparked outrage in Pakistan and many other countries, and her story has captured global attention for the struggle for women’s rights in her homeland. In a sign of her impact, the teen made the shortlist for Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2012. “Today you can see that I am alive. I can speak, I can see you, I can see everyone,” Malala said. “It’s just because of the prayers of people. Because all people — men, women, children — all of them have prayed for me. And because of all these prayers God has given me this new life. a second life.”
Canada begins phasing out its penny BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO — Canada started phasing out its penny, the nuisance coins that clutter dressers and cost more than their one-cent value to produce. The Royal Canadian Mint on Monday officially ended its distribution of pennies to financial institutions. Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced last year they were a nuisance and have outlived their purpose. While people may still use pennies, the government has issued guidelines urging store owners to start rounding prices to the nearest nickel for cash transactions. Electronic purchases will still be billed to the nearest cent. The government has said the cost of the penny exceeds its monetary value. Production is $11 million a year. The coins, which feature two maple leaves and Queen Elizabeth II in profile, will remain legal tender until they eventually disappeared from circulation. Opposition New Democrat Member of Parliament Pat Martin gave a poetic goodbye to the penny in Parliament on Monday. “There’s nothing a penny will buy any more, not a gum ball or small piece of candy,” Martin said. “Note the penny is a nuisance. It costs too much to make. They clutter our change purse and they don’t circulate. They build up in piles in old cookie jars under our beds and in our desk drawers. You can’t give them away. They cost more than what they’re worth. It’s time to put them all out to pasture, put them out to the curb. No, the penny is useless, but there is one thing I’d say, I hope they don’t start treating old MPs this way.” Google is marking the passing of the penny with a dedicated doodle on its Canadian home page. The currency museum at Canada’s central bank has already taken steps to preserve the penny’s place in Canadian culture.
EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST WEDNESDAY HIGH 31° LOW 23° Snow
THURSDAY HIGH 30° LOW 15° Cloudy
FRIDAY HIGH 29° LOW 23° Partly cloudy
SATURDAY HIGH 33° LOW 22° Cloudy
Freelance audio/video: Contact Multimedia Editor Mark Vancleave at mvancleave@mndaily.com. Letters to the editor: Email submissions to letters@mndaily.com Guest columns: Emails submissions to Editorials & Opinions Editor Eric Best at ebest@mndaily.com. All submissions are welcome, but there is no guarantee of publication. CORRECTIONS A page 4 article, “Norovirus spreads across nation” in Monday’s Daily was unclear about Centennial Hall’s dining hall procedure change. The switch from a buffet-style dining hall was temporary in the summer of 2008 in response to a norovirus episode. 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 through Thursday, during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 22,000 issues daily. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. One (1) copy of The Minnesota Daily per person is free at newsstands in and around the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Additional copies may be purchased for $.25 each. U. S. Postal Service: 351–480.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
3
Obama brings gun law platform to Mpls. Obama u from Page 1
know how to get things done without regard to politics.” Obama promoted the broader par ts of his gun proposals, including more mental health resources and more cops. He also stressed the importance of keeping assault weapons out of the hands of civilians. “Weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threatening our law enforcement of ficers,” he said. “Our law enforcement of ficers should never be outgunned on the streets.” Marsha Mayes, whose 3 - y e a r - o l d s o n Te r r e l l Mayes Jr. was killed in December 2011 by a stray bullet a few blocks away from the center, was in attendance and said she supports Obama’s plan. “I am interested in [Obama’s] gun control policies. I feel it does need to happen,” she said. “If ever ybody has to go through a background check, hopefully they star t finding these thugs on the street.”
U repped at roundtable
Before his public remarks, Obama held a private roundtable discussion on gun violence with Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, as well as local community leaders. University of Minnesota police Chief Greg Hestness
was also in on the roundtable discussion representing University police. One of the primar y topics of discussion at the roundtable was mental health and its relation to gun violence, Hestness said. He added that mental health is a topic he feels ver y passionate about, and he appreciated the opportunity to speak at the meeting. “The oppor tunity to speak your mind and listen to the president directly is pretty rare,” he said. “He spoke some, but he listened mostly.” Hestness talked about the University’s commitment to mental health and how challenging it can be to monitor behavior in a large student body. “A lot of people say, how could people have missed the behaviors of [SeungHui Cho] at Virginia Tech, and the University of Minnesota is twice the size of Virginia Tech,” he said. “So we work pretty hard to not miss those things.”
Why Minneapolis? The White House picked Minneapolis as the backdrop for Obama’s remarks in par t because of recent steps the city has taken to tackle gun violence, including a push for stricter background checks. Violent crime in Minneapolis peaked in the ’90s and decreased relatively slower than in other U.S. cities. In Minneapolis, 80 residents ages 15 to 24 died by homicide from 2003-06, making it the leading cause of death for the group. Since then, the city has passed several initiatives
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
President Barack Obama waves goodbye to the crowd at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station before departing for the Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center to speak on gun control Monday.
aimed at decreasing violence among youth and in certain neighborhoods. The center where Obama spoke is located in the Four th Police Precinct, where police seized an average of a gun a day last year, according to a Star Tribune ar ticle. It is also located a few blocks from where 5-year-old Nizzel George was shot and killed in his house during a gang dispute. Last week, Minneapolis police Chief Janeé Har teau, who introduced Obama on Monday, and Hennepin County Sherif f Rich Stanek visited the White House to discuss gun control. They met
ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY
President Barack Obama greets law enforcement officers after his speech on gun control Monday at the Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center.
with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Holder, among others. Stanek, a strong suppor ter of the Second Amendment, was also present for the roundtable discussion Monday. He expressed concern about the effect that gun control can have on reducing violence and instead emphasized t h e n eed f or i mpr ov ements in the backgroundcheck system. “Gun ownership isn’t a privilege, it’s a right guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said. “We have an access problem; people already prohibited by law from owning or buying a gun should never
have access to firearms. We shouldn’t impose on the rights of law-abiding citizens to tr y to solve this problem. Gun control alone will not solve the complex problem of guns and extreme violence.”
At the Capitol Obama’s visit marks the beginning of a week of similar gun-related conversations at the Minnesota state Legislatur e. This week, state lawmakers are slated to address a number of gun regulator y bills, including one introduced late last week by Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, which would ban assault weapons and exces-
sive ammunition clips. Legislators will also discuss a bill penned by Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, requiring universal background checks for all pistol and assault weapon purchases in the state. Rep. Tony Cornish, RVer non Center, has conversely proposed loosening campus gun laws and allowing students and faculty members to conceal and carr y handguns. Cornish hasn’t formally proposed a bill but has said it’d be unlikely to pass. —The Associated Press and Minnesota Daily reporter Jake Stark contributed to this report.
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
President Barack Obama salutes as he exits Air Force One with U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken on Monday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station.
Campus banking to get look from feds. U Card u from Page 1
million in settlem e n t s to 60,000 students. The company overcharged them with multiple fees from single transactions, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. TCF doesn’t handle the
TCF BANK
BY THE NUMBERS
$35 million AMOUNT TCF BANK PAID FOR
NAMING RIGHTS TO TCF BANK STADIUM
36,331 NUMBER OF ACTIVE U CARD
CHECKING ACCOUNTS AS OF MAY 31, 2012
about $1 million AMOUNT TCF PAYS TO THE U EACH YEAR IN ROYALTIES
2023 YEAR THE CURRENT U CARD
AGREEMENT WILL EXPIRE, UNLESS A SIX-YEAR EXTENSION IS CHOSEN
$34.00 AMOUNT TCF WILL PAY TO THE
U FOR EACH U CARD CHECKING ACCOUNT ACTIVE IN 2013
$200,000 AMOUNT TCF PAYS ANNUALLY TO BENEFIT U CARD MARKETING ON CAMPUS
SOURCE: PFUTZ LETTER, U CARD ROYALTY AGREEMENT, U NEWS PRESS RELEASE
disbursement of financial aid at the University, said Richard Pfutzenreuter, the University’s chief financial officer. But the CFPB is concerned that banks and universities may pressure students into ar rangements that ser ve them more than students. “Less is known about how [this] market works, like how schools enter these agreements,” said Rohit Chopra, the CFPB’s student loan ombudsman. The University has a contr actual agr e e m e n t with TCF that extends through 2023 with an optional six-year extension, according to a June letter Pfutzenreuter sent to University administrators. In 2005, the agreement was renewed when the bank donated $35 million for the right to name the football stadium. The University receives a royalty payment from TCF based on the number of active U Card Checking Accounts, the letter said. In June, the University was receiving $1 million per year. Pfutzenreuter said the University will welcome any advice outside agencies can give. He also said he would provide information to the bureau upon request. “Once they ask, it’s wide open,” Pfutzenreuter said. The inquir y won’t affect the University’s re-
lationship with TCF, said Jason Korstange, a TCF spokesman. “Ours is a ver y open relationship with the University of Minnesota,” he said, “and we expect to continue it for a long time.” Students, faculty and staf f have the option to tie their U Cards to a separate checking account managed by TCF. The U Card Checking Account provides a number of conveniences, like free checking and access to 21 campus ATMs, but it’s not required, the letter said. About 36,000 U Card Checking Accounts were active as of May 2012. Michaela Mahin, a food science freshman, said she didn’t open a U Card Checking Account although she felt pressured to do so at freshman orientation. “It was highly pushed,” Mahin said, “like you should do this, you need to do this.” TCF allocates $200,000 to the University annually to market the U Card, according to the royalty agreement between the two parties. Those funds go to incentives, such as the sweatshir ts provided to students who open an account. The U Car d Check ing Account is presented to students as an option during the first day of orientation, according to a statement from the U Card
Office. Grace Rexroat, an ecology, evolution and behavior freshman from Kansas, said she likes keeping a TCF account in addition to the one she uses at home because it forces her to budget. However, Rexroat added there “was a lot [of mar-
keting] at orientation and in the mail. … They were selling it hard.” Michael Houston, a marketing professor and associate dean in the Carlson School of Management, said he believes the inquir y could be helpful to students. “Anything that better
informs [students] about financial problems they’ll encounter is helpful,” Houston said. Korstange said TCF welcomes any review of its arrangement with the University. “We will continue to follow all the rules regulators set for us,” he said.
4
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Federal debt could affect U, students Students across the country are competing to raise awareness. BY CODY NELSON AND T YLER GIESEKE cnelson@mndaily.com tgieseke@mndaily.com
Josh Nelson attends the University of Minnesota full time. He also works 50 to 60 hours each week, in hopes of graduating with less than $15,000 in debt. But doing so could soon become harder. In light of substantial federal debt, some University of ficials speculate higher education will undergo sizable cuts in areas like research and student aid. In response, students across the countr y are competing to raise awareness on the debt crisis. The University’s immediate concern is the possible 5 percent cuts to many federal programs when the American Taxpayers Relief Act of 2012 expires in March, said Channing Riggs, director of University government relations. Two common sources of federal student aid — Pell grants and Staf ford loans — could be hit hard. The Pell grant provides up to $5,550 in aid to students and doesn’t need to be paid back. Eligibility for the grant is based on financial need and academic status. Funding for the Pell grant program is secured thr ough 2013, but legislation to provide further funding hasn’t been passed. Although Pell grants are exempt from possible sequestration cuts in March, Riggs said, state funding and other federal student aid programs like work study aren’t. University of Minnesota students received more than $345 million in stu-
dent aid in 2012, according to school data. Cuts to need-based aid could have “catastrophic” ef fects on the University since there’s no recover y plan, Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Education Bob McMaster said. “It’s lost revenue,” he said. “[Pell grant cuts] would result in students having to borrow more.” The Stafford loan could soon go through changes as well. Qualified students can receive more than $50,000 in Stafford loans over four years but have to pay the money back with interest. The interest rate on Staf ford loans is 3.4 percent through June 30, but without congressional action, the rate will double beginning July 1. Although it’s unclear where budget cuts will be made, Riggs said reduced federal funding to the state could also af fect the University. “One of the things we can’t anticipate is: If sequestration happens, how will we be affected by federal funding to the state?” she said. “[Cuts] will be hard not just for the University but for many Minnesotans.” T win Cities resident Peter Christodoulou, who’s taking a University class through a program for senior citizens, said he thinks government resources are mismanaged and that higher education should be more accessible. “The way we treat our future leaders is disgusting,” he said.
‘Up to Us’ Students at 10 colleges and universities across the countr y are competing to raise student awareness on these issues through a six-week program called “Up to Us.”
HIGHER EDUCATION SPENDING
BY THE NUMBERS
57.7% OF THE UNIVERSITY’S
RESEARCH FUNDING CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN FY11
3.4% CURRENT STAFFORD LOAN INTEREST RATE
6.8% STAFFORD LOAN INTEREST
RATE BEGINNING JULY 1, WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
$345 million STUDENT AID GIVEN BY THE UNIVERSITY IN 2012
$5,550 MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF AN
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Robert McMaster, second from left, responds to questions about the fiscal cliff and its effect on the University of Minnesota during a panel discussion Wednesday at Coffman Union.
INDIVIDUAL PELL GRANT
$10,000 AWARD TO WINNING UP TO US TEAM
SOURCE: VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION BOB MCMASTER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UP TO US
But students aren’t advocating specific solutions to the debt, said Hamid Poorsafar, leader of the the University of TexasAustin’s Up to Us team. “We’re pushing working together,” he said. “You’re not going to get ever ything you want.” The team at the University of Minnesota is planning three events examining the ef fect of the debt crisis on students, the state and the countr y, team leader Conrad Zbikowski said. The winning team will receive $10,000 from Up to Us partners.
Research cuts University of ficials are also concer ned federal budget cuts related to the fiscal clif f will af fect research funding — about $35 million is expected,
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Finance senior Abby Huebsch asks the panel about future tuition increases Wednesday at Coffman Union. With state and federal funding in question, many students are uncertain about their financial futures.
Riggs said. The National Institutes of Health, the top funder of University research, already had its budget slashed, along with many other research agencies like the National Science Foundation.
In an attempt to avoid fur ther cuts to research, the University is tr ying to show its wor th to Minnesota’s congressional delegates in Washington. Riggs said she tries to show delegates that University employees and stu-
dents are “good stewards” of federal funding. “My goal is that all 10 members of the Minnesota delegation understand that [research funding and student aid] are really critical to our success,” she said.
U students ‘Imagineer’ their way to the finals The team went to Disney headquarters for five days. BY REBECCA HARRINGTON rharrington@mndaily.com
Walt Disney Imagineers design and build rides, restaurants, experiences and shows for parks, cr uise ships and resor ts worldwide. University of Minnesota students pretended to be Imagineers in the 22nd annual Disney ImagiNations competition. The team — made up of two College of Science and Engineering students and two College of Design students — was the University’s first to make it to the finals and placed in the top six out of 180 teams last week. This year, the challenge was to design an experience — be it a ride, restaurant or vacation idea — set in a city where Disney doesn’t yet have a presence. The University students chose Rio de Janeiro and came up with “Cores Brasileiras.” In the attraction, riders sit in a pod that takes them through the streets and scenery of Brazil.
As finalists, the team went to Walt Disney Imagineering headquar ters for five days to meet Imagineers, visit Disneyland and inter view for paid internships. Ar ya Adiar tha, a sustainable design graduate student; Isaiah Bergstrom, a mechanical engineering senior; James Cosper, an interactive design graduate; and Lucas Kaeding, an electrical engineering senior, made up the team. Steven Varela, the Imagineer mentor for the team, said the mix of design and engineering expertise gave the students an edge. “They were able to elaborate a very complex story to a ver y diverse group of judges from both a design and engineering standpoint,” he said, “which is very difficult to do.” Varela was on an ImagiNations team in 2009 and has been helping out with the competition as an Imagineer since. Kaeding, who made it to the semifinals of the competition last year, said he wanted dif ferent viewpoints on this year’s team so its project would be multifaceted. Bergstrom said other universities consistently place in the competition
year after year, and he wanted the University to do the same. Cosper agreed, saying the University needed more “intercollegiate collaboration” like this. Adiartha said the most important thing he learned from the project was how to speak the different “languages” of design and engineering. W h e n t h e t e a m d esigned the project, Bergstrom said they brainstormed at coffee shops for hours at a time. “That was really one of the neatest and most frustrating parts of the project,” he said. “Ver y slowly, we started to … put together the stor y, which was then iterated throughout the next five months.” Bergstrom warned that it was “way more than a side project” because they put so much work into it. But the work was worth it, team members said. “This is something that requires a lot of commitment and dedication,” Varela said. “Every little bit of effort that you put into this project reflects how committed and dedicated you are to joining us and creating these fantastic places.” Ever yone on the team agreed: just getting to the finals was reward enough.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
5
Two men caught stealing scrap metal Sen. Klobuchar has proposed legislation to stop scrap metal theft. BY JAKE STARK jstark@mndaily.com
Two men were arrested for stealing scrap metal from a construction area near Frontier Hall on Wednesday
POLICE REPORT
morning, according to a University of Minnesota police report. University police stopped the two suspects, who are not affiliated with the University,
in their vehicle at Frontier Hall, according to the report. Both suspects were held at the scene but released after being cited for misdemeanor theft. Taking any type of metal, even scrap metal, from someone else’s property is illegal, University police Chief Greg Hestness said. “You never want a theft to take place,” he said. “But you
especially don’t want it when it holds back a project that is publically funded.” The multiple construction projects around campus have made the area a target for people looking to steal scrap metal, Hestness said. Several brass monuments were stolen from Scholars Walk one night last year. He added that scrap metal is an attractive target for
thieves because it’s very profitable and difficult to track. “A piece of scrap metal doesn’t have a serial number on it,” he said. “So they can sell it, and there are scrap metal dealers who will purchase them.” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has proposed a bill in Congress to combat scrapmetal theft. The Metal Theft Preven-
tion Act would make it a federal crime to steal metal from critical infrastructure, such as railroad equipment. It would also require recyclers who buy more than $100 of metal to pay by check, making it easier to track sellers. The bill hasn’t passed yet, but Klobuchar told the Star Tribune she expects it to get through the Judiciary Committee this year.
University’s solar panels provide little energy Solar u from Page 1
after it was removed from the Science Museum’s Science House in a renovation. It generates less than half as much energy as the other array. Since its replant on Rapson’s roof, the solar array has been used for research and teaching, although few teachers have taken advantage of it, said Shane Stennes, sustainability coordinator for the University. The University Of fice Plaza building was chosen for the larger array, Stennes said, because it was a relatively new building close to the Central Corridor that has south-facing exposure. “It became the clear choice for where to put the array,” he said. Though the University Of fice Plaza building installation was originally expected to generate about 3.6 percent of the building’s electricity, the panels have consistently produced at least 4 percent, Stennes said. “They’ve been kicking out a lot more electricity than we expected,” he said.
Mechanical engineering senior Michael Hillger said he appreciates the University’s existing solar efforts but thinks more installations should be made. “It’s good that the University is doing some sort of solar,” Hillger said. “There should be more done, but the little that they have is definitely a good thing.”
The Twin Cities vs. Morris
While the University has received some recognition for its ecological efforts, the University of MinnesotaMorris often outranks the Twin Cities campus in sustainability. In 2012, the University received a silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an organization that tracks conser vation in colleges and universities. Morris received a gold rating. Mor ris has three solar installations on or near campus, one of which heats about half of a research building. Another installation is at ground level and allows students to study changes in solar output throughout the day, said Troy Goodnough,
Morris’ sustainability coordinator. In addition to solar installations, the university has one wind turbine and a gasification facility that uses agricultural products to produce up to 80 percent of campus heating needs. “Our campus is working to produce more energy than we consume from renewable energy sources,” Goodnough said. Morris’ energy goals include becoming 90 percent climate neutral by 2015. The University of Minnesota’s goal is to reduce emissions to 50 percent by 2021 and reach climate neutrality by 2050. Stennes said the University has no specific plans for future installations. “We’re always looking for oppor tunities to bring more renewable electricity to campus,” he said, “but we want to do it in a way that makes sense from a logical standpoint … in terms of being economically feasible and appropriate.” The University has looked into installing a vertical wind turbine, which would produce less energy than the Morris installation but would work better in an urban environment, Stennes said.
“We haven’t found the appropriate application for that yet,” he said, “but it’s something that we continue to look at and think about in terms of bringing renewable energy to campus at a local level.”
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SOLAR INSTALLATIONS UNI
VER
SITY
The cost of efficiency Biomedical engineering senior Chelsey Shoup said the University is making progress on renewable energy considering the dif ficulty of installing renewable energy systems in the city, where there’s little room for more ef ficient generators like wind and geothermal systems. “They don’t have a lot of options to choose from in terms of renewable energy,” she said. Shoup, who researched renewable energy on campus with University Facilities Management in summer 2011, said though the University’s current installations contribute little to its overall energy use, the University is making progress in solar. “It doesn’t seem like two is a lot for such a large campus,” she said, “but it’s really hard to get something like that to be allowed in a university where budgeting and money is so
AVE
NUE
SOU
THE
AST
WASHINGTON AVENUE
Rapson Hall
University Office Plaza
donated to the University by Xcel Energy; formerly installed on the Science Museum’s Energy House in St. Paul use: Primarily for teaching and research
installed through a grant from the Department of Commerce; part of the Central Corridor light rail’s Energy Innovation Corridor use: Powers approximately 4 percent of building
type of system: Solar PV description: 15 kW system
type of system: Solar PV description: 38.4 kW system
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 2011-12 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
tightly regulated.” Minnesota Renewable Energy Society managing director Laura Cina said she gives the University credit for making an effort to install solar panels on campus, but it has hardly installed enough to support a small business’s electricity or heating bill. “It’s not in any way, shape or form even making any kind of dent in reducing the amount of pollution that
they are causing from their fossil fuel base,” Cina said. She said the installations would be a much more effective teaching tool if they were visible to the public — like Morris’ educational solar patio. The University should make more efforts to generate solar energy on campus, Cina said. “It’s kind of meaningless if it’s enough to cover 1 percent of your use.”
6
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
A&E EDITOR
Sarah Harper (612) 627-4070, ext. 3237 sharper@mndaily.com
ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Joe Kleinschmidt (612) 627-4070, ext. 3198 jkleinschmidt@mndaily.com
RADIO K TOP 7
ONLINE
1. Toro y Moi “Say That” 2. The Growlers “One Million Lovers” 3. Foxygen “San Francisco” 4. Yo La Tengo “I’ll Be Around” 5. Norwegian Arms “Wolf Like a Stray Dog” 6. Beach Fossils “Careless” 7. Marissa Nadler “Constantine”
WWW.MNDAILY.COM/AE
CORRECTIONS
errors@mndaily.com 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414
FASHION
The Fashionista is in: your personality, your pout TAKE OUR QUIZ TO DISCOVER THE SHADE OF LIP COLOR SUITABLE FOR YOU. PROCEED WITH CAUTION: IT INVOLVES KARAOKE AND LIQUOR. BY SHANNON RYAN sryan@mndaily.com
A
pplying a lip color can do more than simply boost hydration and inject vitality to the pout; it acts as a window for the public to peer inside the mind and personality of the wearer. When selecting a shade, the infinite array of choices can be daunting. Star ting with a narrow idea of what hue suits you and your livelihood is a pleasant way to approach the bench of sheens, crèmes, mattes and stains.
Question 1:
When singing karaoke, which is your go-to song? A. Amy Winehouse “You Know I’m No Good” B. Gwen Stefani “Hollaback Girl” C. Joni Mitchell “All I Want” D. M.I.A. “Bad Girls”
Question 2:
What’s your most cherished magazine? A. Nylon Magazine B. Rolling Stone C. Vogue D. Marie Claire
Question 3:
What is your boozin’ locale of choice when going out with your crew? A. Kitty Cat Klub B. Cowboy Jack’s C. Liquor Lyle’s D. Icehouse
Question 4:
When seeking fashion advice online, which is your must-browse blog? A. Cupcakes and Cashmere B. The Man Repeller C. The Sartorialist D. Fashionising.com
Question 5:
If ordering java, what’s your usual poison? A. Caramel macchiato B. Vanilla latte, skim C. Coffee, black D. Espresso
Question 6:
Which of these sites do you visit most frequently? A. The Hairpin B. Buzzfeed C. Jezebel D. xoJane
Key:
(1.) A. 3 B. 1 C. 3 D. 2 (2.) A. 2 B. 2 C. 3 D. 1 (3.) A. 2 B. 1 C. 3 D. 2 (4.) A. 1 B. 2 C. 1 D. 3 (5.) A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 2 (6.) A. 3 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3
10 points and below:
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain, Smitten A delightful shade of poppy pink suits you and your tastes best. It goes on as a balm instead of a lipstick, hydrating your pucker with ever y subsequent application. The packaging is an amusing plumped up crayon of waxes and pigments, making it easy to apply without a mirror; minimum risk of lookin’ clown-faced involved. It’s a delight to those who are playful, pleasant and full
of panache and seeking to communicate that to others.
11-13 points:
Lancôme Rouge In Love, 146B Miss Coquelicot A tangy, brilliant shade slightly of f the reddened path is divine for you. It’s a punchy alternative to the classic red while still being a member of the family. This fier y color is a fine choice for those with a palette whet by setting the bar for what’s the latest hot item to have in your bag.
14-16 points:
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet, 39 La Somptueuse Elevate your classic, rich and fine taste to new heights with this sumptu-
ously soft matte lipstick from Chanel. A brick red shade applied to the lips makes you look demure and chic, imparting a certain element of curiosity to your well-dressed pout. This shade is en pointe for any upscale darling with a less-than-ostentatious craving for the spotlight.
17-18 points: up
M.A.C Lipstick, Hang-
Vampy and deep, this shade takes you down new alleys, feeling like a Jane Austen novel come to life. With a flush of just-eaten berries stained to the lips, it’s an unrivaled hue for the ultra daring and risky business-seeking woman to paint on and allow others a peek at what’s behind your eyes.
MUSIC
Emo-philiacs unite THE CARTOONISH EMO PHILIPS IS UNAPOLOGETICALLY AT HOME WITH HIS OWN INADEQUACIES. BY SPENCER DOAR sdoar@mndaily.com
E
mo Philips, the falsetto-voiced, awkwardly bowl-cut comedian of ’80s fame, is the exact same man-child who, at 56, continues to wow audiences “I don’t really have a demographic — that’s a problem with me,” Philips said. “I have eight fans in ever y demographic — I have eight Chinese truck drivers and eight Lebanese window glazers — I’m impossible to market.” Philips has permeated pop culture to the point where his jokes are oft heard coming from the mouths of others and not the meandering, awkward per for mer who penned them. A prime example of this is his joke that illustrates the schisms between Christians over apparently minor religious tenets during a suicide standof f on the Golden Gate Bridge. That has been repeated over time without credit and was recently voted the No. 1 God joke by a Christian humor magazine. “It’s funny because I’ve heard that preachers will do that Golden Gate Bridge joke in their acts — or what do you call it, a sermon — but they don’t credit me,” Philips said. “I think preachers are used to thinking that a lot of written stuf f is not written by man, that mentality that wonder ful prose comes down the pipe without an author.” His disembodied pres-
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMO PHILLIPS
Philips’ persona is equal parts weird and endearing.
ence is also manifested in his recent work as the voice of Cuber on the animated Car toon Network show “Adventure Time.” Despite his apparent innocence, his phrasing is reminiscent of a cute grandpa but laden with darker undertones. But for all of his oddities, Philips does, as he mentioned, have a sort of everyman appeal. “[My jokes] are like some kind of Rorschach
test,” Philips said. As is the case with many clowns, there appears to be lingering pain informing his stand-up. Perhaps his formative years in Chicago-land continue to influence his performances. “I heard Richard Pr yor say once in an inter view that he would get out of a lot of beatings through his sense of humor; he would make the bullies laugh, and they wouldn’t hur t
him,” Philips said. “I was just funny enough to get the bullies angr y at me. But I was not quite funny enough to get out of the beatings.” The impression of normality, for all of its evidence, is hard to buy into when watching Philips per for m. His body language is that of a baby discovering its senses and motor functions for the first time, while his enthusiasm possesses the
same wonder of a toddler’s laughter. “I grew up in a ver y nice, kind of ‘Leave It to Beaver’ community,” Philips said. “It was an advantage to me because it gave me a ver y normal background.” While his stunted adolescence may correspond to the “Leave It to Beaver” analogy, Ward, Wally, June and the Beav didn’t have anything close to an Emo Philips in their lives.
WHAT EMO PHILIPS WHEN 8 P.M, TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY; 8 P.M. AND 10:30 P.M., FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WHERE ACME COMEDY CLUB, 708 N. FIRST ST., MINNEAPOLIS COST $15 AGES 18+
Editorials & Opinions www.mndaily.com/opinion
The Kerry diaries
America’s new secretary of state has a complex job on the road ahead. ohn Kerr y, the former Democratic Sen. from Massachusetts, has a tough job in front of him as the new secretary of state. The new secretary’s foremost priority should be to allocate the Bureau of Diplomatic Security access to the type of resources they need to protect our ambassadors on foreign soil. To his credit, Kerry was on top of the recent U.S. Consulate bombing in Turkey, making phone calls and official statements. Kerr y shouldn’t allow himself to be bullied the same way Hillary Clinton was by the Republican leaders who capitalized on an unfortunate situation and indulged in the blame game even on her last day on the job. If there is a sign of the partisanship ahead for Kerry, this is it. Kerr y’s job doesn’t come with the same kind of baggage that was loaded upon his predecessor. When Clinton stepped in as secretar y of state, she was tasked with a lot of dam-
HEMANG SHARMA columnist
age control. We were involved in two wars, had only a handful of contributing allies and faced constant foreign threats. Kerr y has to adopt more of a transitional approach as the United States’ go-to guy overseas. The world has seen a chain of events in the last four years that makes his job more complex but not necessarily more difficult. All he has to do is observe and adapt before he reports to the commander in chief and the American people. The Middle East is no longer an al-Qaida ally. The Arab Spring has brought the hopeless youth of regions that were war-torn and under draconian dictatorships closer to democracy than they have ever been. Countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, etc., have governments and leaders that are realizing that they have to step up and
crawl into the 21st centur y along with their Western counterparts, as far as rule of law is concerned. Kerry has to be the guy that sends the message that the United States stands with them. Kerry’s stroll through the Middle East isn’t entirely a cakewalk. Syria has hundreds of people dying each day. The new Israeli administration, allegedly the most conservative one in a long time, combined with the Palestinians and seemingly maniacal Iranians is not a stew Kerry wants to see cooked. Kerry should realize that maybe twisting Iran’s arm isn’t the right thing to do, and perhaps counseling the leaders of these three countries separately would help maintain peace in the world. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the epicenter of the anti-U.S. hatred and Islamic jihad. Kerry should tell the Pakistani prime minister, given that he isn’t arrested on the active corruption charges, that the U.S. will have no more of the “friends with no benefits” situation where they, the Pakistanis, continue to harbor terrorists. The same speech should be repeated in Kabul, ensuring the
DEATHS IN IRAQ: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 4,802 — IRAQI CIVILIANS: 111,005- PLUS DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 3,245 — AFGHAN CIVILIANS: UNKNOWN
Afghan government that the U.S. will not offer any more aid and support, especially after we leave officially next year, or 10, depending on which side of the bed President Barack Obama wakes up on. In the Americas, Kerry has to reach out to the Mexican government, not only about working with their U.S. counterparts to establish an immigration policy that benefits both nations, but also about the drug violence that has claimed numerous lives along the border. With Canada, Kerry has to follow through on the Keystone XL Pipeline Project and make sure that the talks reach the White House and policies are made that ensure resources but in an environmentally friendly way. Kerr y needs to make it clear to the world that the U.S. will no longer be manipulated and lied to. No longer will we make unusual alliances and cut ties with anyone who aims to jeopardize the peace and security of the U.S. and the world. Hemang Sharma welcomes comments at hsharma@mndaily.com.
EQUALITY
The Boy Scouts bigotry policy The BSA should cease their anti-gay exclusion rule.
O
Maxwell Smith welcomes comments at msmith@mndaily.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Wind energy myths The Feb. 4 letter to the editor by longtime wind energy opponent Rolf Westgard, “Poor energy decisions,” recycled previously refuted myths. Wind energy has already proven a reliable energy source by providing significant amounts of electricity across major parts of the U.S. Iowa produces more than 20 percent of its electricity from wind, and wind energy recently provided more than 25 percent of the electricity being used across 11 Midwest states, including Minnesota. The regional grid operator, Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc., commented, “Wind represents one of the fuel choices that helps us manage congestion on the system and ultimately helps keep prices low for our customers and the end-use consumer.” A 2012 report from Synapse Energy Economics found that wind energy can save the average Midwestern household up to $200 per year. In 2011, wind power contributed 12.7 percent of Minnesota’s electricity generation, supported up to 3,000 jobs and contributed $8 million in land-lease payments. Data and analysis from utilities, the government and independent utility system operators confirm that adding wind energy displaces large quantities of fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide pollution. That’s because when the wind is blowing, the electricity generated displaces the output of the most expensive, least efficient power plants. In Minnesota, as wind grew
7
The Editorials & Opinions department is independent of the newsroom. The editorial board prepares the editorials labeled “EDITORIALS,” which are the opinion of the Minnesota Daily as an institution but not representative of Daily employees’ opinions. Columnists’ opinions are their own.
EDITORIALS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
J
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
from providing less than 4 percent of the state’s electricity in 2006 to almost 10 percent in 2009, electric sector carbon dioxide emissions fell by more than 10 percent or 4 million tons. Utility operators accommodate gradual and predictable changes in wind output with the same tools they use to deal with fluctuations in electricity demand as well as sudden outages of large fossil and nuclear power plants, which are far more costly to deal with. Despite critics’ spin, the facts demonstrate that wind power is a vital component of an “all-of-the-above” national energy policy.
ther because sales fall as a result. Businesses are instead forced to provide the same service at a lower cost — that means more self-ser vice and fewer job opportunities for the same people the Legislatur e wants to help. The evidence backs up the intuition: 85 percent of the most credible economic research on the minimum wage from the last two decades points to job loss following a wage hike.
Michael Goggin American Wind Energy Association Address
Big Tobacco uses many strategies to target young adults in hopes they’ll become lifetime customers. Thanks to Minnesota state Sen. Kari Dziedzic, who represents the campus area, one of their favorite strategies may be going away. Currently, little cigars, which are almost indistinguishable from cigarettes and just as deadly, are taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes, making them cheaper and more appealing to kids. Dziedzic’s bill would change this by making sure these products are priced the same way as cigarettes to help keep them out of kids’ hands. I’m proud of our state lawmakers coming together for this bipartisan effort of putting kids’ health before politics.
We should not increase minimum wage
The news that the Minnesota Legislature plans to increase the state’s minimum wage by almost 30 percent to $9.38 is cause for concern, not celebration. The proposal may appear beneficial, but the actual effects of such a hike will be fewer opportunities for less-skilled jobseekers in a state where nearly 20 percent of them already can’t find work. Businesses that hire entr y-level employees and pay them minimum wage — restaurants or grocer y stor es, for example — keep 2-3 cents in profit from each sales dollar and can’t just absorb the increase. Raising prices on cost-conscious customers typically isn’t an option ei-
Michael Saltsman research director Employment Policies Institute
Taxing little cigars
Tyler Cowart University student
ver the past few years, the Boy Scouts of America, a historic youth development organization, has received hefty criticism for its policy RONALD that gay members DIXON cannot par ticipate columnist within the group. They affirmed this stance seven months ago but will decide in a national council meeting if the organization will reform the policy. Some prominent conservative figures, such as former BSA member and Republican Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, are against the liberalization of the organization, declaring that the group should not meld to the changing “popular culture.” I strongly disagree with Perry’s view that BSA should not side with the times. In fact, I favor the stance that President Barack Obama declared last Sunday, saying that, “… gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life.” Contrar y to the belief among BSA and its donors, gay people are people as well, and they should not face bigotry in a group meant to develop America’s young minds. The youth that form BSA are adapting faster to the shifting moral zeitgeist of society than their conservative board members. For example, a nationwide protest led by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation took steam shortly after the forced removal of Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian den leader of her son’s Ohio Scout pack. These calls to action, though, fell deaf to the conservative board. The fact that the leadership of BSA is trying to push their bigoted views down the throats of their members, as well as placing bars amongst certain segments of the population, shows the insensitivity of the group, as well as the indoctrination that they attempt to promote onto their current members. Any form of indoctrination is a form of child abuse. If BSA doesn’t adapt to the changing moral climate, then they will become irrelevant in the very near future. Finally, BSA should break their tradition of exclusion and promote a policy that accepts everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Ronald Dixon welcomes comments at rdixon@mndaily.com.
Keeping guns off campus
Allowing students to carry guns would create a more dangerous campus.
M
onths after last year’s tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementar y School in Newtown, Conn., it appears the nation’s dialogue concerning guns and the push for more regulation is here to stay long term. On Monday, President Barack Obama came to Minneapolis to speak about gun violence and to garner public support for Congress to take action and work to curtail gun violence. There is strong opposition to passing additional gun laws, and some lawmakers at both the state and federal level support giving citizens more freedom to purchase and carry weapons. One such lawmaker is Minnesota state Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center, who plans on introducing legislation that would allow “anyone who is 21 years old and has a handgun permit to carry a gun on campus” according to an article published in the Minnesota Daily last week. Concerned that the University is inadequately prepared for a mass shooting, Cornish said that “the only policy the University of Minnesota has right now is ‘run, hide and die.’ ” While we appreciate Cornish’s concern for campus safety, his assertion that an armed student body makes a safer campus is simply false and ignores well-documented research on the health risk of gun ownership. An article published in MinnPost last year clearly outlined how “if you have a gun, everybody in your home is more likely than your non-gun-owning neighbors and their families to die in a gun-related accident, suicide or homicide.” It’s easy to see how similar risks would be increased at the university level. There is also little evidence that more gun ownership deters crime or stops it while in progress. University students and faculty have a right to not be subjected to the health risks of more guns on campus. The state Legislature should leave campus safety to the University police.
Evaluating a college education Prospective students shouldn’t place much weight on postgraduate earning reports.
A
fter years of sharp increases in college tuition rates across the nation, it’s no surprise that institutions of higher education are looking for new ways to market themselves to potential degree seekers. In order to attract students, colleges and universities must make an effort to prove that the money an undergraduate pays in tuition proves to be a worthwhile investment. One way to do this is to publicize post-graduation earnings of alumni. A bill in Congress right now called The Student Right to Know Before You Go Act “would require all colleges and universities to disclose the average cost of each program, students’ accumulated debt and post-graduate earnings,” the Minnesota Daily reported on Jan. 31. Public universities receiving federal funding currently must report similar information to the U.S. Department of Education, but this bill would make these reports public. Providing prospective students with this information may indeed prove to be helpful when deciding if and where to go to college. However, it’s important to be mindful that the role of four-year colleges and universities is not limited to equipping students with whatever job skills the current market is in demand of. Posting the earnings of alumni may not be beneficial in creating a college atmosphere where students are encouraged to broaden their horizons and take classes in a variety of fields and subject matter. While landing a job that provides a good income is important, there are many other factors to consider when evaluating the level of an education at a specific college or university. Publicizing graduate or professional school placement would be more applicable to potential students; because earnings are based on myriad and often unrelated factors, the dollar signs a prospective freshman sees on a website may very well not be the reality he or she faces four or more years later.
LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS
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. Readers may also submit guest columns. 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
Look for online exclusive columns at www.mndaily.com/opinion.
@mndailyopinions
EDITOR IN CHIEF CALI OWINGS = EDITORIAL EDITOR ERIC BEST = SENIOR EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER WILLIAM BORNHOFT = BOARD MEMBERS CASSANDRA SUNDARAM, JONATHAN MORRIS
8
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sports
@MNDAILYSPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
THE TRANSITION
what comes next for student-athletes
A member of the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team, Quincy Lewis now works as an associate development officer for Gophers athletics. BY ANDREW KRAMMER akrammer@mndaily.com
Randy Handel remembers the first time he walked the parking lots of TCF Bank Stadium. It wasn’t the high-arching entranceways or the vibe of football back on campus that cemented the memory in fall 2010. It was his colleague and friend Quincy Lewis. “The guy’s a rockstar,” said Handel, an assistant athletics director at the University of Minnesota. “He had people coming up left and right, and I can assure you they weren’t coming to see me.” Lewis, a Gophers basketball star in the late 1990s, returned to his former stomping grounds full time when he was hired as an associate development officer for Gophers athletics in November. The Little Rock, Ark., native and Handel joined the athletics department in June 2010, and both have since been promoted from their intern and interim labels, respectively. “It’s the same excitement as when I was a freshman [in 1995],” Lewis said. “I’m just fortunate enough I get to do it at a place I love.” Lewis was a part of the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four run. His histor y with Gophers athletics and his local fame are unparalleled to most members of the department — a main reason he was hired as a fundraiser. “When Quincy walks around, people recognize him,” said Jerr y Broeckert, a donor and eight-year season-ticket holder for Gophers basketball. “They go up to him and ask him for
pictures and autographs.” The 35-year-old Lewis sports a smile as he chats up fans in the Williams Arena Club Room before basketball games, but his involvement in Twin Cities’ athletics expands far beyond Gophers hoops. Lewis also splits his time between being an assistant basketball coach at De La Salle High School, a commentator for Fox Spor ts Nor th and a 1500 ESPN contributor.
Spark plug Lewis’ path back to the University began more than two years ago with an internship with the Golden Gopher Fund . But his regional fame was cultivated 15 years ago through four years as a forward on the men’s basketball team, which he helped lead to two NCAA tournaments and a National Invitation Tournament championship. Lewis was known during his first two years as a spark plug of f the bench. He scored 15 points as a sophomore reser ve in the Gophers’ Elite Eight victory over UCLA in 1997. R yan James, cur rent assistant coach at Minnetonka High School and a Gophers student manager in the late 1990s, said Lewis would’ve been a four-year starter in most programs. “I’ve never seen a guy work as hard as Quincy,” James said. “A lot of people would complain, ‘Why is he coming in for Sam Jacobson?’ and I’d say, ‘[Because] he works his tail off; he deserves to.’ ”
Jacobson was an NBA first-round draft pick after the Gophers’ Final Four run in the spring of 1998. As a senior, Lewis led the Gophers to another NCAA tournament appearance in 1999 while leading the Big Ten with 23.1 points per game. His 1999 tour nament r un was cut shor t when the St. Paul Pioneer Press released a story the day before the opening round that exposed one of the worst academic scandals in collegiate sports history. A slew of players had upward of 200 academic papers written for them by a former office manager. Lewis was not one of those players, but the weight of the scandal had taken the air out of another postseason run. “Quincy was a calm, controlled person at all times,” James said. “But his response was probably like the rest of us — just shock.” The NCAA forced Minnesota to vacate all wins from 1993-99, but the memories remain for longtime fans. “The phantom Quincy that played here is back,” Broecker t joked. “People still remember.” The Utah Jazz selected Lewis as the 19th pick of the 1999 NBA draft. He played three years in the NBA with minimal impact and fizzled out of the league.
Player to fan He bounced around with three international teams until 2009. Lewis has been anything but a bust as a fundraiser for Gophers athletics. The men’s basketball team hasn’t been nationally relevant since Lewis’ time in the program. But this season, Minnesota has made a name for itself — ranking as high as No. 8 in the nation — in the same year its former hero returned to the
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
Former Gophers basketball player Quincy Lewis served as a liaison for alumni during Minnesota’s game against Iowa on Sunday at Williams Arena. Lewis, who played on the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team, was hired as an associate development officer for Gophers athletics in November.
department full time. “It’s a tough deal for me,” Lewis said, “because I have to step away from being a player and actually be a fan.” Though his celebrity status has helped him raise money for the department, Lewis doesn’t credit his name to the reason he got the job. “It’s nothing but luck,” Lewis said. “The stars aligned.” But his colleague in fundraising doesn’t dismiss the
WOMEN’S GOLF
Women sit sixth after first day
CHRISTOPHER SELLECK, DAILY
Minnesota golfer Carmen Laguna practices putting Tuesday at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. Laguna, now a sophomore, was the Gophers’ top performer in the fall.
Play was suspended during the second round due to darkness. BY NICKALAS TABBERT ntabbert@mndaily.com
The Gophers women’s golf team shot 37-over par in the opening day of the Hurricane Invitational on Monday in Coral Gables, Fla. Minnesota is in sixth place out of 16 teams competing in the 54-hole event. The Gophers were unable to finish the second round due to darkness. Teams will finish their second rounds Tuesday morning before starting the third round. Minnesota trails Big Ten conference rival Iowa by four shots. Texas State leads the tournament with a team score of 17-over par. Banchalee Theinthong leads the Gophers in 15th place. The junior shot 5-over par in her first round and used three birdies in five holes on the back nine to shoot even par through 14 holes in her second round. Car men Laguna, the Gophers’ top performer in the fall season, is tied for 23rd at 8-over par. She shot 4-over par in her opening round and has the same score in her second round with three holes remaining. Sarinee Thitiratanakorn is tied for 38th at 12-over par, and Anna Laorr is tied for 42nd and is one shot behind. Jackie Shepherd is tied for 53rd with five holes left in her second round. Minnesota’s Taylor Quinn is participating as an individual and will not count for the team score. She is 67th and has three holes left in her second round. The Gophers will compete in five tournaments this spring before the Big Ten championships. Minnesota improved over the course of four tournaments last fall, finishing third in its last two tournaments.
impor tance of Lewis’ history in Gophers hoops. “[Fans] already know him,” Handel said. “Now he’s going to turn that around and get to know them.” While Lewis works behind the scenes, some of his ideas have already been displayed on the forefront. In mid-Januar y, the then-No. 9 Gophers took on then-No. 5 Michigan in one of the most anticipated games in recent Minnesota
basketball histor y. Handel said Lewis approached him in December long before anyone knew how big the game would turn out to be. Lewis suggested a young violinist — a child of a couple who donates to the department — perform at the game. “He said it was going to be a huge house and something dif ferent,” Handel said. “That was all ‘Q.’ He’s got innovative ideas and is off to a fast start.”
//FROM OUR BLOG MEN’S BASKETBALL
Gophers move up five spots in AP poll BY SAM GORDON sgordon@mndaily.com
UPON
FURTHER
The Gophers moved up five spots to No. 18 in Monday’s Associated Press top-25 poll after victories over Nebraska and Iowa at home in the last week. Minnesota’s No. 23 ranking last week was its lowest since the team was unranked in the Nov. 19 poll. The Gophers (17-5, 5-4 Big Ten) had lost four straight games before last Tuesday’s win against the Cornhuskers. Indiana reassumed the top spot in the poll. The Hoosiers knocked off then-No. 1 Michigan 81-73 on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind. Michigan slid down to the No. 3 spot, replacing Indiana. No. 10 Ohio State and No. 12 Michigan State round out the Big Ten teams in the top-25. The Gophers play at Michigan State on Wednesday and at Ohio State on Feb. 20.
REVIEW
@dailyinthebarn
MEN’S HOCKEY
Minnesota remains No. 1 in both polls BY DREW CLAUSSEN dclaussen@mndaily.com
Taking a weekend off didn’t affect the Gophers hockey team’s position in the national polls. Minnesota (18-4-4, 10-4-4 WCHA) is ranked No. 1 for the sixth straight week in both the USCHO.com poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey poll. Six other WCHA teams joined the Gophers in the USCHO.com poll — No. 7 North Dakota, No. 8 St. Cloud State, No. 9 Denver, No. 11 Minnesota StateMankato, No. 14 Nebraska-Omaha and No. 19 Wisconsin. Minnesota will return to action this weekend with a two-game series against St. Cloud State at the National Hockey and Event Center in St. Cloud, Minn. @dailyontheice
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Classifieds RATES PER LINE/DAY • PREPAID: $2.70, BILLED: $3.10, CREDIT CARD: $2.70 To place a Classified linage ad, call: 612-627-4080 or email: classifieds@mndaily.com To place a display ad, call: 612-435-5863 For billing questions, call: 612-627-4080 *$60 minimum billing Linage hours: M-F, 9 – 5 E-mail address: classifieds@mndaily.com Classified Sales Manager: Lisi Arnstrom 612-435-1562
The Minnesota Daily must approve all ad copy, and reserves the right to request text changes, reject or re-classify an ad. The advertiser is responsible for the truthfulness of their ad. Advertisers are also subject to credit approval. Corrections are accepted until 2:00 pm, Mon.-Fri., by calling 612-627-4080. To cancel an ad call 612-627-4080. In order to insure proper credit, cancellations must be made by 1:00 p.m., otherwise the ad will appear in the following day’s paper and be charged accordingly. Prepaid ads will be refunded by mail or in person if cancelled before the end date. Please check the ad carefully after its first run, linage will not be responsible for any errors after that. The Minnesota Daily discourages sending credit card information through e-mail.
EMPLOYMENT $$$Bartending$$$ Up to $300/Day No Exp Nec, Training available. Age 18+ OK. 1-800-965-6520 xt114
HOUSING
CLASSIC CITY APTS Dinkytown/Stadium Village AVAIL FALL 2013 Rooms, Studios 1 BR, 2 BR, 5 BR Units OPEN HOUSES Check our website at WWW.classiccityapartments.com for Dec/Jan Dates & Times. 5BR/2BA Lofts incl 46 inch TV starting at $2700/mo. Call 612-623-1888 for appt. Email info@classiccityapartments.com WHY share a room when you can stay in an apt for around same price???
Studios and 1 BR, avail ASAP, Crpt, A/C, ldry, sec, pkg, $660 and up, heat pd 612-237-6941. www.uofmhousing.com
HOUSING ST. PAUL
Sandy Hill Apartments Large 2 br, large patio and gar, heat incl, www.sandyhillapartments.com, 651-775-0511
DUPLEX & HOUSE DINKYTOWN
*Now Renting For Fall* The Lodges of Dinkytown Gorgeous 5BR 2BA unit laundry. Off st pkg. Starting at $630/BR. www.dinkytownrentals.com or 612-378-2413
Rent now for fall. The last of the big kahunas!!!! 528 14th Ave. 9BR+ $650/BR all util paid. www.dinkytownrentals.com or 612-378-2413
Events HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IN THE DAILY? The Minnesota Daily now promotes events in the new Events section for free. If you would like your event promoted here, go to mndaily.com/contact and fill out the provided form.
UPCOMING EVENTS WHAT: Downstream/Upstream Art Gallery opening WHO: Institute on the Environment WHEN: Noon-1:30 p.m., Wednesday WHERE: Institute on the Environment commons, Room 350 PRICE: Free Downstream/Upstream is an art exhibit on preschooler and kindergartner perception of the urban water cycle. This is the grand opening of the IonE Art Gallery.
WHAT: Art Reception: Carnival/Solemnity group exhibition WHO: Featuring Erik Olson’s work using recycled plastic shipping waste WHEN: 5-8 p.m, Friday through Feb. 23. WHERE: Flow Art Space, 308 E. Prince St., Suite 218, St. Paul PRICE: Free See Erik Olson’s work on the carnival of colors and consumption that surround our packagedfood choices. Parking is free after 5 p.m.
WHAT: Quita Mitos WHO: Teatro del Pueblo WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14-16; 2 p.m., Feb. 17 WHERE: Intermedia Arts, 2822 S. Lyndale Ave., Minneapolis PRICE: General $18; students/seniors $15; Groups of 10+ $12 Celebrate Latina women with Teatro del Pueblo for the second show in their Latina Feminista Series: Women at a Crossroads, as they present Quita Mitos by new playwright Tanya Saracho.
Featured Student Group HAVE A STUDENT GROUP YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IN THE DAILY? The Minnesota Daily now promotes student groups in the new Student Group section for free. If you would like your student group featured, email studentgroup@mndaily.com with contact person, contact phone, contact email, student group name, group description, and a photo if possible (limit 250 characters). Don’t have a photo? Contact us in advance to take your group photo.
The Minnesota Daily Classifieds page is now a service for student groups. Student groups can promote themselves for free in the featured section. Featured student groups run for one week and are published on a rolling submission basis. This page is independent from the Minnesota Daily’s editorial content and is operated by the advertising staff. The subject matter, for wording, illustrations and typography of featured groups are subject to approval by the Publisher. Any content that attacks, criticizes or demeans any individual, race, religion, sex, institution, firm, business, profession, organization or affectional preference shall not be accepted.
9
10
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
BACKTALK
horoscopes
sudoku
Complete the grid so each row, clumn and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.
2/5/13
Monday’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
Today’s Birthday (2/5): Social fun and partnership thrive for the first half of 2013. Consider family when making career decisions with long-lasting implications. Keep delivering on your promises. The spotlight is yours.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Written By Linda C. Black
Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is a 9 — You’ll get great insights from your dreams. Use them to plan your direction, and anticipate some resistance. Expand your creativity.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 9 — Shop very carefully now. Develop necessary processes before proceeding with projects. Listening works well over the next month.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 7 — Friends offer good advice. Also, you may find a way to earn more without increasing work. Make sure you know what’s required.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Don’t behave as if you’re made of money, even if you are. For about three weeks, you really understand people. Listen to intuition.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Intuition inspires your work. Check out new career options. Don’t overlook anybody to avoid jealousies. Join a good team. Travel’s good, too.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 9 — You can afford it; set your sights high. You’ll have a strong nesting instinct; clean, sort and organize. Discuss core goals with your family.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Allow others independence as you free your own imagination. Your thoughts wander a lot these days. Take advantage of the moment.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 7 — Friends and lovers may compete for attention. Look at it from another perspective. Your curiosity is aroused. Surprise each other.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Maintain your finances with savings. A task that strengthens your home strengthens you. Evaluate resources.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Do the job yourself, or make more money doing something else and hire somebody. Just get it done. Find what you need nearby.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — Go with a creative leader. Your partner has a lot to say. Don’t believe everything you learn. ... They’re just “guidelines.” Offer encouragement.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — You’re exceptionally perceptive for the next few weeks. You inspire others, and they tell you so. Speak out, and voice your point of view.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
crossword
overheard
FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 5, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Guy: “When in doubt, act like a wild animal.”
—Smith Hall
Professor: “Students might assume that I’m loose. I don’t mean that kind of loose. ... I mean that I’m flexible.”
—Bell Museum auditorium
Professor: “How many men do you think want a woman who achieves multiple orgasms?” Female student: “Every man.” Male student: “Not the lazy ones.”
—Nicholson Hall
Professor: [Answering classroom phone] “I told you never to call this number.”
—Unknown
Professor: “If I had said 20 years ago that our top-three candidates for president were a black man, a Mormon and a woman, they would have taken my Ph.D. away.”
Guy 1: “Guns don’t kill people. Ray Lewis kills people.” Guy 2: “Guns don’t kill people. I kill people. With guns.”
—Unknown
Girl: [Wind howling outside] “The Dementors are coming for us!”
—Blegen Hall
Girl: “So you don’t have a gun?” Security escort: “No.” Girl: “You don’t have a phone?” Escort: “No.” Girl: “Not even a flashlight?” Escort: “... No.” Girl: “What kind of guard are you?”
—Wilson Library
Guy 1: “It’s way too cold out.” Guy 2: “When Macklemore said ‘cold-ass honkies,’ this is not what he meant.”
—Coffman Union
—Blegen Hall
“Pretty soon I’m going to strip you naked and baptize you in the bathroom!”
—Middlebrook dining hall
What did you overhear? 4Post submission son the “Overheard at U of M” Facebook group. 4Visit mndaily.com and look for the “Connect with the Daily” box on the homepage. 4Email submissions to overheards@mndaily.com.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Iraq’s main port 6 Nonspecific feeling 10 Ukr. and Lith., once 14 Find repulsive 15 Waffle maker 16 Be on the mend 17 Dine 19 Hathaway of “Les Misérables “ 20 Afrikaans speaker 21 Creator of Q and M 22 Chicks together 23 Back muscle, familiarly 24 Commonly controlled substance 27 ’50s flop 29 His #4 was retired by the Giants in 1948 30 Social suffix 31 Sink below the horizon 33 Public hanging 34 Pontiac muscle cars 35 Roy Orbison classic 39 __ even keel 40 Glasgow veto 41 Shelley’s “To a Skylark,” e.g. 42 Reunion gp. 43 D.C. figure 44 Inviting door sign 48 1967 Human BeIn attendee 53 Gardner of the silver screen 54 Country bordered by Niger and Nigeria 55 Binary digit 56 WWII British gun 57 __ Grey tea 58 Awe-inspiring place where you might find the ends of 17-, 24-, 35- and 48Across? 61 “__ sow, so shall ...” 62 Sword with a bellshaped guard 63 Upper body 64 “So __ say” 65 River down under? 66 English Derby site
2/5/13
By C.C. Burnikel
DOWN 1 Go on and on 2 Like an American in Paris 3 Some linens 4 Howl with laughter 5 First animal shelter 6 Like superpopular YouTube clips 7 Goodnight girl of song 8 Fluffy wrap 9 Terminate 10 Broken piece 11 Title for Miss Mexico? 12 Deserted 13 Big hammers 18 Cartoonist Keane 22 Lunch menu letters 24 Robert of “The Sopranos” 25 Like many gangster movies 26 When tots become terrible? 28 “Pardon the Interruption” channel 32 Opera hero, often 33 Gobbled up
Monday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
34 FBI guys 35 Being walked, say 36 Deli order 37 After-shower powder 38 Pigged out (on) 39 Quirky 43 Ink holder 45 Volga region natives 46 “Yeah, but ...” 47 Hit-or-miss
2/5/13
49 __ Post, first pilot to fly solo around the world 50 Sweetie pie 51 Book end? 52 “Life of Pi” director Ang 56 Sow’s supper 58 Four-time All-Pro Patriots receiver Welker 59 Choose (to) 60 Numbered hwy.
Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.
dr. date Dr. Date,
I have chosen to not become Facebook friends with new guys I meet that I date. I want to get to know them in person for a while, and then if it doesn’t work out, I don’t have to remain fake friends with them online or go through the pain of defriending them. Am I setting myself up for failure, though? Do the guys think I’m hiding something if I keep my profile private and don’t want to be their friend online until I know them better?
—Mysterious Mary
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary,
How does your web presence grow? First of all, the Doc would like to commend you for stepping away from the glowing screen, giving your tired eyes a rest and leaving the trolling to those obviously more desperate. Well done. As a pro in the internet information game, I can fairly say that I know things now that, if I had only had your courageous resistance, I would have been happy never knowing. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that gentlemen love a little mystery? You are an elusive technology-free maiden! My guess is that these boys will assert your lack of cyber acceptance. If they do, point out that it’s your personal policy to leave romantic follies off the Internet — simple and direct. Being the diehard cyber-stalker that I am, I want to warn you dear Mary, the picture of innocence: You have nothing to hide, but these gentlemen who court you may. I would at least do a drive-by of their social media (sans friend request or follow) just to be sure.
—Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
Can guys and girls be friends? I’m not talking about just seeing someone in class or even going out with mutual friends. I mean staying up talking until 3 a.m. about random stuff that comes up. This guy and I are frequently talking, and it’s great. I’m just getting out of a bad relationship, and he says he isn’t looking for one, so we seem to be on the same page. I’m just wondering if we can be genuine friends or if he just wants to hook up with me?
—Plato
Platonicus Relationshipius,
Your question is very complicated. The answer to it is straightforward once a certain piece of information is gleaned. IS THERE SEXUAL TENSION? If so, advice à la “When Harry Met Sally” can tell you as well as I can the answer to your question. “Men and women can never be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” Game over. He wants you in a way that you don’t want him. For a platonic friendship to continue, both of you should think of the other like a sibling. He can put his arm around you. You can cry on his shoulder about your bad relationship. It should be a little weird when you sit close together on a crowded futon, and the image of tongue kissing should never even enter the picture. Platonic friendships are important and healthy. This guy can give you perspective that no one else can. He can tell you why jeggings aren’t attractive and how texting your longtime crush isn’t the end of the world. Once you find him, hold on tightly. He’s one of a kind.
—Dr. Date
Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.
11
12
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Lack of black students causes concern Black students u from Page 1
“If I’m not in class [then] ever yone notices because it’s easier to notice me in a classroom than a Caucasian person,” Theodros said. She also said she knows many students of color from her high school that didn’t go to the University because they didn’t want to be looked at differently. Freshman Hamza Musse agreed. “Growing up in a public school, there was a fair amount of African-Ameri-
cans there, so when coming to the [University], I would have expected the same diversity,” said Musse, who is one of six black men in the Huntley House — a Living Learning Community for AfricanAmerican men at the University. The Huntley House reaches out to first-year black men to provide them with a support system. Patrick Troup, coordinator for Huntley House and director of retention initiatives for the Office for Equity and Diversity, said he thinks the program has been successful so far, and he hopes the house will
have more men next year. “We need to do more recruiting to entice students to think of the [University] as a place they want to continue their education,” Troup said. Despite the ef for ts of campus organizations, some students said they feel the University should be doing more to increase the number of black students on campus. “They’re not doing as much as they can,” said Eskender Yousuf, communications junior and a co-chair of the Black Student Union. “They should be saying ‘We should figure out a way to help engage African-
American students and bring them in,’ ” Yousuf said. Theodros agreed but said the r esponsibility doesn’t fall entirely on the University. “I feel like it has a lot to do with the high school educational system,” Theodros said. In response to low African-American high school graduation rates in the Twin Cities, the University has star ted taking initiatives to narrow the achievement gap. University President Eric Kaler is on the co-chair for Generation Next — a Twin Cities par tnership-
based organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap. “Our job is to find out what really works in terms of getting kids ready for college and invest our resources into that,” said Michael Goar, executive director of Generation Next. The Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence’s Kids on Campus program organizes University visits for elementar y and middle school students. Kids on Campus Coordinator Tex Ostvig said the program tries to engage community youth by letting them see what it’s like to be a college student.
“We really tr y to spark the curiosity,” Ostvig said. Inner-city schools in the Twin Cities area are becoming more proactive when it comes to getting kids ready for and excited about college, he said. After visiting campus, many students say they want to go to school at the University someday, Ostvig said. Yousuf said black students also have a responsibility to recruit. “It’s upon our shoulders to engage more with our culture,” Yousuf said. “We have to go out and grab those students so we can help lead the legacy.”
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS 106 WOMEN
4.5%
of students at the University of Minnesota are African-American
82 MEN
188 students African-American freshmen
1,242 students African-American non-freshmen
596 WOMEN
572 MEN
SOURCES: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA NEWS SERVICE AND GOPHER ATHLETICS
New complex aims for affordability Apartments u from Page 1
approved the project proposal in Januar y, despite the MHNA’s requests for a higher-density project. The group was looking for an 8- to 10-stor y building, but land owners thought it would be too expensive. Tim Harmsen, co-own-
er of Dinkytown Rentals, said the monthly cost of bedrooms in the project would range from about $630 to $650 each. It’s cheaper than other new developments, for example, Doran Companies’ The Bridges, where rent will range from $900 per month for a studio to $2,000 for a two-bedroom unit. “We want to provide a
quality product at a more normal price, a reasonable price,” Harmsen said. “Not at eight or $900 a bedroom.” Ward 3 Councilwoman Diane Hofstede said having a range of housing options is important, but the city doesn’t have much of a say. “Cer tainly I think that housing should be af fordable, but the developers
own the land, [and] they can develop whatever they want to,” she said. Haila Maze, a Minneapolis city planner, said that it’s city policy to encourage a wide range of housing, but the city ultimately has no control over what developers come up with. “We’re sor t of obser vers,” she said. “As the city, we have no control over the rents.” Because luxur y apar tments for students have ha d s o f e w v a c a n c i es , Maze said, developers keep building them.
Wa r d 2 C o u n c i l m a n Cam Gor don said in a Januar y inter view with the Minnesota Daily that he’s worried students and their parents may be accr uing debt in order to live close to campus. “I have a concern that we’re now kind of merging the college debt somehow with the housing market and housing debt,” he said. Still, $650 may be too much for some students. Ross Chicantek, a senior who lives in MarcyHolmes, said he might
have to move away from campus after graduation because rent is too high. “I just don’t have the funds to pay $600 a month,” he said. “I’d have to go somewhere else.” W ith the pr oject focused on mid-level pricing, developers may pay more attention to less luxurious units, Maze said. “The hope is at least that with these units coming, there will be other opportunities in the neighborhood to have the more moderate-priced ones,” she said.