CAMPUS & METRO
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
An art exhibit featuring artists’ experiences with eating disorders is running through March 14.
There are symbolic and legal reasons to support gay marriage.
Minnesota dominated from start to finish on Senior Day.
Week focuses on eating disorders
Support for same-sex marriage in the queer community
u See PAGE 4
SNOW HIGH 31° LOW 26°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
STUDENT SERVICES FEES
Students: fund mental health fully Student demand for mental health resources is rising on campus. BY CODY NELSON cnelson@mndaily.com
University of Minnesota students protested Boynton Health Ser vice’s under funded student services fees request for more mental health resources at a public hearing Thursday. Several students spoke out against the Student Services Fees Committee’s initial recommendations for Boynton and other administrative units. Increased demand for mental health ser vices in recent years led Boynton to
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request more than $380,000 in fees to fund six new staff positions and to eliminate the $10 co-pay for mental health visits. In the SSFC’s initial recommendations, Boynton’s request was under funded by nearly $100,000. The committee recommended Boynton absorb that amount into its general budget, according to the committee’s rationale. Tim Bell, a senior health advocate, was critical of how the SSFC chose to allocate student services fees at the hearing. The committee should differentiate “nice-to-have”
ST PAUL
MONDAY
ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY
Dance Marathon grows in 3rd year The University’s 12-hour dance marathon raised $8,000 for children affected by HIV/AIDS. BY MEGHAN HOLDEN
Budget forecast gets better BY JESSICA LEE jlee@mndaily.com
The University of Minnesota isn’t backing off on its aggressive approach for state funding, despite an improved state budget prediction. State finance of ficials announced Thursday that their deficit prediction, forecasted at $1.1 billion in November, is now expected to be $627 million, a 43 percent cut. Richard Pfutzenreuter,
u See BUDGET Page 3 Dayton is expected to release a modified budget in a few weeks.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
Juniors Eshaan Rao and Lex Moulopoulos dance at the 12-hour Dance Marathon on Saturday at the McNamara Alumni Center. The event raised money for One Heartland and the Amplatz Children’s Hospital.
u See FEES Page 4 Other administrative units also protested their recommendations.
the University’s chief financial officer, said even with the better forecast, the University needs to continue its constant presence at the Capitol as it asks for highly sought-after state dollars. “All of that good news doesn’t really change the challenge that we face at the Legislature,” Pfutzenreuter said. “Revenues are better, but the state still has a shortfall, and there’s enormous competition for limited resources.” Administrators at the University are petitioning for President Eric Kaler’s $1.2 billion biennial budget
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PHILANTHROPY
STATE
Despite a better outlook, the U isn’t slowing down in its fight for funding.
MARCH 4, 2013
GOPHERS 73 PENN STATE 44
mholden@mndaily.com
they cheer me up,” Escobar said.
Jose Diego Escobar cried as
The third annual dance
he told the stor y of his aunt’s
marathon raised $8,000, said
battle with AIDS to a crowd of
Evan Symons, co-president of
more than 200 University of
the University’s Dance Mara-
Minnesota students.
thon. A quarter of that amount
Escobar, 14, said after he
was donated by the College of
talked about his aunt’s death,
Science and Engineering, he
he was instantly comforted by
said.
the participants at the Univer-
All of the money raised
sity’s 12-hour Dance Marathon
benefits One Heartland, a non-
on Saturday.
profit organization for children
“They make me feel better;
af fected by HIV/AIDS, and
u See DANCE Page 3
STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY
Kaler: U strong, ‘flaws not fatal’ Kaler said the U will reassess grad programs and he will hold office hours.
students, staff and faculty, Kaler outlined the University’s plans to implement new changes amid “the perfect storm for higher education” of economic woes, budget cuts and record-high tuition and student debt. Kaler warned against “knee-jerk” reactions to solving higher education issues while emphasizing the need to embrace “bold ideas.” “I know we’re not perfect, but our flaws are not fatal,” Kaler said, “and the state of the University is strong.”
BY ALEXI GUSSO agusso@mndaily.com
Despite past challenges and future financial uncertainty, President Eric Kaler said the University of Minnesota is strong in his State of the University address Thursday at Coffman Union. In front of roughly 250
Kaler stressed the importance of attracting the nation’s top graduate and professional students. “I came here as a graduate student, and I am not about to let our graduate programs slip in terms of national reputation,” he said, adding that Karen Hanson, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, would partner with deans and faculty leaders to create a long-term, sustainable plan for graduate student recruitment.
Kaler said the first step to what he called “graduate school 2.0” would be to increase funding for doctoral fellowship programs by more than $750,000. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly President Brittany Edwards said the investment indicated Kaler was making graduate programs a priority. Kaler said a closer look u See KALER Page 14 Of MOOCs, Kaler said “instructors will not become obsolete.”
SOMALI COMMUNITY
Ellison’s visit resonates with local Somalis Minnesota’s Somali population is the largest in the United States. BY MARJORIE OTTO motto@mndaily.com
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
Gov. Mark Dayton speaks about the state’s recent budget forecast Thursday at the Capitol. Dayton proposed that money from a lower projected deficit “be returned back to taxpayers and additional tax reductions.”
Last week, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison retur ned from a visit to Somalia, making him the first U.S. politician to visit the countr y after the U.S. recognized the new Somali government in January.
Ellison met with Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and others to discuss Somali refugees and U.S. remittances. Many of Ellison’s Minneapolis constituents who have emigrated from Somalia in the recent decade urged him to visit the country. “It is just going to build a bridge, strengthen the ties that are already there between people of Minnesota and people of Somalia,” said Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, author of “Somalis
in Minnesota.” Many members of the Twin Cities Somali community said the trip is a major step for Somalia-U.S. relations and ser ves as an inspiration for the Somali community as a whole. “Right here in the Twin Cities, people are really being ver y optimistic and happy with the U.S. recognition,” said Abdisalam Adam, board chair of the Islamic Civic Society of America. It’s fitting that a Minnesota politician was the
first to visit Somalia after the U.S. recognition: Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S., with the majority located in Minneapolis. In 2000, there were an estimated 18,597 Minnesota residents with Somali ancestr y, according to the State Demographer’s Office. In 2010, that number had increased to nearly 50,000, 18,000 of which u See SOMALIA Page 4 There’s hope Ellison’s visit will pave the way for other U.S. politicians.
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 81