January 28, 2021

S T U DE N T RU N N E WS SI NC E 1926

THURSDAY • JANUARY 28, 2021

University Hosts Workshop for Career-focused Students Student Gov: OER, Events and Scooters

By JULIA BARTON Staff Writer

By BAILEY BRENDEL Staff Writer

File photo

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the College of Business hosted an Innovation workshop. This online event was held Tuesday, Jan. 26 featuring one of Minnesota State University, Mankato successful alumni and business professional Dakota Crow.

Crow, the Vice President of Innovation for U.S Bank, facilitated this Design Thinking workshop giving participants a guide to success and how they can kick start their own ideas regarding their business.

This problem-solving process focused on listening to your target customers, collaboration, experimentation, and creating opportunities, which were just some of the content discussed within this workshop.

The three-hour long workshop was loaded with content that MNSU students and non-MNSU students were able to participate in via Zoom.

Throughout this Innovation event participants were able to collaborate and go through multiple exercises

that included writing, planning, and sketching.

Crow stated, “Mentors are very important, find mentors where you can, there are lots of good people that you can ask to get guidance from in the business world.”

Offering new ways of thinking, how to begin an idea for a potential business, how to promote and drive your business, and the importance

of mentors were also presented in this workshop.

Yvonne Cariveau, Director for the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at MNSU gave her thoughts on the workshop, “The most important takeaway from these workshops is letting students or anyone who is an entrepreneur, realize that there is help, and a lot of people are eager and willing to help

them get their businesses off the ground.”

Teaching the values of strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, and management skills are skills to be learned from the expertise of many professionals and professors that host these events.

“Having a support network full of other people who

BUSINESS page 3

No. 3 Mavs look to Keep Win Streak going against Beavers

By DANIEL MCELROY The Minnesota State men’s hockey team will travel to Bemidji State on Friday, Jan. 29 for a non-conference matchup in place of the canceled series against Alabama-Huntsville.

The game is being made up from the first series of the season against the Beavers, when the game was canceled regarding positive COVID-19 tests. The game is replacing a non-conference series against the COVID-19 ridden Chargers, who haven’t played a game since Jan. 9.

The Mavericks are 9-1-1 throughout the season with a 6-0-0 record in conference play, while the Beavers are 5-4-2 overall, and 1-1-0 in conference play.

The Mavs hold a 57-39-15 record against their WCHA

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

Sports Editor

The No. 3-ranked Mavericks will travel to Bemidji to take on the Beavers.

rivals, going 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings. The last time we saw the two teams go headto-head, MSU took the win in overtime following Julian Napravnik’s lone shootout goal. It would also be graduate transfer Ryan Edquist’s first

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and only game between the pipes making 16 saves.

Sophomore Cade Borchardt leads the scoring for the Mavericks, boasting a 6-9-15 stat line in his breakout season.

Borchardt sits at fifth in total scoring in the WCHA, behind

LADY MAVS HOST BEMIDJI

four Bowling Green players who have played seven more games. Borchardt is first in points per game in the WCHA with 1.36.

Napravnik is tied with Borchardt for most goals on the Mavericks this season with 6 goals in just 10 games. The winger from Bad Nauheim, Germany recorded one goal and one assist last weekend at home against Ferris State.

The Mavericks roster one of the top goaltenders in the NCAA in junior Dryden McKay, leading college hockey with an astonishing .904 goals against average, the only goaltender with less than 1.00 goals against average. McKay also sits at third in the NCAA and second in the WCHA in save percentage with .954.

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The Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Government held their weekly meeting Wednesday, Jan. 27. After roll call, they called up presentations.

The first to present was from Vice President for Technology, Mark Johnson where he introduced Christopher Corley, Dean of Library and Learning and Carrie Miller, Instructional Designer in IT Solutions to talk about Open Educational Resources.

“Over the past few years, IT Solutions and the Library have been working to raise awareness about the options provided by both our library collection and by Open Educational Resources (OER).

Through professional development and outreach, programs like the Maverick Textbook Reserves, and our Institutional Partnership with OpenStax, we are working to offer options for students and faculty when it comes to their course material,” said Miller.

Professors in BIO 106 used this format and in 2017 their platform cost $220 per student, now the class has a platform that costs $99.35 per student because of the Open Educational Resources. In those years just one class has saved $200,000 for students. In total, this service has saved students $395,000.

The next to present was Lily Koch on the Student Events Team. There will be a Virtual Bingo Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. where students can play for over $1,000 in prizes.

Anyone who would like to participate can find the link on the Student Events Team Engage page.

Another upcoming event includes a snow sculpture of a snowflake with Stomper on top. This sculpture will be created by a group of In

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REVIEW: “BRIDGERTON”

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

US Terrorism Alert Warns of Politically Motivated Violence

Thursday, January 28, 2021

In a War over GameStop, Big Funds Yield to Smaller Investors

JULIO CORTEZ • Associated Press Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin Wednesday warning of the potential for lingering violence from people motivated by anti-government sentiment after President Joe Biden’s election, suggesting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol may embolden extremists and set the stage for additional attacks.

The department did not cite a specific threat, but pointed to “a heightened threat environment across the United States” that it believes “will persist” for weeks after Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

It is not uncommon for the federal government to warn local law enforcement through bulletins about the prospect for violence tied to a particular date or event, such as July 4.

But this particular bulletin, issued through the department’s National Terrorism Advisory System, is notable because it effectively places the Biden administration into the politically charged debate over how to describe or characterize acts motivated by political ideology and suggests that it sees violence aimed at overturning the election as akin to terrorism.

The wording of the document suggests that national security officials see a connection between violence over the last year motivated by anti-government grievances, whether over COVID-19 restrictions, or the election results among others. It also singles out racially motivated acts of violence such as the 2019 rampage targeting Hispanics in Texas, and threats posed by those motivated by foreign terrorist organizations.

GOV Continued from page 1 digenous women and it will be displayed on the Performing Arts lawn.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 8-13, the Student Events Team will be doing Valentine grams. You can register for them online through the Engage page, and the first 150 to sign up will get a chocolate rose. For National Pizza Day on Feb. 9 be sure to text “studentevents” to 76626 in order to receive a special prize.

In his Officer Report, Student Government President Andrew Trenne talked about the new scooters coming to campus. The University recently announced it would be implementing a new mode of transportation around campus for a few dollars if students are unable to take the bus system.

These scooters have been approved by the City of Mankato and they will be regulated to ensure safety of students and residents of Mankato.

Many students are excited for this new service, such as Senator Jack Wheeler. “They are going to be helpful for stu-

dents who have to park in lots far away and for students who work at night and cannot take the bus route home. A lot of my friends do not have cars on campus so I think that this will be a new mode of transportation that will be especially beneficial for them.”

However, some students are not excited for this mode of transportation, such as Senator Frank Vondra.

“I think it is foolish to introduce a service that students will be charged for during a pandemic, and if this service does go under, we will end up with a bunch of dead scooters around campus,” Vondra explained.

In this meeting, Roda Abdi was sworn in as the College of Allied Health and Nursing Senator, Audrey Hopwood as one of the On-Campus Senators, and Edward Sweeny and Ahmed Ali as two of the OffCampus Senators.

There is still an opening for the College of Science Engineering and Technology Senator position.

JEFF ROBERSON • Associated Press A GameStop store as seen on May 7, 2020 in St. Louis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Across most of America, GameStop is just a place to buy a video game. On Wall Street, though, it’s become a battleground where swarms of smaller investors see themselves making an epic stand against the 1%.

The funds serving the financial elite are starting to walk away in defeat. Big bets they made that GameStop’s stock would fall went wrong, leaving them facing billions of dollars in collective losses.

All the wild action pushed GameStop’s stock as high as $380 on Wednesday, up from $18 just a few weeks ago.

The stunning seizure of power gives some validation to smaller-pocketed investors, many of whom are encouraging each other on Reddit and are trading stocks for the first time thanks to all the brokerages offering free-trading apps. It’s also left much of Wall Street asking if the wildness is proof the stock market, which recently traded at record levels, is in a dangerous bubble about to pop.

Two investment firms that had placed bets for money-los-

ing GameStop’s stock to fall have essentially thrown in the towel. One, Citron Research, acknowledged Wednesday in a YouTube video that it unwound the majority of its bet and took “a loss, 100%” to do so. But Andrew Left, who runs Citron, said that does not change his view that GameStop’s stock will eventually go down.

“We move on,” Left said.

“Nothing has changed with GameStop except the stock price,” He also said he has ”respect for the market,” which can run stock prices up much higher than where critics say they should be, at least for a while.

Melvin Capital is also exiting GameStop, with manager Gabe Plotkin telling CNBC that the hedge fund was taking a significant loss. He denied rumors that the hedge fund will fail. The size of the losses taken by Citron and Melvin are unknown.

Before its recent explosion, GameStop’s stock had been struggling for a long time. The company has lost $1.6 billion over the last 12 quarters as sales of video games increasingly go online, and its stock

fell for six straight years before rebounding in 2020.

That pushed many professional investors to make bets that GameStop’s stock will decline even further. In such bets, called “short sales,” investors borrow a share and sell it in hopes of buying it back later at a lower price and pocketing the difference.

GameStop is one of the most shorted stocks on Wall Street.

But its stock began rising sharply earlier this month after a co-founder of Chewy, the online seller of pet supplies, joined the company’s board.

The thought is that he could help in the company’s transformation as it focuses more on digital sales and closes brick-and-mortar stores. Its shares jumped to $19.94 from less than $18 on Jan. 11. At the time, it seemed like a huge move for the stock.

Smaller investors were meanwhile encouraging each other on Reddit and elsewhere online to push GameStop’s stock ever higher.

The discussions are full of sarcasm, self deprecation and emojis of rocket ships signifying belief that GameStock’s stock will fly to the moon.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Virus will Kill Many More, WH Projects during Briefings

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Moscow Police Arrest Controversial Opposition Leader Navalny’s Brother ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALEX BRANDON • Associated Press Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House Jan. 21, 2021 in Washington.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The Biden administration launched its new level-with-America health briefings Wednesday with a projection that as many as 90,000 more in the U.S. will die from the coronavirus in the next four weeks — a sobering warning as the government strains to improve delivery and injection of vaccines.

The tone of the hourlong briefing was in line with President Joe Biden’s promise to be straight with the nation about the state of the outbreak that has already claimed more than 425,000 U.S. lives. It marked a sharp contrast to what had become the Trump show in the past administration, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation.

The deaths projection wasn’t much different from what Biden himself has said, but nonetheless served as a stark reminder of the brutal road ahead.

“I know this is not news we all want to hear, but this

is something we must say so we are all aware,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If we are united in action we can turn things around.”

The new briefings, set for three times a week, are part of Biden’s attempt to rebuild trust and mobilize Americans to follow health guidance on the coronavirus and to break down public resistance to the vaccine.

Wednesday’s briefing was conducted virtually, with no shortage of technical glitches and audio gaps. Administration officials appeared on Zoom from separate locations, in keeping with the Biden administration’s efforts to model best practices for safe work habits in the pandemic.

One by one, the officials laid out administration efforts to contain the virus, speed vaccinations and bring Americans along with the effort.

“The White House respects and will follow the science, and the scientists will speak independently,” said Andy Slavitt, a senior administration adviser on the pandemic.

BUSINESS Continued from page 1 understand what you are trying to do and know how to get you past the hard stuff is really important. I want students to know that if they have a crazy idea, it might not be so crazy, find some other crazy people to talk about it and we might be able to actually make it happen,” Cariveau said.

Geared toward informing students with additional thoughts on how they can improve their ideas, these workshops prove to be very beneficial.

Jack Bates, MNSU student who attended the workshop said, “The biggest take away from the workshop for me was the idea of pain when thinking of a business plan, saying how figuring out your pain

will lead you to your gains.

This is my first workshop and I think listening to speakers like Dakota give good insight on what the real world is going to be like.”

Scheduled for April 13 is the Big Ideas Challenge. This is a competition that encourages and celebrates innovative business ideas ranging anywhere from agricultural ideas to high-tech models.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their ideas as well receive exposure for their ideas along with a total of $19,000 in prize money that will be awarded.

MNSU students and alumni within two years of graduation can submit their ideas; the deadline is Jan. 31, 2021.

Moscow police launched a series of raids Wednesday on apartments and offices of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s family and associates, arresting his brother.

The searched locations included Navalny’s apartment, where police detained his brother, Oleg, and a rented apartment where Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has been living.

Video on the internet TV station Dozhd showed Yulia Navalny telling journalists from the window that police had not allowed her lawyer to enter the apartment.

The raids came four days before protests that Navalny’s supporters have called for Sunday.

Demonstrations calling for his release took place in more than 100 cities across the nation last Saturday, a strong show of rising anger toward the Kremlin. Nearly 4,000 people were reported arrested at those protests.

Other locations raided by police Wednesday were the offices of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and the studio that produces his videos and online broadcasts. The popular videos and broadcasts helped make Navalny into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent and persistent foe.

There was no immediate police comment on the

MSTYSLAV CHERNOV • Associated Press A police officer pushes photographers from a door of the apartment where Oleg Navalny, brother of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny lives in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.

searches. Navalny associates said on social media that the searches were connected to alleged violations of epidemiological regulations from last week’s mass protest in Moscow.

But “the real reason for the searches of Navalny’s teams, relatives and office is Putin’s crazy fear,” Navalny’s team said in a message.

Navalny’s challenge to Putin grew after he was arrested on Jan. 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Two days after his arrest, his organization released an extensive video report on a palatial seaside compound allegedly built for Putin. It has been viewed millions of times, further stoking discontent.

Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent and durable foe, fell into a coma while aboard a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow on Aug. 20. He was transferred from a hospital in Siberia to Berlin two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent.

Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, citing a lack of evidence that Navalny was poisoned.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that a statement by the Group of Seven foreign ministers condemning his arrest constitutes “gross interference” in Russia’s domestic affairs.

HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THE INFORMATION YOU NEED? Let a Librarian show you what to do on YOUR computer.

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4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, January 28, 2021

SPRING 2021 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN

We Need to Actively hold Biden Accountable

maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

Editorial

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

With the election and the inauguration behind us, we need to start looking forward.

We as the people must begin to ask ourselves what we expect out of our newest president.

As with any president, but especially with our last, there was an abundance of criticism of every action that was taken. This is not without good reason. With the presidency comes the eyes and opinions of not only the country, but also of the world.

People’s passion for the political world tends to burn bright during an election season, then burn out for the three years leading up to the next election.

While political conversations are more common during the election cycle, we cannot forget to stay on top of the news, as what a president chooses to do will impact us as the American populous. We must stay vigilant and continue to question those who are in authority.

This vigilance is incredibly important for those who chose to vote for Joe Biden.

There were promises made on the campaign trail, and it is the job of the American people to make sure that these promises are kept.

Probably the largest issue put onto the ballot by Biden was the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new president has promised a stronger and quicker response to the virus, with a more demanding mask mandate and a

NEWS DIRECTOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu MEDIA/DESIGN DIRECTOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR: Daniel McElroy daniel.mcelroy@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Anna Lillie 507-389-1063 anna.lillie@mnsu.edu

EVAN VUCCI • Associated Press President Joe Biden speaks during an event on American manufacturing, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington.

speedy dispersal of the vaccine.

We need to continue to evaluate these moves and make sure that they are effective in curbing the pandemic.

COVID numbers are decreasing and the number of people that are getting the vaccine is increasing. We need to see a relationship between Biden’s policies and the effect that they have on the pandemic.

In the event of this new strategy not working, even supporters of Biden need to be ready to criticize his efforts.

We cannot allow party-line politics dictate our views of the president. Just because he is on the same side of the aisle as you does not mean that every-

thing he does will be perfect.

For those who disagree with our new president’s policies, now is the time to voice your grievances. Conservatives should use Biden’s term in office as means to compare the results of a democrat in office versus a republican.

Before the pandemic, the Trump administration gained a lot of support for a flourishing economy. A large amount of the credit was taken by the administration’s renegotiations of trade deals such as NAFTA, as well as harder dealings with China.

Conservatives should carry a healthy amount of apprehension for the Biden

administration’s hands-on approach to recovering the economy post pandemic.

Many Americans are hurting financially, due to hours and job cuts, so Biden’s near two trillion dollar stimulus bill is designed to help these people. However, if we see no economic improvement, there will have been a sizable amount of money lost by the American people.

In short, Joe Biden needs to be held accountable for his actions and make sure his promises are kept. After all, the president is a public servant, and we need to ensure that Biden serves the public.

“How can we hold the Biden administration accountable?”

Compiled by Jessica Hagglund

ABDURRAHMAN GUANTAI, SENIOR

MADISON DIEMERT

NEVE PATTERSON, GRAD STUDENT

DAVID CEAGLSKE, FRESHMAN

“It’s important for media to be “Staying in tune with his “Remind them the base it what unbiased and for us to judge plans and how he follows his got them elected.” him ourselves.” timeline.”

ALLISON VANDER-PLAS, SENIOR

TYLER DANIELSON, SENIOR

“Make sure our voices are heard by writing Congress members.”

“Vote in the midterm elections.”

Logan Larock 507-389-5453 logan.larock@mnsu.edu Baylee Sorensen 507-389-5097 baylee.sorensen@mnsu.edu Olivia Haefner 507-389-1079 olivia.haefner@mnsu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, contact Editor in Chief Maxwell Mayleben at maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu.

The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a studentrun newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776.

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THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MSU REPORTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OR STUDENT BODY.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Bernie’s Mittens, Memes Help Raise $1.8M for Charity ASSOCIATED PRESS About those wooly mittens that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration, sparking endless quirky memes across social media? They’ve helped to raise $1.8 million in the last five days for charitable organizations in Sanders’ home state of Vermont, the independent senator announced Wednesday.

The sum comes from the sale of merchandise with the Jan. 20 image of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, clad in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens.

Sanders put the first of the so-called “Chairman Sanders” merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his website Thursday night and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said. More merchandise was added over the weekend and sold out by Monday morning, he said.

“Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week, and we’re glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Sanders said in a written statement.

“But even this amount of money is no substitute for action

SAUL LOEB • Associated Press Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders arrives for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.

by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we’ve faced since the Great Depression.”Sanders’ mittens were made by Jen Ellis, a Vermont elementary school teacher who has a side business making mittens out

of recycled wool. His inauguration look, also featuring the winter jacket made by Burton Snowboards, sparked countless memes from the photo taken by Agence France-Presse: The former presidential candidate could be found on social media timelines taking a seat on the subway, the moon and the couch with the cast of “Friends,” among oth-

er creative locales.

Ellis said on social media over the weekend that Sanders called to tell her that “the mitten frenzy” had raised an enormous amount of money for Vermont charities although she was not authorized to disclose the amount, yet.

“But it’s BIG and it’s amazing! Thank you!! Generosity brings joy,” she tweeted.

She also said she made three more pairs of mittens and donated them for fundraising to Passion 4 Paws Vermont, Outright Vermont, and would be auctioning off a pair on eBay for her daughter’s college fund.

The groups that will benefit from the proceeds of the “Chairman Sanders” items include area agencies on aging to fund Meals on Wheels throughout Vermont, Vermont community action agencies, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, senior centers in Vermont and Bistate Primary Care for dental care improvements in the state, Sanders’ office said.

Sander’ attire has also sparked other charitable endeavors. A crocheted doll of Sanders in his garb was auctioned off online and Burton Snowboards donated 50 jackets to the Burlington Department for Children and Families in Sanders’ name, his office said.

Getty Images confirmed that it will donate its proceeds as part of the licensing agreement to put the photo on the merchandise to Meals on Wheels of America.

States Lift Restrictions Gradually Amid Fears of new Variant ASSOCIATED PRESS States are loosening their coronavirus restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of improved infection and hospitalization numbers but are moving gradually and cautiously, in part because of the more contagious variant taking hold in the U.S. While the easing could cause case rates to rise, health experts say it can work if done in a measured way and if the public remains vigilant about masks and social distancing.

“If the frequency goes up, you tighten it up. If the frequency goes down, you loosen up. Getting it just right is almost impossible,” said Dr. Arnold Monto, a public health professor at the University of Michigan. “There’s no perfect way to do this.”

As Michigan’s coronavirus rate dropped to the nation’s fifth-lowest over the last two weeks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said bars and restaurants can welcome indoor customers next week for the first time in 2 1/2 months. But they will be under a 10 p.m. curfew and will be limited to 25% of capacity, or half of what was allowed the last time she loosened their restrictions, in June.

The state previously autho-

ALEX BRANDON • AP

rized the resumption of in-person classes at high schools and the partial reopening of movie theaters.

“We’re in a stronger position because we’ve taken this pause,” Whitmer said. “But we are also very mindful of the fact that this variant is now here in Michigan. It poses a real threat.”

The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has climbed past 425,000, with the number of dead running at close to alltime highs at nearly 3,350 a day on average.

But newly confirmed cases have dropped over the past two weeks from an average of about 248,000 per day to around 166,000. And the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has fallen by tens of thousands to 109,000.

At the same time, health experts have warned that the

more contagious and possibly more lethal variant sweeping Britain will probably become the dominant source of infection in the U.S. by March. It has been reported in over 20 states.

Other mutant versions are circulating in South Africa and Brazil. The Brazil variant has been detected for the first time in the U.S., in Minnesota.

Chicago and surrounding suburbs allowed indoor dining over the weekend for the first time since October. Major cultural attractions including the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium reopened with crowd limits.

Steve Lombardo III, an owner of a Chicago-area

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restaurant group, called being able to seat customers indoors a “huge boost.” One of its most famous restaurants, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, has been using hospital-grade air filtration systems in the hopes of staying afloat, he said.

“Will we be making money? Probably not,” Lombardo said. “But we won’t be hemorrhaging money like we have the last three months.”

Washington, D.C., also recently ended its monthlong ban on indoor dining, but one in New York City remains in effect.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week lifted stay-at-home orders he imposed last month when hospitals were so overwhelmed

with virus patients that they were on the verge of rationing lifesaving care. Restaurants and places of worship will be able to operate outdoors, and many stores will be able to have more shoppers inside.

Jen Diaz, a 38-year-old technical writer from Santa Clarita, California, who works remotely and has not left her home since a trip to the supermarket in March, said she was “horrified” when she heard the governor’s announcement.

“I was really, really proud of California’s response at first” in the early months of the pandemic, she said. “Suddenly we’re just opening everything. `Let’s go to the mall!’”

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

Lady Mavs try to Bounce back against Beavers

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor Photos by MANSOOR AHMAD Media Director

The Minnesota State University women’s hockey team is looking to bounce back this weekend in their home series against Bemidji State University.

The Mavericks stand above the Beavers with a record of 4-9-1 to the Beavers 2-8-2.

Three of the Mavs’ four wins came against BSU, finding wins at home and on the road.

MSU is coming off a series sweep against the No. 3-ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes, in a series that Calla Frank made a career-high 52 saves in their 3-0 loss.

In a team that struggled to find the back of the net recently, freshman Jamie Nelson, sophomore Kelsey King, and senior Brittyn Fleming look to turn that around as the Mavericks top goal scorers.

Nelson, the former WCHA freshman of the Week, leads the Mavericks in points with 5-4-9. Nelson is second among freshmen in the scoring standings, and leads the rookie shot blocking standings with 19 blocked shots. Nelson tied a career-high in shots blocked in one game with three in Friday’s loss, and added another two blocked shots in Saturday’s loss. Nelson was able to put up one of the two goals the Mavs scored last weekend

Calla Frank (above) and Jamie Nelson (below) stopped a career-high 52 shots, and blocked three shots respectively in Friday’s loss against The Ohio State University.

MSU Hopes to Extend Win Streak at Home against Cougars

The Minnesota State men’s basketball team will start their home stretch this weekend in a one game series against the Sioux Falls Cougars.

The Mavericks are 6-2 overall going into this weekend with a 5-1 record in their division. They sit at the second spot in the standings in the NSIC South division, just behind their opponents, the Cougars, who are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in their division.

MSU has won their last three straight meetings while spending the last two weeks on the road.

The Mavericks are ahead in the all-time record against USF with a 19-6 record, although only 2-3 in the last five. The

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

The Mavericks have won their last three straight games and will play the next two series at home.

Mavs won their last meeting against the Cougars in the NSIC tournament by a score of 60-59.

The Mavericks sit at third in the NSIC in defensive scoring with 68.4 points allowed, and fourth in the NSIC in rebounds with 38.4 rebounds

over eight games. A large part of MSU’s success on defense is due to 6’10” senior Kelby Kramer who leads the Mavericks in blocks with 17 over eight games, and is second on the team in rebounds with 43.

HOOPS page 9

in Columbus, with the help of King.

King is tied with Nelson in scoring with the same stat line of 5-4-9, scoring an unassisted goal in the Mavericks 7-2 loss last weekend. King has scored three goals and one assist in the last three games. King sits at fourth in total shots on goal in the WCHA with 53, with her career-high shots in a single game coming against the last meeting with BSU at eight.

Fleming leads the Mavericks in shooting percentage with .148 and is third on the scoring list for the Mavericks with 4-3-7. Although having a quiet showing lately, Fleming hopes to bounce back in this weekend’s series against a team she has two goals and two assists in four games this year.

Frank holds a 3-7-1 record this season record, good for a .341 win percentage. In 11 games so far this season, Frank has a .909 save percentage with 2.98 goals against average. Frank recorded her first shutout of the season in the last meeting against the Beavers, stopping all 23 shots she faced, and only allowing one goal on 19 shots the day before in the Mavericks 2-1 win.

Freshman goaltender Lauren Barbro replaced Frank in the last game against Ohio State after allowing four goals in the first period, making Frank thirsty for a win in this series against the Mavericks conference rivals.

Mavs Look to go Undefeated in Shortened Season against Mustangs

By DANIEL MCELROY • Sports Editor The Minnesota State University swim team hosts the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs this weekend, as their originally scheduled meet against the Minnesota State University, Moorhead Dragons is cancelled.

MSU ranks at No. 21 among Division II schools and sits at second in the NSIC standings, while the Mustangs rank at No. 47 of 50 and sits at seventh in the NSIC standings.

The Mavericks last faced the Mustangs in their first match of the year, where they took the win by a score of 205-73.

In the last meeting, the Mavericks took the gold in each of the 16 events, along with eight silver, and seven bronze.

The team of Meredith Cox, Elise Mishmash, Kayla Rinderknecht, and Lauren Szolyga took first in the 200 meter medley relay with a time of 1:50.87, and look to do it again this weekend.

This meeting will be the last for both teams before the NSIC tournament, beginning Feb. 10 in Fargo, North Dakota.

The meet will begin at 1 p.m. for both swimming and diving on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Sports

MSU Reporter • 9

Mavericks take on Huskies in non-conference Contest

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

Tayla Stuttley (23) leads the Mavericks in points with 109, averaging 13.6 points per game

scoring, averaging just 68.3 points per game. That being said, they lead the NSIC in defense while allowing only 56.1 points per game.

goals through eight games, shooting a .436 percent. She also has 43 rebounds on the year, with 11 offensive and 32 defensive rebounds.

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

Following the cancellation of the series against the top team in the standings, Sioux Falls, the Mavericks women’s basketball team gets ready to travel to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies in a non-conference series.

The Huskies were scheduled to play against MSU, Moorhead, but were also cancelled due to COVID-19 testing protocols.

MSU is 43-63 all-time against SCSU, while losing the last two meetings between the teams and 4-6 in the last 10.

The Mavericks sit at fifth in the NSIC south division standings with a 4-4 overall record so far this season, while 3-3 in conference play, and the Huskies are playing with a 5-3 overall record and 2-2 in conference play, good for third in the NSIC north division.

MSU has split each series they’ve played this season, while performing better on the latter half of the weekend, going 3-1 in game two of the series.

Scoring comes strong with the Mavericks as they rank fourth in the NSIC in points scored, averaging 74.4 points per game, although they lack in defense, ranking fourteenth in the conference while allowing 74.6 points per game. The Mavs have made the second most field goals in the NSIC at 216, good for .361 percent.

The St. Cloud State University Huskies don’t quite match up to the Mavericks in

Joey Batt looks to break cold streak against Huskies

Tayla Stuttley leads the Mavericks in scoring with 109 total points scored, averaging 13.6 points per game.

Stuttley has made 41 field

Just behind Stuttley in scoring is Rachel Shumski with 107 total points, averaging 13.4 points per game. Shumski leads the team in rebounds

with 56 total, 19 offensive and 37 defensive. Shumski is coming off a 30 point weekend against the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs, and looks to continue her hot streak against the Huskies.

Following Joey Batt’s career-high 28 points scored against Augustana University in early January, she has struggled to find double digit points scored in the second half of the season thus far.

Batt has just 25 points scored in the last four games played, Batt will look to bounce back this weekend on the road.

Maddy Olson led the team in assists with 23 on the season and recorded a career-high eight rebounds in last Saturday’s meeting with SMSU.

Turriff, Mavericks take on No. 1-ranked Huskies on the Road

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

In the most important meeting of the year thus far, the No. 11 Minnesota State wrestling team is set to face the No. 1 St. Cloud State University Huskies.

MSU’s wrestlers are thinking ahead to what they need to accomplish in order to take down the top ranked wrestlers in the nation, as the two squads sit atop the NSIC standings with the Mavericks at 3-0, and the Huskies at 2-0.

The Mavericks are 0-11 in the last ten years against the Huskies, with the Mavericks losing the last matchup 33-3 last February, with Trenton McManus picking up the lone win for the Mavs.

This is the Mavericks third 3-0 start in the last ten years, looking to extend it to 4-0 for the first time since 2014.

No. 2-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds in the nation Kyle Rathman is also looking to ex-

Family Members Allowed to Attend Games

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter Trevor Turriff hopes to extend his undefeated streak against the No. 1 overall Huskies

tend his overall record to 4-0, and improve his all-time record to 81-19 as a Maverick.

This season, Rathman has one decision win, one major decision win, and one win by fall.

Trenton McManus holds the No. 10 rank at 125 pounds and holds a 3-0 record in this shortened season, hoping to improve to 4-0 following tonight’s meet against

Paxton Crease.

No. 3-ranked Trevor Turriff is also 3-0 on the year, with two decision wins and one major decision win.

Another notable competitor for the Mavericks is Kolbe O’Brien who stands tall at 3-0 with 2 wins by decision and one win by fall. O’Brien will go toe-to-toe with No. 4-ranked wrestler, Joey Bi-

anchini, who is 2-0 on the year.

Brody Nielsen stays undefeated through two matches this year in extra matches against Augustana and Upper Iowa.

St. Cloud State University rosters seven ranked wrestlers, including four rank No. 1 wrestlers.

Garrett Vos, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 133 is 1-0 on the season, and will be looking to improve against Brock Luthens, who is 2-1 on the year.

165 pound wrestler, Devin Fitzpatrick, sits at rank No. 4 and is 2-0 on the year. Fitzpatrick will face the 2-1 Michael Smith on the mat.

No. 11 William Pitzner is 2-0 at 184 pounds this year, and looks to extend this lead against MSU’s Dylan Butts (12).

197 pound wrestler, Noah Ryan, is ranked at No. 4 is 2-0 on the year, as Matt Blome (21) attempts to ruin his streak.

Families of Maverick athletes wll be phased in as the first to attend athletic events on campus, beginning Friday, Jan. 29.

In an announcement on Wednesday, President Davenport stated that athletic events will start allowing limited fan attendance for all sports, that will be extended to only the families of the teams playing.

Director of Athletics Kevin Buisman stated, “We are excited about this opportunity to offer this phased implementation of allowing spectators back into our home events...”

Attendance will be limited to no more than 150 people.

PUCKS

Continued from page 1 McKay is tied at third for all-time shutouts in the NCAA with 20, just one shutout away from tying former Bemidji State goaltender Michael Bitzer, and six away from tying Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller’s all-time record of 26 shutouts. McKay said in a press conference on Wednesday, “I’d be lying if i said it wasn’t in the back of my head…But all that matters in the end is getting the win.”

McKay still has another year of his collegiate eligibility after this season.

MSU’s powerplay unit continues to be the best in the WCHA with 34.1%. Bemidji State holds the best penalty kill unit in the conference, only allowing 2 goals throughout the season when they are a man down, good for 93.1%.

HOOPS

Continued from page 8 Qunicy Anderson, the Mavs leading scorer, will try to continue to impress this weekend with 128 total points scored over eight games, averaging 16 points per game. Anderson is shooting at a .484 field goal percentage.

Malik Willingham is coming off his most consistent series of the year, leading the Mavericks in scoring on Saturday with 20 points, and another 17 points on Sunday.

Willingham is just behind Anderson in scoring on the Mavs with 106 points this year, averaging 13.3 points per game.

Willingham leads the Mavericks in 3-pointers with 21 3-pointers made, good for a .525 percentage, averaging 2.6 3-pointers made per game.

10 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Chiefs Coach Reid’s Patience in Struggling Players Pays off

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Petersen makes 32 saves, Kings hold on to beat Wild 2-1 at the X

REED HOFFMANN • Associated Press Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks on the field before the AFC championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Mecole Hardman trudged to the sideline as the Bills trotted onto the field, then slumped onto the bench and tossed a huge Kansas City Chiefs coat over his head like a shroud as Buffalo took advantage of his fumbled punt for an easy touchdown.

It was an enormous mistake in the opening minutes of the AFC championship game on Sunday, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid could have easily given his young wide receiver the cold shoulder. Reid could have sent someone else back to field punts the rest of the game, or directed plays designed with Hardman in mind to his plethora of other playmakers.

Instead, the old coach went right back to him.

He had Patrick Mahomes throw a pass to Hardman two plays later, then capped the ensuing 80-yard drive by scripting an inside screen play for him that went for a touchdown. And when the Chiefs got the ball back again, the first play Reid called was an end-around that went for 50 yards, setting up another touchdown that gave Kansas City a 14-9 lead.

“They’re going to be with me. They’re going to keep me up, keep me motivated — make sure I don’t have my head down,” Hardman said.

“I was still mentally intact, but it’s good the coaches still have confidence in you, call some plays for you to make some plays in the game. And the type of player I am, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

The Chiefs never trailed again in a 38-24 victory that sent the defending champions back to the Super Bowl.

It’s not the first time that Reid has stuck with a strug-

gling player. Whether it’s a quarterback that throws an interception or a wide receiver that drops a pass, chances are good that Reid will call specific plays to get them right back in the game.

Want another example?

Think back to Sept. 8, 2017, when Kareem Hunt fumbled on his very first NFL carry.

The third-round pick, now with the Cleveland Browns, had put the Chiefs in a bind in their season opener in New England with his first fumble since his freshman year of college. But rather than sit the rookie, Reid leaned on Hunt the rest of the way, and he responded by carrying 14 times for 148 yards, catching five passes for 98 yards and scoring three TDs. Reid downplayed the pep talk he gave to Hardman after the latest gaffe — )Hardman has a troubling history of mistakes in the punt return game. But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and besides, he had special teams coordinator Dave Toub, wide receivers coach Greg Lewis and even quarterback Patrick Mahomes to help keep his spirits up.

“Listen, just bare down, focus, watch it all the way into the tuck. Basic fundamentals,” Reid said. “Dave is the one that talked to him about all that, Greg talked to him, and then he was thrown back out there and given another chance, and he’s made plays the last couple years. He had a muff; keep him in and let’s go. That’s what we did, doggone it.”

“I just told him to keep his head up. We’ve been in that situation before,” Mahomes said. “I told him he’s going to make a play in this game that’s going to change the game, and he made multiple of them.”

JIM MONE • Associated Press Los Angeles Kings’ Blake Lizotte (46) and Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov (97) pursue the puck in the first period of the game, Tuesday, Jan. 26, in St. Paul, Minn.

ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Carl Grundstrom and Kurtis MacDermid scored, and Calvin Petersen made 32 saves as the Los Angeles Kings held on to beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Tuesday night.

For the third time in three games between the teams, Los Angeles squandered a third-period lead. But this time, the Kings bounced back and earned the win after two losses at home to start the season.

Grundstrom skated from the side boards to the middle of the offensive zone and wristed a quick shot past Kaapo Kahkonen’s glove for his second goal in as many games.

Los Angeles has won three of four after starting the season 0-2-1.

“We won, not the way we want to win tonight, but a win is a win,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said.

Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season just 1:09 into the third to tie the game. Kahkonen made 19 saves for Minnesota, which

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has lost two in a row.

“I think they made a pretty good job of taking away our speed in the neutral zone in the first period,” Eriksson Ek said. “We couldn’t really get through. I think it got better in the second and third, but yeah, we want to get out there, we want to get that first goal and we couldn’t do it today.”

The teams opened the season with a two-game series in Los Angeles where the Kings had 3-1, third-period leads in both games. The Wild came back to win each game 4-3.

Petersen kept Minnesota from adding another comeback victory.

Making his third start of the season, Petersen stood tall as the Wild outshot Los Angeles 27-9 over the final two periods.

“I think it’s just more so building with each game,” Petersen said. “It’s been a while since we played hockey and I think any game experience I can get, I’m just trying to get better with each game.”

MacDermid started the scoring in the second with his first goal of the season.

Eriksson Ek tied it up with

his third in four games, jamming the puck between Petersen’s skate and the goal post after several swings.

POWER OUTAGE The teams combined to go 0 for 6 on the power play, continuing their season-long issues against each other. In their three games, they have combined to score once in 26 power-play chances.

Minnesota’s woes have extended to every game. After an 0 for 3 night, the Wild are now 2 for 30 on the power play this season. They entered the game ranked 29th in the league on the power play.

“We thought – and I don’t want to sound like a broken record – but our chances on those power plays were tremendous,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said. “We’re trying to stay the course and see if we can find a break here and there and maybe get it going.

If we do that, hopefully that’ll help us.”

WHAT’S NEXT? The teams close out a twogame series Friday in Minnesota.

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

MSU Reporter • 11

“Bridgerton” brings both, Disappointment and Pleasure Opinion

By JENNA PETERSON News Director NOTE: This article contains spoilers for the show.

Another Netflix original series has hit the streaming platform and people are going nuts for it. “Bridgerton” is letting everyone live their Regency-era dreams with extravagant balls, intense drama and never-ending love affairs.

I finally caved in after my TikTok for you page was filled with “Bridgerton” videos, and I’m split on whether I like it or not. There are characters that resonate with me, and others that endlessly got on my nerves and annoyed me.

Daphne Bridgerton is arguably the worst-written character in the show despite being the protagonist. There is no character development for her throughout the show and she is bland compared to the other characters.

Each wedding season the Queen chooses a “diamond of the season,” or a girl who stands out to the rest of the

Photo courtesy of Netflix

eligible bachelorettes and is considered the best option for a wife. In this season, Daphne was the Queen’s choice, and I see the only reason being Daphne is skinny and pretty, instead of who she actually is as a person.

This character also struggles to comprehend simple concepts since her mother never taught her anything regard-

ing relationships, which set her up for lots of confusion with her husband, Simon Bassett.

Daphne goes into her marriage with no knowledge of the process of creating children, leading to a controversial decision from the viewers.

Simon always made it known that he didn’t want children due to the lack of a loving father figure in his

childhood. His father was always cold and abusive towards Simon, and because of this Simon didn’t want to carry on the family name.

Daphne was told by Simon that he wasn’t physically able to have children, even though it was her life goal to become a mother. When she learned the truth behind Simon’s lie and how to start a family, she took

advantage of him without his consent.

Obviously, Simon shouldn’t have lied to her and could have approached the situation differently since Daphne is so naive, but Daphne’s actions were far worse and unforgiving.

My last strong opinion of the show comes with Lady Whistledown Society Papers, the town’s gossip newsletter.

This newsletter holds strong power over everyone in the town as it dishes out the dirtiest secrets and chaotic scandals. I can appreciate the influence it holds, but my issue is with who Lady Whistledown is.

The reveal of the author behind the newsletter was way too early, since there will be a second season of the show. In the remaining minute of the finale, Penelope Featherington was shown writing the next issue of the newsletter, in result being Lady Whistledown.

This didn’t quite shock me as to how the creators will build off this reveal for the second season.

Despite all of it, I already know I’ll be watching the next season with a bowl of popcorn the second it comes out.

Cooking in the Kitchen with Sydney: Walnut Bark

By SYDNEY BERGGREN • Staff Writer Getting back into the swing of classes after a month off can be difficult, but these easy and quick snack recipes are sure to energize you for a long day of work.

But why did I come up with these recipes?

Weirdly enough, I was sent Pour the water and sugar into back to school this semester with a microwave safe bowl and mia Costco-sized bag of walnuts. crowave at 15 second intervals, And while I enjoy walnuts, well, stirring in between, until sugar have you seen a Costco-sized bag is incorporated. This should be of nuts? It’s a lot. about four intervals, or one full So, I have two recipes this minute. week that incorporate walnuts, Add walnuts and however and both have less than four necmuch salt and cinnamon feel essary ingredients, making it easy right to you. for a tasty snack while not breakStir, then continue the microing the bank. wave intervals until walnuts are This Chocolate Walnut Bark fully coated (about another full is relatively simple to make. Pour minute). your choice of chocolate and oil Pour onto a plate, with parchinto a microwave safe bowl and ment paper on top for easier heat for 30 second intervals while removal, ensuring walnuts are stirring in between each. spread out.

Photos by SYDNEY BERGGREN • The Reporter Be sure to do it in intervals, or Cool for about 15 minutes, or you are apt to scorch the chocountil hardened. They will save for Chocolate Walnut Bark: Cinnamon and Sugar Swirl late. up to three weeks in a sealed conWalnut Bark: Once the mixture is warm, add tainer, or up to two months in the • A handful of chopped walnuts in the nuts. Then, pour the gooey freezer.

• About ½ cup of chocolate of goodness on a plate that will fit Candied walnuts can be en• A handful of chopped walin your freezer and sprinkle with joyed many ways: to snack (my your choice (I used four Linnuts salt. preference), on salads, baked into dor truffles, but feel free to • 1 tbsp of water Place the plate in the freezer banana bread, or perhaps as a use any chocolate you desire) • ¼ cup of sugar for about 20 minutes, then retopping for oatmeal or yogurt.

• ½ tbsp of butter or oil • Salt (to taste) move it, break the bark into piecEnjoy however you happen to • Salt (to taste) • Cinnamon (to taste) es, and keep refrigerated for up to prefer them! two weeks.

12 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, January 28, 2021