CAMPUS & METRO
CAMPUS & METRO
Kaler talks MOOCs, Legislature and gun control
Merit raises increase tension, some say
u See PAGE 3
u See PAGE 3
Peer ranking determines many faculty members’ raises.
He will give his State of the University address Thursday.
CLOUDY HIGH 37° LOW 24°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
WEDNESDAY
CAMPUS & METRO
University research park plan revisited
The 1.6 million-square-foot facility would replace an industrial site in Prospect Park. u See PAGE 4
FEBRUARY 27 2013
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Gophers pull off historic upset
The Gophers beat a No. 1 team for the first time since 1989 in their 77-73 win over Indiana. BY ANDREW KRAMMER akrammer@mndaily.com
Fans lined the border of Williams
which wanted desperately to see the Gophers beat a No. 1 team for the first time since 1989.
Arena’s raised court with seconds
They got their wish, as Minneso-
remaining in Wednesday’s game
ta upset top-ranked Indiana 77-73 be-
against Indiana, pushing the security
hind a career night from sixth-year
guards who tried to stop them.
senior Trevor Mbakwe.
The final minute, slowed by 11
“This is awesome,” University
free-throw attempts, only height-
sophomore Clint Neumann said.
ened the sense of anticipation for
“This is what the fans come to see
the sellout crowd at Williams Arena,
every week.”
u See BASKETBALL Page 6
A new bill could allow general alcohol sales at Mariucci and Williams arenas. u See PAGE 5
REGENTS
Committee names 4 U regents BY ALEXI GUSSO agusso@mndaily.com
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
A right to party
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
Two incumbents, two newcomers were recommended to join the board.
Fans storm the Williams Arena court after the Gophers upset No. 1 Indiana 77-73 on Tuesday. It was Minnesota’s first victory against a No. 1 team since 1989.
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
A joint committee of legislators recommended four candidates to ser ve on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents on Tuesday night. After a long evening of deliberation, the higher education committees from the state House and Senate chose two newcomers and two incumbents out of the nine candidates. The committee endorsed regent veterans Dean Johnson and Linda Cohen along with Peggy Lucas and Abdul Omari to be chosen as the new regents. The full Legislature will make the final appointments next week. The recommendations aren’t final but indicate likely selections. In a three-hour hearing, the committee deliberated on the 5th Congressional District candidates for nearly two hours. After the first round of voting, Minneapolis businessman Er tugrul Tuzcu received no votes while
housing developer Peggy Lucas and CEO of New Asia Par tners Dennis Nguyen split majorities in the House and the Senate, calling for a second round. Tuzcu did not go on. After two rounds, the committee still hadn’t reached a decision as both candidates had a majority in either house. After a 15-minute recess, the joint committee voted a fourth time, and Lucas received a majority of votes in both chambers, securing the committee’s recommendation. Lucas said she would continue to meet with legislators over the next week to further secure the position. “I don’t think I can take a break, I have to keep going. But it will be a lot easier with the endorsement,” she said. Rep. Ben Lien, DFLMoorhead, who is currently ser ving his first term, said that the process was “ver y interesting” to be a part of. “It was a back and forth meeting because they are all good candidates,” he said. In a shor ter and more streamlined process, the joint committee voted to recommend Abdul Omari for the at-large position reu See REGENTS Page 10
VISAS
Bipartisan bill would provide more work visas Sen. Klobuchar, D-Minn., is behind the legislation to increase H-1B visas. BY JANICE BITTERS jbitters@mndaily.com
A bill moving through Congress could allow more international students to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation. For Mark Schneider, as-
sociate director of employment-based visas at the University’s International Student and Scholar Ser vices, that’s a big deal. “We’ve got over 5,000 international students that graduate with bachelor’s degrees, masters or Ph.D.s, and there’s not enough [work visas] out there for them to work in the country,” he said. The bipar tisan Immigration Innovation Act of
HIGHER EDUCATION
Debating the value of a college degree Some say a college degree is the new high school diploma — everyone’s got it. BY KIA FARHANG mfarhang@mndaily.com
Greg Pillsbury went to college because his father told him to. “He said, ‘It doesn’t matter what your degree is,’” Pillsbury said. “‘Just get it.’” After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a sociology degree, Pillsbury worked as a salesman for six years before opening Burrito Loco in Dinkytown. While many University students feel a college degree is the new high school
diploma, federal data shows college graduates still earn more than their high schooleducated peers. A college degree no longer sets a job applicant ahead of the pack, said psychology sophomore Kaja Switalska. She said as more people go to college, the job market becomes more competitive. “OK, I have a bachelor’s degree — so do 10,000 other people,” Switalska said. In 2011, Minnesota high school graduates over age 25 earned a median of about $29,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Minnesotans in the same age range u See DEGREES Page 4 One prof. said a college education shows you can think critically.
2013, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and three others, would increase the number of H-1B work visas in the U.S. from 85,000 to 115,000, specifically targeting workers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The H-1B visa program is a common way for highly skilled foreign nationals to work in the U.S. The program allows an employer
to temporarily hire a foreign worker in the U.S. who meets the requirements for a specialized field. Each year the government takes applications for the visa on a first-come, first-serve basis starting in April. In the past 10 years, demand for the H-1B has consistently exceeded the number available. Many expect 2013 will be the same. “It opens up on April, 1 and it’s going to be a week,
two days or possibly one day that all 85,000 will be applied for,” Schneider said. The proposed bill would not only increase the number of available visas, it would allow the number to grow or decrease gradually throughout the year based on the number of applications received. Educational employers are not subject to the limit. Universities can continue to hire workers with H-1B
visas even after the national limit has been met. Currently, the University has about 400 H-1B employees —most of whom are researchers and faculty, Schneider said. Many critics of the H1B visa bill are concerned the program takes jobs away from U.S. citizens, u See VISAS Page 10 The bill allocates an estimated $3M for U.S. STEM education.
BUSINESS
Poppin’ tags: Como thrift shop to open Alumni-owned Thriftees is the only thrift store in the U district. BY MARION RENAULT mrenault@mndaily.com
Any University of Minnesota students jamming to Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” and looking to hit the nearest vintage store are in luck. University alumnus Genya Akselrod will be opening his student-oriented Thriftees on March 4 on Como Avenue. Emma Shulfer, retail merchandising junior and store employee, said Thriftees will stand out from the standard thrift shop mold. Merchandise will rotate
JAAK JENSEN, DAILY
On March 4, entrepreneurs Graham Barton and Genya Akselrod will be opening Thriftees, a vintage thrift and consignment store, on Como and 15th Avenues.
each week, and employees hand select what goes on the racks. “I didn’t want it to be a secondhand store but like a
boutique,” Akselrod said. To cater to the student budget, Thriftees guarantees that any clothing or accessor y item will cost less
than 20 dollars. The store will also sell u See THRIFTEES Page 10 Thrift stores typically do well in lower-income areas.
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 79