October 20, 2020

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

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 20, 2020

FIGHTER

Klobuchar, Smith, Feehan urge voting in ‘Kato

She Went in for a COVID Test; She Left with a Leukemia Diagnosis

JULIA BARTON STAFF WRITER

ASHLEY OPINA STAFF WRITER Getting tested for COVID-19 has become commonplace.

Receiving a negative result is the best-case scenario for most, but for those who remain sick despite testing negative, other health concerns arise and more lab tests are conducted.

That is how Makenna Studer, a sophomore at Minnesota State University, Mankato was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer caused by the rise of white blood cells in the body which greatly weakens the immune system.

“All of my roommates at school tested positive for COVID-19,” says Studer, explaining her initial concern about being sick with the virus. “I was negative.”

Despite her results, Studer began feeling sick three days later.

“That week went by and I wasn’t getting any better,” Studer says. “I was getting worse.”

She exhibited many serious COVID-19 symptoms.“I couldn’t keep any food down,” says Studer. “I was super lightheaded, nauseous, and I was fainting.”

She described herself as a zombie during that time.

“I couldn’t get out of my bed,” Studer says. “It was horrible.”

After failing to recover, her best friend and roommate, Renee Lisovskis, became worried for Studer’s safety.

“She ended up bringing me to the Mankato Clinic on September 25,” says Studer.

“They just gave me fluids to bring my temperature down and some nausea medication.”

Studer’s time at the clinic helped her feel better and she was able to go home that same

IN THIS ISSUE:

Makenna Studer, a student at MNSU, tested negative for COVID-19. When symptoms failed to subside, doctors ran several tests, which led to a diagnosis of Leukemia.

Photo courtesy of Opal & Ox Photograpy and Film

day. She was advised to return if her condition changed.

The following morning, Studer woke up and had trouble breathing. She did as she was told and went back to the clinic.

“They ran a bunch of tests, X-rays, and took my blood,” Studer says.

PAGE MAVERICK EQUALITY T-SHIRTS 2

Afterward, her doctor came in with the news.

“He told me that after looking at my blood tests, there were abnormalities with my white blood cells,” says Studer. “He said that they had a very strong feeling that I had leukemia.”

Shocked by her results,

ARE DATING APPS GOOD?

Studer began to cry.

“I was not expecting to go into the hospital for COVID-19 and come out of it with this,” Studer says. “It was really hard to take in.”

Studer was transferred to

FIGHT

Minnesota senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, along with other political candidates, hosted a community event in Mankato Saturday to encourage people to vote — if they haven’t done so already.

Touching on issues such as health care, jobs and education and human rights, the senators and other speakers were here to start a discussion about the future of our communities and the impact voters have.

“This election is not just about what we are against, this election is about what we are for, and what we want to build forward toward after the election and the work that we have going forward,” Senator Tina Smith said Saturday in Mankato’s Sibley Park.

“This is not just about Democrats or Republicans, this is about all of us in this moment,” she said, uttering a common theme throughout the speeches. “Are you ready to go to work? Are you ready to call people? Are you ready to find 10 people who will call people to vote?”

Smith has been one Minnesota senator since 2018, when she was appointed to fill the seat left open after former Sen. Al Franken resigned. She was a leader of Planned Parenthood and Chief of staff for former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. She was also lieutenant governor under Gov. Mark Dayton. One of Smith’s major issues has been lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

Both senators were at the GOTEV event standing alongside one another — while six feet apart — on the brisk Saturday morning.

VOTE

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ESPORTS OVERVIEW

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

T-shirts Packing a Powerful Message to go on Sale Oct. 30 BAILEY BRENDEL STAFF WRITER This year the leadership group of the Minnesota State University, Mankato track and field team decided to use their voices to talk about diversity and inclusion in all parts of the campus community. In order to raise this awareness, they will be selling the Mav Equality T-shirts.

“Twenty-five percent of all sales will be donated to Opportunity Access Success Intercultural Success (OASIS) and the Office of Multicultural Center to support their department’s mission of retention and graduating students,” says MNSU Track and Field Head Coach, Mike Turgeon.

The idea of these shirts comes from the social unrest coming from Minneapolis this summer, and how we as a community can work toward equality for everyone and to show that we are all united as one.

These shirts are especially important to the track and field program as they support many diverse students on cam-

Muhammad Ibrahim/The Reporter

pus. According to Turgeon, “About 39% of our track and field team are diverse students, but it’s also unique, you know. You have students

that come from severe poverty all the way to students who come from multimillion-dollar families. We also support our teammates and campus

Open Educational Resources Program can Save Students Big Bucks

community who are part of the LGBT+ community, which was another reason as to why we created the shirts.”

Making sure every student

JULIA BARTON STAFF WRITER

Minnesota State University, Mankato is one of the many higher educational institutions that strives to ensure students have the necessary resources to make their time at the University worth it and successful. With this in mind, the university provides Open Educational Resources (OER) to students.

Mark Johnson, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at MSU, said, “Students are the core focus of everything we do at the university and in IT Solutions.

Across the university, we work together to continually improve the student experience, access and understand what they need to be successful.

OER is a great example of this and continues to be something we want to continue to raise awareness of.”

Johnson also noted that the entire point of OER is to reduce the costs of textbooks and so they can serve as a point of professional development and research on teaching and learning. Some examples of OER on campus so far are from OpenStax and the Open Textbook Library.

OER allows faculty members that have a Creative Commons copyright to reuse

Minnesota State University, Mankato takes a stance on the system wide initiative to ensure all students who enroll in an institution are successful with the Equity 2030 plan.

The Equity 2030 plan is a calculated plan that every college and university is participating in to further integrate equity into the Minnesota State system by the year 2030.

This means to continue enriching students’ success in academics, student engagements, financial resources and support, and diversity in the workforce are just a few topics among others this plan will strive to enhance.

“The university is here to

and revise content for free or at a low cost. This year, MNSU has been accepted as an institutional partner with OpenStax and will be working with faculty members to adapt to OER so the cost of course materials is reduced for students as a whole.

Carrie Lewis, Instructional Designer with IT Solutions at MSU said, “Over the past four years, I’ve provided professional development on the topic of OER for faculty and as a result, we’ve saved students $380,000 so far.”

Lewis stressed the importance of how important OER is for the campus community. She also said that she didn’t think that a lot of stu-

dents knew about OER, and that she hoped other students would spread the word.

On the MNSU website, there are resources for faculty members on how to integrate OER into their courses. There are also resources for students wondering how OER affects them. There are podcasts and videos that talk about how much students really use their textbooks in their courses.

With a global pandemic still raging, Lewis said anyone can contact her to learn more about active teaching and learning tools. Her office is 88H-Memorial Library and her email is carrie.millier@ mnsu.edu.

EQUALITY page 3

Equity 2030 and the Impact of MavPASS

COLIN HANKE STAFF WRITER

Photo courtesy of Flickr

feels included and has equal access to being successful is extremely important for a team this large, as it sets an example for other MNSU teams and groups to follow. Through the different programs and activities the track and field team take part in, Turgeon states, “This opportunity features to capture the differences among all of us and just in the different ethnicities, and some of the struggles that different groups come about.”

Recently, for Indigenous People Day, the team highlighted it’s three Native American students. The teammates and coaches watched an interview with activist MaryAnn Allen, where she discussed Native American history in the Mankato area and the hardships Native Americans experience.

“This speech helped us learn the things that you know as a track and field team that we could do for native voices and native people,” explained

help, it is our goal and our mission to have everybody who comes to MSU to be successful,” Dr. Henry Morris, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion stated.

“One of the things we always say to students about how they can themselves, is to first of all ask for help. Many times students get in trouble and just drop out or give up and we always tell them to ask or tell somebody. You might be able to get the problem that you think is insurmountable, might be surmountable with the help of someone else,” Morris continued.

The main goal for this plan

EQUITY page 8

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

News

Trump Goes After Fauci, Tries to Buck Up his Campaign TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — An angry President Donald Trump came out swinging Monday against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the press and polls that show him trailing Democrat Joe Biden in key battleground states in a disjointed closing message two weeks out from Election Day On the third day of a western campaign swing, Trump was facing intense pressure to turn around his campaign, hoping for the type of last-minute surge that gave him a come-from-behind victory four years ago. But his inconsistent message, another rise in virus cases and his attacks on experts like Fauci could undermine his final efforts to appeal to voters outside his most loyal base.

“I’m not running scared,” Trump told reporters before taking off for Tucson, Arizona, for his fifth rally in three days. “I think I’m running angry. I’m running happy and I’m running very content ’cause I’ve done a great job.”

His aggressive travel comes as Trump plays defense in states he won four years ago, though the president insisted he was confident as he executed a packed schedule despite the pandemic.

“We’re going to win,” he told campaign staff on a morning conference call from Las Vegas. “We’re in the best shape we’ve ever been.”

Seeking to shore up the morale of his staff amid growing private concerns that he is running out of time to make up lost ground, Trump blasted his government’s own scientific experts as too negative, even as his handling of the pandemic that has killed nearly 220,000 Americans remains a central issue to voters.

“People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump said of the government’s top infectious disease

expert. “Every time he goes on television, there’s always a bomb. But there’s a bigger bomb if you fire him. But Fauci’s a disaster.”

At a rally in Prescott, Arizona, Trump assailed Biden for pledging to heed the advice of scientific experts, saying dismissively that his rival “wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.”

The doctor is both respected and popular, and Trump’s rejection of scientific advice on the pandemic has already drawn bipartisan condemnation.

At his rally, Trump also ramped up his attacks on the news media, singling out NBC’s Kristen Welker, the moderator of the next presidential debate, as well as CNN for aggressively covering a pandemic that is now infecting tens of thousands of Americans every day.

Fauci, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday, said he was not surprised that Trump contracted the virus after he held a series of large events with few face coverings.

“I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask,” Fauci said of the president.

As Trump turned his flouting of scientific advice into a campaign applause line, Tennessee GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander said that, if more Americans had heeded Fauci’s advice, “we’d have fewer cases of COVID-19, and it would be safer to go back to school and back to work and out to eat.”

Biden was off the campaign trail Monday, but his campaign praised Fauci and criticized Trump for “reckless and negligent leadership” that “threatens to put more lives at risk.”

VOTE Continued from page 1

Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks at a Get Out The Early Vote event as Sen. Tina Smith watches at Sibley Park, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 in Mankato. (Mansoor Ahmad/The Reporter)

“It’s about writing our own history, and electing a president with decency. We’ve lost over 200,000 people because of the administration and how they have handled COVID,” Klobuchar said.

“You can start at home and call your friends and family to vote, — that little ripple that’ll make all the difference,” Klobuchar said. “We have to show America what we’re all about.”

Klobuchar has been a senator for Minnesota since 2007 and was the first woman elected to the senate from Minnesota. She is known to rank near the top among senators for introducing bills, and getting bills passed.

The event endorsed many local and state democratic candidates campaigning for the Nov. 3 election.

Dan Feehan, a U.S house candidate, was among others who spoke at the event encouraging voters to partic-

ipate in this year’s election.

He told those gathered about his background as a combat veteran, school teacher, assistant secretary of defense in the Pentagon, and his work with the Farmers Union and how they’re creating solutions to the mental health crisis.

In attendance was an abundance of locals as well as the candidate’s families. People of all ages came out to listen to what the government officials had to say including MNSU students.

“The reason why I came to the campaign event is because I was just curious about what it was, I’ve never been to an event like this before,” MNSU sophomore Anastasia Harnitz said. “I really enjoyed Dan Feehan’s speech, I thought it was really moving as he was very vulnerable.”

The social distanced GOTEV event had hoola hoops as markers to ensure the safety of the public, usher-

ing where to stand amidst the pandemic that is COVID-19.

Volunteers with the campaign also took people’s body temperature before entering the event to further uphold the community’s health.

U.S. House candidate Dan Feehan speaks at a Get Out The Early Vote event at Sibley Park, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 in Mankato. (Mansoor Ahmad/ The Reporter)

EQUALITY Continued from page 2 Turgeon.

To sophomore jumper Mariah Williams, the message behind these shirts is very important.

“For me, the message speaks to wanting true equal-

COUPON OF THE DAY! President Donald Trump talks to reporters at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Phoenix.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

MSU Reporter • 3

ity and solidarity for all and this is a way to start and get the message forward and moving for all to see and hopefully hear,” Williams said.

These shirts will be on sale in the field house, 9 a.m.-noon

Friday, Oct. 30. If you want, you can also ship these shirts to home and they will be mailed that Friday. To purchase your T-shirts go to www.msumavericks.com/mavericksunited

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4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

FALL 2020 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN

Dating Apps: Are They Even Worth It? Opinion

maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

JENNA PETERSON NEWS EDITOR Dating in college can be tough. You’re in a new town where you don’t know many people, if anyone at all. Everyone is trying to figure out how to live essentially on their own while figuring out what their professors expect of them.

One thing to help with this seemingly problem is dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble. Each of these apps allows you to upload pictures and swipe on others depending if you’re interested in them or not.

What exactly do college kids use these apps for?

Depending on the app you use, there are many reasons as to why people would join these services. Closely looking at the options above, Tinder is known to be the ‘hookup’ app, where people on here are more likely to want a hookup out of a match rather than an actual relationship.

Personally, I only like Tinder if I don’t want to put much effort or time into looking for anything, it’s more for when I’m bored and need validation from others. It’s also a great app to quickly learn about someone based on their pictures, bio, and how they initiate a conversation.

My rule of thumb is, if they start the conversation with a ‘GIF’, then don’t waste your time on them. Trust me, you’ll thank me for that.

To get even more personal, I’ve met both of my ex’s through Tinder. Because of this, I will

NEWS EDITOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu WEB/PHOTO EDITOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Anna Lillie 507-389-1063 anna.lillie@mnsu.edu Yasir Wedatalla 507-389-5097 yasir.wedatalla@mnsu.edu In this July 5, 2015, file photo, a man uses the dating app Tinder in New Delhi.

(AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

not trust anyone I meet on here for romantic reasons, and I advise you to do the same.

Bumble, on the other hand, has a variety of op-

I’ve downloaded the app only once and it was for a short period of time, but I prefer it over Tinder.

When it comes to writ-

“...if they start the conversation with a ‘GIF’, then don’t waste your time...” tions for their users. When you sign up, you can choose to look for business, friendship, or date relationships.

The best part is, you can change between these three options at any time you please.

ing up your bio, Bumble allows you to incorporate your zodiac signs (because there are some signs you should definitely stay away from), religious beliefs, favorite pets, and so much more.

This allows users to learn more about a person before they swipe, and makes it easier to start a conversation.

Speaking of, Bumble only allows girls to start a conversation. Although I’ve never had a threatening message sent to me on a dating app, it makes me feel a bit safer and more comfortable when talking to a stranger online.

It’s important to know what you’re looking for before signing up for one of these apps or any other dating apps. You want to feel comfortable and set boundaries to let others know what you’re comfortable with, because that’s what’s most important. This way it can save you from a lot of tears, heartbreak, and trust issues.

“What do you think of dating apps?”

Compiled by Muhammad Ibrahim

HOOYOTHA WAAS, FRESHMAN “It’s good. I use it sometimes but not a lot.”

YASMIN ISMAIL, FRESHMAN

ISREAL JACOBS, FRESHMAN

FREYA ALI, FRESHMAN

THOMAS SANFORD, SENIOR

“I don’t use it...not my type.”

“It’s not bad. I feel we get the right person sometimes.”

“I think it’s not safe. You might get catfished.”

“Well I’m still single, so...”

Logan Larock 507-389-5453 logan.larock@mnsu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

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

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

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

Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

• Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation.

The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof.

All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.

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

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Trump to Debate Biden Make a Plan to Vote, Especially if Voting by Mail Despite Rule Changes Opinion President Donald Trump plans to attend Thursday’s debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden despite rule changes — opposed by his campaign — that are meant to foster more ordered discussions.

Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien says Trump “is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.”

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that the second and final debate between the two candidates will have each nominee muted while the other delivers his two-minute remarks at the outset of each of the six debate topics. The remainder of each 15-minute block will be open discussion, without any muting, the commission said.

The move is meant to pre-

vent a repeat of the inaugural debate three weeks ago when the two candidates, but mostly Trump, interrupted each other repeatedly.

The Biden campaign did not immediately comment on the new rule.

President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will have their microphones cut off in Thursday’s debate while their rival delivers their opening two-minute answer to each of the debate topics.

The 90-minute debate is divided into six 15-minute segments, with each candidate granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate.

The open discussion portion of the debate will not feature a mute button, but interruptions by either candidate will count toward their time in the second and final debate Thursday.

FIGHT Continued from page 1 Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester where she was quarantined for two weeks in the COVID-19.

“On October 9, I was transferred to Methodist, where the hematology patients are,” says Studer. “I started IV chemotherapy the next day.”

A couple of weeks after starting chemotherapy, Studer began feeling abdominal pain.

She had an X-ray done and the doctors found that, on top of everything else, she had appendicitis..

On October 17, Studer finished her IV chemotherapy and had surgery to remove her appendix.

“I now have to start taking oral chemotherapy,” says Studer. “It targets genetic mutations.”

Throughout it all, Studer has received an endless amount of support from her family, friends and the community around her.

“The support has been absolutely amazing,” says Studer. “I could not have asked for better.”

During her two weeks of quarantine at Saint Marys Hospital, Studer’s friends and family visited and stood in the parking lot which was visible from her window.

They held up signs of encouragement and waved hello.

“That was something that always brightened my day,” Studer says.

The love she received did not stop there.

Studer has accumulated

numerous dropped-off goodie bags, snacks, and presents in her room from visitors.

Fundraisers were also held in her honor.

“My step-dad actually owns a bar and grill and all of his employees did a tip day for me,” says Studer. “They gave all of the tips they made on that day to a wig fund or something else that I would need.”

Other community members have shown their support in various ways.

“I managed the boys hockey team in high school and the team put stickers on their helmets with my initials on it,” says Studer.

Her support system has been the cause of her happiness, despite all that she is going through.

“It would be a completely different story without the support I’ve gotten,” Studer says.

In the end, her ability to remain positive comes from her own mental strength.

“There’s no point in moping around and being sad about everything,” says Studer. “I’m just going to put a smile on my face and take it day by day.”

When asked what advice she would give to those going through similar challenges, Studer says, “Your perspective and your mentality are the only things you can change in the situation you are handed.”

In Studer’s words, “the more positive that is, the better you are going to feel.”

CHRISTIAN LOHRENZ COLUMNIST

This past week, I saw an ad by some celebrities who appeared nude and were talking about voting. That’s a sentence I definitely did not think I would ever write.

Timely as the ad is, the celebrities were discussing the discrepancies with the process of mail in voting. This is a conversation that has been very widely discussed during this election process as the evolution to more people voting by mail has caused controversy.

The current administration has made claims that absentee ballots have been effective and not been tampered whereas the vote-by-mail ballots have been the source of problems.

The problem that the administration has more recently articulated is that ballots are being sent to supposedly everyone who is breathing, even people who aren’t citizens. This has been debunked, however.

States that have automatically sent out mail in-ballots, which is a term often interchangeably used with absentee

ballots, only send these ballots to people already registered to vote. These ballots are verified by several levels of election officials. Signatures need to be placed in proper places in order to be counted, where the irony of the naked celebrities comes into play.

Vote stickers are seen at a satellite election office at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

“Naked ballots”, as they have been coined, are essentially completed ballots that are not sent back in the correct means. When these ballots are sent out, they enclose a secrecy envelope the ballot is supposed to be returned in.

Those who send the ballot back without placing it within this envelope have had their initial ballots voided. To avoid this there are several layers of directions on where signatures are needed, where to circle, x or fill-in your responses.

While this may be slightly more uncharted territory than in previous elections mainly due to the pandemic, there has been a strong foundation for votes by mail in the past. The extent has been expanded due to the circumstances of this year, but these foundations have worked and been overly cautious in the past.

There has not been overwhelming fraud or faux ballots in past years. Any kinds of discrepancies have been pointed and corrected beforehand.

With all of this being said, if you are choosing to vote by mail the deadline to request your ballot is by Nov. 2 and must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

Others who are opting to vote in person should be prepared. Fortunately, Minnesota allows same day registering, but it will not hurt to register early and find your polling place. Go get involved!

VOTE FOR NICK FRENTZ FOR STATE SENATE BY NOVEMBER 3RD!

VOTER REGISTRATION

The deadline to register to vote online or on paper, is October 13th.

However, you can still register on Election Day at your polling place.

EARLY VOTING

Early voting is now available Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm at the following locations: Blue Earth County Residents: Blue Earth County Historic Courthouse & Nicollet County Residents: Nicollet County Govt. Center.

NOVEMBER 3RD POLLING LOCATIONS

Depending on your street address, you can find your Polling Place location at: https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ PREPARED AND PAID FOR BY NICK FRENTZ - FRENTZ FOR SENATE 151 ST. ANDREWS COURT, BUILDING 1010, MANKATO, MINNESOTA 56001

6 • MSU Reporter

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8 • MSU Reporter

News

Senate to Push Barrett onto Court

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett testifies during the third day of her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wasting no time, the Senate is on track to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by next Monday, charging toward a rare weekend session as Republicans push past procedural steps to install President Donald Trump’s pick before Election Day. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will begin the process as soon as the Senate Judiciary Committee wraps up its work Thursday. With a 53-47 Republican majority, and just two GOP senators opposed, Trump’s

nominee is on a glide path to confirmation that will seal a conservative hold on the court for years to come.

McConnell said Monday that Barrett demonstrated over several days of public hearings the “sheer intellectual horsepower that the American people deserve to have on the Supreme Court.”

Without the votes to stop Barrett’s ascent, Democrats have few options left. They are searching for two more GOP senators to break ranks and halt confirmation, but that seems unlikely. Never before as a court nominee been vot-

ed on so close to a presidential election.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer decried what he called the “farcical” process to “jam” through Trump’s choice, even as the coronavirus outbreak sidelined GOP senators.

“The Republican majority is running the most hypocritical, most partisan and least legitimate process in the history of Supreme Court confirmations,” he said during speech as the Senate opened.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to meet Thursday to vote on recommending Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate.

By Friday, procedural votes are expected, continuing over the weekend as Republicans push through the steps for a final vote to confirm Barrett as soon as Monday.

The 48-year-old appellate court judge from Indiana delivered few specific answers during several days of public testimony as senators probed her previously outspoken views against abortion, the Affordable Care Act and other issues before the court. She declined to say whether she would recuse herself from cases involving the election between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.

Heard any Biden Jokes?

Study of Late-Night Comics Finds Few NEW YORK (AP) — From the perspective of late-night joke writers, there’s really only one person running for president.

A staggering 97% of the jokes Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon told about the candidates in September targeted President Donald Trump, a study released Monday found.

That’s 455 jokes about Trump and 14 about Democrat Joe Biden, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University. That doesn’t even count 64 jokes made about Trump’s family or administration, the study said.

“When Trump’s onstage, everyone else is blacked out,” said Robert Lichter, communication professor at George Mason.

He’s been studying latenight humor and politics since 1992. Republicans are usually targeted more than Democrats by the comedy writers, but the difference has never been this stark. The closest was the 2016 campaign, when Trump was the punchline for 78% of the jokes to Hillary Clinton’s 22%, the center said.

That’s good news if, like

This combination of photos shows President Donald Trump, left, and former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 29, 2020. A staggering 97 percent of the jokes Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon told about the candidates in September targeted President Donald Trump, a study released Monday found. That’s 455 jokes about Trump, 14 about Democrat Joe Biden, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Biden, your goal is to essentially make Trump the central issue in the campaign. It may present a real challenge for the comics if Biden defeats Trump in next month’s election, however.

What will they have to poke fun at?

“I think they will find a

way to keep making jokes about Trump, even after he leaves office,” Lichter said.

There’s precedent for that.

In 2001, late-night comedians made former President Bill Clinton the subject of more jokes than his successor, George W. Bush, Lichter said.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Pandemic Air Travel Milestone; 1 Million Passengers Screened SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The number of passengers screened in a single day for flights in the U.S. topped one million for the first time since COVID-19 infections began to spike last March.

The notable milestone, reached Sunday, signifies both the progress made since the darkest days of pandemic for the devastated U.S. airline industry, when fewer than 100,000 people were screened

per day in April, and how far it still has to go.

The million plus passengers screened Sunday compares with 2.6 million on the same day last year, or roughly 60% fewer, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The TSA said that the 6.1 million passengers the week of Oct. 12-18 was the greatest volume measured since the start of the pandemic.

Transportation Security Administration agents process passengers at the south security checkpoint at Denver International Airport June 10, 2020 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

EQUITY Continued from page 2 is to abolish the educational equity gap. A huge contribution MNSU is making moving forward to the equity 2030 plan is MNSU’s MavPASS program.

The MavPASS program is a purely facilitated academic support system, providing support to students by fellow students. This allows students to attend study sessions outside of class to help reinforce the material on more challenging courses.

This results in students receiving an average of a whole letter grade higher while attending MavPASS sessions, and reduction in the opportunity gap between domestic students of color and white students.

“One of the goals of MavPASS is to close that opportunity gap, the more students attend MavPASS sessions the more that gap closes. Another aspect we make efforts in hiring diverse leaders so students feel represented when they attend MavPASS sessions,” Laura Jacobi, Director of MavPASS and Associate Professor and Department of Communication Studies, stated.

“This program is open to everyone not just specifically for students who are struggling, anyone who goes to these sessions can benefit from them. Even if you feel like you are doing well in the course, MavPASS is a great way to study and reinforce the material. The students in the session are doing most of the

talking and problem solving so it’s a good way to practice.

Also having the benefit as the student who is doing well is that you can help other students who are struggling,” Jacobi continued.

Another aspect analyzed is the DFW Rates. The DFW Rate is the percentage of students who receive a “D”, “F”, or withdraw from a class.

Since MavPASS has been implemented, data has shown the percentage of students failing or withdrawing from a class goes down to zero having attended 10 or more MavPASS study sessions.

This fairly new program starting last year with five classes and now expanding to eight-teen classes, has greatly improved students’ success in difficult courses, especially those regarding STEM. Students from all different levels are encouraged to join these sessions.

“I think it is important that the university has equal opportunities for success for all students, no matter the path you are on or the one you came from. A good university should offer the same opportunities for anyone and everyone to be successful,” Macie Martin, freshman at MNSU said.

Free of cost, these study sessions are open to everyone and can be found through the MNSU website. Although about two-thirds of the lessons have now transitioned onto Zoom due to COVID-19.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

MSU Reporter • 9

ART, MUSIC, FOOD, MOVIES, SPORTS, GAMING, & ALL THE REST

From the Court to the Clinic: Dr. Birkholz SYDNEY BERGGREN STAFF WRITER From 1998-2002, Dr. Emily Birkholz attended Minnesota State University, Mankato on both a full ride academic scholarship, and full ride sports scholarship.

Now, 18 years later, she is co-owner of Ophthalmology Associates & LASIK Center in Mankato, and focuses on cataracts and LASIK surgery.

While attending MNSU, Dr. Birkholz juggled collegiate basketball, a double major, a wedding, and a baby. She noted that this “pushed [her] to learn how to organize her life,” and “helped [her] develop a ‘no-quitting’ attitude.”

Speaking directly on her sporting career, Dr. Birkholz said that there were many times where it would’ve been easy to quit, with the “grueling long seasons,” and the team not winning as often as they would have liked.

Although it could get hard to focus on an end goal when

Photo courtesy of Dr. Emily Birkholz’s website

they were not succeeding, Birkholz stated that basketball “gave [her] some positive character development, and was always very fun and rewarding,

despite our losses.”

As for her career path, Dr. Birkholz said that she came into MNSU with a slightly different career in mind than

where she ended up. “I grew up on a farm,” she said, “and I thought I might like to be a veterinarian, so I shadowed one. I figured out that no, I’d

rather be a people doctor.”

She explained that MNSU’s environment gave her the opportunity to be exposed to many different chemistry and biology professors and mentors, who all pushed her to explore all of her options and achieve what she wished to achieve.

Dr. Birkholz ultimately decided on ophthalmology, going on to go to medical school at the University of Minnesota where she was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society for being top of her class.

She then completed a oneyear internship at the Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, and proceeded to the University of Iowa for her residency, which is one of the top ophthalmology programs in the country.

At her current place of work, Dr. Birkholz specializes in cataract surgery (calling it her “bread and butter”), along with LASIK eye surgery.

The New eSports Team and How it Operates DANIEL MCELROY STAFF WRITER As the fall semester began, the idea of creating a competitive eSports team at Minnesota State University, Mankato was just that: an idea.

Two months later, students are being invited to tryouts to compete in tournaments for “League of Legends” and “Counterstrike: Global Offensive.”

The program started with a few students wanting a more competitive environment within their own community at the Maverick Gaming Community, a registered student organization. Lead Coordinator of the MGC, Andrew Weinzierl, connected with a few university administrators to develop a new school-sponsored competitive gaming organization.

“It was very well received by the university,” said Weinzierl, a senior majoring in philosophy, political science, and sociology. “We were able to literally, in the matter of months, go from this is an idea, we want an eSports program, to now we’re going to execute on it.”

The program is going into its first year of competition in

Photo courtesy of Sam Tran

the titles “League of Legends” and “Counterstrike: Global Offensive,” (“CS:GO.”) Students are currently being recruited to compete in the spring semester for University League of Legends and National Association of Collegiate eSports’ tournaments in “CS:GO.” Students can register at esports.mnsu.edu.

Head coach of eSports, Jacquie Lamm, has begun the

recruiting process for both games. Current and prospective students can apply online and have a chance at being invited to a tryout for the upcoming season. The first tryout for an on campus “League of Legends” team is taking place Oct. 24 at the Drury Invitational.

The event will be streamed on the university’s official Twitch channel (twitch.tv/minnesotastatemankato). Lamm’s goal is

to have a set roster by Oct. 30 and begin practice soon after.

“With the introduction of the Varsity program, students can cheer on, watch on Twitch, and hold viewing parties for their universities gaming teams,” Lamm states. “We want to grow the community and offer something else for students that want to go here.”

A major component in the process of implementing the

Varsity eSports program is the grand opening of the eSports training facility. The ribbon cutting of the training facility took place on Oct. 2, with appearances from President Richard Davenport, Vice President Mark Johnson, along with several other individuals who made this plan come to fruition.

The facility that is located in the basement of Wissink Hall and contains 20 Alienware desktop computers, headsets, computer mouses, and two Nintendo Switches.

The facility also comes with a broadcasting room to stream the team’s games, and a review room, where teams will go to review recent games, strategize and get ready for their next competition.

Due to COVID-19 the training facility can only allow up to seven people in the facility at a time, but students can reserve time slots to use these computers on the website.

The next step for the varsity program is to look at some new titles that are being considered for a competitive team on campus. Those titles include “Call of Duty,” “Rocket League,” “Super Smash Bros.” and “Valorant.”

10 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Campus Radio Station Features Student Reporters DESTINY KEMPF STAFF WRITER Minnesota State University, Mankato’s public radio station, KMSU “The Maverick,” is a volunteer-run, listener-supported, free-form radio station on the FM dial as 89.7.

KMSU’s programming is very diverse. Its current programming schedule contains everything from talk shows/ interviews to locally produced music for a variety of different genres.

Morning show hosts Tim Lind and Shelley Pierce are known to say “Nobody plays fewer hits!”

Students can get involved in KMSU in a variety of different ways.

KMSU currently has a student-run program called “Radio ala Carte.” This program features multiple MNSU students as hosts. Some of their current hosts include Wyatt Gag, Jonathon Fjeld, Charlie Groebner, Olivia Daniels and others, including some students from the music industry program on campus. This program airs weekdays during the noon hour (prior to COVID it aired live from Centennial Student Union).

“I’ve had many different majors working at KMSU — many mass communications students, but also chemistry, engineering, creative writing, business, etc.,” says KMSU Operations Director Karen

Photo courtesy of KMSU

Wright. “Many of the students say it’s a great way to learn about what’s happening on campus; they get to talk with people they might never have otherwise met (like the university president, faculty, etc.) and it’s a fun job.”

Wright hires students to write and produce campus-related stories. These stories include: how fellow students are handling the pandemic; Maverick sports; financial issues facing students; campus hunger, and more.

“We are always looking for

more students to get involved in the radio station, whether that’s as student reporters, or as volunteer DJs”, says KMSU General Manager Dwayne Megaw. “We have recently opened up some late-night hours to give students more opportunities to host their own shows.”

Because of the pandemic, KMSU has embraced the use of technology for their DJs. Now DJs can create their content at home and share their completed show as an audio file.

“This has really benefited

our student DJs as not all of them can come to the radio station during the Noon hour to do the live show,” states Megaw.

Alumni of KMSU have ended up in jobs including television, radio and newspaper reporters, and magazine editors.

“We have more than 50 volunteers from around southern Minnesota including Mankato, St. Peter, Austin, Albert Lea, etc.,” says Wright. “A couple of our hosts have volunteered for over 35 years.”

KMSU has a fall pledge

starting Oct. 21-30. Although KMSU’s license is held by Minnesota State University, Mankato, they also need the funding support from the local business community as well as their generous listeners.

“This is a wonderful example of the public-private partnership that is KMSU,” Megaw says. “It’s during our Pledge Drives that we all come together and make this happen. As we like to say, Together, we make great radio!”

Netflix Previews ‘Ma Rainey’ and Boseman’s Final Performance NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix on Monday previewed George C. Wolfe’s August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” showcasing Chadwick Boseman’s final performance opposite Viola Davis’ powerhouse blues singer.

The film, shot last year, was already one of the year’s most anticipated, coming as the next chapter in Denzel Washington’s ongoing project to turn Wilson’s plays into films, following 2016’s Oscar-winning “Fences.” But since the unexpected death in August of 43-year-old Boseman from colon cancer, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” has taken on a elegiac aura. Boseman’s performance has been said to be among the finest of his career, and the scenes previewed Monday only reinforced that notion.

Set in Chicago 1927, Davis stars as Ma Rainey, a fiery singer known as the “Mother of the Blues.” Boseman plays Levee, an ambitious trumpeter aiming to launch himself with his own updated versions of

Netflix on Monday previewed George C. Wolfe’s August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” showcasing Chadwick Boseman’s final performance opposite Viola Davis’ powerhouse blues singer. (David Lee/Netflix via AP)

Ma Rainey’s songs.

“Levee got to be Levee!” ex-

claims Boseman, as Levee, in a passionate monologue. “And

he don’t need nobody messing with him about the white man,

‘cause you don’t know nothing about me. You don’t know Levee. You don’t know nothing about what blood I got! What kind of heart I got beating here!”

The event Monday, presented by video conference, included a band, in masks, performing music from the film scored

by Branford Marsalis. Netflix, which will debut it Dec. 18 on the streaming service, is expected to push “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” for Academy Awards consideration, particularly Davis and Boseman.

(Wilson, himself, was the last person to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination in 2016, 11 year after his death, for the “Fences” script.)

Wolfe said Boseman “put his entire being into the part.”

Davis described Boseman as unusually egoless. At the time of filming, Boseman was coming off the massive success of “Avengers: Endgame” and “Black Panther.”

“Not to compete with Chadwick’s mother but Chadwick is my baby,” said Davis.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Variety

MSU Reporter • 11

Robert Redford’s Son, James, Dies of Liver Cancer at 58 LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Redford, a filmmaker, activist and son of actor Robert Redford, has died. He was 58.

Robert Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger, said in a statement Monday that the 84-year-old father is mourning with his family during this “difficult time.” His wife, Kyle, confirmed in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune that her husband died Friday from bileduct cancer in his liver.

Kyle said her husband’s liver disease returned two years ago and the cancer was discovered in November last year while he waited on a liver transplant.

She posted a message and a slew of photos on Twitter that included James, herself and their family.

“We’re heartbroken,” his wife wrote about her husband, who was called Jamie. “He lived a beautiful, impactful life & was loved by many. He will be deeply missed. As his wife

of 32 (years), I’m most grateful for the two spectacular children we raised together. I don’t know what we would’ve done (without) them over the past 2 (years).”

James battled with liver disease for more than 30 years.

But he went on with his life, marrying his wife Kyle who once taught eighth-grade history in Marin County. The couple had two children together.

He expressed gratitude for a liver transplant that saved his life in an HBO documentary “The Kindness of Strangers” in 1999. He produced the film and raised its $600,000 budget from foundations, corporations and individuals, including his parents.

“The experience made me realize how fortunate I was,” Redford reflected. “Think of the fact that every day 10-12 people die waiting to be transplanted. It had an impact on me, and I became committed

James Redford, son of actor Robert Redford, laughs during a press conference on Nov. 18, 1998. Redford, a filmmaker, activist, and son of actor Robert Redford, has died. He was 58. Robert Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger, said in a statement Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, that the 84-year-old father is mourning with his family during this “difficult time.” (AP Photo/Dave Weaver, File)

to do something to help the cause of organ donation.”

James and his father co-founded the Redford Cen-

ter, a nonprofit focused on environmental filmmaking.

He also established the James Redford Institute in 1995 for

Transplant Awareness to raise money and distribute tools to increase awareness about the shortage of organ donors.

“With Jamie came love and contagious joy,” said Redford Center executive director Jill Tidman in an Instagram post.

“He approached everything he did with kindness and warmth, and an openness that spread itself easily among others.”

The institute produced films including “Flow,” a 16-minute film aimed at a teen audience that was distributed for educational reasons, and “From One to Another,” a one-hour film that looks at those who have received organ transplants and those who are awaiting them at the Nebraska Health System University Hospital.

“The best way to reach people is on a personal level,” Redford said. “There are so many movies to make.”

James wrote the script for “Hearts and Bones,” starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Longtime Minnesota Last Week’s Crossword Answers!

Sports Columnist Sid Hartman Dies at 100 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota sports columnist and radio personality Sid Hartman, an old-school home team booster who once ran the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers and achieved nearly as much celebrity as some of the athletes he covered, died Sunday. He was 100.

Hartman, whose first newspaper column was published in 1945, died surrounded by his family, Star Tribune sports editor Chris Carr said.

“It’s a sad day,” Carr told The Associated Press. “He is the Star Tribune in many ways, at least in the sports department. It speaks to his amazing life that even at 100 and a half years old, he passes away and we still can’t believe it.”

He kept up his age-defying pace even after his 100th birthday party on March 15 was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hartman continued to write three columns per week for the Star Tribune as a centenarian, four during football season, and served as co-host of a Sunday morning radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.

“I have followed the advice that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” Hartman wrote in his column published on his 100th birthday. “Even at 100, I can say I still love what I do.”

Hartman grew up poor on Minneapolis’ tough north side,

Hartman, an old-school home team booster who once ran the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers and achieved nearly as much celebrity as some of the athletes he covered, died Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. He was 100.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

the son of a Russian immigrant father and Latvian mother who at age 9 began selling newspapers on downtown street corners. He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade for a news run, picking up papers and leaving them in drop boxes.

In 1944, the circulation manager recommended Hartman for an internship on the sports desk at the old Minneapolis Times. A year later, he was in print with a roundup of news and notes, a style he continued throughout his career.

Hartman always called himself a reporter, not a writer. After the Times folded in 1948, Hartman went to work at the Minneapolis Tribune covering his beloved University of Minnesota.

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12 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

‘Kato in Photos: Women’s March, and First Snowfall of the Year

Top: Demonstrators held up signs and walked down Riverfront Drive during the Mankato Women’s March that honored the recently passed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 in Mankato. The march concluded at the Intergovernmental Plaza, and featured speakers and local activists.

Bottom: Mankato experienced the first snowfall of the year Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. Students donned their winter jackets as the campus area experienced light flurries. Even a squirrel was busy at preparing for the upcoming winter, finding food to store.

Photos by Mansoor Ahmad/The Reporter.