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U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
EARLY WEEK
MARCH 20-22, 2017
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
LEGISLATURE
SEXUAL ASSAULT & GREEK LIFE
‘THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT’
MN lawmakers look to make U student group fees optional The two bills, which would apply to all state schools, aims to cut college costs. BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH rfaircloth@mndaily.com
To help reign in the cost of college, Minnesota lawmakers would like to limit student service fees. Two proposals — which are opposed by administrators and student leaders — in the Minnesota Legislature would require the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State institutions to make mandatory student service fees optional or get any proposed increase approved by the student body in a vote. While the state can’t force the University to implement the referendum proposal, if the school ignored the state’s request it would withhold the amount of revenue the University generated because of any increase from its u See BILLS Page 10
RESEARCH
MADDY FOX, DAILY
A group walks past fraternities on Fraternity Row on March 10.
The University of Minnesota greek life community holds two annual events aimed at sexual assault prevention. Still, some say more needs to be done. BY JESSIE BEKKER jbekker@mndaily.com
Editor’s note: This is the last installment of a three-part series on sexual assault and greek life at the University of Minnesota.
W
ith the suspension of Delta Upsilon last month due to sexual assault allegations and alcohol and substance misuse, renewed attention has been levied on the greek life community’s response to sexual assault. While University of Minnesota fraternity leaders condemn acts of sexual violence, they say they’re not adequately prepared to tackle the issue when allegations arise on campus. “It’s a much bigger issue than what [the Interfraternity Council] is equipped to handle,” said IFC president Simon Beck, adding that he thinks sexual assaults in fraternities represent one “bad apple” rather than a culture. To raise awareness about sexual assault prevention, the University’s greek community — about 11 percent of the school’s enrollment — hosts two annual events: a mandatory new member training and a fundraiser called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. While some members have raised issues with fraternity
culture — including those who donned their letters for a March 4 rally against sexual assault on fraternity row — some experts say dissent is uncommon in a community that frowns upon violating brotherly trust. Advocates, University officials and some greek life representatives agree more can be done to prevent sexual assault. Still, they say it’s up to fraternity members to implement lessons shared through sexual assault training to create positive change within the community.
Fraternities an outlet for drinking, sex First-year college students are often attracted to greek life because it’s perceived as a place to party and drink, said Nick Syrett, a historian at the University of Northern Colorado who authored a 2009 book, “The Company He Keeps,” on the histor y of fraternities. Fraternities, which were first founded in the early 1800s, have fostered a culture of drinking and hazing since their inception, Syrett said. As more men joined fraternities, hazing became an accepted tool for men to pledge their allegiance to their brothers. u See UPSILON Page 4
“It’s a much bigger issue than what [the Interfraternity Council] is equipped to handle.”
Despite Trump budget, U’s sea grant directors remain hopeful President Donald Trump’s budget would cut funding for U coastal research. BY RILYN EISCHENS reischens@mndaily.com
A national research program initiated by a University of Minnesota dean in the 1960s would be eliminated if President Donald Trump’s budget proposal is passed by Congress this fall. The National Sea Grant College Program is a network of 33 universities that conduct coastal and Great Lakes research. Tr ump’s budget proposal, released last week, cuts the $73 million program, which would slash the University of Minnesota Sea Grant’s main source of funds. Despite the uncer tainty, Sea Grant directors across the countr y are optimistic about the program’s future. Sea Grant was the brainchild of University Dean of Technology Athelstan Spilhaus. He
SIMON BECK, IFC PRESIDENT
u See GRANT Page 3
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Blue Raiders upset Gophers at tourney Middle Tennessee State beat Minnesota 81-72 in the firstround game Thursday.
Makeup of U board ignites concerns over diversity The recent election resulted in decreased gender balance.
BY JACK WHITE jwhite@mndaily.com
Before Thursday’s first-round game, no Gophers player on roster had ever played in the NCAA tournament. But the Gophers — a team that won 16 more games than it did last year — lear ned that experience matters in March, and Middle Tennessee State’s senior duo of JaCorey Williams and Reggie Upshaw showed why. Upshaw and Williams combined for 32 points as the Blue Raiders pulled off an 81-72 victor y over higher-seeded Minnesota Thursday at the Bradley Center. “They didn’t seem af fected by anything,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “None of it really felt a whole lot dif ferent… We just ran out of gas.” After trailing by 15, a 9-0 r un helped the Gophers come within
BOARD OF REGENTS
BY KEVIN BECKMAN AND DAVID CLAREY kbeckman@mndaily.com dclarey@mndaily.com
CHRIS DANG, DAILY
Middle Tennessee redshirt senior forward JaCorey Williams looks to score on Thursday in Milwaukee. The Gophers played against Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
four points of the Blue Raiders with six minutes to go in the second half. Guard Amir Cof fey scored four points during the run and finished with 17 points and four assists. W illiams and Upshaw put the
game out of reach after Minnesota’s scoring stretch, scoring 13 points after the run to help secure the victory. u See BASKETBALL Page 6
Some have raised concer ns about a perceived lack of diversity and gender-balance on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents election last month. Concerns were raised after a regents election for four seats resulted in all white men being elected. The elected — Steve Sviggum, Kendall Powell and incumbents Darrin Rosha and David McMillan — resulted in a board of nine men and three women. The board has two non-white members. “Clearly it’s imbalanced,”
said Regent Linda Cohen. “I don’t think that was a wise choice by the legislature.”
Mismatched Priorities
Lawmakers and members of the Regent Candidate Advisor y Council (RCAC) — the body that recruits and screens regent candidates — say many factors and not just diversity are considered when selecting candidates. “The first thing we should always look at is, ‘who is the best fit for the job?,’” said Sen. Jason Isaacson, DFL-Shoreview. “If we’re in a position where we can elect a board that reflects the student body and the University community, then that’s crucial.” Rep. Bud Nor nes, R-Fergus Falls, chair of the u See DIVERSIT Y Page 5 VOLUME 117 ISSUE 45