February 9, 2012

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

Fall in love with study abroad

• courtesy of david king A student’s submission to the International Center’s recent study abroad photo contest.

MEGAN KADLEC they are taught about culture

news editor

Students at Minnesota State University, Mankato will have the opportunity to fall in love with study abroad, Tuesday during the Elizabeth Kearney International Center’s semi-annual study abroad fair.

The fair, to be held Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on MavAve in the Centennial Student Union, was organized and planned by student worker David King. An International Business major, King said he is the first student to be the primary organizer of the fair.

The International Center provides assistance to students with their applications, and transcripts.

“All of our faculty have studied abroad before, so they know what the students are going through and what kind of questions to help them with,” King said.

The International Center can also connect students with destinations, providers and programs. Students who plan on studying abroad also attend an orientation program where

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shock and what to expect while living abroad.

“We just want to give them some basic tips so they don’t go over there blindly,” King said.

Students can travel anywhere in the world, unless a particular country is on the United States Department of State warning list. War-torn nations and countries with serious health hazards land on this list, however, there are countries you would expect to be on the list that aren’t, like Greece.

Recently a group of students from MSU were in Athens during some of the protests.

“I think it’s a good thing for students to experience first hand,” King said. “Obviously, there are some dangers.”

The fair will consist of more than 10 providers and 12 faculty members who will be leading study abroad trips as components to different classes offered from the university.

Study Abroad / page 4

WEDNESDAY

H 15 • L 1

THURSDAY

H 17 • L 19

Sex educators debunk myths about the female orgasm ALLISON MATTHEWS

staff writer The Big “O” was on everybody’s lips in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom Monday.

Minnesota State University, Mankato students gathered to learn more about the female orgasm for the event, “I Heart Female Orgasm.”

Sex educators Rachel Dart and Marshall Miller spoke about the elusive “O” to a packed CSU ballroom audience. The Women’s Center, Women of Action Committee, IMPACT, Health PROs and the LGBT Center worked in coalition to bring the event to MSU. While the air of the event was fun and light-hearted, the core purpose was to break the ice on talking about the female orgasm and educate students on having safe and healthy sex.

The event began with the famous “When Harry Met Sally” clip of Sally, played by Meg Ryan, indulging in a fake yet seductively believable orgasm in New York City.

The comedic scene set the tone for the night. It opened up the discussion about the social stigmas and the shared realities of the female orgasm.

Dart explained that people are socialized to absorb negative messages not only about the female orgasm but also about female bodies and sexuality.

“Most of what women learn to say is no to sex,” Dart said.

“Many don’t even know how to think of sex in a healthy and positive way.”

Dart and Miller said that many women don’t achieve orgasms solely through vaginal intercourse. They explained that statistically 30 percent of women have orgasms through merely intercourse alone. Others may need clitoral stimulation or oral sex.

Dart and Miller broke up the audience to gauge concerns and questions about the female orgasm.

Dart spoke with the femaleidentified audience while Miller took a group of male-identi-

fied students to another room.

Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Program Advisor Julia Keleher took transgender students and those who do not identify as a specific gender to another room.

The purpose of the separation was to provide more centered and specific discussions based on the individuals in the rooms to see what different genders had to say about the female orgasm Miller said men have just as many questions about the female orgasm as women do, and so do those of different genders.

Dart and Miller showed steps for females to take in order to achieve an orgasm.

They said that reaching an orgasm requires individuals to be familiar and comfortable with their own bodies. Females should explore their vulvas and use their imaginations to reach that perfect sensation.

Audience members offered tips on how to increase chances of a female orgasm. One audience member said wearing socks during stimulation often times makes it easier for women to orgasm. Dart added that having warm feet may make the body more likely to orgasm.

“One woman told me she

just bought woven highthighs,” Dart said. “She said, ‘It changed my life.’”

Sometimes women achieve orgasms with a little extra battery-operated help. Dart and Miller showcased the vibrating Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Electronic Flying Broomstick.

For many who purchased the toy, it turned into much more than a children’s play toy. For some, it became their go-to adult play toy.

Intended for Harry Potter fans to enact their Hogwarts fantasies, Mattel’s Nimbus 2000 Broomstick made a toy that children and adults could take pleasure in for very different reasons. Many could argue whether or not the makers knew the dual functions of the broomstick.

The crowd roared with laughter when Dart and Miller read customer reviews from Amazon. Miller said one woman said the females in her family were big fans of the toy. Once Amazon and Mattel started to understand the other functions of the toy, it was discontinued.

No matter which way females reach orgasms, Dart and Miller said one of the most pivotal aspects of reach-

Female Orgasm / page 4

THE MSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM TRIES TO KEEP ITS TOURNAMENT HOPES ALIVE - PAGE 7

Page 2 • Reporter

News

Thursday, February 9, 2012T

The key to surviving college

Counseling Center offers workshop on time management

MEGAN KADLEC

news editor

With only a month left until Spring Break, it can be difficult for students to concentrate, especially when they have so much to get done they don’t even know when they should begin.

Feb. 1 in the Centennial Student Union, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Counseling Center kicked

Those that didn’t have the time to attend the workshop on time management are still in luck, as the Reporter has a list of the best things students can do to budget their time wisely in order to complete the most pertinent tasks at hand.

First of all, students need to get organized. It’s hard to know what you should do, if you don’t have a list of everything that needs to get done.

Buy a planner and create a schedule for when you are attending class, clocking in at work or sitting in meetings. Knowing when you have free time to do schoolwork is key.

Prioritize the tasks at hand. There’s no use working on a five-point ethics paper, that’s due in three weeks, if your sociology exam, worth 25 percent of your grade, is Wednesday • web photo morning and you haven’t even read the chapters. off its spring lecture series, If you fill in your planDiscovering Yourself, with ner with due dates at the a presentation on time beginning of the semester, management. you should be good to go.

Future workshops will If you only have two hours be held at various times to do homework in between and dates throughout the class and work, it is bensemester. Topics to be diseficial to know what you cussed include, but are not should be doing. limited to, stress manageKnow where you work ment, procrastination, overbest. Whether sitting in the coming text anxiety, sleep library or a coffee shop, and coping with a breakup every location has its set or abusive relationships.

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of distractions. If you get more work done when surrounded by silence, don’t sit in Jazzman’s where you can hear the mindless chatter of the surrounding coffee-drinkers or the hum of the cappuccino machine.

Record how long you work on certain tasks. If it takes 45 minutes to read a chapter in your Psychology textbook, don’t allot for the reading to take 15 minutes.

Know your limits and make the necessary accommodations. Students who constantly overbook their time are prone to having more stress in the future.

Learn to say no. Even if it’s giving up a student organization you enjoy being in, knowing your limits is key in avoiding unwanted stress and anxiety. School assignments, however boring, generally should be more important than going to a friend’s apartment on a Sunday night to watch the Super Bowl and eat taco dip.

Use motivators. If the reward for writing your 10-page research paper is reading more than 200 pages in a textbook, you will not be motivated to finish the paper. However, if you reward yourself by attending a friend’s party or watching movies with your roommates, you will

be more motivated to finish the task at hand.

Don’t forget to sleep.

While it may seem like a good idea to forego sleep in order to finish that killer literary analysis power point, it is essential to get enough sleep to actually give the presentation the next day.

Don’t think that getting four hours of sleep a night for two weeks straight will be “no big deal.” Allow yourself to sleep before you finish that assignment in the morning. Be warned that it is dangerous to think that you are just going to take a quick nap and resume studying in an hour.

Learning the tricks of time management can be difficult, but knowing even these few simple tips will aid MSU students as they continue in their studies and long for warmer weather and a break from the daily grind of college living.

The next workshop, “Mindfullness: Staying in the Moment,” will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. in CSU 256.

For more information on the weekly workshops, stop by their office, located on the second level of the CSU.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

News

Reporter • Page 3

From Klingon to Duct Tape Dresses

There are scholarships for everything, all it takes is a little searching

STEVEN VANG

staff writer

Typing “scholarships” into the Minnesota State University, Mankato website can bring more than 100 results about information regarding offers and financial aid applications. Many students don’t utilize the support to help fund their education.

Dr. Jackie Vieceli, the director of the Kessel Institute for the Study of Peace and Change said, “Many students lack self-confidence and fail to apply.”

Different departments offer several scholarships to its students. The College of Business lists 46 scholarships, the College of Arts & Humanities lists 19 scholarships and the College of Allied Health & Nursing lists 36 scholarships. One sub-

make their outfits completely out of duct tape for their prom and submit their photos to Duct Tape Brand to apply for the scholarship.

Applications must be submitted in order to be considered for the scholarships.

“Anyone can submit an application; recipients must fit the criteria,” said James Johnson, the director of the Art Department.

Specialized scholarships like those offered by different departments and col• web photo leges can be very helpful, especially because it focuses category under the College of Science, Engineering and on each student’s field of study.

Technology by itself offers Departmental scholarmore than 10 scholarships. ships also provide students Many scholarships respecial opportunities that ceive funding from donamay otherwise be unavailtions and investments. The able to them.

An example value awarded depends on of this is the Al Annexstad the success of finding the Leadership scholarship, funds. which allows students to Of course, scholarships aren’t free. Therefore, many remain in contact with providers set criterion based executives from Federated Insurance which relates to on the interests of the prothe student’s field of study. viders. Many scholarships One of the key tips for require students to be enmaximizing scholarships rolled and for them to have a to help pay for tuition is certain grade point average. to be aware of application But, providers are very dideadlines. Many deadlines verse which, in turn, grants are set for earlier months different opportunities to of the year while a majorstudents. If they don’t meet ity of others are set in the the criteria of one, they can still apply for another schol- summer, so by the time fall semester starts, students can arship. An example of this receive the money. For many is the infamous “Duct Tape of the scholarships such as Prom” where prom dates

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the ones offered by the Art Department, early submissions do not give applicants any advantage but late submissions and failing to meet the criteria can affect a student’s odds of getting awarded.

With an average annual increase of four percent in tuition nationally, students have to work even harder to pay for their education.

There are fewer than 13 hours in a day for students to enroll in other classes and work after factoring in three hours for taking one credit and designating eight hours for sleep.

The recommended number of hours to study per credit is three, therefore leaving less time for students to work and study.

As observed by scholarship providers and orga-

nizations like the Career Development Center, some scholarships are unused because of the lack of applicants.

Scholarships are readily available for various things whether if it’s based on GPA, wearing duct tape to prom or special interests like the ability to speak Klingon.

With the vast and diverse resources geared towards helping students succeed and to be able to afford an education, there’s no excuse for not being able to fund education nor a fear of acceptance.

“They should pluck up their courage and put in an application, since there are often surprisingly few applications for the scholarships on campus,” advises Vieceli.

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Page 4 • Reporter

News

Thursday, February 9, 2012T

FEMALE ORGASM “Many [women] don’t even know how to think of sex in a healthy and positive way.”

STUDY ABROAD “The good thing about the [faculty] programs is that they’re open to all majors.”

continued from 1

“The good thing about the faculty [programs] is that they’re open to all majors,” King said. “[MSU], especially the College of Business, is really having a push for the students in their colleges to study abroad.”

Marketing professor Kristin Scott is one of the faculty members that will be attending the fair to promote a spring break trip to Belize in 2013. The trip will be offered in conjunction with Marketing 490 and students will learn about free trade in the classroom before they travel to South America to visit free trade businesses.

“We’re going to be visiting fair trade businesses,” Scott said. “That’s the curriculum of the course, so the idea is to introduce students to the topic of fair trade before hand and then we’ll be going in and seeing chocolate plantations that are fair trade.”

While the destination is set, the trip is still in its first planning stages. Scott will travel to Belize in March to visit the sites she hopes to bring her students to next year.

Scott is currently the only faculty member going on the trip, but if there are enough students, they will find an-

• web photo Marshall Miller and Rachel Dart are the duo sex educators behind the I Heart Female Orgasm presentation.

ing ultimate satisfaction is by understanding one’s own body.

Partners must communicate with each other to understand how each other’s bodies work.

Outside the CSU ballroom, a group of Mankato community members stood together behind a sign that proclaimed their opposition to the event because it was encouraging students to have sex before marriage.

David Kruse said, “We are doing this out of an act of love.

Sex can be seen as the greatest and most wonderful thing for people. It needs to be done out of love, not lust. Through marriage is the best way to have sex.”

The group’s banner read, “Sex is sacred: sorry for all the times we told you otherwise.

You’re worth waiting for.”

Orgasms and sex in general are still considered widely taboo in this highly contradictory society. Dart said that women have to work against the double bind of seeming too promiscuous or too prude. Dart said that women are strictly placed into one of those groups based on their attitudes or appearance.

In a time when sex is

penetrating entertainment and media outlets, it is still regarded as a man’s entity. Women are only there to partake in the experience and it is not something women can explore on their own, according to Dart and Miller.

“I heart female orgasm” aimed to debunk those myths by intertwining humor and education to get people talking about how women can feel more comfortable with their sexuality and how their partners can be supportive.

continued from 1

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perience can really help you,” King said. “All employers, basically, are looking for students who have studied abroad, for students who have global experience.”

Students who are unable to study abroad can gain international experience through Cultural Connections, an RSO on campus designed to show international students around Mankato and make global connections through those individuals.

“We want to show them around our city, our state,” King said.

Duringthe course of the past year, the International Center has seen an increase in MSU students studying abroad.

“We’ve doubled the amount of students who have studied abroad since this time first semester,” King said.

The amount of students who have participated in volunteer projects and landed internships has also increased over the past few years. King and Scott both advocate for students to study abroad during their time at MSU. “For students, it’s really a life-changing event,” Scott said. “It is what they are going to remember from college.”

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other professor to attend.

“It’s really advantageous to have two faculty members go in case something happens so one person can take care of the issue while the other takes care of the rest of the trip,” Scott said.

Scott also hopes to incorporate a service-learning project into the trip.

“Students will get to see populations they have never come into contact with, being a developing country,” Scott said. “It will be an eye-opener for them.”

The College of Business just formed a global committee, which Scott said will focus on creating scholarships and programs for students in the college.

“The purpose of this committee is to encourage faculty and students to engage in more international experiences, such as study abroad,” Scott said.

King urged all students, regardless of major, to consider studying abroad during their time at MSU. He said that having international experience is essential finding the perfect job after graduation.

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Thursday, February 9, 2012

News

Reporter • Page 5

Preparing for the MADELINE GREENE | staff writer

d l r o W l Rea

M ana g i ng St ress

It is the time of year where stress begins to run our lives. The semester is in full swing and your “to do” list is probably the size of a small country. Exams, papers and reading are probably consuming your life.

This is really the “make it or break it” part of the semester. If you push through and work really hard, there is a good chance you’ll come out on top. If you slack off and just try to get by, you’ll find yourself spending the rest of the semester catching up.

You are probably thinking…

“What does this have to do with the real world?” EVERYTHING. When you grow up and land your first big kid job, stress does not just go away. If anything, it gets worse. If you learn how to handle your stress in a productive way now, you’ll be better off when it comes to the major project at work or an important report that needs to be finished.

Here are a few tips for managing stress in a way that will allow you to be as successful as possible this semester and in the future: Make sure you are taking care of yourself. If you are stressed, eating poorly and not getting enough sleep. You’re only going to add to the level of emotional and physical distress. Eating three healthy meals a day, sleeping for at least 8 hours and drinking plenty of water will add to a more

calm and happier you.

Make a to-do list in the order of which things need to be accomplished first. Layout your days by the tasks you need to complete and then get them done! It is nice to cross something off your list and at the end of the week; you can look back and see all that you accomplished. It also allows you to write everything down, in hopes that you will be less likely to forget an important task. To do lists are my personal life saver and sometimes seeing everything I need to accomplish in a day overwhelms me, but other days it really helps to get me motivated and on the way to successful week.

Take time for yourself. Give yourself little breaks when you’ve accomplished a task. For example, when I’m reading a large chapter in a book for class, I give myself a goal. When I read 20 pages, I’ll watch a funny YouTube video or check my Facebook. It is nice to have something to work toward.

Just don’t let this little breaks turn into a few hours of Facebook creeping because it kind of defeats the purpose of giving yourself a reward.

Take a deep breath. I know sometimes it is hard to take a deep breath when all you want to do is let the stress overcome you and force you to take a long nap.

By giving yourself a second to breathe will help get your mind on track.

Remember you are not superman (or woman). You cannot accomplish everything on your own and trying will lead you down a path of unneeded stress.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You’ll appreciate it in the end. Don’t let stress ruin a perfectly good semester.

See you next week, Mavericks.

Until then, take care of yourself, make a to do list, work out and ask for help. In the end, you’ll be happy that you managed your stress. I promise.

MSSA talks money, proposes mandatory health insurance

CHELSEA MILLER

staff writer Linda Hanson attended Wednesday’s meeting to ask MSSA for assistance and partnership with the Minnesota State University, Mankato Civility Campaign. Hanson and three others are in the developmental stages of this campaign. The goal of the campaign is to make sure people on campus are treating others with civility.

“The campaign will teach initiatives that assist you while you are on campus, as well as when you leave,” Hanson said.

The annual Scholarship BBQ, is scheduled for April 26th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. MSSA was asked to sponsor $250 for the event, and host a game of their choice. A representative for the event said they expect about 1,000 people to attend and thousands of dollars to be raised for MSU scholarships.

Assistant Director for Greek Life, Jon Bulcock, urgently reminds students that the final housing fair of the academic year will take place on Feb. 28.

“If you know anyone who is still unsure of where they are going to live next year, please encourage them to attend the fair,”

said Bulcock.

Student Affairs Committee members Cody Nickel, Nick Wilfahrt and Nick Jirik presented the idea of mandatory health insurance at MSU. The members conducted a survey of 120 students which revealed that 64 percent of students would not approve of this policy. If made mandatory, MSU’s health insurance plan would be able to offer the same amount of coverage that international students receive to the rest of the student body.

MSSA also approved a total of $4,885 to be allocated to eight different organizations. These organizations range from the Rugby team, which needs $1,800 for its tournament in Georgia, to $65 for a Lambda Chi Alpha event.

“We have about eight to nine grand left in budget,” Vice President Moriah Miles said.

MSSA will not meet again for two weeks due to their participation in “Greater Mankato day at the Capitol.” Representatives from local businesses as well as some MSSA members will be there to lobby and share stories of Mankato’s growth. The $400 fee for the trip was approved today.

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"Investing In Early Learning"

Tim Penny

President/CEO, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012 Time: 5:30-6:30 pm Location: Morris Hall 206 Minnesota State University, Mankato Tim Penny will discuss the role that social and emotional abilities play in children’s success in school, and how the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation has invested in programs that work to measure and develop those abilities in pre-kindergarten-aged children in southern Minnesota.

Tim Penny’s lecture is open to all students, faculty and staff. For questions regarding the event, please contact the Honors Program Office at 389-5191.

Page 6 • Reporter

Advertisement

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Sports Thursday, February 9, 2012 www.msureporter.com/sports

This Week in Maverick Sports: WOMEN’S HOCKEY VS. NO. 4 NORTH DAKOTA 7:07 P.M. FRI. AND 3:07 P.M. SAT. ALL SEASONS ARENA MSU TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Aubrie Bowers has been named the NSIC Field Athlete of the Week after qualifying for the national championships in the pole vault.

Head to themsureporter.com for this weekend’s MSU wrestling preview.

Margenthaler, Mavericks in unfamiliar position for stretch run MSU’s head coach reminded his players they are being evaluated for next season after blowout loss to Wayne State last Sat. REECE HEMMESCH

staff writer

It’s getting late into the winter season for athletic teams everywhere, and just like any DivisionI basketball squad is looking to finish the season strong and get a bid to the tournament, so is the Minnesota State, Mankato men’s basketball squad.

The NSIC takes only the best eight teams to the conference tournament, and MSU currently finds itself two games back of the eighth-place team, Northern State, with only five games left to play.

The Mavericks had a golden opportunity last weekend to gain some ground on the Wolves, but they went on to lose both games and stayed at the same spot in the conference. “(Last weekend) we were careless with the ball and had way too many turnovers,” senior guard Stephen Kirschbaum said of the difficult weekend. “We just could not hold onto the ball and had trouble executing late down the stretch.”

MSU will have to improve on that, along with many other shannon rathmanner • msu reporter things, to help itself out in the upcoming weekend.

Sophomore reserve Alex Hanks (21) and freshman forward TJ Okafor The Mavericks will hit the (44) are just two of many Mavericks trying to make an impression as the road Friday for a weekend road season winds down.

Women’s Basketball

trip that begins that night when they take on St. Cloud State, before finishing the trip Saturday against the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul.

St. Cloud State comes into the matchup as the second-best team in the NSIC, and is ranked as the No. 24 team in the country. The Huskies are 13-4 in conference play and 17-4 overall.

For MSU to steal a win to from the Huskies, it will need to step up its game inside and stop the big boys from St. Cloud State from taking over.

The key matchup in this one will be MSU freshman Zach Romashko going up against SCSU sophomore center Tim Bergstraser. Romashko has the height advantage over Bergstraser, but these two basically play the same game.

Bergstraser averages more than 12 points per game and around seven rebounds per game, which is third in the NSIC. If Romashko can keep hold of Bergstraser, the Mavericks have a shot at embezzling a win from the Huskies.

“You can be assured that we’re going out guns blazing,” Kirschbaum explained of the team’s late season antics in a John Wayne-

esque quote. “We need to play with heart and pride.”

The second game of the weekend is a must-win for the Mavericks, as they take on ConcordiaSt. Paul, a team they are currently tied with in the NSIC standings.

Both of these teams are thinking the same thing: A loss Saturday night just might end our season.

Expect these two teams to be playing all-out in this contest, as MSU will have to stop the twin-powers of Peter and Kenny Olafeso, a pair of senior guards who combine for more than 30 of Concordia’s points per game.

After those two the scoring of the Golden Bears drops off to the point of nobody else averaging more htan 10 per game.

The outlook of the conference tourney will be much more set in stone after this weekend and after the game between these two teams. Northern State will tip off against Augustana and Wayne State this weekend, meaning MSU can probably expect one win from the Wolves.

The Wolves have a tough week after that as well, so if MSU wants to get to the postseason, there is no better time to win than now.

Mavericks shooting for higher seed in upcoming NSIC tourney

TIGE HUTCHESON

staff writer With the two toughest teams in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference officially behind them, it’s all downhill from here for the Minnesota State, Mankato women’s basketball team, at least for the rest of the regular season.

But even though this weekend’s pair of road games—St. Cloud State and Concordia-St. Paul—feature two unranked and inconsistent teams going in opposite directions, the last road trip of the season needs to be a successful one for the Mavericks.

The first game of the weekend will match the Mavericks up against the St. Cloud State Huskies (8-9 NSIC, 11-10 overall), a team that has made big strides during the course of the season and has improved a lot since losing to MSU 60-46 in Mankato back in December.

“St. Cloud is playing really well right now,” said Pam Gohl, MSU’s head coach. “They swept this last weekend and they’re coming off a two-point loss at Augustana not too long ago, so

we’re anticipating it to be quite a battle. It’s always a tough game.”

The Huskies present one of the most balanced offenses in the NSIC, with redshirt freshman forward Jessica Benson averaging a team-high 9.4 points per game.

Not far behind Benson are senior post Aaryn Booker (8.7 points per game), sophomore guard Sam Price (8.4 PPG), senior guard Jordi Gerking (8.2 PPG) and sophomore guard Rachael Moen (7.1 PPG).

This means that even though the Huskies sit near the bottom of the conference in field goal percentage and while no individual player will present a matchup nightmare, it will be essential for all five Mavericks to stay disciplined and play defense all 40 minutes.

“We know we’re going to have to play our best because Halenbeck Hall is such a tough place to play,” Gohl said.

Saturday will put the Mavericks up against the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears (6-11 NSIC, 9-14 overall), a team that has

disappointed and is currently out of the postseason picture after it was projected seventh in NSIC preseason polls.

“We know that they’ve struggled throughout different parts of this season, but they’re playing pretty well right now and we expect it to be a good game,” Gohl said.

The Golden Bears are led by a pair of sophomore guards in Carissa Wolyniec (10.6 points per game) and Rachel Hansen (9.9 PPG), while 6’2” freshman forward Anika Whiting (10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game) and sophomore forward Jodi Batzel (8.2 points per game) present scoring threats in the post.

While much of its struggles this season can probably be attributed to growing pains, Concordia could be another trap game if the Mavericks make the mistake of overlooking it.

The Mavericks have the talent and record to enter both games as the clear favorite, but it’s not going to be as easy as it may appear on paper.

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Junior guard Sarah Wiens is one of the key role players who could give MSU a big boost off the bench as the regular season draws to a close.

Page 8 • Reporter

Sports

Thursday, February 9, 2012

MSU Women’s Hockey Gameday

MSU Men’s Hockey Gameday

Lee Handel • sports editor

Joey Denton • staff writer

No. 4 North Dakota (18-9-2, 14-8-2-1 WCHA) at Minnesota State (7-23-0, 3-21-0-0 WCHA)

Minnesota State (10-19-1, 6-15-1 WCHA) at Alaska Anchorage (7-17-2, 4-17-1 WCHA)

7:07 p.m., Friday • All Seasons Arena 3:07 p.m., Saturday • All Seasons Arena

7:07 p.m., Friday • Sullivan Arena 7:07 p.m., Saturday • Sullivan Arena

RECAP: This weekend caps off a brutal stretch for the Minnesota State, Mankato women’s hockey team, one that has seen the Mavericks face-off against three of the top four teams in the nation on three consecutive weekends. After suffering sweeps at the hands of second-ranked Minnesota and top-ranked Wisconsin, MSU welcomes the Fighting Sioux to Mankato this weekend looking to put an end to its nine-game losing skid. Last weekend, the Mavericks traveled to the hostile Kohl Center to take on the Badgers, and got off to a great start with a 1-0 lead after one period. Then UW kicked it in gear, eventually topping the Mavericks 5-2. The Badgers rode the momentum into Sunday’s contest, shutting out MSU 6-0 for the series sweep. North Dakota played host to Bemidji State last weekend, picking up an impressive sweep by scores of 5-2 and 3-1. The Fighting Sioux currently sit in third place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with 45 points, seven ahead of fourth-place MinnesotaDuluth and fifth-place Ohio State. UND trails second-place Minnesota by 12 points, so holding on to the three seed in the upcoming WCHA tournament seems likely for the Sioux. The Mavericks are last in the WCHA with nine points, trailing seventh-place St. Cloud State by three points.

RECAP: The Minnesota State, Mankato men’s hockey team achieved its fifth consecutive split last weekend against Michigan Tech, just in a different fashion than usual. This time it won on Friday 5-3, then burned out and had a nightmare first period in Saturday’s 3-7 setback. The previous four weeks the Mavericks had a hard time getting the “W” on Friday’s, but that goal was achieved last weekend. Freshman forward Jean-Paul Lafontaine was the ice general Friday, leading his teammates to two crucial goals, feeding the game-winner to freshman forward Matt Leitner, who slapped the puck over Josh Robinson’s stick side. Last Saturday’s game is the one the Mavericks are trying to forget. It was just one of those nights when nothing went the team’s way. The Mavericks started the game off right, scoring the first goal of the night just two minutes into the game. But once the Huskies saw one of their shots go in, that was all she wrote, as they scored six goals in the first period.

HISTORY: The Mavericks did not fair too well against North Dakota in their trip to Grand Forks earlier this season, dropping a pair of games to the Sioux by scores of 3-5 and 1-6. MSU had more success against UND last season, splitting the season series 2-2 with a couple of series splits. The Mavericks also took three of four games two seasons ago, but that was before the Lamoureux sisters came to North Dakota and revitalized the program. Up until the two stars arrived, the Mavericks had dominated the all-time series between the teams. MSU still holds a commanding 21-10-5 edge all-time.

MSU NOTES: Last Friday’s game in Madison couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Mavericks, as junior forward Lauren Smith got things going offensively early when she picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and converted a breakaway score, giving her seven goals on the season and MSU a 1-0 advantage. Senior goalie Alli Altmann looked good in net in the opening period, helping the Mavericks maintain the one-goal lead with 17 saves heading into the first intermission. Whatever was said in the Badger locker room at the break worked, as UW responded with three goals in the second period and two more in the third to pull away. MSU did manage to record the final tally of the game, as sophomore forward Nicole Germaine notched her fifth goal of the season with eight seconds remaining in the final period to make the final score 5-2. The Mavericks were outshot Nicole Germaine 26-47, but Altmann held up fairly well with 42 saves. Sunday’s game was much less competitive, as the MSU offense failed to give sophomore goalie Danielle Butters any support as the Badgers coasted to the 6-0 victory. UW doubled up the Mavericks in shots 44-22, but the 38 saves were a career-high for Butters... The Badgers went one for three on the power play on Sunday, but the Mavericks have otherwise done a great job of killing power plays this season, with opponents scoring 23 goals in 118 opportunities with the extra attacker, a .195 percentage. Smith’s goal on Friday propelled her into sole possession of the team lead in scoring with 17 points. The junior forward also leads the squad in shots with 109. Sophomore forward Kari Lundberg continues to pace the team in goals with eight.

HISTORY: This won’t be the first time these two WCHA teams have matched up this season. The University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves came down to Mankato right after Thanksgiving and defeated the Mavericks 5-4 the first game, then tied 5-5 the second. That was a big weekend for sophomore forward Zach Lehrke, as he recorded two goals and two assists that weekend. In the two squads’ history, the Mavericks have had the upper hand, going 33-23-8 against UAA. MSU NOTES: After Saturday’s loss, the Mavericks are looking to redeem themselves and get some momentum going before their showdown with the second-place University of Minnesota.

The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs come to town next weekend. The Mavericks are going up to Alaska 11th in the WCHA with a 6-15-1 conference record. Since the holiday break the Mavericks are 5-5, including wins against NebraskaOmaha and Michigan Tech. The Mavericks ninth-ranked offense hasn’t had much trouble scoring these last two weekends, scoring 14 goals in the last four games, including two games with five goals. Their offense has been led by the line consisting of junior forward Eriah Hayes and freshman forwards Jean-Paul Lafontaine and Matt Leitner who are the three leading scorers on the team. The Mavericks 11th ranked defense Matt Leitner had trouble keeping the puck out of the net last weekend, allowing 10 goals in the two games. Their starting goalie as of late, junior Phil Cook, has been showing what he can provide for them not only the rest of this season, but next season as well. Despite Saturday’s troubles, he has gone 4-2-0 with a .945 save percentage in six starts before Saturday. With senior goalie Austin Lee coming back from injury, the Mavericks have two dependable goalies to play this weekend.

UND NOTES: The high-powered Sioux offense will be hard to stop this weekend, as UND leads the league with 102 goals in WCHA play. Twins Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux lead an explosive attack that features five players with 20 or more points. Jocelyne paces the squad in goals, assists and points (28-42--70), while Monique is not far behind (24-39--63). Another key player for the Sioux is sophomore forward Michelle Karvinen (21-29--50). UND also has two solid goaltenders in senior Stephanie Ney (2.93 GAA) and junior Jorid Dagfinrud (1.68 GAA).

UAA NOTES: The Seawolves of Alaska-Anchorage are coming into this weekend in last place in the WCHA with a 4-17-1 conference record. The second half of the season hasn’t really gone their way so far, as they are 1- 7 since the holiday break, and their seven-game losing streak was snapped with a 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth last Saturday. The Seawolves’ offense is led by junior forward Mitch Bruijsten, who has eight goals and six assists this season. Their defense hasn’t been helping them out either, as they lead the conference in goals allowed with 4.05 per game.

PREDICTION: Once again, the Mavericks are huge underdogs this weekend despite playing in Mankato. The MSU offense will need to play well to keep up with the Sioux and their star power on both offense and defense. However, Altmann in particular is capable of shutting down an attack and could put the Mavericks in position to win at least one of the games.

PREDICTION: After last Saturday’s performance the Mavericks are hungry for a win and are looking to sweep the Seawolves, who have been struggling the last eight weekends. With the Mavericks recent offensive surge, MSU has a great shot to get a sweep and gain some confidence before the UMD Bulldogs come to town next weekend.

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A&E

Thursday, February 9, 2012

LIAM NEESON KICKS WOLF-IAN ASS

www.msureporter.com/arts-entertainment

ANDREW SIMON | staff writer

“

what’s happening.” Judging from the trailers, The Grey looks to be Liam Neeson releasing yet another movie where he That’s why when unleashes his action the movie was over, hero fury, and the lights came this time on up and the credits a pack of rolled, a majority of wolves that the audience said aren’t too happy with ‘what?’ aloud in him. That’s unison. why when the movie was over, and the lights

”

came up and the credits rolled, a majority of the audience said “what?” aloud in unison. The Grey isn’t Liam Neeson surviving and killing wolves one by one in spectacular fashion.

No, this is a far more layered, complex, emotional, and character driven experience. That is why, in short, The Grey is, to this reviewer, a beautiful masterpiece.

The opening quote is just a preview of the wonderful character beats of the movie. Neeson plays Ottway, one of the seven survivors who persevered through a plane crash, leaving them stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. Although the snow part and

GREY / page 10

“

Y ou’re going to die. That’s

The Good Thunder Reading Series CAITLYN SCHMID

T

here are thousands of talented writers in the world today. Although getting your name out there is pretty difficult, the Good Thunder Reading Series shines a little ray of hope for many who wish to be known, giving the opportunity to present work in front of many faculty groups, students and the surrounding community.

The series has been around for many years (dating back to 1983) and gets bigger every year. Where they used to have non-existent funding, and performed for just a small group of people; today they have funding from Minnesota State College of Arts and Humanities, Minnesota Humanities Commission, Minnesota State Arts Board and plenty more.

Due to the generous funding, they are now performing roughly eight times for many different residencies during one academic year. Not only do the writers present their own work, but also have workshops, craft shops and public-radio interviews, so all people have a chance too experience great writing from these talented people.

Over the years there has been as many as 80,000 radio listeners and as many as 2,000 audience members per year. The numbers don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. This series is steadily becoming very known throughout the area and is becoming exceedingly more popular and will be throughout the years to come. staff writer

Not only does the talent just come from Mankato and the upper Midwest but the nation, but people from all over the world come and share their talent and work with others during this public event.

Previous writers from the series include; Tim O’Brien, Judith Guest and Kate Green, all marvelous writers.

Minnesota State University, Mankato will be calling attention to two writers – fiction writer Samuel Ligon and poet Kristin Naca – during a fourday period.

Both have a collection of personal writings, which they will read during the evening’s performance.

Naca is a very well renounced poet, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in northern Virginia. Earning many degrees throughout her schooling, she finally graduated with a Ph. D from the University of Nebraska. Being a member

of The Macondo Writers’ Workshop, in San Antonio, TX. As she lives there now, she teaches a course on poetics and creative writing. Some of her first collections of poems, Bird Eating Bird, was selected for the National Poetry Series in 2008 and also appears in the Harper National. On Thursday, she will be reading some of her work.

Ligon is the author of Drift and Swerve and many others. His stories have appeared in The Quarterly, Alaska Quarterly Review, Story Quarterly and plenty more. Currently he teaches at the Eastern Washington University’s Inland Northwest Center for Writers. He is also the editor of Willow Springs.

He is an assistant professor of English and attended The University of Illinois and The University of New Hampshire.

Ligon has many recent publications out, which consist of Drift and Swerve (2009), Safe in Heaven Dead (2003), and is featured in a number of journals and magazines. Not only does he have his own publications, but he also teaches courses and undergraduate fiction workshops. Along with his workshops, he also teaches the form and theory of fiction in a course called literary editing and design.

The series will be a very exciting event to attend at MSU. Both writers are very promising and will be great to listen to.

The Good Thunder Reading Series will be held on February 14-17, and will have workshops each morning, visit schools in the area and will be interviewed on KMSU (89.7 FM) at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Thursday also consists of having discussions on the craft of writing in the CSU Ostrander Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

Events are free and open to the public.

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Page 10 • Reporter

A&E

GREY “What makes The Grey rise higher than expectations is not only content, but also the characters.” continued from 9

Thursday, February 9, 2012

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being a bit chilly is a problem in of itis able to make landscape shots look self, the survivors face another obstacle, absolutely beautiful and nighttime hold one just as unrelenting as the snow: the potential of death with every inch of wolves, very angry wolves, who feel the the frame. One memorable shot shows group have breached their territory, and the blood of a victim flow and fill in a mean to ridicule them about it. wolf print in the snow – it’s artistically In the most basic of terms, The Grey brilliant, yet spine-chilling simultaneis similar to The Edge in that these ously. This is also a compliment to the are movies about men surviving in the script where such marvelous exchanges wilderness. The Anthony Hopkins ver(as the opening quote) stick with the sion itches viewer long more on the after seeing the dark side of film. Charachumanity, ters question whereas this their battle, film builds question why itself around they should one beautikeep going and ful, abstract not just accept notion; faith. defeat, quesNot necestion why this is sarily faith even happenin a deity ing in the first (although the place. It’s a film does ofsmart decision fer one monto have a movie umentally where people memorable question these scene where things against Ottway adthe backdrop dresses God of blood and directly), violence. but faith in So; richly perseverdefined characters, beautiful, ance, that, heartbreaking in the end, music, riveteverything ing perforwill be okay mances, and and they will an end point be saved. that the film Clinging to was obviously these beliefs, • web photo running towards the seven Liam Neeson (above) stars in The Grey, an action packed rol- all along, how men find lick through the woods in which Neeson fights against wolves, could the finale the strength the elements, and himself in efforts to survive. elicit a near to fight and unison “what?’ survive. from the audience?

What makes The Grey rise higher Without spoiling anything, suffice it than expectations is not only content, to say that the ending is the antithesis but also the characters. All too often of what the trailer makes the movie out in films similar to this, the characters to be. That expectation of Neeson and that aren’t in the top billing are noththe wolves in a brawl – it’s delivered, ing less than fodder, objects to be taken in a sense, but the scene, and the movie, away and fill running time while the film charges to its inevitable conclusion isn’t about the violence. There’s a short, four-line poem Ottway’s father wrote where the main star is the only one left. years before, a poem that sums up the This time out, each and every characmovie perfectly, that encapsulates the ter is so well given life and dimension themes and journeys of the film and that as the numbers dwindle, that same characters succinctly: “Once more into feeling of, ‘eh, at least [main character] the fray, Into the last fight I’ll ever ain’t dead yet’ is nowhere to be found. know. Live or die on this day. Live or We become attached to each and every die on this day.” one of them; from the obnoxious to the The Grey is nearly pitch perfect, and potentially stereotypical hot-headed for a January release (usually the dumpjerk. Thus The Grey accomplishes what ing ground of embarrassed company seems impossible; it makes instantlymovies), that is a staggering complirecognizable character-tropes into three dimensional human beings, and because ment to give. Whether it is for the action scenes or the chance to see Liam of that, it succeeds in establishing tenNeeson fight wolves or the layered sion in every scene, every shot. script, whatever peaks your interest, Director Joe Carahan seems to The Grey is the first movie of the year unleash all his talent with this film. that should not be missed.

Mostly resorting to hand held cinematography to capture the gritty intensity of the characters’ plight. Carahan

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Classifieds

Reporter • Page 11

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Page 12 • Reporter

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Thursday, February 9, 2012