March 2, 2021

S T U DE N T RU N N E W S S I NC E 192 6 Spring

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safety pag e

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TODAY

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Sunshine, windy and milder!

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TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

Maverick faculty perform works of literature in Good Thunder

By SYDNEY BERGGREN Staff Writer Last Thursday’s Good Thunder gathering was hosted by two authors close to “home,” one could say, as both are Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty.

The first speaker of the night was Michael Torres, who was introduced to the literature program by Professor and Director of Good Thunder, Candace Black.

Torres has won multiple literary awards and grants and his debut poetry collec-

Court weighs murder charge in Chauvin’s trial

tion, “An Incomplete List of Names,” was selected for the National Poetry Series. He earned his MFA from MNSU and is currently teaching in the university’s creative writing program.

Torres’ energy and excitement were palpable.

“I had come to all the Good Thunder events,” he said of his time at MNSU, “and now I am hosting one of them. I am really happy to be here.”

When talking about when he first got into poetry, he brought up poet Lawrence

Ferlinghetti. “‘Coney Island of the Minds’ was the first poetry book I read when I was 16 or 17. My sister let me borrow it, and I loved it so much I had to buy my own copy, which

GTR page 2

ONE CUP, ONE LOSS

ASSOCIATED PRESS An appeals court considering whether to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd reacted with skepticism Monday to his attorney’s arguments for keeping the charge out.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin next Monday in Derek Chauvin’s trial on charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. The trial judge dismissed a third-degree murder count last October. But prosecutors asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals to reinstate the charge in light of its decision last month to uphold a third-degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis officer Mohamed Noor for the 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an unarmed Australian woman who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault.

A three-judge panel that heard oral arguments Monday said it would issue an expedited decision as soon as possible given the looming trial date.

Legal experts say reinstating the lesser count could increase the prosecution’s odds of getting a murder conviction in what will be one of Minnesota’s highest-profile trials ever. Floyd, who was Black, died May 25 after Chauvin, who was white, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and pleading that he couldn’t breathe. Civil unrest after Floyd’s death spiraled into violence locally.

“Without action from this court, a landmark criminal case, one of the most important in our nation’s history, will take place with a major part of the case — third-degree murder — missing.

Three other former officers are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter The Mavericks secured the MacNaughton Cup Thursday night for the fourth straight year. Senior forward Riese Zmolek helped with an assist in the win and five shots blocked over the weekend.

FOUR-PEAT on page 8

Amplifying Black Voices concludes, looks to future

By JULIA BARTON • Staff Writer As Black History Months concludes the Amplifying Black Voices Project hosted its final event Monday night, discussing how local residents can be allies to the Black community moving forward.

Having the main take away from the discussion being centered around “I see you, I hear you, and I believe you,” other topics such as transracial adoption, cultural appropriation, and the idea of colorism were talked about.

Laura Riness, who is a transracial adoptee and Mankato resident,

touched on her experience growing up with parents of a different race.

“I was born in Kentucky and was in two foster homes before I was adopted before the age of 1. I was a part of the statistics when Minnesota took the lead in the United States of white parents adopting black children.

Looking back I have a strong stance on having the child being raised by relatives, if not the parents, so that they are with their own lineage and culture,” Riness stated.

Cultural appropriation and double standards were also discussed.

“It really is frustrating when it seems like Black people have to con-

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

template wearing a certain hairstyle in fear that they might not get the job during an interview and then seeing white people with braids being praised

HISTORY page 5

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thousands flee rebel violence in Central African Republic

ADRIENNE SURPRENANT • Associated Press An 80-years-old woman who requested to remain anonymous sits in her makeshifts shelter in the village of Cesacoba, Central African Republic, Sunday Feb. 14, 2021.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Monique Moukidje fled her home in Central African Republic’s town of Bangassou in January when rebels attacked with heavy weapons, the fighting killing more than a dozen people.

“I ran away because the bullets have no eyes,” the 34-year-old said sitting in the shade while waiting for water purification tablets, a tarp, and other supplies to help her in Mbangui-Ngoro, a village where she and hundreds of other displaced people are sheltering.

She is among an estimated 240,000 people displaced in the country since mid-December, according to U.N. relief workers, when rebels calling themselves the Coalition of Patriots for Change launched attacks, first to disrupt the Dec. 27 elections and then to destabilize the newly-elected government of President Faustin Archange Touadera. The rebels’ fighting has enveloped the country and caused a humanitarian crisis in the already unstable nation.

Hundreds of thousands of people are also left without basic food or health care, and with the main roads between Central African Republic and Cameroon closed for almost two months, prices have skyrocketed leaving families unable to afford food.

The rebels control nearly two-thirds of the country, making it difficult to deliver humanitarian aid. Aid delivery was stopped for nearly a month in some zones.

“The most pressing needs are on the axis (the main roads),” says Marco Doneda, project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders based in Bangassou, on the coun-

try’s southeastern border with Congo.

When rebels left Bangassou in mid-January, after an ultimatum from the United Nations peacekeeping force, some established their bases in nearby towns, like in Niakari, about 17 kilometers (10 miles) from Bangassou.

Doctors Without Borders has been trying to reach the populations there with mobile clinics since then, but they have been prevented by the possibility of military action or unpredictable fighting between the rebels and the army.

Along the main supply road from Cameroon to Bangui, Central African Republic’s capital, and in Bambari and Bossangoa, the government forces and its Rwandan and Russian allies have led drives against the rebel forces in the past two weeks.

The impact of violence and the lack of humanitarian access is visible in Siwa, a camp for internally displaced people, a few kilometers (miles) from Bangassou.

Hundreds of people must rely only on filthy brown water to drink, cook, and clean.

They are living in makeshift shelters made of leaves and branches from palm trees.

No toilets have been built and food distribution only arrived six weeks after the camp was created.

A displaced man hopes his wife will receive treatment and psychological support after she was raped by armed men.

“I didn’t have the strength to defend my wife,” he said.

“I’m a farmer. I don’t have the means to bring her to Bangassou for treatment, but I’m worried, I can’t leave her like this. Her body is not wounded, but in her mind,

she is not all right.” The Associated Press does not name victims of sexual violence.

Central African Republic’s instability erupted into fighting in Bangui in 2013 when the Seleka rebels coming from the north seized power from then-President Francois Bozize.

Later that year, the Seleka government was challenged by a militia group that formed in response and called themselves the anti-Balaka. Fighting spiraled, with targeted attacks that left thousands dead in the capital and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

The newly formed rebel coalition includes armed groups from both the ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka.

The Seleka rebel president eventually stepped aside amid international pressure and an interim government organized democratic elections in 2016, which Touadera won.

Touadera won re-election to a second term in December with 53% of the vote, but he continues to face opposition from forces linked to ex-president Bozize, who was disqualified from taking part in the presidential vote. Much of the recent violence began after the courts rejected his candidacy before the Dec. 27 elections.

Residents of Central African Republic are discouraged by the country’s years of violence and insecurity.

“We really moved backward,” said Pierrette Benguere, prefect of the Mbomou area that includes Bangassou.

“It is discouraging to see my country having to start over again with the negotiations we’ve been holding on and off since 2003.”

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 GTR Continued from page 1 has become extremely worn throughout the years.”

Much of what Torres read to the group came “An Incomplete List of Names,” including a section of one of his longest poems, “Down.”

This poem addresses the struggles of being a young man entering adulthood, finishing college, and jumping from job to job.

Torres also recited one of his newer poems titled “Caves,” mentioning that he wanted to test it out.

“I wanted to read this poem to see how it feels, like how comedians test out new materials on small audiences,” Torres said.

The poem addresses feelings of being lost, and includes the line, “I ride away with him/there is a breeze then/the breeze carries.”

He took a break from reading to talk more about his poems and about how they focus on adolescence and the boys he grew up with.

“I was resistant, feeling like I was writing the same poems over and over, until I realized that my subjects were worth writing about,” Torres explained.

The next poem read aloud was titled “Eulogy with Puppet Strings,” and this piece focused on his friend Dire, who was the best graffiti artist he knew.

“I could see even then his name at the front of an art gallery,” Torres read.

The poem spoke of “swapping textbooks for paint,” and how “that was the year [he] was no one/and realized it.”

The final poem Torres read was again from the poem “All-American Mexican,” which was written after he initially thought the book was completed.

This reading was filled with powerful statements, including, “I am mostly filled with fantasies where I’m the hero”, ”I became a cathedral at noon, not the bell itself but the rope pulling sound from absence”, and “Nothing dissolves like I do”, leaving the audience in awe.

Torres gracefully handed the spotlight off, excited to hear the next voice.

Chris McCormick, author of “The Gimmicks and Desert Boys,” was the night’s second speaker. McCormick

is well known for the essays and stories that appear in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, Tin House, and Ploughshares.

He taught at the University of Michigan, earning his MFA and two Hopwood Awards, before coming to Minnesota and taking up a position as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at MNSU. McCormick read new material that he was eager to show to the audience, which included a short story set in the fictional town of Okalia, Minnesota.

This story follows Marylander Eileen, who moved to this fictional college town as an Administrative Assistant.

She quite literally runs into Thom, a very Minnesotan man, in front of a frozen waterfall. After an awkward introduction, the pair heads over to a crowded and chilly coffee shop.

McCormick quite elegantly describes the scene by painting a picture of this cozy shop, the snow and slush, and the way Minnesotans interact, all from the point of view of an outsider.

This allowed the audience to feel as if they were also in the story and watching it all unfold.

Eileen and Thom discuss life, movement and people.

There is a tense moment where Thom begins singing aloud, and when Eileen protests, he tells her of his opinions about social norms and how one shouldn’t pay them much attention.

Eileen relents, and pulls up the song lyrics to sing along.

The pair talk until the sun sets, and they part ways with each other’s phone numbers in hand.

McCormick’s reading ended with Eileen sending Thom a text, after days of being separated by a cold front and Eileen mulling over her feelings, wishing he were nearby. She falls asleep with the message unanswered, “You’re not in love, you’re in Minnesota.”

Turkish American author Ayse Papatya Bucak is the next author lined up for the Good Thunder Reading program, hosting on Thursday, March 25. All times and Zoom links are accessible on the Good Thunder website.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Tensions over vaccine equity pit rural against urban America ASSOCIATED PRESS Rita Fentress was worried she might get lost as she traveled down the unfamiliar forested, one-lane road in rural Tennessee in search of a coronavirus vaccine. Then the trees cleared and the Hickman County Agricultural Pavilion appeared.

The 74-year-old woman wasn’t eligible to be vaccinated in Nashville, where she lives, because there were so many health care workers to vaccinate there. But a neighbor told her the state’s rural counties had already moved to younger age groups and she found an appointment 60 miles away.

“I felt kind of guilty about it,” she said. “I thought maybe I was taking it from someone else.” But late that February day, she said there were still five openings for the next morning.

The U.S. vaccine campaign has heightened tensions between rural and urban America, where from Oregon to Tennessee to upstate New York complaints are surfacing of a real — or perceived — inequity in vaccine allocation.

In some cases, recriminations over how scarce vaccines

MARK HUMPLREY • Associated Press A National Guard soldier directing drivers is reflected in the mirror of a car waiting in a COVID-19 vaccination line Feb. 26, 2021, in Shelbyville, Tenn.

are distributed have taken on partisan tones, with rural Republican lawmakers in Democrat-led states complaining of “picking winners and losers,” and urbanites traveling hours to rural GOP-leaning communities to score COVID-19 shots when there are none in their city.

In Oregon, state GOP lawmakers walked out of a Legislative session last week over the Democratic governor’s vaccine plans, citing rural vaccine distribution among their concerns. In upstate New York, public health officials in rural counties have complained of disparities in vac-

cine allocation and in North Carolina, rural lawmakers say too many doses were going to mass vaccine centers in big cities.

In Tennessee, Missouri and Alabama, a dearth of shots in urban areas with the greatest number of health care workers has led senior citizens to

snap up appointments hours from their homes. The result is a hodgepodge of approaches that can look like the exact opposite of equity, where those most likely to be vaccinated are people with the savvy and means to search out a shot and travel to wherever it is.

“It’s really, really flawed,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, who noted there are even vaccine hunters who will find a dose for money. “Ideally, allocations would meet the population’s needs.”

With little more than general guidance from the federal government, states have taken it upon themselves to decide what it means to distribute the vaccine fairly and reach vulnerable populations.

Tennessee, like many states, has divvied up doses based primarily on county population, not on how many residents belong to eligible groups — such as health care workers. The Tennessee health commissioner has defended the allocation as the “most equitable,” but the approach has also exposed yet another layer of haves and have-nots as the vaccine rollout accelerates.

4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

SPRING 2021 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN

Pandemic is still alive, spring break safely

maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

Opinion

By JENNA PETERSON News Director

Once again, the time has come.

After eight stress-filled weeks of hitting the books and studying, Minnesota State University, Mankato students are making plans to relax during their spring break.

And these students should be doing just that. It’s justified to unwind for a short while when you’ve got the time, but we all need to keep in mind COVID-19 is still around and we need to be safe on our break.

If you’re going to travel, do so safely and with precautions set ahead. Be sure to still wear a mask and social distance when you’re out and about and to keep your “circle” small. The more people you expose yourself to, the higher your chances of getting sick.

Despite the circumstances, there are still some great places to travel to. If you’re like me and haven’t been home in a few months, this is a great place to travel to for the break. Seeing family and friends while being safe is a fantastic way to recharge.

There are other options as well if you’d like to stay in the Mankato area. As the temps rise the hiking trails are welcoming people back. Some nature hikes I highly enjoy include those in Minneopa State Park and Red Jacket Trail, as they are both close by and have easy trails to walk.

Other popular trails in

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 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 Flickr

Mankato include the Sakatah Trail, Old Warren Street Trail, Rasmussen Woods, and Sibley Park. All of these parks and trails are located a short drive from campus. Some are even within walking distance.

If you’re looking to take a bigger trip you can still do so.

Road trips are a safer bet than making use of public trans-

portation. These types of trips can also create more memories and allow you to make more frequent stops and admire the beauty you see. National parks, family or other small attractions are great places to visit while road tripping.

Remember that we are in complete control of how this virus affects our campus.

Keeping your circle small, wearing a mask, social distancing and being smart about your actions are what will help the student population return to campus and try to get back to normalcy.

If we want to have the events we’re missing out on, we need to be mindful of how we react to the pandemic.

“What are your plans for spring break?”

Compiled by Fabio Castel Garcia

JACK FRIEDGES, SENIOR “I’m going to stay on campus and practice baseball.”

ALEXIS KUBESCH, SOPHOMORE

GRACE AZONWU, JUNIOR

QUINCY JONES, FRESHMAN

AUDREY HOPWOOD, SENIOR

“I’m going to Arizona with a group of friends.”

“I will visit my family in St. Paul.”

“I will be on campus chilling or going to the cities.”

“I’m going to see my family after I get my COVID test results.”

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.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

News

France’s Sarkozy convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail

MSU Reporter • 5

Even more chaotic than usual, Globes still had their moments

MICHAEL EULER • Associated Press Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at the courtroom Monday, March 1, 2021 in Paris.

ASSOCIATED PRESS A Paris court found French former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling on Monday and sentenced him to a year in prison. He can ask to serve that time at home and also plans to appeal.

The 66-year-old, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted of trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated.

He will remain free while he appeals, but it was a blow to the retired politician who still plays an influential role in French conservative politics. It’s not the end of his legal troubles either: He faces

another trial later this month and is also under investigation in a third case.

The ruling marks the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has been convicted of corruption — and given a prison term. His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty in 2011 of misuse of public money during his time as Paris mayor — not considered a corruption offense — and was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.

The court said Sarkozy is entitled to ask to be detained at home with an electronic bracelet — as is the case for any sentence of two years or less.

HISTORY Continued from page 1 on social media,” community member Janet Jennings, one of many speakers on the panel, said.

“Another aspect is how so many Black people are still in prison over drug charges for the use of marijuana while other states and white people are legally selling it, making a profit from it, and even having CBD stores that sell the same drug yet in a different form,” Jennings continued.

Lastly, the idea of colorism and how it affects our society was brought to light as many people from all races globally can experience this.

Colorism was defined in the webinar as, “A product of imperialism and slavery which affects every community that is non-white. It allows certain people to get ahead in society or receive better treatment based on their closeness to white features.”

Associated with lighter eyes, lighter skin and labeled as more favorable in the eyes of society, colorism can come into play for many races which can lead to inequality.

The Amplifying Black Voices Project plans to keep

pushing out information in the future, including details about how anyone can become an ally to the Black community or call out racism when they see it.

Several upcoming events, while not technically part of the Amplifying Black Voices Project, will complement the project. At 11:30 a.m.

Thursday via Zoom Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. presents, “American is Changing: Stay Woke!” Link can be found on the African American Affairs website.

Looking toward April, the Pan African Conference will host its 45th conference on April 6-7 led by Dr. Michael T. Fagin.

According to the conferences website, it is “committed to developing and enhancing the leadership skills in our collegiate Black young adults, as well as providing opportunities for academic scholars, professionals, and community members to discuss issues that affect descendants of Africa on a local, national and international level.” This conference is free and open to the public.

NBC via Associated Press In this video grab issued Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, by NBC, nominees in the category for best supporting actor in a motion picture react as Daniel Kaluuya, top center, is announced as the winner for his role in “Judas and the Black Messiah” at the Golden Globe Awards.

ASSOCIATED PRESS In the opening moments of a Golden Globes night even more chaotic and confounding than usual, co-host Tina Fey raised a theoretical question: “Could this whole night have been an email?” Only the next three hours would tell.

Well, sure, it could have been an email. But then you wouldn’t have had Chadwick Boseman’s eloquent widow, bringing many to tears as she explained how she could never be as eloquent as her late husband. Or Jane Fonda, sharply calling out Holly-

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wood for its lack of diversity on a night when her very hosts were under fire for exactly that. Or Chloé Zhao, making history as the first woman of Asian descent to win best director (and the first woman since 1984.)

Or 98-year-old Norman Lear, giving the simplest explanation for his longevity: never living or laughing alone. Or Jodie Foster kissing her wife joyfully, eight years after very tentatively coming out on the same telecast.

Of course, there were the usual confounding results and baffling snubs, compounded here by some epic

Zoom fails. But then we had the kids and the dogs. And they were adorable.

Next year, can we still have the kids and the dogs, please?

AN OVERDUE RECKONING The evening began under a cloud of embarrassing revelations about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its lack of inclusion, including the damaging fact that there are no Black members in the 87-person body.

Fey and co-host Amy Poehler addressed it early: “Even with stupid things, inclusivity is important.”

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6 • MSU Reporter

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MSU Reporter • 8

FOUR-PEAT

The Mavs edged out the Beavers, winning their 4th straight MacNaughton Cup

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor Four in a row.

For the fourth straight year, head coach Mike Hastings and the Minnesota State men’s hockey team have secured the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champions in their overtime win tonight over the Bemidji State Beavers.

The Mavericks won the first half of the home and home series Thursday 4-3 at the Mayo Clinic System Events Center. Four consecutive WCHA titles is a conference record.

Todd Burgess got the Mavericks on the board first, answering Beavers’ Tyler Kirkup’s first period goal.

Something must’ve kicked in for the Mavericks in the locker room going into the second period because they scored two goals in the first 1:41. Brendan Furry made a forehand to backhand move to go top shelf against BSU goaltender Zach Driscoll. Forty-five seconds later, Andy Carroll found a lane from the slot and ripped it over Driscoll’s shoulder, extending the team’s lead to 3-1.

BSU captain Ethan Somoza answered with a goal from his knees with less than four minutes remaining in the second period, bringing the Beavers to within one.

With 22 seconds remaining in the third period, the Beavers managed to bury one more goal and send the game to overtime.

The Mavericks played as defensively as possible in the first three minutes of the overtime, minimizing their losses. That was until they found their opening.

Nathan Smith, on the ice with Julian Napravnik and Akito Hirose for the final minute, took control of the puck and forced a faceoff in the BSU zone. As the clock ticked down, Napravnik circled behind the net, creating enough room to get a shot in front. His shot was deflected by a Bemidji defender, sending the puck between Driscoll’s legs and securing the Mavs fourth MacNaughton Cup victory in four years, the first of its kind in the league’s 69-year history.

Earlier in the season, Napravnik was scratched for a game against Michigan Tech. Little did he know at the time, it was the right decision.

“It fueled me. Getting scratched is not a great feeling, but it pushed me,” Napravnik said after the victory.

Photos by MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter The Mavericks secured their fourth consecutive MacNaughton Cup, the first team to do so in the WCHA’s 69 year history. Julian Napravnik scored the ovretime winner for the Mavs, and Walker Duehr scored a goal and assist in the team’s loss on Saturday. Brendan Furry scored two goals on the weekend, one shorthanded on Saturday, while Todd Burgess scored a goal and assist on Thursday.

Hastings is the first coach to accomplish four championships in a row in the WCHA, but isn’t satisfied yet. “We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and the end of the regular season,” Hastings said.

“Give them an opportunity to enjoy it tonight and get back on the horse tomorrow.”

MSU won the cup with a perfect conference record of 11-0-0, and are not done yet.

The Mavericks traveled north to Bemidji to take on the Beavers in their home rink on Saturday, in what ended up being their first conference loss of the season.

In a game that looked very similar to their previous game in the series, MSU would not be as fortunate, this time dropping the overtime contest.

Bemidji State was the first to get on the board with a power play goal just four minutes into the first period.

Just three minutes later, Walker Duehr managed to steal a pass in front of the Beavers net and dish a one-timer to Reggie Lutz to tie the game at one.

Going into the second period, the Mavericks allowed another power play goal, following a holding penalty against Riese Zmolek.

With penalties and special teams being the whole story of the first half of this game, it only made sense for Furry to find the back of the net while shorthanded, with just under 10 minutes remaining in the second period.

The Mavericks and Beavers each found a goal in the third period, MSU in under the first minute of the period, and BSU three minutes later.

In the overtime period, Lukas Sillinger made a fast move past Napravnik into the Mavericks zone, where Sillinger made a pass to Ross Armour and took a one-timer past Mckay, in what would be the Mavericks first conference loss of the season.

McKay made 19 saves in the loss, including 10 in the second period alone.

Following the split series with the Beavers, the Mavericks stayed in first in the WCHA with a record of 11-1-0, and an overall record of 16-3-1. The Beavers improved to 5-4-1 in conference play and 10-73 overall.

The Mavericks will look ahead to their final regular season series of the shortened year this weekend in a rescheduled conference battle against Michigan Tech.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Sports

MSU Reporter • 9

TOUGH LOSS The Mavs battled in double overtime, losing in the first round to MSU-Moorhead

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor In an intense, air-tight battle, the Minnesota State men’s basketball team lost a double-overtime, playoff thriller against MSU-Moorhead in Sioux Falls Friday night.

The 73-61 loss ends the Mavericks’ run in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament, but their season may not be over just yet; NCAA tournament selections take place March 7.

Malik Willingham wasted no time and got the Mavs on the board first with a three-pointer, but Moorhead’s leading scorer, Lorenzo McGhee, responded the same way.

After several failed attempts from both teams, Kelby Kramer found a lane for a monster dunk that pushed the lead to 5-3. Then the Dragons found a groove and scored nine unanswered points to go up 12-5.

Zach McDermott managed to fight his way to the basket and get MSU back in the zone with a layup, followed

by Devonte Thredford’s drive to the net to make it four in a row for the Mavs.

After a scoring hiatus, Brady Williams found himself all alone for a three-pointer which tied the game at 12 midway through the first half.

The Mavericks found themselves with a three point deficit, but cut it to one with a beautiful alley-oop from Willingham to Kramer.

McGhee pulled the Dragons ahead 22-15 with two layups and two and-one’s on top of it. After the two teams went back and forth on a few baskets, Anderson found his way through for two layups in a row, bringing them back to within seven points at 28-21.

In the final possessions of the first half, the Dragons made a layup and a three-pointer, extending their lead to 33-21 going into the locker rooms.

At the half, Kramer and Williams led the scoring for the Mavericks at five points each, with Kramer pulling down 10 rebounds.

Anderson hit a 3-pointer immediately in the second half, bringing his point total to seven on the day. Kramer made two free throws, followed by a Willingham 3-pointer, to make it a nine-point game.

The scoring continued to go basket for basket, until Brady Williams drew a foul on his layup and made the extra point, keeping the Mavericks

Mavs come up Short against Huskies

Sophomore guard Quincy Anderson (above) scored 12 points and four assists, while Malik Willingham (below) led the scoring for the Mavericks with 16 points against the Dragons in Sioux Falls, S.D. Photos by MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

within seven at 48-41 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second half. Willingham made a phenomenal layup, followed by a great play on defense, and finished off with a monster alley-oop from Willingham to Brady again, making it a three point game at 4845. Willingham continued his stellar performance and made another three-pointer to tie the game at 48.

Kramer continued to make great plays, coming up with a key block and forcing a turnover.

After a tie game for three minutes following Mankato’s 10-0 run, Jamal Nixon made a two-pointer, followed by a Dragons layup to tie the game again at 50.

After a timeout with four minutes remaining, both teams failed to convert on their possessions, but the Dragons answered first on a fast break.

But Kramer battled back with a layup off a rebound.

With just over a minute remaining, Anderson found Willingham for a hook pass

while driving the net to put the Mavs in the lead 55-53, which was quickly answered with a layup from the Dragons.

Holt missed a layup with 30 seconds left, which gave the Dragons one more chance.

But they missed their final attempt with less than a second remaining, forcing overtime.

Kramer won the tip-off for the Mavericks, with Anderson scoring the first points in overtime to go up 57-55.

The Dragons answered with a layup of their own and then forced a Mavericks turnover, which they converted and took a two-point lead.

After the Mavs called a timeout with 1:46 remaining in OT, Holt hit a two-point jumper to tie the game at 59.

Thedford and Anderson found themselves in some miscommunication and passed the ball out of bounds, but made a huge stop at the net, gaining possession and calling a timeout with 34.7 seconds remaining. But when they failed to make anything happen, the Dragons had one more chance

to win the game with 10.5 seconds left. The Mavs, again, came up huge on defense and gained possession with 3.9 seconds remaining.

Williams passed the ball half the court to Thedford, who drove the net while Anderson screened for him, just for the ball to tip off the rim on the layup and force a second overtime.

Kramer won the tip-off again, but didn’t convert on their possession.

The Dragons found the first points of the second overtime with a layup, just for Anderson to score off his own rebound, while drawing a foul in the process, but couldn’t make the extra point.

The Dragons went up by two following a layup with three minutes remaining, and the Mavs failed to convert again.

Holt fouled the Dragons on a rebound, and they made both free throws to take the lead 65-61 with one minute remaining. The Mavs couldn’t finish strong enough to come back, and the final score ended up 73-61.

Willingham led the Mavericks in the effort with 16 points while shooting 33% from the field. Kramer was next with 13 points and four blocks.

Moorhead went on to play directly in the championship game against No. 2 Northern State Wolves, skipping over the semifinals due to Wayne State administering positive COVID-19 tests. The Dragons fell short to the Wolves 78-57, securing NSU’s fourth straight NSIC championship.

The Minnesota State women’s basketball season came to a close last weekend in a close NSIC playoff battle with St. Cloud State University.

The Mavericks had control for the majority and fought down to the final seconds of the game, but came up empty-handed and lost 70-68.

The Mavericks led for the entirety of the game, extending their lead by as many as 16 points, until St. Cloud managed to take a two-point lead in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. With just over a minute left, Tayla Stuttley made a layup to tie the game at 68 and score her 17th point of the game. On the inbound, Rylee Menster fought for the ball and made a diving play out of bounds as she flung the ball over her head and got it to Maddy Olson. The extra possession could’ve been the game winner for the Mavericks, as Joey Batt drained a 3-pointer, but was called off due to an offensive foul from Stuttley, injuring herself on the same play.

The Huskies started their possession in the offensive zone and found a rebound under the basket and took the two point lead with 17 seconds remaining. MSU made one last effort to push the game into overtime, but didn’t end up successful.

Stuttley led the team in scoring with 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and five fouls. Shumski was second in scoring for the Mavs with 13 of her own, six rebounds, and two assists.

The Mavericks and Huskies shot the same percentage in field goals at .400, and while MSU had the edge in 3-pointers at .304 to SCSU’s .167, St. Cloud beat out Mankato in rebounds, 45-31.

The Mavs finished the season with a 9-7 record, while St. Cloud went on to lose in the finals against the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

The selection show to find out if the team made it to the NCAA Division II tournament will take place on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m., in one final hope to continue their season.

10 • MSU Reporter

Sports

US Soccer Council Member Removed after Controversial Speech at Meeting

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Track teams Secure First place

Maverick Athletics

By KOLE BUELOW • Staff Writer

PHELAN M. EBENHACK • Associated Press Some members of the United States team kneel during the playing of the national anthem before a SheBelieves Cup women’s soccer match against Canada, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The U.S. Soccer Federation’s Athlete Council removed one of its members Sunday, a day after incendiary comments he made at the federation’s annual general meeting against removing an anti-kneeling policy.

The Athlete Council called out Seth Jahn’s comment at the meeting Saturday, saying they “moved beyond a difference of opinion on policy, and into disinformation and offensive rhetoric.”

At a meeting Sunday, the council voted to remove Jahn for violation of its prohibited conduct policy.

Jahn, who played for the U.S. seven-a-side ParaOlympic team at the 2015 Parapan American Games, spoke against repeal of what was known as Policy 604-1, put in place in response to U.S. women’s team star Megan Rapinoe kneeling in support of Colin Kaepernick.

The USSF board of directors voted to repeal the policy last June, a decision the online annual meeting affirmed Saturday by 71.34% voting in favor of repeal.

“I’m sure I’m going to ruffle some feathers with what I’m about to say, especially given the athletes council that I’m on, but given the evolution of our quote unquote, progressive culture where everything offends everybody, those willing to take a knee for our anthem don’t care about defending half of our country and when they do so, then I don’t have too much concern in also exercising my First Amendment right,” Jahn said before the vote, pointing out his own Native American heritage.

Claiming he was citing FBI statistics, Jahn said “95% of deaths in black communities come at the hands of another black man.” He also veered into slavery, citing dubious statistics, and claimed every athlete who takes a knee during the anthem disrespects the soldiers who fought against slavery in the Civil War. “I keep hearing how our country was founded on the backs of slaves, even though approximately only 8% of the entire population even owned slaves,” he said. “Every race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point time.”

He suggested athletes who wish to take a knee do so on their own individual platforms

but not while representing the U.S. on a soccer field.

Federal President Cindy Parlow Cone followed Jahn and urged repeal.

“This is not about disrespecting the flag or about disrespecting the military,” she said.

“This is about the athletes and our staff’s right to peacefully protest racial inequalities and police brutality.”

Becky Sauerbrunn, the captain of the U.S. women’s national team and a member of the Athlete Council, issued a statement disputing Jahn’s claims.

“Disagree with it though I may, Seth is entitled to his opinion — he is, however, not entitled to his own set of facts nor do I think he should use said facts in a way that misinforms and obfuscates the real issues at hand. For example, crime in the black community has nothing to do with the fact that Black people are disproportionately more than likely to die at the hands of police than any other group of people in the country,” Sauerbrunn wrote.

Members of the women’s team who had kneeled for the anthem announced last week that they would no longer do so, preferring instead to focus on projects within the team and their communities to fight systemic racism.

The athlete’s council said in a statement Sunday that Jahn “violated the prohibited conduct’s policy section on harassment, which prohibits racial or other harassment based upon a person’s protected status (race), including any verbal act in which race is used or implied in a manner which would make a reasonable person uncomfortable.”

The council said it “wants to be unequivocal in its condemnation of the statements that Mr. Jahn made yesterday.”

Before he was removed, Jahn tweeted out a statement saying “that my positions are in no way representative of U.S. Soccer or the U.S. national extended teams,” adding that he was in no way minimizing the “horrors of slavery.”

However, he also wrote: “I will never apologize for the statements I made and will never bow down to the mob mentality of intimidation, bullying or the social media warrior’s gestapo tactics,” he wrote. “I’m embarrassed to represent a hypocritical federation that conducts a complete assault on diversity of thought without even seeking clarifying statements from me in their smear campaign.

The Minnesota State Men’s track team competed in the NSIC Indoor Track Championships this week and took first place, outscoring their competition with a total team score of 201.5.

The score was just enough to edge border rival Augustana University by 1.5 points.

The championships started off slow for the Mavericks, where Augustana and the others were able to take commanding leads in the heptathlon. However, the Mavericks never gave up.

Slowly throughout the meet, the team crawled their way back into second place behind Augustana with key finishes by Carson Dittel in the pole vault with a height of 4.87 meters, Nick Hudson in the weight throw with a best throw of 19.50 meters, and the 200m dash.

Notably, the Mavericks had six top 8 finishers in the 200m dash where they secured a valuable 26 points to come within reach of Augustana. Junior Cornelius Bright led the Maverick 200m runners, who all came within .3 seconds of each other.

Inevitably, the NSIC championships came down to the final race, the 4x400 meter relay. The team consisting of sophomores Carter Nesvold and Max DePrenger, along with junior Drew Lewison and senior anchor Kornelius Klah, were able to finish the job with a time of 3:20.60 as they took first place to put

the Mavericks ahead by 1.5 points.

MSU secured their 10th straight NSIC Championship with the victory, and 12th in the last 13 years.

The next two days became the women’s turn to compete, as they also took first place in the NSIC Championships.

The Mavericks scored 178 team points, enough to beat out Augustana at second with 155, and U-Mary at 105.

The Mavericks were never out of reach of first place the entire meet, with key victories for the Mavs coming from several events. Sophomore Makayla Jackson helped the team gain 10 points as she took first place in the women’s long jump with a jump of 5.75 meters and helped even more as she placed top eight in the 60m dash and 200m dash with times of 7.54 and 24.90, respectively.

Sophomore Denisha Cartwright was also amazing for the Mavericks this past weekend, where she placed first in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.41 seconds, first in the 200m dash with a time of 24.47 seconds, which is a new NSIC record, and second in 60m dash by a thousandth of a second with a time of 7.516.

With the win, the Mavs captured their third title in the past six years.

Both teams will compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships March 12-13 in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Sports

Dumba scores in last second of OT, Wild beat Kings 4-3, Win 6 in a Row

MSU Reporter • 11

3 Mavericks grab Regional Titles

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

By DANIEL MCELROY • Sports Editor

ANDY CLAYTON-KING • Associated Press Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Iafallo (19) and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) battle for the puck in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in St. Paul, Minn.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Matt Dumba scored in the final second of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

With time running out, Minnesota’s Mats Zuccarello dug the puck out of a scrum on the side boards and slipped a pass to Dumba in the slot. The Wild defenseman made a move and flipped a wrist shot past Calvin Peterson with 0.3 seconds left.

“Eyes in the back of his head,” Dumba said of Zuccarello’s unexpected pass. “I don’t know how he saw me through all those guys.”

Joel Eriksson Ek, Nico Sturm and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for the Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen made 25 saves as the Wild won their sixth straight.

Drew Doughty, Austin Wagner and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings, who overcame a three-goal deficit to force overtime. Peterson stopped 38 of 42 shots for Los Angeles.

After giving up three early goals in a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Friday night, the Kings came out with much more energy and dominated the pace of play early, outshooting Minnesota 9-3 at the start.

But, just as they did on Friday, the Wild struck quickly and jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

“We were disappointed we got into that hole again, but the team stuck with it and clawed their way back in right to the last second,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “It’s a good sign for our group. It’s not a good sign that we’re falling behind right now. ... In any case, we probably earned a point tonight and lost two, so got what we likely deserve.”

Eriksson Ek took advantage of a bit of luck to put the Wild on the board first at 14:17 of the first period. After entering the zone on a give-and-go, Kevin Fiala took a one-handed whack at the puck and tapped it toward the slot.

The puck bounced to Eriksson Ek, who chipped it puck over Peterson’s shoulder for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Three minutes later, the Wild doubled their lead on an impressive individual effort by center Nick Bjugstad. While holding off defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, Bjugstad controlled the puck as he circled behind the net.

Bjugstad then fired a backhand pass across the face of the goal, finding Sturm alone at the

far post for an easy tap-in.

Kaprizov made it 3-0 early in the second period when he took advantage of another fortunate bounce for the Wild. Victor Rask broke his stick on a slap shot, but the puck trickled right to Kaprizov in the slot, and he fired it home for his sixth of the year.

Doughty began the Los Angeles comeback less than two minutes later with a power-play goal. Kempe took a blast from the left point that Kahkonen kicked out to his right, but Doughty flicked the rebound into the open net for his fifth of the year.

Wagner drew the Kings closer with an unassisted goal midway through the second. He blocked a shot near the blue line and had a clean breakaway, which he converted with a wrist shot off Kahkonen’s blocker, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 3-2.

Kempe tied the game when he scored from the point with 2:45 to play in the third. It came on the Kings’ third consecutive power play of the third period.

In overtime, Peterson stopped Kaprizov on a breakaway and the Kings killed off a two-minute power play just before Dumba’s last-second heroics.

“We felt we had good enough chances to win the game,” Kempe said. “I think we took over in the second and the third period and they had some bounces going their way.”

OVER AND ABOVE IN OT Saturday’s game wrapped up the season series between the Wild and Kings, with Minnesota winning five of the seven meetings. Three of Minnesota’s victories came in overtime. All three ended 4-3.

It’s all part of a trend for the Wild, who are 4-0 in overtime and haven’t gone to a shootout this season.

“We aren’t just looking to shoot or set up,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said of the team’s overtime approach. “We are hanging on to some pucks and moving and making people try to take it off us. We play fast in the overtime. We play quick, and I think that’s probably helped us in that area.”

UP NEXT After two weeks on the road, the Kings return to Los Angeles for a game against the Coyotes on Wednesday.

The Wild head back out on the road for the first of two games at Vegas on Monday.

The Minnesota State wrestling team claimed third place at this year’s NCAA Super Region V Tournament last weekend in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

MSU had three wrestlers claim individual titles in Kyle Rathman, Trevor Turriff, and Trenton McManus, placing first in their respective weight classes.

Rathman, the second ranked wrestler in the nation, had a bye in his first round of play, and continued to win three straight duals. His first win came against Angel Rios of Moorhead by technical fall, then took a 7-4 decision against Northern State’s Wyatt Turnquist, and closed out with a 7-0 decision against Garrett Aldrich from St. Cloud. Rathman improved to 9-0 on the year.

No. 2 Turriff had a similar path to the top, starting with a bye. He then claimed

a 13-2 major decision over Cole Huss of Northern State, then an 8-4 decision against Devin Donovan of St. Cloud, and claimed his regional title with a 9-5 decision against Max Bruss from U-Mary.

No. 8 McManus also had a first round bye before taking a 9-1 decision against Jeremy Leintz of U-Mary.

McMaus then took a 6-2 decision against Kaden Anderlik of Upper Iowa, and finished the tournament with a 5-1 win over Moorhead’s Cole Jones.

Cooper Siebrecht and Brock Luthens each took fourth place in their own weight classes.

MSU finished third with 59.5 points, Upper Iowa took second with 63.5 points, while St. Cloud State took home their 5th straight championship with 116.5 points.

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12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Photos: MacNaughton Cup in Mankato, and Men’s Hoops in Sioux Falls LEFT: The Mavs took their game against the Bemidji State Beavers to overtime Thursday night. After Julian Napravnik’s game-winning goal, senior forward Dallas Gerads took a quick skate with the MacNaughton Cup. Photos by FABIO CASTEL GARCIA

RIGHT: Despite considerable performances by players like Kelby Kramer (33), who scored 13 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, and Jamal Nixon (1), the Mavs fell to the MSU-Moorhead Dragons Friday night.

Photos by MANSOOR AHMAD