REFLECTING ON ELECTION DAY: U STUDENTS SHARE THOUGHTS ON THE RECENT ELECTION. PG 12
CLOUDY HIGH 55° LOW 46°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
LATE WEEK
NOV. 17-19, 2016
PHILANDO CASTILE
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
STUDY ABROAD
At University, study abroad participation highly-ranked The school is ranked 20th in the nation, with over 2,700 student study abroad participants. BY ELIANA SCHREIBER eschreiber@mndaily.com
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Robert Lin chants during a march for Philando Castile while walking down Selby Avenue in St. Paul on Wednesday. The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar organized a gathering at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School after Ramsey County attorney John Choi announced charges against St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez for the death of Philando Castile.
‘A historic decision’ On Wednesday, Jeronimo Yanez was charged for the July shooting death of Philando Castile.
The University of Minnesota is among the top schools nationwide in study abroad participation both at home and abroad, according to a recent report. Data from the Open Doors Repor t on International Educational Exchange revealed the University is one of the highest ranked schools for inter national programs on Monday. The University also recently announced its participation in a new study program within the University of Minnesota system schools. The repor t — released by Institute of International Education and the U.S. Depar tment of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs — ranked the University sixth in number of students who studied abroad last year, with over u See REPORT Page 4
BOARD OF REGENTS
Questions around U’s independence continue to linger Regents say autonomy from the state is crucial to fulfill the school’s educational mission. BY KEVIN BECKMAN kbeckman@mndaily.com
The crowd first gathered in the parking lot of J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, where Castile worked, in St. Paul. Speakers from Black Lives Matter St. Paul, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar and other groups mourned Castile and denounced police violence. “This is a gathering to celebrate justice [for Castile] but also to realize that there is more progress to be made,” said Kenneth Eban, who attended the demonstration.
For over 15 years, outside groups have worried about the University of Minnesota’s hardline stance on its autonomy, and now a decision to demolish historic grain elevators has reignited that debate. While University of Minnesota regents and administrators have heralded their constitutional independence from the state as vital to the school’s educational mission, some believe the University takes its independence too far. “If you’ve ever faced it, particularly if it’s in an area where you’re representing constituents or community groups or local units of government, you’re well aware of it,” said Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona and member of the House higher education committee. Earlier this month, the University’s
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MADDY FOX, DAILY
Glenda Hatchett, the representative for Philando Castile’s family, speaks as Castile’s family stands behind her during a press conference at the offices of Gaskins Bennett Birrell Schupp LLP on Wednesday. BY RAJU CHADUVULA AND KEVIN BECKMAN rchaduvula@mndaily.com kbeckman@mndaily.com
T
he officer who killed Philando Castile in July during a traffic stop was charged with three felony counts Wednesday morning — a decision some called historic and unexpected. A vigil in memory of Castile drew at least 100 people Wednesday night in a march to the St. Paul Western District Police station.
“Let me just say very emphatically that we see this as a historic decision, a historic time. We also see it as an important signal to this nation.” GLENDA HATCHETT Castile family attorney
LANGUAGE
In blended families, deaf literacy vital for communication U professor Debbie Golos made Peter’s Picture six years ago to foster visual language literacy. BY RILYN EISCHENS reischens@mndaily.com
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Amy Caslow signs to her son Asher Caslow, 6, while walking him into Metro Deaf School in St. Paul on Wednesday.
Immediately after her son AJ was born, Amy Caslow was told he was deaf. At the time, Caslow had no knowledge of sign language but now is almost fluent and has a degree in American Sign Language interpretation. But this isn’t the case for many families. The majority of deaf children are born into hearing homes, she said, where no one knows a visual language — meaning they can’t communicate with each other. Research shows that a lack of early access to visual language, like ASL, can limit literacy for the rest of a person’slife. That’s why University of Minnesota associate professor of deaf education Debbie Golos created a set of
online resources in 2010 to help children and adults learn language visually. Golos developed Peter’s Picture, a set of educational videos, to promote literacy in deaf preschoolers after she noticed a literacy gap among her students at the California School for the Deaf, where she used to teach. She now needs funding to remake the videos with sound, so Peter’s Picture is a more effective learning tool for hearing kids as well. The videos feature a group of deaf children who go on adventures and use a variety of strategies to teach viewers new words in both English and ASL. “The deaf children who had deaf parents and had been exposed to ASL from birth were reading at or above grade level, and those who hadn’t had that exposure … were reading below grade level,” Golos said. And a significant number of parents don’t sign fluently or at all, she said, which inhibits deaf children even more. u See ASL Page 8 VOLUME 117 ISSUE 22