April 8, 2013

CAMPUS & METRO

CFANS students visit state Capitol

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

A new plan for Plan B

The CFANS students met with legislators and learned about the political process.

Emergency contraceptives should be easily available. u See PAGE 8

u See PAGE 5

SHOWERS HIGH 56° LOW 38°

U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

Coach Pitino brings optimism, recruiting focus

BY ANDREW KRAMMER akrammer@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota turned a press conference into a pep rally Friday morning as it announced Richard Pitino as its new men’s basketball coach.

The pep band, Goldy Gopher and more than 100 fans circled Williams Arena’s raised court to welcome the 30-year-old coach to replace 61-year-old Tubby Smith.

“When this job opened, I cer tainly was hoping an opportunity would present itself because this is one of the best jobs in college basketball,” said Pitino, the son of legendary Louisville

GYMNASTICS

Five Gophers players have left the team early to play professionally.

The men’s team rallied to finish third at the Big Ten meet.

Haula, Alt add to list of early departures u See PAGE 11

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Richard Pitino, 30, signed a sixyear deal for $1.2 million annually.

MEN’S HOCKEY

coach Rick Pitino. “The fact I was even being considered is a dream come true.

“I think the sky’s the limit here, I really do,” Richard Pitino said.

Pitino’s hiring ended a week-and-a-half-long coaching search after Smith’s sixyear tenure ended March 25. Smith was fired less than 24 hours after the Gophers’ loss to Florida in the NCAA tournament’s round of 32.

“I have been in a whirlwind for the last 10 days,” athletics director Norwood Teague said.

Pitino agreed to a sixyear contract worth about $1.2 million per year with Minnesota. His contract includes annual raises, incentive pay for Big Ten and

u See PAGE 11

MONDAY

ST PAUL

Women return to NCAA championships

APRIL 8, 2013

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

FAIRVIEW TAKEOVER

Merge likely in U’s hands Sanford, Fairview leaders said they’d stop takeover talks if U objects.

BY BRANDEN LARGENT AND ALEXI GUSSO blargent@mndaily.com agusso@mndaily.com

More than 100 people packed a crowded room at the state Capitol on Sunday for a public discussion over the potential merger between Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services.

Leaders from Sanford and Fair view said at the hearing that they’d stop

discussions about the takeover of Fairview if the University objects.

The University will halt all discussions of donations or charitable gifts related to the merger, University General Counsel Mark Rotenberg said at the hearing.

The hearing is the first of several being held by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, who is concerned about the merger’s implications for the University of Minnesota u See FAIRVIEW Page 6 U Med School Dean Friedman said he supports Kaler’s proposal.

PHILANTHROPY

u See PITINO Page 10 He said Friday that he would implement a pressing defense.

RELIGION

Groups look at Web’s effect on religion U student group CASH co-hosted a conference during the weekend.

BY MEGHAN HOLDEN mholden@mndaily.com

Growing up, Sanjeev Mishra went to a Catholic school but never really believed the things he was taught in religion class.

Mishra is one of an increasing number of Millennials who no longer are religiously affiliated or believe in the existence of a god.

At the University of Minnesota, more than a quarter of students identified as agnostic, atheist or “not particularly spiritual” in spring 2012, according to the Student Experience in the Research University Project.

University student group Campus Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists held a

“SkepTech” conference on campus during the weekend to show how new technologies — especially the Internet — are giving the Millennial generation an outlet to express their ideas and find others who share their beliefs.

The event, a collaboration between CASH and the Secular Student Alliance at St. Cloud State University, focused on education and featured more than a dozen speakers.

Campus groups throughout the nation, like the Secular Student Alliance, act as a support group for secular students and raise awareness for their movement, said Nick Stancato, resource specialist for the national Secular Student Alliance. u See SKEPTECH Page 6 There are currently about 400 SSA affiliate groups across the nation, including CASH.

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Freshman Francis Chang kneels by a luminaria bag dedicated to his father at the Relay for Life event Friday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Students walk for hope This year for the first time, Relay for Life was held at TCF Bank Stadium. games into his sophomore sea-

BY ROY AKER raker@mndaily.com

son.

At this year’s Relay for Life,

“I was forced into a lot of

Connor Cosgrove was able to

growing up in a really shor t

do something he didn’t think he

amount of time,” Cosgrove said

would ever do — celebrate his

during the event’s opening cer-

22nd birthday.

emony.

Cosgrove, a wide receiver on

At the University’s 10th an-

the Gophers football team, was

nual Relay for Life, head foot-

diagnosed with leukemia just two

ball NCAA tournament success

u See RELAY Page 7

RESEARCH

BASEBALL

Snow marks Siebert Field debut

BY SAM GORDON sgordon@mndaily.com

It took a couple of days, but the sun peaked out

from behind the clouds Sunday after noon and shined light on Sieber t Field for the stadium’s inaugural series.

The Gophers fought bad weather as they opened their new ballpark by winning two of three games against Ohio State.

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Minnesota shortstop Michael Handel swings at a pitch against Ohio State on Friday at Siebert Field.

Cold temperatures, rain and snow delayed Friday and Satur day’s games, forcing a doubleheader Sunday.

The weather was tame Sunday, and the series finale was completed in an hour and 37 minutes.

Weather aside, opening the ballpark was a positive experience for the Gophers, who pitched well during the series, closing it with a 1-0 victor y.

“There was lots of emotion,” Gophers head coach John Anderson said. “It was a long weekend here.

For us to log the hours we did out here and be able to finish the series and play the way they did is a real compliment to the kids.”

Minnesota was expecting three sellouts. The bad weather pr evented that from happening, but u See SIEBERT Page 10 The new stadium is more intimate than the Metrodome.

U centers cash in on outsourcing services Research centers offer services to businesses to offset their costs.

BY REBECCA HARRINGTON rharrington@mndaily.com

From sequencing entire genomes to designing sustainable buildings, the University of Minnesota offers a wealth of resources and ser vices for researchers and industry.

With decreased federal research funding and high technology costs, each lab at the University can’t afford its own equipment or tools needed for complex scientific tests and processes.

Many r esear ch centers at the University have turned to businesses to garner more revenue, which can subsidize the cost for researchers to use the equipment.

Navigating the dozens of centers, institutes and technology offerings can be a challenge. In 2006, upon recommendation from businesses and lawmakers in the area, the Office of Business Relations began to act as a “front door” to the University, helping businesses find what they need.

But University centers don’t have to work on whatever project businesses tell them to, said John Merritt, Office of the Vice President for Research spokesman.

“It really has to be a match between what the business is looking for in terms of a research project and the researcher’s interests,” he said.

Some of the more than 30 centers offering services to industr y earn up to 80 percent of their funding u See SERVICES Page 5 U policy outlines how much businesses pay to use resources.

VOLUME 114 ISSUE 97

2

Daily Review

Monday, April 8, 2013

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1974

Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record of 714 homers.

HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

VIDEO Vol. 114 Monday, April 8, 2013, No. 97

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WORLD BRIEFING

US preparing for possible further North Korea actions

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BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGRAM — The top U.S. militar y of ficer said Sunday the Pentagon had bolstered its missile defenses and taken other steps because he “can’t take the chance” that North Korea won’t soon engage in some military action.

Heightened tensions with North Korea led the United States to postpone congressional testimony by the chief U.S. commander in South Korea and delay an intercontinental ballistic missile test from a West Coast base.

North Korea, after weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for joint military drills, has told other nations that it will be unable to guarantee diplomats’ safety in the North’s capital beginning Wednesday.

U.S. Gen Mar tin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who just wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan, was asked in an Associated Press interview whether he foresees North Korea taking military action soon.

“No, but I can’t take the chance that it won’t,” he said, explaining why the Pentagon has strengthened missile defenses and made other decisions to combat the potential threat.

Dempsey said the U.S. has been preparing for further provocations or action, “considering the risk that they may choose to do something” on one of two nationally impor tant anniversaries in April — the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and the creation of the North Korean army.

U.S. Gen. James Thur-

man, the commander of the 28,000 American troops in South Korea, will stay in Seoul as “a prudent measure” rather than travel to Washington to appear this coming week before congressional committees, Army Col. Amy Hannah said in an email Sunday to the AP. Thurman has asked the Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense to excuse his absence until he can testify at a later date.

Dempsey said he had consulted with Thurman about the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Dempsey said both Thurman and South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staf f chairman, Gen. Jung Seung-jo, decided it would be best for them to remain in Seoul rather than come to Washington. The

Korean general had planned to meet with Dempsey, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staf f chairman, in mid-April for regular talks.

Dempsey said that instead of meeting in person with Thurman and Jung in Washington, they will consult together by video-teleconference.

The Pentagon has postponed an intercontinental ballistic missile test that was set for the coming week at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a senior defense official told the AP on Saturday.

The of ficial said U.S. Defense Secretar y Chuck Hagel decided to put off the long-planned Minuteman 3 test until April because of concerns the launch could be misinterpreted and exacerbate the Korean crisis.

Hagel made the decision Friday, the official said.

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Bare-breasted Tunisian feminist fears for her life

Matisse in Norwegian museum was once Nazi loot

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OSLO — The family of a prominent Parisian art dealer is demanding that a Norwegian museum return an Henri Matisse painting seized by Nazis under the direction of Hermann Goering, in the latest dispute over art stolen from Jews during World War II. The painting at the center of the dispute, Matisse’s 1937 “Blue Dress in a Yellow Armchair,” depicts a woman sitting in a living room. It has been among the highlights of the Henie Onstad Art Center near Oslo since the museum was established in 1968 through a donation by wealthy art collector Niels Onstad and his wife, Olympic figure-skating champion Sonja Henie.

Museum Director Tone Hansen said it had been unaware the painting was stolen by the Nazis until it was notified in 2012 by the London-based Art Loss Register, which tracks lost and stolen paintings.

She said Onstad bought the painting in “good faith” from the Galerie Henri Benezit in Paris in 1950. The Benezit gallery “has no record of collaborating with the Nazis, as many galleries did,” she said in an interview.

Although the war ended almost 70 years ago, disputes over looted art have become increasingly common in recent years, in part because many records were lost, and in part because an international accord on returning such art was only struck in 1998.

But the case of the Matisse is somewhat different in that its former owner, Paul Rosenberg, was one of the most prominent art dealers in Paris before the war, which he survived by fleeing to New York. Art Loss Register Director Chris Marinello said the records in this case are unusually clear.

According to a biography published by New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Rosenberg was one of the preeminent modern art dealers of his day, and personal friends with Picasso and Matisse, among others.

TUNIS — A 19-year-old Tunisian who bared her breasts and taunted Muslim hard-liners said this weekend that she now fears for her life and wants to take refuge abroad.

The woman known only as Amina appeared in photos on Facebook last month with the words “My body belongs to me” scrawled on her bare chest, a particularly bold act in a Muslim country led by a moderate Islamist party, Ennahda.

Amina’s act was inspired by the Ukraine-based group Femen, which stages bare-breasted protests for women’s and gay rights. The group held an International Topless Jihad day last Thursday in support of Muslim women, including Amina.

Amina went into hiding after reportedly receiving death threats, prompting wild rumors over her whereabouts, including that she had been interned in a psychiatric hospital. But she reappeared in an interview broadcast Saturday with the French cable TV station Canal Plus in a village hours from the Tunisian capital where she’s been hiding.

She told Canal Plus that she “must leave Tunisia.”

“I’m afraid for my life and the lives of my family,” she said, adding that she doesn’t think it possible to return to school in Tunisia and wants to study journalism abroad.

Amina made an earlier TV appearance with a private Tunisian channel, in mid-March, her face blurred. She insisted her action had not aimed to provoke. “We Femen, we have the courage to cry out our demands to liberate women,” she said at the time.

Amina told Canal Plus that though she fears for her life in her homeland, she will keep her Femen principles “until I’m 80.”

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Monday, April 8, 2013

3

4

Monday, April 8, 2013

Sustainability symposium features art For the first time, fashion and art were incorporated in the symposium.

BY HAILEY COLWELL hcolwell@mndaily.com

With brushes made of animal hair and paints made from minerals, watercolor is a “natural medium” to architecture senior Alice Yonke.

She shared her natural ar t Friday at the 2013 Sustainability Symposium on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, where students from all levels and disciplines came together to share research and creative work on environmental topics.

For the first time, the event featured student art as a way to learn about conser vation, said Beth Mercer-Taylor, sustainability education coordinator at the University’s Institute on the Environment, which hosted the event.

Senior Jenna Lewein said she brainstormed a number of research topics to present at the symposium before deciding on the environmental impact of clothing — a subject she said many can relate to.

While people may think about where their food and electricity come from, Lewein said it’s less common to consider the energy used in textile production — a process she said requires large amounts of water and chemicals.

Avoiding synthetic material, like nylon or polyester, is one way to make eco-friendly decisions when buying clothing, she said.

Choosing vintage or secondhand clothing can displace the need to buy new clothes and save energy, Lewein said.

“It’s up-cycling at its best,” she said. “You’re re-purposing an outfit or a piece of clothing and giv-

ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY

Architecture senior Alice Yonke and doctoral candidate Joey Reid paint with watercolors on sheets of paper Friday at the Institute on the Environment in St. Paul. Yonke encouraged students to paint their representation of sustainability.

ing it new life.”

Textiles, not text Projects with a visual element tended to be the most “widely communicated” at the symposium, said Yonke, who laid out watercolor palettes in front of her own paintings to encourage people to make their own art.

“Art … really shows what you personally find valuable, which is why I brought it here,” she said. “I think people need to explore why they really care about

the environment.”

Junior Jessica Richardson, whose project on prairie conservation included feathers, butterfly wings, 3-foot tall grass and other prairie samples, said visual elements make it easier to learn.

“If you have something you can look at and feel,” Richardson said, “you’ll make more of a connection to it than if you just have charts.”

Lewein said she tried to avoid packing her presentation with text and instead focused on

dishing out facts as obser vers checked out the vintage clothes she brought in to demonstrate green fashion.

“You can present numbers to people,” she said, “[but] the numbers aren’t probably going to mean much.”

The symposium lets students test out their projects in a “friendly” place before presenting them at other conferences or schools, Mercer-Taylor said.

“Our hope is that students use this as a launching pad,” she

said.

In the future, Yonke said, she wants to collaborate with scientists, ar tists and designers to help them express ideas in different forms.

“Watercolor is just one way that really shows that,” she said.

Lewein said though she doesn’t plan to present her vintage research again, she’ll use it when choosing clothing in the future.

“I’m definitely keeping this in my back pocket,” she said.

Apartment building proposed for Marcy-Holmes units with a total of 29 bedrooms. The $3 million project will be fully furnished and r un at about $682 per bed, Oberpriller said.

The dif ferent housing complexes are meant to fit the needs of a diverse range of people, Oberpriller said.

“Not ever ybody wants to live in a 98- to 100-unit building,” he said. “There’s something to be said that you can live with less people in a more boutique feel, closer to campus.”

Dinkytown Rentals is also planning a cheaper, 12-unit, townhome-style complex that’s set to open in summer 2014 along 15th Avenue.

With increased development in recent years, some have voiced concer ns about oversaturation in the past, but city officials aren’t particularly worried. “[We’re not concerned] at this time,” said Kimberly Holien, Minneapolis senior city planner. “As long as a project is consistent for the guidance with the land use in the area, that’s the most telling factor for us.”

815 14TH AVE. COMPLEX LOCATION COMO AVENUE SOUTHEAST

OUT

HEA

ST

815 14th Ave. SE

ES

along the alleyway between Eighth Street and the railroad tracks next to the walking bridge.

The potential unit, which CPM Proper ty Management pr oposed to the city in late March, would replace Printz, a local printing shop.

“It’s a ver y forgotten part of the neighborhood,” said Doug Carlson, president of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association. “We were actually delighted that the city would get any good development in there.”

The complex fits in with MHNA’s small-area plan that calls for denser housing around the perimeter of the neighborhood.

The new project could be the start of a shift from industrial buildings to housing units along the railroad, Carlson said, because of a desire for more residential housing in the area.

“The land is so valuable, and the industr y is not going to be able to afford that parcel for that sort of use,” he said.

Developers also saw the space as a better opportunity for housing than business.

“It’s not the highest and best use of the current land that it’s on right now,” said Daniel Oberpriller, owner of CPM. “We thought it was a good opportunity to reposition it.”

Rent would run at about $750 to $850 per bed, Oberpriller said, and the complex would open July 2014. Construction would likely start this fall.

Another CPM project along 10th Avenue, called 525 Tenth, is set to open this fall and will of fer 10

VEN U

A new apar tment complex could spring up

alongside the main railway near the University of Minnesota campus next year.

The $6 million, 36-unit complex would be built

HA

THE CHANGING BUSINESS OF STUDENT HOUSING

BY KELSEY SHIRRIFF kshirriff@mndaily.com

15T

MOVING UP?

The project would replace a business along the railroad tracks and 14th Ave.

SOURCE: CPM MANAGEMENT

525 10TH AVE. COMPLEX

BY THE NUMBERS

$3 million COST TO BUILD $682 APPROXIMATE COST PER

815 14TH AVE. COMPLEX

BY THE NUMBERS

$6 million COST TO BUILD

BEDROOM

$750-850 COST PER BEDROOM

10 UNITS

36 UNITS

29 BEDROOMS

100 BEDROOMS

SOURCE: CPM MANAGEMENT

SOURCE: CPM MANAGEMENT

Monday, April 8, 2013

5

CFANS students visit state Capitol The CFANS students met with legislators and learned about the political process.

BY HAILEY COLWELL hcolwell@mndaily.com

Last year, freshman Olive Mar tin worked with children in Congo to make their school’s farm profitable so they could buy uniforms.

It inspired her to learn about agricultural policy so she could improve commerce in other developing countries.

Martin and other students from the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences visited the state Capitol on Friday to learn about the political process.

“It really makes me feel like there’s a future for this in my academic career,” Martin said.

The students met with legislators, learned about the history of transportation law at the Senate Chamber and talked with lobbyists about the public misconceptions of lobbying.

Throughout the course of the semester, the students have discussed the tensions

and overlap between environment, agriculture and natural resource issues as part of the CFANS Policy Engagement Program, which was launched in February by three University alumni.

Walking the halls of the Capitol and meeting legislators was their chance to see it all in action.

“It kind of seems like [we] saw the guts of the Capitol,” said applied economics junior Andy Engstrom.

Leah Peterson, CFANS alumna and law clerk for the Minnesota Court of Appeals, said she and two other alumni drafted the program because they wanted to use their connections with state government to teach students about the political process.

The students met with members of the House of Representatives to discuss the agricultural and environmental topics on their minds.

“You can’t have one without the other,” said Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, who told the students about the impor tance of reaching out to their legislators about the issues they believe in.

“Agriculture and the environment go hand-in-hand,”

EMILY DUNKER, DAILY

Scott Magnuson, director of the Minnesota Senate Information Office, explains policy procedures to CFANS students in the Minnesota State Senate Chambers on Thursday. A new CFANS program allows students to learn about the political process as it relates to agriculture and the environment.

Hamilton said, “so it’s great when you see people who are interested in both aspects working together.”

Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFLAustin, who talked with the students about water quality issues, said coming at environmental problems from

u from Page 1

A step between lab and factor y

Large tanks and beakers fill the Biotechnology Resource Center carrying out fermentation and tests with microorganisms like bacteria and yeast.

The BRC is a point in between the lab and the factor y for businesses and researchers to test out their biological processes in larger batches. The center recently ramped up its industr y of ferings, which now comprise 80 percent of its projects.

Business revenues can help “self-fund” the center by lowering the prices for University users, paying for preventative maintenance of the large, expensive equipment and even subsidizing the purchase of new machinery.

Director Tim Tripp said the BRC was founded more than 20 years ago, mainly to provide a resource for faculty members to test their research. Its expansion to industr y was mostly because University graduates spread the word.

“All of these highly skilled, highly trained grad-

derstand how people create relationships in the political process.

“People can be friends and articulate their issues,” Wohlman said, “and still be able to coexist.”

As the program continues throughout this year and be-

yond, he said students will build on the connections they’ve made with policymakers to stay involved in the issues they care about.

“They have tremendous power to be able to speak their voice,” he said. “They just have to use it.”

U launches new Pack and Give Back program

Services from businesses, while others receive almost none.

University policy dictates strict rules for offering services.

When working internally with University researchers, centers have to charge for services at a break-even cost, so a profit isn’t made.

For external businesses, centers charge a fair price, including direct and indirect costs for the resource, according to University policy.

Because federal funding has decreased in recent years, Merritt said, business and industr y partnerships will continue to increase.

“Not that sponsored research from industr y will ever replace federal funding,” he said, “but it’s certainly an area that President [Eric] Kaler really wants to encourage faculty to get engaged in.”

different angles can be the key to solving them.

Matt Wohlman, assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and a University alumnus who helped create the program, said he hopes the visit helped students un-

A free store aims to reduce trash left on curbs during move-in and moveout.

EMILY DUNKER, DAILY

A bench fermentor agitates a sample batch for experiments with bio-energy for an external company Wednesday at the Biotechnology Resource Center at St. Paul. The University has contracts with outside companies that do not have the necessary facilities or resources.

uates who come out of here … remember the capabilities are here,” he said, “and are able, when they go out to their companies, to make connections back to the University.”

The center’s staff — five full-time employees and five undergraduate work-study students — has to plan projects carefully, Tripp said, because “microorganisms really don’t go home at the end of the night.”

Tripp said he likes the diversity of projects because the center gets to perform tests for different disciplines, from alternative fuels to drug supplements.

“Biotechnology is really a diverse endeavor,” he said.

“It affects so many things different ways, and it’s really interesting to see how you can use microorganisms to … help solve problems.”

Making Minnesota buildings sustainable

When state officials are planning building remodels or new construction, they call the University’s Center for Sustainable Building Research to consult.

The Minnesota Legislature passed a bill in 2008 to make every state and publically funded building have zero carbon emissions by 2030, and it identified the CSBR as a resource to accomplish this.

Center Director John Carmody said this consul-

UNIVERSITY SERVICES BY INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE: 2

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT: 5

BIOTECHNOLOGY: 2

FOOD: 3

LIFE SCIENCES: 5

MEDICINE: 3

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: 6

NANOTECHNOLOGY: 4

ENGINEERING: 5

TOURISM/INTERNATIONAL TRADE: 2

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 3

TRANSPORTATION: 3

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

tant status allows CSBR staf f and researchers to advise University Facilities Management on constructing sustainable buildings at no cost to the University.

The CSBR receives most of its funding from state and federal grants, Carmody said, but a small portion of it comes from foundations or businesses.

Carmody said the center is advising Prospect Park residents about new construction and remodels, making them more sustainable.

“There’s a lot of benefits related to looking at a neighborhood as a whole,” he said, “that you don’t necessarily get if you’re just looking at individual buildings.”

The CSBR also works to make af fordable housing more sustainable, a venture which is primarily funded by the McKnight Foundation.

“Our mission is really to make sure that the built environment is more sustainable,” Carmody said, “and we really do it by hitting all three of the elements of the University, which is research, teaching and outreach.”

BY MERITTE DAHL mdahl@mndaily.com

Heaps of trash and piles of used furniture line the front lawns of students’ houses during move-in and moveout weeks.

“Chairs, clothes, silverware, dishes — everything is just thrown in the heap,” Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association board member Ardes Johnson said.

At the end of fall semester, Johnson said one resident even burned an unwanted futon in the street.

The University of Minnesota’s ReUse Program is launching a new initiative to deal with the moving mess.

Pack and Give Back will allow students and residents of the Marcy-Holmes and Southeast Como neighborhoods to donate their unwanted, reusable items to a free store.

The program aims to encourage sustainability, said Stacey White, ReUse Program supervisor.

“We’re hoping to divert trash that is reusable from the landfill and back into the hands of the community,” White said.

The Pack and Give Back store will be open throughout May at the ReUse Program warehouse in Southeast Como. It will reopen in late August and early Sep-

tember, when White hopes to add more neighborhoods to the program, she said.

ReUse will also pick up unwanted items from campus residence halls near the end of the semester.

Neighborhood residents will have to bring their items to the warehouse.

For those who can’t, the Salvation Army will pick up unwanted items in the neighborhoods and bring them to their thrift stores in other parts of the city.

The new initiative is similar to Move-in/Move-out, a free store in Como from spring 2010 to fall 2011 that closed due to lack of funding.

Minneapolis City Councilwoman Diane Hofstede said she’s received several complaints of trash piles during moving seasons. Hofstede represents Minneapolis’ 3rd Ward, which includes MarcyHolmes.

To address complaints, Hofstede said she is meeting with the University, residents, Hennepin County and the city next week to work on her own Move In/Move Out Day initiative.

MHNA member Johnson said she’s concerned about the viability of Pack and Give Back because no students or landlords came to community meetings she attended addressing trash issues.

“I’m not sure who is totally responsible for the heaps of trash,” Johnson said.

Students are the ones leaving the trash, she said, but their landlords give them very little time to move out. The students are busy in May with final exams,

and landlords aren’t always around, she said.

Southeast Como resident Alli Grimm said she’s seen piles of trash left by students during moving seasons.

Grimm, a kinesiology sophomore, said she and her roommates haven’t yet thought about what they’re doing with their stuff when moving day comes.

“It depends on what my roommates have,” Grimm said. “Maybe if we have extra stuf f,” she said, “I’d leave it in the yard.”

PACK AND GIVE BACK DONATION RESTRICTIONS

Will take TABLES

DESKS BARE CHAIRS DRESSERS FUTON FRAMES LAMPS SMALL ELECTRONIC APPLIANCES DISHES, PLATES, SILVERWARE BICYCLES CLOTHING

Will not take ITEMS OVER 200 LBS

COUCHES UPHOLSTERED CHAIRS MATTRESSES PILLOWS AND BEDDING LARGE APPLIANCES CHILD SEATS AND CRIBS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE GLASS CELLPHONES, IPODS, LAPTOPS SOURCE: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

6

Monday, April 8, 2013

Fairview u from Page 1

EMILY DUNKER, DAILY

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson gives a brief history of Fairview Health Services and the University of Minnesota Medical Center during a hearing on the potential Fairview merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health on Sunday at the state Capitol.

said “And I’d say that’s probably been a concern for a few years.”

Since Fair view took over the University of Minnesota Medical Center in 1997, the relationship has

been working well, but he said the research and education could benefit if the University was the sole operator.

Friedman said Fairview’s board of directors briefly discussed Kaler’s proposal in Februar y, and talks will continue after Kaler presents the proposal to the board later this month.

Swanson inter rogated Sanford executives Becky Nelson and David Link for more than an hour — longer than any other testimony.

She questioned them about Sanford’s ownership of for-profit companies, its donations to athletics depar tments at several universities and transparency after the organization didn’t give her any documents her of fice requested.

“It’s ver y unusual for a charitable institution to basically disregard that type of subpoena,” Swanson said, “especially one here that wants to expand its footprint in Minnesota.”

Nelson said any donations for the universities were intended to improve children’s health and fitness, and Link said the documents are for thcoming.

“We have a ver y long histor y of excellent transparency and cooperation w i t h r eg u l a t ors , ” L i n k said.

Several witnesses in the hearing voiced their concerns over a large private entity gaining control of a nonprofit organization.

“If this transaction were to proceed, it would be like

SkepTech u from Page 1

Ther e ar e cur r ently about 400 SSA af filiate

EMILY DUNKER, DAILY

Sanford Health Senior Vice President Becky Nelson testifies about the beginning of Sanford’s relationship with Fairview Health Services during a hearing on the potential merger between the two health systems Sunday at the state Capitol.

selling the public librar y to Wal-Mart,” former Minnesota Hospital Association attorney David Feinwachs said to cheers and applause.

Feinwachs testified that since Fair view doesn’t have a current CEO during this potential merger, Sanford’s CEO would take control.

Gar y Printup, a kidney transplant patient of the UMMC, gave passionate testimony, saying the medical center had saved his life and that he hoped the merger would be stopped.

“Now some guy with big pockets who likes to schmooze with the president of the University … wants to come in and take over the nonprofit that has saved so many people’s

lives,” Printup said.

Minnesota Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, who represents the University area, expressed apprehension about the possibility of a Sanford merger because of the University’s long, “embedded” histor y with Fair view. “[Sanford] may be doing a lot of good … but they don’t sound the kind of institution you want taking over the University of Minnesota,” Kahn said, noting she was happy that objection from the University would end the merging conversation.

Bill Miller, a registered nurse at the UMMC, said after the hearing that he was concerned about Sanford’s policies, including alleged mandator y double

shifts for nurses.

M i l l e r, a U n i v e r s i t y alumnus who has worked at the UMMC for 16 years, said he will meet with Swanson to discuss various Sanford policy issues, which he hopes to address at the next public hearing April 21.

Despite his deep concer n about the potential merger, Miller said he would not leave the University Medical Center if Sanford acquired it.

“I made a commitment with Fair view and the University hospital to give the best patient care possible, so nothing’s going to change that,” he said. “I’m just afraid of how the culture of Sanford will slowly creep into our system and how we do things.”

groups across the nation, including CASH. “We’ve been exploding over the past few years,” Stancato said. “The growth is really remarkable.”

With the rise of SSA groups throughout the nation, more events and conferences have been taking place to bring the secular community together.

The Internet is also contributing to this sense of community.

“They’re able to find a community of like-mind people to feel comfortable with,” said Joshua Brose, event coordinator for CASH.

This might be caused by a generational attitude, Mishra said.

“We don’t like being told what to do or to be given a book and told ‘This is the things that you believe,’ ” he said.

after being exposed to evidence and facts on the Internet.

“It’s not about believing,” Brose said, “it’s about being right.”

No longer taboo After leaving his Catholic school, Mishra said he found more friends who were atheists.

“It’s definitely not as taboo as it used to be,” Mishra said.

In a 2012 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, about a third of adults under the age of 30 said they’re religiously unaffiliated — the highest percentage ever recorded in Pew polling.

In the past five years, the percentage of religiously unaf filiated U.S. adults increased by more than 4 percentage points, according to the poll.

‘Where religions go to die’

The Internet has had a profound effect on the secular movement of Millennials, Brose said.

Brose first went to school to become a youth minister, but after looking up things that didn’t make sense to him about his religion on the Internet, he said he changed his perspective on faith.

Reddit, a social news and entertainment website popular among college students, automatically subscribes its new users to the atheism link, Mishra said.

There are more than 1.8 million “godless Redditors” on the site.

The atheism Reddit of fers atheists a place to share ideas and build a community, Mishra said.

Stancato said he often hears the Internet referred to as “a place where religions go to die.”

He said he wouldn’t go so far as to say that but agreed that people may be more likely to be secular

RELIGION ON THE DECLINE 19.6% 15.3%

4.3% increase

Percent of religiously unaffiliated U.S. adults

Medical Center, which is controlled by Fair view.

The donations moratorium comes amid concerns over the $6 million donated to the University for the TCF Bank Stadium construction from T. Denny Sanford, who has also donated more than $600 million to Sanford Health.

“This rigorous and objective process will not be tainted in any way by conflicts of interests, gifts for football or spor ts or anything else,” Rotenberg said.

Rotenberg reiterated President Eric Kaler’s proposal for the University to take over Fair view instead of Sanford.

University Medical School Dean Aaron Friedman, who’s on Fair view’s board of directors, said he supports Kaler’s proposal.

“I believe that it is a win-win situation for both the University and for Fair view,” Friedman said.

“I do think the University’s proposal is not only a legitimate one — it’s a strong one.”

Board of Regents Chair Linda Cohen said the board would suppor t the University acquiring Fairview. She said a merge could be helpful in making the medical school “stronger and better than it is.”

“I think that we’ve felt that our Medical School could be at a higher echelon than it is now,” she

2007

2012

SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER

SECULAR STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

26.8%

of University students are agnostic, atheist or “not particularly spiritual”

SOURCE: STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN THE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY PROJECT

Monday, April 8, 2013

7

US general: Taliban likely to be long-term threat

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The United States accepts that a diminished but resilient Taliban is likely to remain a military threat in some parts of Afghanistan long after U.S. troops complete their combat mission next year, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday.

In an Associated Press interview at this air field north of Kabul, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is cautiously optimistic that the Afghan army will hold its own against the insurgency as Western troops pull back and Afghans assume the lead combat role. He said that by May or June, the Afghans will be in the lead throughout the country.

Asked whether some par ts of the countr y will remain contested by the Taliban, he replied, “Yes, of course there will be.”

“And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the histor y of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas,” he said.

He and other U.S. commanders have said that ultimately the Afghans must reach some sort of political accommodation with the insurgents, and that a reconciliation process needs to be led by Afghans, not Americans. Thus the No. 1 priority for the U.S. militar y in its final months of combat in Afghanistan is to do all that is possible to boost the strength and confidence of Afghan forces.

Shor tly after Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Taliban demonstrated its ability to strike.

It claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed five Americans — three soldiers and two civilians, including Anne Smedinghof f, a foreign

service officer and the first American diplomat killed overseas since the terrorist attack Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya.

A fierce battle between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike, Afghan of ficials said Sunday.

There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. That number is to drop to about 32,000

by February 2014, and the combat mission is to end in December 2014. Whether some number — perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 — remain into 2015 as military trainers and counterinsurgents is yet to be decided.

Dempsey spent two days talking to senior Afghan officials, including his counterpart, Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, as well as top U.S. and allied commanders.

He also visited a U.S. base

in the volatile eastern province of Paktika for an update on how U.S. troops are balancing the twin missions of advising Afghan forces and withdrawing tons of U.S. equipment as the war effort winds down.

Paktika is an example of a sector of Afghanistan that is likely to face Taliban resistance for years to come.

Bordering areas of Pakistan that provide haven for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani network, Paktika has been among the more important insurgent avenues into the Afghan interior.

While the province has a functioning government, Taliban influence remains significant in less populated areas, as it has since U.S. forces first invaded the country more than 11 years ago.

“There will be contested areas, and it will be the Afghans’ choice whether to allow those contested areas to persist, or, when necessary, take action to exert themselves into those contested

area,” he said.

Dempsey said he is encouraged by the recent development of coordination centers, including one in Paktika, where a wide range of Afghan government agencies work together on security issues. He called it a “quilt” of government structures that links Kabul, the capital, to ordinary Afghans in distant villages.

In some parts of the countr y, Afghan villagers have shown their dissatisfaction with Taliban influence by taking up arms against the insurgents, even without being pushed by the U.S. or by Kabul. This has happened in recent weeks in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, a traditional stronghold of the Taliban. The Andar district of Ghazni province has seen a similar uprising.

“We should encourage it, but we shouldn’t be seen as hijacking” these local movements, he said.

Dempsey said he discussed the uprisings with

Karimi, the army chief, and the Afghan defense minister, Bismullah Khan Mohammadi. They told him they “appreciated that they should allow this to occur (and) they should probably nurture it. They don’t necessarily feel at this point as if they should tangibly support it.”

The Afghan gover nment’s concern, Dempsey said, is that influential warlords could embrace these local movements and eventually leverage them to threaten the armed forces of the central government.

In a separate inter view Sunday with al-Hurra, the Arabic-language satellite TV channel funded by the U.S. government, Dempsey was asked whether he worries that Syria, in the midst of a civil war, could become another Afghanistan.

“I do. I have grave concerns that Syria could become an extended conflict” that drags on for many years, he said.

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Junior Jenna Headrick, part of the team from Middlebrook Hall, helps support Relay for Life by selling brownies and puppy chow Friday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Relay u from Page 7

coach Jerry Kill introduced Cosgrove against an unseasonably snowy backdrop at TCF Bank Stadium.

“I can honestly say from the bottom of my hear t, [Cosgrove] is truly the inspiration and the real head coach of the Minnesota Gophers,” Kill said.

The introduction was a surprise, as was the football team singing “Happy Bir thday” with the crowd of nearly 2,300 joining in.

The University’s Colleges Against Cancer chap-

ter, a group affiliated with the American Cancer Society, organized the 12-hour event that ran from Friday night into Saturday morning.

This year’s event had about 500 more people than last year, with 164 teams, which raised more than $177,000 for cancer research.

Colleges Against Cancer President Katie Thibert and Vice President Tyler Cowart said the event’s move to TCF increased the presence of Relay for Life at the University.

Biochemistr y student Tim Isdahl, who was the captain of team “Sole

Train,” was attending the event for the fourth time.

Isdahl was diagnosed with testicular cancer right before his 16th birthday in Januar y. He was cancer-free April 20 of that year.

Isdahl, whose mother is also a cancer survivor, said the Luminaria Ceremony is his favorite part of the entire event Silence falls as thousands walk a path lined with lighted bags with names and messages like “You’ll always be my hero.” The area is darkened to symbolize the moment when cancer comes into someone’s life.

The bags remain all night long, said Brea Atkinson, spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.

“The lighted bags remind us that there is hope and light no matter what happens in the diagnosis,” she said.

Atkinson said par ticipants continued to walk all night and had games and activities until the closing ceremony at 6 a.m.

Having the ceremony so early symbolizes the sunrise and that “no matter what, in the face of cancer, there is always hope,” Atkinson said. “Whether it’s hope of remission or being

pain free, there is always hope.”

Cosgrove said events like Relay for Life and suppor t from family, friends and Kill have been influential in his journey with cancer. “[Kill] and I are able to have a relationship that’s a little deeper than a coach and a player,” he said, “and it goes more into a friendship than anything I’ve experienced with a coach before.”

Cosgrove, whose final chemotherapy treatment is set for Jan. 13, 2014, said being cancer-free doesn’t mean he’ll quit the fight against cancer for all.

“When something like cancer comes in and tries to tear your life away, it leaves a mark,” Cosgrove said. “It leaves a lot of scars, but more importantly, it leaves a story.”

RELAY FOR LIFE

BY THE NUMBERS

164 TEAMS 2,258 PARTICIPANTS $177,319.90 RAISED SOURCE: RELAY FOR LIFE

8

Editorials & Opinions www.mndaily.com/opinion

A new plan for Plan B Emergency contraceptives should be easily available.

“

HEMANG SHARMA columnist

spring break — in the form of a text message — read “I’m pregnant.” The prank sent my head spinning. For one long second, my thoughts went to being forced to give up my aspirations of joining the entertainment industry and getting some other job because I was required by state law to pay child support, sharing the cost of her pregnancy and being unable to seek the truth via paternity test on “Maury.” “Not funny!” I replied back.

Things happen; she forgets to take the birth control pill and only remembers that midway of your unprotected sexual excursion. Or your plan A, which is a condom, decides that you aren’t in the 99 percent, when they usually work just fine. The bottom line is she is pregnant, and some-

thing must be done.

That’s when Plan B, Ella and Next Choice come into play. Available without any prescription to women 17 and older, these pills work to impede the fertilization of the human egg for up to 120 hours of conception. Of course, they are most effective in the first 24 hours, hence, the term “morning-after pill.” They are lifesavers — quite literally, if an abortion is not a consideration.

A President Barack Obama administration action banned the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception to women under the age of 17, who would need a prescription. The reason behind making this pill a prescription only to people under 17 is irresponsible on the part of lawmakers, as it is for the teenagers who think they are ready to be parents.

Regardless of the ads I see on the subway, teenagers are sexually active and often not as careful in using protection.

Due to many states such as Arkansas, Mississippi, etc. issuing ridiculous restrictions on abortions, it only makes sense

DEATHS IN IRAQ: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 4,802 — IRAQI CIVILIANS: 111,878- PLUS DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 3,264 — AFGHAN CIVILIANS: UNKNOWN

to make these contraception methods readily available.

I salute Federal District Cour t Judge Edward Korman for ruling that Plan B be sold without a prescription or other restrictions to women of all ages. Korman’s opponent in this area is Secretary Kathleen Sebelius of Health and Human Ser vices, who overruled the FDA’s recommendation to make emergency contraception more readily available.

There are zealots who turn an impor tant women’s issue into theological, philosophical and often political discussions — about when life actually begins, how moral is birth control to begin with, etc. — but these discussions, while important, need a realistic and respectful basis.

The tremendous delay in this decision is indicative of a broader failure of the system, encompassed by poor sexual education, lack of our ability to have a civil discourse and resolve issues in a timely manner.

Hemang Sharma welcomes comments at hsharma@mndaily.com.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming pause

A

Collin Randolph welcomes comments at crandolph@mndaily.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Problems with GAPSA leadership

This Monday through Wednesday, the graduate and professional students of this university have the oppor tunity to elect a president of GAPSA to represent them. The slate that will appear on the ballot does not represent any meaningful choice. I am interjecting myself into this process as a writein candidate to provide a real alternative to the selfidentified “team.” I believe in transparency, accountability and democracy. The existing slate has demonstrated no similar commitment.

I am a doctoral candidate in economics. In addition to my involvement with GAPSA, I am currently the vice president of the Council of Graduate Students, an organization representing students seeking Ph.D.s as opposed to M.D.s or MBAs. In my four years of involvement, I have actively worked on issues ranging from reforming the fees process to defending academic freedom to promoting the data-driven evaluation of University of Minnesota ser vices and nearly ever ything in between. I have put in the hours to learn how to navigate my way through the maze of the administrative bureaucracy to effect change.

In my opponents’ April 4 letter, they criticized the Minnesota Daily, among others, for failing to understand that democracy need not include any element of

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

CONTRACEPTION

Think being a teen parent won’t cost you? Think again,” read a huge ad on the New York City subway.

My first visit to the Big Apple and the historic Grand Central Station turned into a public service platform against teen pregnancy.

The sign, along with many others throughout the city and on the Internet, will manage to scare teenagers away from sexual activities that would end in pregnancies and, ultimately, be a burden on the parents and the state.

Unwanted pregnancies aren’t undesirable only to teenagers in a particular city or to specific people. They are the nightmares of young men and women who aren’t ready, willing and capable of raising a child. Teen parenthood can be a detriment to not only the child and its parents but also to taxpayers who then have to fund someone else’s offspring.

An April Fools’ joke from a wonderful girl I met during

Monday, April 8, 2013

competition and can be a collaborative process. I am sure that Vladimir Putin would agree with their sentiment. The essence of democracy is precisely competition between competing viewpoints. This is how such things work.

However, this warped view of what constitutes democracy is consistent with the leadership style that I have obser ved.

I am a voting member of their General Assembly and can only describe its leadership as disturbing.

I have received vir tually no relevant information r egar ding the r unning of our organization from the leadership. As a result, I have had to actively sear ch for infor mation elsewher e, and on my own time I’ve tried to be a competent member of the assembly. Only by reading the draft budget they must submit to Student Union and Activities did I discover that they have raised their compensation massively without bothering to inform the assembly and cer tainly without asking the assembly’s approval. This is not my idea of transparency.

They r un an organization in which the leadership has explicit and sole control over its own compensation. This is an outrageously unethical arrangement. The executive board of this kind of an organization should be the ser vant of the General Assembly.

Given the total lack of infor mation sharing, the General Assembly has

been utterly usurped and reduced to r ubberstamping the private decisionmaking of the leadership.

At one point this year, the assembly voted on a slate of roughly 10 resolutions as a block with a single up or down vote. We were denied the right to separate the items, to amend them or even to discuss them.

In their letter, my opponents listed their restructuring of the organization as their principle accomplishment even as they never attempted to address the major str uctural issues and actively opposed ef for ts by members to do so.

GAPSA controls $400,000 of student fees money, and my opponents believe that they deser ve $90,000 of that total in stipends and benefits. If honored with election by my peers, I am confident that I could cut $80,000 from my opponents’ proposed compensation and spend that money for the benefit of all students with the option of reducing fees in the future.

Whatever they say, the candidates’ actions show they are not interested in leading a democratic, transparent or accountable organization. It is that contrast that inspired me to run, and in the spirit of openness and clear communication, I humbly ask my fellow students for their votes. Please make your voices heard at vote.umn. edu.

Scott Petty University student

s the Minnesota Twins took the field for their coldest opening day, I was reminded of a recent comment from one of my college’s most distinguished professors.

“Global warming forecasts,” said Stanford’s Nobel physicist Robert Laughlin, “have the difficulty that one can’t find much actual global warming in present day weather observations.”

Of course, the weather on one day, or even during a year or two, isn’t climate. But a review of global weather statistics from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Data Center shows the average global surface temperature for January 2012 to February 2013 was 1.03 degrees Farenheit above the 20th century average but unchanged from average and stable global temperatures for the 1997 to 2012 period. This continues a 15 year pause in global warming despite a relentless rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

This is confirmed by a new study from Norway reported by Andrew Revkin in The New York Times, “Weaker Global Warming Seen in Study by Norway’s Research Council.” A release from the NRC with the title: “Global warming less extreme than feared?” describes new research finding that global warming from the buildup of greenhouse gases will be on the low end of the projections by other research groups.

Our media constantly reminds us that recent storms and droughts are a consequence of global warming. But as to storms, we note that the seven years between Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy were one of the quietest hurricane periods in the past century. And compare the Long Island Express hurricane of 1938, which killed 600, and the Midwest’s Great Blizzard of 1978. Force 5 hurricanes Andrew (1972) and Camille (1969), along with others, were much stronger than hurricane Sandy.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service using tree-ring data have identified six major western U.S. droughts between 1750 and 1950. All of them were more severe than anything in recent memory.

A high level of damage from recent storms is the result of the fact that we are putting more stuff on flood plains.

I don’t know the reason for this long pause in global warming. The Norway study also notes that there has been essentially no change in temperatures since 2000.

But we may want a pause in some of those multi-billion dollar subsidized renewable energy programs that produce little usable energy. There is time to spend some of the money on research into what is really happening with our climate.

Rolf Westgard University of Minnesota Lifelong Learning program

The acquisition of Fairview A University-Fairview merger would be good for the University, Fairview and the state of Minnesota.

U

niversity of Minnesota President Kaler recently announced a proposal set forth by the University to acquire Fair view Health Ser vices. Amid talks of a merger between South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Fair view made public last week, the University’s oppor tunity to continue its par tnership with Fair view through a formal acquisition is a promising one.

As mentioned by the editorial board last week, a Sanford Health takeover of Fairview raises concerns. Not only would an out-of-state organization have some control of and access to University-run medical institutions, Sanford’s potential influence in education and research at the University’s teaching hospital is also troubling.

The University acquiring Fair view after the latter organization took control of the University’s medical center in 1997 is a ver y real and encouraging possibility and is also a step forward in continuing to strengthen its already stellar reputation as a world-class academic, research and health care institution. The Star Tribune reported that both Stanford University and the University of Michigan have acquired local medical centers in efforts to keep university medical interests integrated with their surrounding communities.

As Kaler made note of in a variety of ways in his letter to Fairview’s interim Chief Executive Officer Charles Mooty, a University-Fair view merger would be beneficial for both institutions.

The University of fers its world-renowned research and commitment to educational excellence, and a continued partnership with Fairview ensures a sustained dedication to investments in local communities and in the health of all Minnesotans.

Mike Schmit for MSA president Schmit and Cummings are the best candidates for MSA’s next leaders.

B

eginning Monday, University of Minnesota undergraduate students should vote for the next president and vice president of the Minnesota Student Association — the undergraduate student government.

The Minnesota Daily Editorial Board endorses candidate Mike Schmit and his running mate Fiona Cummings to lead MSA into the 2013-14 academic year.

Schmit has numerous ideas to champion a more affordable, more united and responsible undergraduate experience.

Schmit plans to develop programs to control costs related to textbooks, such as the development of a marketplace for textbooks and a plan to develop open source resources in University classrooms.

Mental health and mental health awareness have been large issues for college students, especially at the University. Schmit plans on adopting a successful counseling ser vice from Stanford University in order to adapt our current mental health ser vices to better meet demand. Additionally, more translated materials and more efficient Web access to Boynton Health Ser vice make up Schmit’s plan for next year’s MSA. Schmit and his running mate, Cummings, the director of the organization’s Student Outreach and Engagement Committee, bring original and expansive ideas to the job of leading MSA. While there are other qualified candidates for MSA president, Schmit of fers an array of new ideas to improve the experience of the student body and better the University in tangible, direct ways.

Regardless of who you are interested in voting for, or what topics are most important for you, we urge all undergraduates at the University to vote for the next leaders of MSA at vote. umn.edu.

LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS

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www.mndaily.com/opinion

Opinions TECHNOLOGY

Bullying in the digital age We shouldn’t let technology take the blame for antiquated issues.

TRENT KAYS columnist

back in groups. Regardless of the Internet, this still happens. So, how does this speech change when it enters the online realm? Perhaps it’s more noticeable or present online than of fline, but overall we just aren’t teaching children or adults how to interact on the Internet.

We assume that the same principles of etiquette transfer to Internet interactions, but this simply isn’t the case. For example, I’ve been bullied online. I’ve been bullied by academics who disagree with some of my opinions. I’ve been maligned, treated poorly and dismissed by people whose job it is to entertain discussion. It’s painful to be treated in such a way.

I’ve been sent hate mail by academics and non-academics alike, and I’ve been the subject of malicious gossip amongst my peers. Yet, when I’ve come face-toface with some of these individuals, they are too timid to say anything. They cower and pretend that nothing ever happened.

Is this harassment? Yes and no. In higher education, this is called critique before it’s called harassment.

Fundamentally, we forget that we still communicate with human beings across the Internet. They may be faceless and without a physical body to us, but at the other end of the line there is a human.

That human has emotions, hopes, dreams and desires. They cr y, and they laugh.

They experience happiness and sadness.

While some people do have darkness in their heart and knowingly set out to hurt others, a majority of Internet users are just tr ying to get along like the rest of us.

We need laws, like Grace’s Law, to protect minors from undue criticism and bullying. But we need those laws to be well-thought-out and well-defined. They shouldn’t be a gut reaction to an incident that requires our attention in more places than just the Internet. As always, our laws haven’t kept pace with our technology.

We need to protect ourselves while interacting on the Internet. However, we also need to understand that conversing in the digital age isn’t the same as conversing face-to-face. We need to relearn how to interact, and we need to start teaching children not only how to interact physically but interact digitally.

Blaming technology for our shortcomings will not help us solve this predicament. No individual deser ves to be bullied, and bullies need to be brought to justice. Yet, as we bring them to justice, let’s remember that some speech is annoying but not harassment.

Sometimes people just don’t realize what they’re doing, so let’s re-educate them.

Trent M Kays welcomes comments at tkays@mndaily.com.

9

MENTAL HEALTH

Stress less, live better As National Stress Awareness Month, April marks an important time to evaluate our stress levels.

L

ast week, the Mar yland General Assembly passed House Bill 396, which seeks to stem “cyberbullying” by criminalizing cer tain behavior and annoyances. The bill, Grace’s Law, honors the tragic death of Grace McComas, a 15-year-old girl who committed suicide after being harassed by a neighbor via social media. The passage of this bill is a victor y for politicians who are seizing on the omnipresent topic of cyberbullying.

Bullying isn’t new. People have bullied others since time immemorial. It happens in all the usual places: school, college, work, at the coffee shop and ever ywhere else. What’s changed is that now some are able to use computers to bully others without ever revealing themselves. When one comes across a bully and meets them face-to-face, they know who is instigating said bullying. This isn’t always so online.

Unfor tunately, the Internet has provided many the oppor tunities to bully without understanding the effects of their actions.

There’s more at work here than simple stupidity. Psychologist John Suler popularized the phrase, “online disinhibition effect,” to help define what happens when we interact online. Fundamentally, we are unable to gauge how our messages are received because we cannot ascertain the social and bodily cues normally present in face-to-face interactions.

This leads to big trouble. As a result, people can become undeniably contemptible. This has happened to all of us. In many ways, if we cannot see the person we’re interacting with, we believe we are just interacting with a computer, not another human being. All of this occurs unconsciously, of course. I don’t believe anyone knowingly awakes each morning and sets out to be detestable online.

Yet, Grace’s Law may be to vague. The law intends to prohibit intentional harassing and annoying speech against a minor.

But the bill doesn’t really define what these things look like or what “annoying” speech is. We all know what harassing speech looks like when we see it, right?

But what if the speech isn’t seen as harassing to anyone except for the target of the speech? I’m not dismissing harassing speech, but I am suggesting that saying something is harassing speech and then seeing it played out are two ver y different things. While definitions are needed, they are hard to categorize.

I don’t want one more person — minor or other wise — to commit suicide because another bullied them online or offline. Such death is always tragic and always uncalled for. But, how do we define speech that may seem normal to one person but harassment to another?

Grace’s Law falls short in this area. It seems to take a car te blanche approach to cyberbullying by working to abolish any harsh or annoying speech hurled toward a minor.

When I was younger, we didn’t need the Internet to be horrific to other people. We did it to their face or behind their

Monday, April 8, 2013

W

ith the semester winding down and workload cranking up, many of us hardly need a reminder about stress.

But although stress may at times be a necessary evil, it does not have to be a crushing inevitability. What’s more, our reaction to it matters. National Stress Awareness Month provides an important opportunity to put a check on our life stressors and hone our techniques for managing them.

Historically, our body’s response to stress — the notorious “fight or flight” response — kept us alive. Given that the majority of the stressors our ancestors faced were physical, the body’s response for confronting threats was perfect. The mobilization of the sympathetic nervous system prepares us to face the danger or be able to outrun it. The adrenal glands pump hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. Pulse rate and blood pressure increase and extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing alertness.

Blood flows away from any body system not absolutely essential in that moment; the digestive system, reproductive system and growth processes are suppressed. This all happens so quickly that we aren’t even cognizant of the changes.

The problem today is that because our primary stressors are psychological rather than physical, the body’s keen ability to mobilize to help us fight off threats or flee to safety is no longer so advantageous. Our bodies are reacting to our ever-increasing amount of stressors in the same way as always but at no benefit to our immediate survival. What was once lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), threatening our very physical existence, is now a traffic jam, school or work pressure or a relationship issue threatening our psychological well-being.

Because these are not urgent matters of life or death, “fight or flight” becomes erroneous — but our body cannot so carefully distinguish among stressors. Moreover, according to Mayo Clinic staff, “when the stressors of your life are always present, leaving you constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.”

Outrunning a predator was relatively shortterm; after the threat disappeared, our sympathetic nervous system would return to its normal state. But we are not able to flee today’s stressors as easily. Our perceived threats, like a challenging class or a dismal job search persist, and we resign ourselves to “dealing with it.” But constantly activating the stress response and being in a stage of high alert wears on the body and disrupts its normal processes.

Research suggests stress contributes to sleep problems, high blood pressure, digestive problems, worsening of skin conditions, memory impairment, artery-clogging deposits and heart disease, as well as anxiety, depression and addiction. Increased cortisol is also associated with Alzheimer’s disease, insulin resistance, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Despite its devastating effects, stress is ubiquitous among us. New survey findings from the American Psychological Association indicate that we are the generation that should perhaps be most concerned about quelling stress. After all, we report the highest stress levels and simultaneously say we are not man-

aging it well. All generations surveyed repor ted experiencing stress at levels higher than they believe is healthy, so combating it should be a top BRONWYN MILLER priority for everycolumnist one.

In my personal challenge to handle stress, the following techniques have been helpful; I hope they inspire your own discovery of how to best control your stress levels.

Use your resources While this suggestion can refer to relying on friends and family during stressful times, it can also be very beneficial to consult nonjudgmental, nonbiased experts trained not only to listen but to guide stress management. University Counseling and Consulting Services offers individual and group counseling, as well as self-help materials for dealing with many issues, including stress (available online). Boynton Health Service and the Mental Health Clinic also offer help for stress and related health issues.

Have an “in the moment” rescue When anxiety and tension feels unbearable, knowing how to calm yourself down is imperative. Many different relaxation techniques exist, but what’s most crucial is discovering one you can actually see merit in and don’t find pointless. One of my personal favorites involves breathing in and saying “I am,” then breathing out and saying “at peace.”

When my heart is racing, I repeat this process until I feel calmer. If it’s too much to say these phrases out loud, think them instead, but the key is to clear your mind and focus on nothing but that affirmation.

Walk it out Going for a walk outside can instantaneously re-center your spirit and enhance your mood. A short walk allows you to shift your attention from current pressures and challenges and appreciate the moment. The scenery can do wonders for reminding you that life is bigger than a bad grade or a fight with a loved one.

Laugh it off Growing up in the digital world certainly has its downsides, but I am eternally grateful for the never-ending wealth of hilarious material at our fingertips made possible by the Internet. When you’re feeling frantic, use BuzzFeed or YouTube to your advantage. Laughter lowers cortisol while also releasing endorphins, resulting in a double whammy of delight.

Remember the journey So much of what we do these days is goal-oriented, but we often spend so much time thinking about the future that we discount our daily experiences and lose touch with what matters on a day-to-day basis.

Nothing is cer tain, even our most wellplanned goals. All we have is the present — and there is peace to be found in that.

Bronwyn Miller welcomes comments at bmiller@mndaily.com.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Government, get out of marriage The government should stop issuing marriages and focus on civil unions.

I

n his most recent column for The New York Times, David Brooks added interesting insight to the inveterate psittacism of elite opinion in the so-called same-sex marriage debate. His piece, aptly titled “Freedom Loses One,” does not place a normative value on the progression of same-sex marriage’s inevitability as a component of American society. Rather, it looks at the institution of marriage as a whole and recognizes that such an institution is inherently illiberal in the classical sense. “Marriage,” he writes, “is one of those institutions … that restricts freedom. Marriage is about making a commitment that binds you for decades to come.

It narrows your options on how you will spend your time, money and attention.”

Matrimony, in shor t, puts shackles on human liber ty and forces two par ties to surrender their personal freedom to the caprices of the government. While Brooks does not go so far as to condemn such capitulation (he instead cites Burke’s insistence “that men of intemperate minds cannot be free”), this oft-ignored truth is patently problematic. As such, freedom fighters and gay rights advocates alike should address the real issue — the government needs to stop meddling in the contractual institution of marriage.

Marriage is most certainly an institu-

tion, as every defender of “traditional marriage” will go through pains to remind you.

But of what sort? Social conservatives will say it is a religious one, and such an assertion would not be untrue. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists will say it is a primarily government-sanctioned one of societal import, and this reading would also be correct. In American society, getting married comes with a host of tax breaks and the right to take care of children. Then again, so do civil unions. It is somewhat difficult to eloquently describe the value dif ferential between marriage and civil unions, with the current prevailing argument being the rather compelling one that the gap between the two is based wholly on discrimination in a two-tiered system.

As it stands, the difference between a civil union and a marriage is really about legitimacy. As gay rights proponents rightly point out, same-sex couples in civil unions miss out on many unenumerated benefits of marriage, like the right to take time of f from work to care for a family member or the right to sponsor a spouse for immigration. These inequalities don’t stem from inherent persecution on the part of the codifiers of the civil relationship but simply from the tradition of marriage in this country’s legal system. In other words, marriages are simply seen by the law as more legitimate than civil unions. Last time I checked, government wasn’t really in the legitimacy business; it is constitutionally required to be in the

general welfare business. This business deals with the functioning of a healthy society and not intercession into the private activities of sexual intercourse.

Of course, the reasons for government recognition of marriage say little about sex between consenting adults. They are more technocratic, involving financial dependence and the compositions of households. This makes sense — it is in the government’s interest to determine how homesteads are operating. Yet, as it currently stands, people who claim to be “in love” do not have to pass any sort of test proving their societal interdependence. All they need is for their church to sanction them, and the government immediately follows. This seems to be a blatant contradiction of the principle of separation of church and state.

Marriage has been under religious purview for centuries. Although social conservatives aren’t quite right in saying that marriage was born as a religious rite, it still stands as an institutionalized component in most belief systems. I don’t see the government issuing certificates honoring baptisms or confirmations (nor should they start).

While religious marriage is based on the principles of heavenly love and eternal commitment of souls, secular marriage is obviously less philosophical. The government does not care if you tr uly love your spouse before God, nor should it. It cares only if you and your spouse have entered into a civil contract meriting state-provided benefits. And, unlike

most churches, the government believes such a contract can be neatly abrogated through a divorce.

This is the key dif ference between marriage in the eyes of the government and marriage in the eyes of the church.

Governments see marriage as a contract, while churches see it as a divine union.

This distinction is cr ucial, and the fact that both relationships use the same terminology is problematic. It lends credence to the notion that the government is overstepping its bounds and regulating morality. In some sense, this is inevitable, as the government is bound in its definition of marriage by many facets of the church. By their nature, churches restrict the freedom of their parishioners, as they tr y to foster sound moral conduct.

The government should not have such leeway in its actions. Letting it issue socalled marriages allows it to regulate morality. This is not the stated purpose of a government-sanctioned marriage, but the shared lexicon gives it such authority. This needs to change. The government needs to stop dictating conduct and focus on the legal rights engendered through enjoinment in a civil union. The government is powerful enough as it is — let’s try to limit its ability to be sanctimonious as well.

John F. M. Kocsis This column was originally published in the Harvard Crimson on Friday. Comments may be sent to letters@mndaily.com.

10

Monday, April 8, 2013

Sports

@MNDAILYSPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

Snow marks Coach Pitino brings Siebert Field optimism, recruiting focus debut Pitino

Siebert

u from Page 1

u from Page 1

and additional pay if his players reach certain Academic Progress Rating and GPA benchmarks.

Pitino’s annual base pay starts at $500,000, with $700,000 in supplemental pay. Smith’s contract paid him $1.2 million in supplemental compensation alone.

Smith’s base pay was $729,304, making him the highest-paid University employee last year.

Pitino will owe the University $1.5 million if he resigns by April 30, 2016, and $500,000 if he resigns after that.

If the University fires Pitino without cause, it will owe him all of the supplemental compensation and half the base salary remaining in his contract.

With a similar gusto to his 60-year-old father, Pitino answered questions fluidly about recruiting, the up-tempo pace he’s looking to bring and the Gophers’ future.

“Our style of play is going to be fun to watch,” Pitino said. “I think you guys are really going to enjoy it.

It’s going to be a style that the kids like to play.”

Pitino preached a style of play similar to his mentors Rick Pitino and Florida head coach Billy Donovan.

The young Pitino worked for three years under his father and two years as an assistant under national champion coach Donovan.

His season at Florida International marked his only college head coaching experience.

“It will be a lot of pressing,” Pitino said. “We’re going to press on ever y possession, every make. We’re going to create offense from our defense.”

Gophers basketball players sat in the front row as Pitino talked about their futures.

“It always takes time when you introduce a whole new style of play,” Pitino said. “None of these guys have played under it, so it’ll take a little bit of time.”

Teague has said he will soon unveil a facilities master plan for the University in which a men’s basketball practice facility is a top priority.

Pitino said he’s not worried about the timeline of facility additions because he feels the University has

JAAK JENSEN, DAILY

Richard Pitino answers questions at a press conference Friday at Williams Arena.

enough to offer now to recruit.

“When I look around this place, we’ve got plenty to win at a high level,” Pitino said. “The practice facility will come, and when it does, it’ll be great.”

Neither Teague nor Pitino can comment on specific recr uits per NCAA r ules, but Pitino said he would look for the “right fit” and not necessarily try and bring back recruits like Chicago De La Salle senior Alvin Ellis.

Ellis committed under Smith for 2013 and reportedly withdrew his commitment last week.

Recruiting is a focal point for Teague and Pitino, evident by private jet use in Pitino’s contract that was not in Smith’s contract.

“The University agrees to fly Coach by private (noncommercial) aircraft when coach is making recruiting visits or for other, mutually-agreed upon, University business that is located more than two-hundred miles from the University campus,” Pitino’s contract reads.

Pitino is not allowed to exceed $50,000 per year in private jet costs, per the contract.

@DailyintheBarn

CONTRACT DETAILS: SMITH* VS PITINO RICHARD PITINO

Players welcome Pitino with praise

BY ANDREW KRAMMER akrammer@mndaily.com

Rodney Williams was hanging out with fellow Gophers basketball players when he heard the news that Richard Pitino was hired.

The outgoing senior said his teammate, sophomore Oto Osenieks, sent the team a group message about the hire — and nobody believed him.

“Ten minutes later it was all over the news,” Williams said.

Two weeks earlier, after sophomore Andre Hollins, junior Austin Hollins and Williams earned their first career NCAA tournament victory, they were answering questions about Minnesota’s new basketball coach.

Pitino, 30, is the youngest basketball coach in the Big Ten. With his signature smile, Andre Hollins said Pitino’s youth is no detriment to running a big-time program.

“He learned under some of the best coaches in America,” Hollins said. “He proved that in Florida [International], coming in and having the first winning season in 13 years. That speaks volumes by itself.”

Pitino took Florida International to the Sun Belt tournament championship game this season and finished 18-14.

Pitino met with the Gophers before his introductory press conference Friday to discuss his vision and plans for the program.

“He gave us a positive vibe,” Austin Hollins said.

“He knows what he wants to do, and I think the guys are going to be on board with that.”

Sometimes during coaching changes, players transfer to different schools because the coach who recruited them was let go.

But Andre and Austin Hollins said they don’t expect any casualties from the coaching search.

“I haven’t heard anything about transfers,” Andre Hollins said. “I think [Teague] made the right choice.”

Pitino lauded the pressing style of play he plans to bring to Gophers basketball, one that he said molds everything he’s learned from his father, Rick Pitino, and former boss Billy Donovan, the head coach at Florida.

Austin Hollins said his work ethic and Pitino’s vision should ensure there’s no setback in his senior season. “[Pitino] really wants hard-nosed defense and up the court, run-and-gun on offense,” Austin Hollins said.

“Our goals don’t change — we want to make the NCAA tournament again.”

Williams, who is graduating in May, said a part of him would have liked to learn under a name like Pitino.

“Anytime you get a guy that’s been with the caliber of his father and coach Donovan, you want to learn and see what he has to offer,” Williams said. “Maybe I’ll come back during summers and he can help me out.”

The two Hollinses and Williams expressed disappointment in the firing of Tubby Smith, but they seemed optimistic about Pitino.

“It was weird,” Andre Hollins said. “It was kind of like being at home and then having your parents leave and having a new set of parents come in.”

PITINO’S CONTRACT DETAILS: MINNESOTA VS FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT MINNESOTA WINNING RECORD IN BIG TEN: $50,000

PRIVATE JET USE: LESS THAN $50,000 PER YEAR

AUTOMATIC BONUS: $400,000 IN 2016 AND 2019

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT CHAMPION: $100,000

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT CHAMPION: $25,000

BIG TEN REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION: $50,000

NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTH: $100,000

NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTH: $50,000

BIG TEN REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION: $250,000

ITEMS ONLY INCLUDED IN PITINO’S CONTRACT SUPPLEMENTAL: $700,000

BASE: $600,000 AND >5% ANNUAL INCREASE

BASE: $500,000 AND >5% ANNUAL INCREASE

SUPPLEMENTAL: $1,150,000

TUBBY SMITH

*FIGURES FROM INITIAL CONTRACT IN 2007

SOURCE: CONTRACTS

there was still a good turnout and fans in attendance were enthusiastic.

Dale Abrahamson, father of Minnesota third baseman Ryan Abrahamson, said he enjoyed being back outside.

“As soon as the weather warms up, it’s going to be great,” he said. “It was a little cold and wet watching it, but they got through it.”

Dale Abrahamson said the weather didn’t really change the fan experience.

The fan experience at the 50,000-seat Metr odome, where the Gophers played most of their games previously, wasn’t as intimate. At Siebert Field, the bleachers are practically on top of the field.

“The dome gets a little old,” he said.

Second baseman Tony Skjefte said the intimate crowd setting at the new park is a lot more fun.

AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL Salary: $1,200,000

Salary: $250,000 NCAA tournament berth: $50,000

“There’s a lot more atmosphere here for sure,” Skjefte said. “It’s fun when the games get close and the fans get into it.”

The field’s opening is apparently making waves around the Big Ten, too.

Longtime Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckwoski, who travels throughout the Midwest for various speaking engagements, said people approach him with inquires about the new ballpark.

“I’m amazed as to how many people say ‘How’s the stadium doing? How does it look?’ ” he said.

“Nobody’s ever said that before.”

Minnesota will play its home games at Sieber t Field for the remainder of the season.

Although the opening weekend was a success, Anderson said he’s ready to move for ward.

“This is all new for us, too,” Anderson said. “Each time we step on the field I think we’ll learn a little bit more.”

BASEBALL RESULTS

Ohio State Minnesota

1 0 0

2 0 0

3 0 0

4 0 3

5 0 0

6 0 3

7 0 0

8 0 1

9 0 X

R 0 7

H 3 14

E 1 0

Ohio State Minnesota

1 0 0

2 2 0

3 3 1

4 0 1

5 0 0

6 0 0

7 0 0

8 0 0

9 0 0

R 5 2

H 7 6

E 0 2

Ohio State Minnesota

1 0 0

2 0 0

3 0 0

4 0 0

5 0 0

6 0 1

7 0 0

8 0 0

9 0 X

R 0 1

H 1 3

E 0 0

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

Snelten punctuates series victory with one-hitter

BY SAM GORDON sgordon@mndaily.com

One infield single kept junior DJ Snelten from making histor y Sunday against Ohio State at Siebert Field.

The 6-foot-7 inch Gophers lefty mowed down hitter after hitter en route to a one-hit shutout and a 1-0 victor y.

Snelten struck out seven Ohio State batters and walked one.

The lone hit came in the third inning on a ground ball that deflected off of Snelten’s glove.

“I can’t take back the things that I’ve done,” Snelten said about the single. “I just kept going forward with it.”

Snelten threw 86 pitches — a low number for a complete-game shutout.

“I had command of my fastball,” he said. “If I’m able to establish it and be professional with it, it makes it a lot easier to get your job done.”

Snelten painted corners with the fastball, kept it low in the strike zone and mixed in his slider and changeup effectively.

Sophomore second baseman Tony Skjefte, who’s listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds, drove in the game’s only run on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The home run was the first of Skjefte’s career and the first ever at Siebert Field.

Minnesota won the first game 7-0 behind strong pitching from junior Tom Windle and junior Alec Crawford.

Windle, the Gophers’ ace, threw five shutout innings Friday before the game was delayed by snow.

When play resumed Saturday, Crawford picked up where Windle left off, throwing four shutout innings to record the save.

Six dif ferent Gophers players drove in runs in the first game. Senior left fielder Andy Henkemeyer and sophomore designated hitter Mark Tatera had three hits apiece.

An hour after the conclusion of the first game Saturday, the squads began playing the second. But the second game was also delayed by rain.

Sophomore Ben Meyer was roughed up early in the second game, allowing five runs in three innings.

Ohio State cruised to a 5-2 victor y in a game that was completed Sunday morning.

Anderson said he was impressed with the way his team responded in the third game Sunday.

Wednesday’s game postponed

NCAA tournament berth: $10,000

Wednesday’s scheduled game between Minnesota and St. Johns has been postponed.

The Division III Johnnies are using Wednesday to make up a conference game that had been postponed.

No makeup date has been announced.

Big Ten regular-season champion: $50,000 Conference regular-season champion: $10,000 Big Ten coach of the year: $25,000 Conference coach of the year: $10,000 SOURCE: CONTRACTS

Monday, April 8, 2013

11

MEN’S HOCKEY

Haula, Alt add to list of early departures

Five Gophers players have left the team early to play professionally.

BY DREW CLAUSSEN dclaussen@mndaily.com

Two more Gophers hockey players decided during the weekend to sign professional contracts and forego their senior season.

Junior forward Erik Haula signed an entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild that was announced Sunday, and junior defenseman Mark Alt signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers that was announced Friday.

Five Gophers players have left the team for the professional ranks in the past week.

Minnesota’s season ended March 29 with an upset loss to Yale in the NCAA tournament.

Haula will begin his career with the Houston Aeros, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Wild. The Wild selected Haula in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Draft.

Alt will likely start in the AHL as well. The defenseman was drafted 53rd overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and had his rights traded to Philadelphia this season.

The duo joins Nate Schmidt, Nick Bjugstad and Zach Budish as juniors who decided to forego their last year at Minnesota and sign professional contracts.

Haula skated in 114 games for the Gophers and had 124 points. He was the first player at Minnesota since Ryan Potulny (2003-06) to average

MARK ALT CAREER STATISTICS SEASON 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 TOTALS

GP 35 43 39 117

G 2 5 0 7

A 8 17 7 32

PTS 10 22 7 39

SOURCE: USCHO.COM

ERIC HAULA CAREER STATISTICS SEASON 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 TOTALS

GP 34 43 37 114

G 6 20 16 42

A 18 29 35 82

PTS 24 49 51 124

SOURCE: USCHO.COM

more than a point per game.

“It’s never easy to leave a team, especially when you’ve been with the same guys for three years,” Haula said in a release. “But this is the right move for me.”

Haula led the Gophers in points the past two seasons.

The Pori, Finland native was the second international player in Gophers hockey history.

“Erik has been an impact player for us for three seasons, and I think he has proven that he is ready to play at the next level,” head coach Don Lucia said in a release.

Unlike the other four signings, Alt’s depar ture came as a surprise.

The junior from St. Paul notched 39 points in his three seasons at Minnesota.

After a strong sophomore campaign in which he netted 22 points, Alt had no

MARK VANCLEAVE, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Minnesota forward Erik Haula battles for the puck against a Boston College player Dec. 30, 2012, at Mariucci Arena.

goals and seven assists this season.

The departures of Haula and Alt likely end the exodus of Gophers players leaving for the professional ranks.

A Gophers senior class

Men finish third at Big Ten meet The goal is the same ever y week for the Gophers men’s gymnastics team: hit all 30 routines.

Minnesota accomplished its goal for the first time this season Friday night in front of an energetic crowd at the Spor ts Pavilion.

The Gophers rallied late to finish third out of seven teams at the Big Ten championships.

Coach Mike Burns said it’s only the second time in his coaching career he’s been a part of perfection.

“This should give our guys [an] amazing confidence boost going into the NCAA championships,” he said.

Minnesota finished on the podium for the first time since 2007, when it also finished third as the meet’s host.

Michigan scored 438.9 to win the title, and Penn State finished second.

Ellis Mannon, who competed on four events for Minnesota on Friday night, said the team picked a good time to have its best meet of the year.

“It’s such a hard spor t to achieve per fection like that,” the sophomore said.

“I think that was a big step for us to go 30-for-30 at Big Tens when it mattered the most.”

Fans from ever y school were on their feet for most of the night, shouting cheers when their team did well.

The intensity climaxed during the final rotation, when athletes and fans alike divided their attention between the gymnasts

Helgeson signs Minnesota’s lone senior last season, Seth Helgeson, also signed a professional deal this weekend.

Helgeson signed an amateur tryout deal with the Al-

bany Devils, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The Devils drafted Helgeson in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Draft.

@DailyontheIce

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

BY NICKALAS TABBERT ntabbert@mndaily.com

that was supposed to feature nine players next season will instead have five: Nate Condon, Justin Holl, Jake Parenteau, Tom Serratore and goaltender Michael Shibrowski.

competing and the scoreboard above the bleachers, waiting to see the outcome.

“It was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had in a meet,” junior Matt Frey said. “It was a blast.”

Frey said the team was dancing in the locker room after the meet.

“It was getting crazy,” he said.

Minnesota moved up and down the scoreboard the second half of the meet.

It led after the fourth rotation but slid back to fifth entering its final event, the still rings.

Burns told the gymnasts they had a chance to climb back up the standings if they hit their routines.

They did, using three stuck landings and no falls to score a season-high 74.15.

“The ring team just put the nail in the coffin,” Burns said.

Mannon said the team knew it was going to hit all five routines on rings.

Minnesota also performed well on high bar and pommel horse. The team won the former event with a score of 71.1, and sophomore Steve Jaciuk had the best individual score, a 15.15. Freshman Daniel DiBenedetto finished fourth with a score of 14.7.

Mannon said Minnesota surprised teams on the pommel horse, the team’s worst event this season.

Scores on the event reflected the team standings, as Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota had the best results.

Mannon said pommel horse usually decides the winner of the meet.

“I think it’s a pivotal event at any big meet,” he said.

Bur ns didn’t appear surprised his team performed so well Friday.

“There’s not a whole lot of magic to it,” he said.

“They decided it was time to have a good meet.”

Six gymnasts place at individual meet

Six Gophers gymnasts competed on four dif ferent events Saturday night at the Big Ten individual championships.

Gymnasts qualified by finishing in the top 10 of each event during Friday’s team competition.

Mannon finished second on pommel horse with a score of 14.9. He said afterward he was happy with how his routine went and is looking for ward to the chance to face event winner Craig Hernandez.

Junior Harris Coleman finished seventh on pommel horse with a 14.375.

Freshman Jack Metcalf finished seventh on still rings with a 14.825, and Jaciuk was ninth with a 14.35.

Frey finished sixth on the parallel bars with a 14.45.

Jaciuk finished third in the high bar competition with a 15.0. DiBenedetto finished sixth with a 14.375.

The mood Saturday was almost the exact opposite of Friday night. Competitors from different schools of fered words of encouragement and jokes between routines. Minnesota gymnasts not competing wore sombreros and other hats as they sat along the vault runway and watched their teammates.

MEN’S GYMNASTICS RESULTS

TEAMS 1. Michigan 2. Penn State 3. Minnesota 4. Ohio State 5. Illinois

BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY

Minnesota gymnast Ellis Mannon competes on the pommel horse Friday at the Sports Pavilion.

Women return to NCAAs

SCORE 438.9 434.05 430.35 426.6 424.45

MINNESOTA LEADERS EVENT FINALS SCORE Pommel Horse Mannon, 14.9 Coleman, 14.375 Rings Jaciuk, 14.35 Metcalf, 14.825 Parallel Bars Frey, 14.45 High Bar Jaciuk, 15.0 DiBenedetto, 14.375 *out of 7 teams

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

JAAK JENSEN, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Minnesota’s Lindsay Mable competes on floor exercise March 16 at the Sports Pavilion.

BY NICKALAS TABBERT ntabbert@mndaily.com

The Gophers women’s gymnastics team is going back to the NCAA championships.

Minnesota finished second at its NCAA regional in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday night to advance to its first championship meet since 2002.

Trailing Auburn entering the final rotation, the Gophers scored a season-high 49.525 on vault to secure second place, which they needed to keep their season alive.

“I’ve said it all along: They’re the real deal,” head coach Meg Stephenson said.

“They were not intimidated at all, they believed in their abilities and they believed they belonged at nationals. And they performed that way.”

Minnesota’s vaults were faster than Auburn’s beam routines, meaning the Gophers had to watch and wait for the final scores to be tallied.

When the final scores were displayed, the screams, hugs and tears were on full display.

“I don’t even think there are even words to describe how amazing it feels,” freshman Lindsay Mable said afterward.

Minnesota hit all 24 routines on the night, beginning with the uneven bars.

The Gophers have struggled on bars throughout the season, but they delivered one of their best performances of the season Saturday.

Sophomore Jenny Covers led things off with a 9.8, and her teammates equaled or

bettered that mark, capped

by Mable’s 9.9. Freshman Madie Hanley scored a season-high 9.85.

“I think it was probably one of the most important parts of the meet,” Mable said, “because that first event sets your precedent and mindset for the rest of the time.”

Covers said the confidence taken from bars helped the team on the other three events.

Mable led the Gophers on every event and tied the allaround school record with a score of 39.6.

“I think it just really shows the quality athlete that she is,” Stephenson said of Mable.

“She has just been fantastic this year.”

Despite the Gophers’ soso performance on beam, Stephenson said she felt good about their chances to advance as they entered a bye rotation halfway through the meet.

Minnesota went on floor exercise after the break and produced the second-best score of the six teams, but Auburn held an edge over Minnesota after three events.

Stephenson said she told her gymnasts before the vault to “let it rip” because it could have been their final event of the season.

“They stuck the landings, and that made the difference,” Stephenson said.

Minnesota had all six gymnasts score 9.85 or higher on vault. Mable and senior Shannon Golich scored season highs. Mable and Covers tied for the individual title with scores of 9.95.

“I think it was cool to see

everyone fighting for every little tenth,” Mable said. “Every little thing mattered.”

Minnesota will have two weeks before competing at the NCAA championships in Los Angeles. Fellow Big Ten schools Michigan and Illinois also made the field of 12 teams.

Notes 4Minnesota’s 49.525 on vault was its second-highest score in school history. The Gophers scored a 49.6 on March 3, 2002, at UCLA. 4Minnesota competed at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center for the second time this season Saturday. Minnesota scored 197.175 on March 1 in a loss to Florida.

4Florida swept the topfive spots on floor exercise, the-top three spots on bars and the top-two spots on beam.

4Stephenson was named North Central Region Coach of the Year. The Gophers coaching staff of Jenny Hansen, Louie Johnson and Jim Stephenson was named the top staff in the region.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS RESULTS

TEAMS 1. Florida 2. Minnesota 3. Auburn

SCORE 198.4 197.1 196.7

MINNESOTA LEADERS SCORE Vault Mable, 9.95 Covers, 9.95 Bars Mable, 9.9 Beam Mable, 9.875 Floor Mable, 9.875 Schermann, 9.875 All-Around Mable, 39.6 *out of 6 teams

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

12

Monday, April 8, 2013

SOFTBALL

Gophers win 2 of 3 against Badgers Sara Moulton had both wins during a weekend of bad weather.

Men, women split matches Both teams beat Penn State before losing to Ohio State.

BY DANE MIZUTANI dmizutani@mndaily.com

BY DREW CLAUSSEN dclaussen@mndaily.com

The Gophers softball team had an up-and-down couple of days this weekend, but it ended on a high note.

Minnesota (23-13, 6-3 Big Ten) took two of three games from rival No. 25 Wisconsin this weekend.

The schedule was reconfigured after Friday’s postponed game because of snow and cold temperatures.

The Gophers won the first game of the series 2-1 and split a doubleheader with the Badgers on Sunday afternoon.

After a poor showing in Sunday’s first game, the Gophers rebounded in a strong way in the series finale. Minnesota used a three-run first inning and a five-run third to beat the Badgers 8-0.

“After the first game, it was really a gut check for us,” junior pitcher Sara Moulto n said. “Pe ople took some swings in the cages and we got mentally ready for the second game.”

Moulton picked up her second win of the weekend Sunday. She was able to pitch aggressively because of the early threerun lead the Gophers spotted her.

Moulton struck out seven Badgers players in five innings Sunday.

Minnesota’s fifth through eighth batters in the lineup drove in all seven earned runs in Sunday’s second game. Sophomore Erica Meyer, sophomore Madie Eckstrom and senior Alex Davis each had two RBIs. In Sunday’s first game, Badgers pitcher Megan McIntosh tossed a nohitter. Gophers freshman pitcher Nikki Anderson seemed to be cruising until Wisconsin used back-to-

TENNIS

JAAK JENSEN, DAILY

Minnesota’s Sara Moulton pitches during a doubleheader against Wisconsin on Sunday at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

SOFTBALL RESULTS

Wisconsin Minnesota

1 0 0

2 0 0

3 0 1

4 0 0

5 0 0

6 1 0

7 0 1

R 1 2

H 6 8

Wisconsin Minnesota

1 0 0

2 0 0

3 6 0

4 0 0

5 1 0

6 3 0

7 X X

R H 10 11 0 0

E 0 0

Wisconsin Minnesota

1 0 3

2 0 0

3 0 5

4 0 0

5 0 X

6 X X

7 X X

R 0 8

E 0 1

H 5 8

E 1 0

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

back home r uns to score six r uns in the third inning.

“Things just didn’t go our way,” head coach Jessica Allister said.

Allister said she was impressed with how the team used the half hour between games Sunday to mentally prepare itself for the second.

Minnesota won in walkof f style Saturday when

senior Kari Dorle doubled home sophomore T yler Walker in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Saturday’s game was delayed by rain, which the Gophers have grown accustomed to.

“Last year I think ever y game we played was ra i n d el a yed , ” Al l i s t er said, adding that the she thought her team has handled the delays ver y well.

Minnesota’s women’s tennis squad split a pair of matches at Baseline Tennis Center during the weekend.

The unranked Gophers had lost three straight matches entering the weekend, and head coach Chuck Merzbacher had said his team needed to respond.

They did Friday before losing a close match Sunday.

“I thought our intensity was good all weekend,” he said. “It’s just one went our way and one didn’t.”

Minnesota upset No. 33 Penn State 4-3 on Friday thanks to a pivotal win on the doubles side to start the match.

The Gophers used the 1-0 lead to their advantage and locked up the match after a singles win by freshman Paula Rincon Otero.

Merzbacher has said all season that his team performs well if it earns the doubles point, and it proved that Friday with the crucial upset.

“I think our intensity was really high against Penn State,” he said. “We stepped up and were tougher when we needed to be tougher.”

His team was just as tough Sunday against No. 52 Ohio State in a 5-2 loss.

Merzbacher coached at Ohio State for 16 seasons before he accepted the head coaching job at Minnesota this summer.

He said it was a little sur real to play against players he helped recruit.

He also said he knew the team would be gunning for him this weekend.

“I’m sure they had this one circled on the calendar, and they played like it,” Merzbacher said.

The Gophers star ted of f the match on the wrong foot, as they struggled on the doubles side.

Minnesota dropped both the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches 8-4, and the No. 2 doubles match didn’t

CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY

Minnesota’s Tereza Brichacova plays against Ohio State on Sunday at the Baseline Tennis Center.

WOMEN’S TENNIS RESULTS

MINNESOTA 4, PENN STATE 3 Singles Pintusava Brichacova Rincon Otero Mozia Lambert Palen

W W W L L L

Doubles Pintusava/Rincon Otero Muravnik/Palen Brichacova/Mozia

6-7 unfinished W 8-3 W 8-3

7-5, 6-1 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 6-3, 6-3 6-2, 6-4 3-6, 6-3, 2-2 retired

MEN’S TENNIS RESULTS

MINNESOTA 5, PENN STATE 2 Singles Bonin Toledo Hamburg Froment Ramirez Weber

W W W W L L

Doubles Froment/Hamburg Bonin/Ramirez Frueh/Toledo

W 8-5 W 8-3 L 8-3

6-3, 7-5 6-4, 6-4 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 1-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-8

OHIO STATE 5, MINNESOTA 2 Singles W 6-1, 6-0 Pintusava W 6-3, 6-3 Brichacova L 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 Rincon Otero L 6-4, 6-4 Lambert L 6-4, 6-4 Mozia L 6-1, 6-1 Muravnik

Singles Bonin Toledo Hamburg Froment Ramirez Weber

L L L L L L

Doubles Pintusava/Rincon Otero Muravnik/Palen Brichacova/Mozia

Doubles Froment/Hamburg Bonin/Ramirez Frueh/Toledo

L 8-2 L 8-1 L 8-2

L 8-4 6-4 unfinished L 8-4

OHIO STATE 7, MINNESOTA 0 6-2, 6-0 6-4, 7-5 6-1, 6-3 6-1, 6-3 6-2, 6-1 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-8

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

finish.

“We put ourselves in a hole,” Merzbacher said.

“We tried to dig out in the singles, and we did a pretty good job, but they were tough.”

Minnesota dominated at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, but the bottom half of the lineup couldn’t follow suit.

The few close matches went in favor of the Buckeyes.

“I feel like every time we had a chance, they had an answer,” Merzbacher said. “We didn’t give them anything.

They took it from us.”

what they were up against Sunday against Ohio State.

The Buckeyes had lost just two matches all season and were undefeated in the Big Ten. A red-hot Minnesota squad couldn’t slow them down.

The Gophers notched their fifth straight win Friday, winning 5-2 at Penn State, but they lost 7-0 at Ohio State on Sunday.

Minnesota str uggled most of Sunday, and the only player to compete in a close match was sophomore Leandro Toledo at No. 2 singles.

Toledo led the nation’s No. 4 player early in the first set before losing 6-4, 7-5.

Men routed by juggernaut Ohio State

The Gophers knew

WOMEN’S GOLF TRACK & FIELD

Women enjoy sun, third place at Alabama Invite The men recorded eight wins in the rain at the Hamline Invite.

BY MEGAN RYAN mryan@mndaily.com

The Gophers men’s and women’s track and field teams had a successful weekend in dif ferent weather conditions.

While the men competed in the rain at the Hamline Invite, the women’s team enjoyed 70 degrees and sun at the Alabama Invite.

The women placed third with 102.5 points behind Penn State (115.50 points) and Nebraska (108.5).

“Obviously it’s always great to come down and beat some SEC [Southeaster n Conference] schools,” head coach Matt Bingle said, “but I thought we had a shot to win.”

The Gophers tallied two event wins — senior Todea-Kay Willis in the long jump with 6.16 meters and senior Paige Orcutt in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:43.82.

But it was some lowerplace finishes that helped make the difference.

Senior Alena Brooks placed second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:05.82. She set a new personal record and now ranks second in Gophers histor y.

Both Willis and junior Megan Geyen competed

in three events in Alabama and scored points for the team in all of them. Both ran in the 4x100-meter relay with sophomore Akuoma Omeoga and senior Kylie Peterson to place second at 46.30 seconds. Willis placed third in the 200-meter dash, and Geyen placed third in the 400-meter dash.

Geyen was also a par t of the four th-place 4x400m e t e r r e l a y. S h e s a i d r unning multiple events doesn’t faze her.

“When I go out there, I’m not thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to score these points for my team,’ ” Geyen said. “I’m more so thinking, ‘I need to have fun, and I need to r un well.’ ” Junior Ashlie Decker placed second in the steeplechase at 10:47.82. Junior Maggie Bollig placed third in the 1,500-meter run.

Senior Jeri JohnsonChambers was also second in the hammer throw at 56.25 meters, and sophomore Devin Stanford finished third in the discus.

Redshir t freshman Bria Halama finished third in the triple jump.

The men’s team competed at the Hamline Invite this weekend despite the rain. While some events like the high jump and pole vault were moved inside because of the weather, the Gophers still recorded eight event wins.

“For the most par t, I think we got out of it what

there was to get out of it,” head coach Steve Plasencia said.

Senior John Holton won the 200-meter dash, an offevent for him, in 22.68 seconds. He then tied senior teammate Kevin Bradley for first in the 400-meter dash at 48.30 seconds.

Redshir t freshman Christian Skaret won the 800-meter r un in 1:53.08, and junior Derek Storkel won the 1,500-meter run in 3:54.93.

Junior Ryan Todhunter won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.94 seconds, and redshir t freshman Goaner Deng won the 400-meter hurdles in 54.48 seconds.

Junior Zach Siegmeier led a top-four sweep of the pole vault at 5.20 meters, and sophomore Justin Barber led a top-four sweep in the discus throw at 53.69 meters.

Freshman basketball g u a r d Wa l l y E l l e n s o n made his debut on the track team by competing unattached in the high jump. He won with a height of 2.17 meters.

Fatigue shows in 15th-place finish par to finish 15th out of 18 teams at the Rebel Intercollegiate during the weekend.

Coastal Carolina University won the tour nament with a 1-under par score of 863. Minnesota shot 920.

The Gophers played well in Friday’s opening round but str uggled during the weekend at the Ole Miss Golf Course in Oxford, Miss.

Coach Michele Redman said the team str uggled with its shor t game and putting but also from mental mistakes.

She said the busy spring schedule has taken its toll on the women.

“This is really the first tournament we played this year that we didn’t finish where we should have finished,” she said. “That’s going to happen when you play as many tournaments as we play.”

Minnesota played well in Friday’s opening round before stumbling.

BY NICKALAS TABBERT ntabbert@mndaily.com

The Gophers women’s golf team shot 56-over

WOMEN’S GOLF RESULTS

GOLFER Laguna Laorr Shepherd Theinthong Thitiratanakorn

RD1 76 76 76 75 82

RD2 75 80 74 79 81

RD3 74 77 83 81 77

TOTAL 225 233 233 235 240

TEAM RD1 1 Coastal Carolina 284 289 2 Baylor 293 3 Tulane 4 East Tennessee St. 290 291 5 Kentucky 303 15 Minnesota

RD2 289 293 286 296 302 308

RD3 290 290 299 295 293 309

TOTAL 863 872 878 881 886 920

*out of 18 teams

SOURCE: GOLFSTATRESULTS.COM

Minnesota Daily Athletes of the Week SPORT: baseball POSITION: pitcher YEAR: junior MALE

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD RESULTS

18 OF 18 EVENTS SCORED 1 Penn State 2 Nebraska 3 Minnesota 4 Alabama 5 Missouri 6 Mississippi State

Score 115.50 108.50 102.50 80.00 73.00 72.50

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

Minnesota has played in five tour naments this spring and nine since last September, all on the road.

The team will get a muchneeded break now before the Big Ten championships April 26.

Car men Laguna was the lone bright spot for Minnesota, shooting a spring season-best 225 to finish tied for 34th place.

The sophomore’s best round, a 2-over par 74, came Sunday.

Laguna said she switched back to her old set of clubs for the tournament. She had been using a new set since winter break, but she wasn’t hitting the ball as well as she did last fall.

“I actually hit the old ones better,” she said.

Redman said the team will likely have a few days of f this week before starting to focus on the Big Ten championships.

DJ SNELTEN Snelten allowed only one hit in a complete-game shutout Sunday as the Gophers beat Ohio State 1-0. He struck out seven batters and walked one. The lone hit was an infield single off Snelten’s glove that could have been ruled an error. Minnesota took two of three games from the Buckeyes in the first series at Siebert Field.

SPORT: gymnastics YEAR: freshman

FEMALE

LINDSAY MABLE Mable made the most of her first NCAA regionals, leading the Gophers on all four events, including a tie for first on vault. She tied the school all-around record with a score of 39.6. Her efforts helped Minnesota keep its season alive and make its first NCAA championships appearance since 2002.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Classifieds

13

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14

Monday, April 8, 2013

BACKTALK

horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (4/8): Your network motivates you to participate. Until June, communications flow with electricity. Focus on joint income, insurance and investments to grow. Keep paying debt.

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is a 7 — You’re not afraid to make mistakes right now. That’s how you find what’s missing. Changing your mind can be a sign of strength.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 7 — There’s a change in plans. Rely on partners. You don’t have to do it all; delegate! Insist on the truth.

Listen graciously. Study with a passion.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is an 8 — Finish up old projects for a brilliant insight. Get the numbers down. Contemplate potential outcomes. Complete what you’ve promised.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is an 8 — Call a compulsive talker. Work out the details.

Gather information, and persuade them to accept your strategy.

Complete the grid so each row, clumn and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Talk it over with family. Friends are helpful for the next two days, and a fantastic suggestion arises. Make sure what you build is solid.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 7 — You’re attractive and attracted in the Aries moonlight.

There’s more time for love. Ask interesting questions as you begin a new study.

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

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 9 — Write, blog, record, speak or sing; put your message out. Consider new opportunities. The rules of the game may have changed, and there’s a test.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Start a writing project. There’s a change at the top. The decisions you make now will last. It’s a good time to make friends.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Travel compels but could be complex. Talk it over. There are excellent conditions for group discussion.

Listen to those with wisdom, wit and experience.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is a 9 — Others admire you. A new assignment’s coming. Read something very interesting.

Someone offers a breakthrough suggestion.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 9 — Get involved with publications, either by reading, researching, writing or publishing. Talk about the things you feel passionate about.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is an 8 — Watch for income opportunities. Revise your words.

Use your own good judgment. Discuss changes. Find another way to cut costs.

sudoku Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.

4/8/13

Thursday’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.

All rights reserved.

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

Written By Linda C. Black

Monday, April 8, 2013

crossword

overheard “Why does everyone want to lick me?”

—Middlebrook Hall

Girl 1: Do you remember kissing him?

Girl 2: No ... until now.

—Centennial dining hall

Computer science professor: “If you want to diddle with the private parts, you have to have a friend.”

—Keller Hall

Guy: “Dude, I’ve been wearing the same pair of boxers for five days.”

—Coffman Union

Teacher: “Is anyone in here a marketing major?”

Girl: “I am. It keeps my GPA up ...”

—Hanson Hall

“I’m not drinking this weekend, except for tomorrow.”

—Hanson Hall

Girl: I’m not one for going commando in a dress: I’ll just get my vagina juices all over it.

—Centennial Hall

Girl 1: “How many colleges are there here, nine?”

Girl 2: “I thought it was seven ... or maybe that was the number of continents.”

—Annie’s Parlour

Girl: “Why are people always making me smell their body parts!”

—Unknown

Guy 1: “There aren’t many people here today” Guy 2: “Well, we still have a few minutes before class starts,and it’s a Friday, so there usually are less people, especially on Fridays before weekends.”

Guy 1: “Dude, every Friday is before a weekend.”

—Unknown

“Metrosexuals are people who can only have sex on the bus.”

—Comstock dining hall

“Is there something wrong with me?

That I just see porn everywhere I look?”

—Lind Hall

“Mostly I’m super excited to use a blowtorch.”

—Smith Hall

“You know, when George Bush was in college, he had a C average. I could be president someday.”

—West Bank

What did you overhear?

4Post submissions on 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.

FOR RELEASE APRIL 8 , 2013

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Eva or Juan of Argentina 6 “Taking you places” premium movie channel 11 Suffix for hero 14 ’60s-’70s Twins great Tony 15 Nest on a cliffside 16 “Friends” actress Courteney 17 Many a coffee shop, vis-à-vis Internet access 19 Corner PC key 20 Subj. for immigrants 21 Synagogue 22 Cowpoke’s seat 24 Flightless South American bird 26 Scottish hillside 28 “... believe __ not!”

29 Hairstyling immortal Vidal 31 “Ship out” alternative 34 Humble home 35 1980s secretary of state Alexander 36 False show 37 “No need to hurry, is there?”

41 “__ ’nuff!”

42 Move, in Realtorspeak 43 “In __ Shoes”: Cameron Diaz flick 44 Meddles (with) 46 “Pretty please ...”

50 GPS choices 51 Pinnacle 53 Geologic periods 54 Extensive property 57 Sorrowful cry 59 Slangy “OK” 60 “Wheel of Fortune” purchase 61 Genderdetermining heredity unit 64 Mauna __: Hawaii’s highest peak 65 Harbor cities 66 ESPN analyst Garciaparra 67 Bachelor in personals, briefly 68 Early stage 69 Extends across

4/8/13

By C.C. Burnikel

DOWN 1 __ that be: authorities 2 Inventor Otis 3 Remington weapons 4 Egg: Pref.

5 Casual turndowns 6 Second-largest planet 7 Physicist Nikola 8 Dadaism founder 9 Spanish rivers 10 Greek letter that seems like it should be last 11 Summer refreshers 12 Hardly an amateur 13 Quote in a book review 18 “How frustrating!”

23 Chip go-with 25 Pale as a ghost 27 “La Bamba” co-star Morales 30 Very strange 32 Car headlight setting 33 Strike a bargain 35 “The Newsroom” channel 37 Request for the latest update

Thursday’sPuzzle Puzzle Solved Saturday’s Solved

(c)2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

38 The Twins, at Minneapolis’s Target Field 39 “Born Free” lion 40 Press for 41 Windex targets 45 Free TV ad 46 Words before “Can you give me directions?”

47 Cellist who performed at Steve Jobs’s funeral

4/8/13

48 Like a singleperformer show 49 Leads, as to a seat 52 Garçon’s handout 55 AutoCorrect target 56 Keynes’s sci.

58 Male heirs 62 Appt. book rows 63 Soak (up), as gravy

Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.

dr. date Dr. Date,

I actually did it — I boned my TA. We have a great thing going, and it has really spiced up an otherwise boring lit class this semester. Problem is, I can’t tell what’s going to happen when the class is over. Will the bonin’ end when the teachin’ does? Will it be as exciting when we aren’t living out the teacher-student fantasy? I can’t get a read on him but want to know what to expect after finals are over. How can I figure that out without jeopardizing the steamy sex (and steamy looks during class)?

—Understudy

Bad For Grad,

Something you have to remember about TAs is that they’re graduate students, and something you simply must remember about graduate students is that they’re the absolute worst. For all you know, your TA is preparing to propose to his actual significant other.

Don’t trust that he’s imagining this lasting into the summer. My money is on his tendencies being toward the non-committal and flingy. If you really want to know, you gotta buck up and ask. Maybe post an inquiry on Moodle? Scrawl a note at the bottom of your next quiz? Good luck.

—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

I’m going to be away from my boo for the summer. How can I stay in touch without being too needy?

—Camp Counselor

Campy,

Make a schedule for yourself! To avoid being needy — let’s be real, there are only so many flirty texts you can send before the receiver gets tired — make yourself a schedule, and force yourself to stick to it. One text a week is good, and maybe throw in a sweet postcard every month. Pepper each

fortnight with a nice little phone call or Skype sesh.

Sound cold and calculating? Maybe it is. But hey, it’s better than being clammy and desperate.

—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

My boyfriend might be gay, and I don’t know how to bring it up in case he’s not and is offended. I know he has questioned his sexuality in the past, but since we’ve been together (for two years), he has clearly been attracted to me. But lately he has seemed a little guarded and has made a few comments that make me wonder. I don’t want to weird him out, but how am I supposed to just keep being with him when I’m unsure if he’s attracted to me anymore?

—Curious

Cat-Killer,

If you know that he’s questioned his sexuality in the past, you’ve got solid ground to stand on here. Just ask your boyfriend if it’s possible that he might be questioning his sexuality yet again. I think there’s a sensitive way to do this that won’t hurt your boyfriend’s feelings but will get you the answer you’re looking for.

But let’s talk about the crux of your question: How can you be with somebody you’re not sure is attracted to you?

That’s tough. Even if he assures you over and over again that he’s attracted to you, your doubts will erode any mountain of promises. I’m sorry. But if you’re questioning him, that speaks way louder than his potential self-questioning.

It’s time to give him a break from the suspicion spotlight and instead turn it on yourself. Are you still attracted to him? Is there a chance that you’re not and that you’re projecting your lack of attraction onto him?

Chew on it. Get back to me.

—Dr. Date

Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.

15

16

Monday, April 8, 2013

Syrian regime launches counteroffensive on rebels

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIRUT — After weeks of rebel gains in the south, the Syrian regime launched a counteroffensive on Sunday with widespread airstrikes and an operation that reclaimed a northern village on a strategically important route.

At least 20 people were killed in heavy airstrikes that targeted rebels trying to topple the regime in at least seven cities and regions. To underline their resolve, the government called on opposition fighters to surrender their arms and warned in cellphone text messages that the army is “coming to get you.”

State television said the aim of the counteroffensive was to send a message to the opposition and its Western backers that President Bashar Assad’s troops are capable and willing to battle increasingly better armed rebels on multiple fronts.

Rebels have been making gains in recent weeks, especially in the south near the border with Jordan. They have seized military bases and towns in the strategically important region between Damascus and the Jordanian border about 100 miles away.

However in the north, the main rebel stronghold, government troops have been chipping away slowly over the past weeks at rebel gains around the city of Aleppo, the country’s main commercial hub. They have been hammering rebel-held districts inside the city with fighter jets and artillery, sowing fear among residents.

Troops recaptured on Saturday the village of Aziza

on a strategic road that links Aleppo with its airport and military bases, activists said.

Rebels have been trying to capture that airport and the nearby bases for months now.

The regime seized back the village southeast of Aleppo after a 10-day battle with rebels, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“It’s a setback for the rebels because the village is an important strategic point from which the army can shell (opposition) positions all around the area,” AbdulRahman said.

It’s also an outpost from which the army will be able to protect its convoys traveling the highway to ferry supplies to its bases at the airport.

Over the last year, rebels have greatly expanded the territor y they hold in the northeastern provinces, including Idlib and Aleppo along the Turkish border.

In February, they extended their control into Raqqa province in the northeast, seizing the second hydroelectric dam on the Euphrates River. Last month, the rebels captured Raqqa’s provincial capital of the same name — the first city to fall entirely under opposition control in the 2-year-old conflict.

Capturing Aleppo’s airport would be a major strategic victory that would enable the opposition to receive aid flights.

Aziza is one in a string of settlements along the Aleppo airport road that government troops have taken back.

The base inside the airport complex includes an airstrip from which regime fighter jets have been taking off to bomb targets around the country.

Sunday’s airstrikes targeted Aleppo, the central cities of Homs and Hama and the city of Idlib in the north near the Turkish border. The western Mediterranean city of Latakia, and the eastern province of Deir el-Zour and the suburbs of the capital Damascus were also targeted.

Anti-government activists in Aleppo posted videos on line, showing the aftermath of Saturday’s airstrike on what they say is Sukkary district in the northern city.

Dozens of residents are standing on piles of rubble in front of a row of residential buildings, looking in disbelief at the front of the building that was blown off when a missile slammed into it.

In another video, men help a woman climb down from a balcony of the second floor of a building that has partially collapsed after a missile ripped through it.

The videos appear consistent with AP reporting from the area.