November 17, 2020

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

TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 17, 2020

Virus Vaccine Shows Success in US Tests A second experimental COVID-19 vaccine — this one from Moderna Inc. — yielded extraordinarily strong early results Monday, another badly needed dose of hope as the pandemic enters a terrible new phase.

Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from an ongoing study. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own vaccine looked 90% effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S. The results are “truly striking,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-diseases expert. “The vaccines that we’re talking about, and vaccines to come, are really the light at the end of the tunnel.”

A vaccine can’t come fast enough, as virus cases topped 11 million in the U.S. over the weekend — 1 million of them recorded in just the past week — and governors and mayors are ratcheting up restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving.

The outbreak has killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide, over 246,000 of them in the U.S. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tweeted that he was thrilled at Moderna’s news.

SPORTS TO RETURN!

By BAILEY BRENDEL Staff Writer

File photo Minnesota State forward Ryland Holt celebrates a dunk against Bemidji State at the Taylor Center, Feb. 8, 2020 in Mankato.

Hockey, Hoops, Wrestling Teams Prepare for Action

By DANIEL MCELROY Staff Writer

As our fall semester at Minnesota State University, Mankato is coming to an end, the beginning of winter sports are just around the corner.

The women’s hockey team will begin their long-awaited season on Friday, November 20 at 6:07 p.m., and Saturday, November 21 at 3:07 p.m. when they host the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Mavericks look to take their first win against the Bulldogs since 2016 in these home-game matchups.

Following this, the men’s hockey team will be traveling to Bemidji State University in an exciting matchup between two of the top three ranked WCHA teams. The games that were originally scheduled for November 20 and 21, have now been moved to Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23. The games will start at 5:07 p.m. and 3:07 p.m. respectively.

MNSU’s Athletic Department posted on Monday morning the new rules and regulations for hockey game attendance. As noted in their statement, “With rising COVID-19 case rates, no fans will be admitted for home

men’s and women’s hockey games scheduled through the end of the 2020 calendar year.”

Despite the lack of a live crowd, fans will be able to watch the games online through FloHockey with a subscription, or they can listen to home games on the radio with KTOE 1420-AM. Women’s basketball starts off their season right as the New Year eclipses, when they take on Bemidji State University on January 2 at 3:30 p.m. in the Taylor Center.

SPORTS page 3

Grabbing a Bite on Campus, Where’s the Hot Spot?

By JULIA BARTON Staff Writer

HANS PENNINK • AP Nurse Kathe Olmstead, right, gives volunteer Melissa Harting an injection as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway, July 27, 2020 in Binghamton, N.Y.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Playin’ at the Talent Show: Get Ready to Show Off

Minnesota State University, Mankato has a variety of choices when it comes to finding a delicious meal. From fan favorites to breakfast foods, stopping to refueling with a coffee or finding a healthy meal that reminds you of home, MNSU has it all.

As the fall semester at MNSU is almost over, here are some students’ favorite places to eat on campus.

TALENT File photo

FOOD page 3

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK

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This week, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Events Team will put on the Maverick Talent Contest. This contest is looking for any bands, singers, dancers, jugglers and more who wish to show off their skills to the campus community.

Although video submissions have closed, the video crew will start filming the top 10 winners for the live stream 7 p.m. Thursday.

The link to the live stream can be found on the Student Events Team website and Facebook page.

In the past, the Student Events Team has put on numerous events around campus, including drivein movies, carnivals and homecoming festivities.

The team has never hosted an event like this, but this won’t stop them from helping engage students..

Students in the showcase round will receive a time slot for filming earlier in the week, with the live stream airing Thursday.

Filming takes place in Ostrander Auditorium, which will allow performers to utilize amenities such as bright lighting, a large stage and a good sound system. The film crew will help each participant in order to ensure a great quality video for the live stream.

“We are filming the acts beforehand since we can’t have all of the acts in the same room. This way, we can follow COVID-19 restrictions while still having fun and putting on a good show,” said Concert Company Chair William Keebler.

Along with these social-distancing guidelines, everyone will be required to wear a face mask, unless they are performing.

BRING BACK PASS/FAIL

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page 3

THEATRE: “ANGEL STREET”

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Iota Now a Category 5 Storm Near Central America MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Hurricane Iota rapidly strengthened Monday into a Category 5 storm that is likely to bring catastrophic damage to the same part of Central America already battered by a powerful Hurricane Eta less than two weeks ago.

Iota has intensified over the western Caribbean on approach to Nicaragua and Honduras. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph). It was centered about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east-southeast of Puerto Cabezas, also known as Bilwi, Nicaragua and moving westward at 9 mph (15 kph).

Authorities warned that Iota would probably come ashore over areas where Eta’s torrential rains saturated the soil, leaving it prone to new landslides and floods, and that the storm surge could reach a shocking 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) above normal tides.

That storm surge was on the mind of Yasmina Wriedt on Monday in Bilwi’s El Muelle neighborhood, sitting tight against the sea.

“The situation doesn’t look good at all,” Wriedt said.

“We woke up without electricity, with rain and the surf is getting really high.”

Wriedt, who works for a small-scale fishing organization called Piquinera, said that the roof of her house was blown off in Eta less than two weeks ago. “We repaired it as best we could, now I think the wind will take it again because

DELMER MARTINEZ • Associated Press A pregnant woman is carried out of an area flooded by water brought

by Hurricane Eta in Planeta, Honduras, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020.

they say (Iota) is even stronger,” Wriedt said, the sound of hammering echoing around her as neighbors boarded windows and reinforced roofs.

During Eta the surf came up to just behind her house, where she lives with eight other members of her family. “Today I’m afraid again about losing my house and I’m frightened for all of us who live in this neighborhood.”

Wriedt said some neighbors went to stay with relatives elsewhere, but most have stayed.

“We’re almost all here,” she said. “Neither the army nor the government came to move us.”

Cairo Jarquin, Nicaragua emergency response project manager for Catholic Relief Services, had just visited Bilwi and smaller coastal communities Friday.

In Wawa Bar, Jarquin said he found “total destruction.” People had been working furiously to put roofs back over their families’

heads, but now Iota threatened to take what was left.

“The little that remained standing could be razed,” Jarquin said. There were other communities farther inland that he was not even able to reach due to the condition of roads. He said he heard that Wawa bar was evacuated again Saturday.

Evacuations were being conducted from low-lying areas in Nicaragua and Honduras near their shared border through the weekend.

Limborth Bucardo, of the Miskito Indigenous ethnic group, said many people had moved to churches in Bilwi. He rode out Eta with his family, but this time decided to move in with relatives in a safer area.

“We hadn’t finished repairing our houses and settling in when another hurricane comes,” Bucardo said. “The shelters are already packed with people from (surrounding) communities.”

As Hospitals Strain, Officials Urge Minnesotans to Stay Home MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A registered nurse who cares for COVID-19 patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis said Monday the pandemic is taking a toll on front-line workers, and she joined the governor and state health officials in urging people to alter behaviors and skip Thanksgiving gatherings as the pandemic pushes hospitals to their limits.

Kelley Anaas said her ICU filed up with critically ill COVID-19 patients over the weekend. Some came from around the state and had to wait hours for an ambulance or medical helicopter. She said she and her colleagues intubated more patients than they transferred to other floors, and said goodbye to patients they’d been treating for weeks.

“Up until nine months ago, ‘nurse’ was my only professional title. Suddenly I had earned a new designation, ‘front-line worker,’” Anaas said. “Honestly, I’ve always found this name laughable as it implies there’s a second line

GLEN STUBBE • Star Tribune/Associated Press Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gets ready to address a news conference on COVID-19 alongside state health officials, Monday, Nov. 16, 2020.

of us waiting in the wings — Minnesota, we are your only line.”

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the state, Gov. Tim Walz warned that positive cases in the pipeline would end up putting Minnesota hospitals under even more strain in coming weeks.

He said more restrictions will likely be announced this week, including possible changes to youth winter sports, and he

urged Minnesotans to stop politicizing the pandemic and listen to health officials.

“We need to fight the virus and not each other,” the Democratic governor said, adding: “Wear your masks and stay healthy — if for no other reason. that’ll keep you healthy to vote against me in two years.”

On Monday, Minnesota health officials reported an additional 7,444 positive cases of COVID-19

ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO • Associated Press Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem gestures as he speaks to the media, Aug. 30, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

Syria’s Longtime Foreign Minister al-Moallem Dies at Age 79 BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s longtime Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, a career diplomat who became one of the country’s most prominent faces to the outside world during the uprising against President Bashar Assad, died on Monday. He was 79.

Al-Moallem, who served as ambassador to Washington for nine years, starting in 1990 during Syria’s on-andoff peace talks with Israel, was a close confidant of Assad known for his loyalty and hard-line position against the opposition.

A soft spoken, jovial man with a dry sense of humor, al-Moallem was also known for his ability to defuse tensions with a joke.

During the current crisis, he often held news conferences in Damascus detailing the Syrian government’s position. Unwavering in the face of international criticism, he repeatedly vowed that the opposition, which he said was part of a Western conspiracy against Syria for its anti-Israel stances, would be crushed.

A short and portly man with white hair, his health was said to be deteriorating in recent years with heart problems. The state-run SANA news agency reported his death, without immediately offering a cause.

Born to a Sunni Muslim family in Damascus in 1941, al-Moallem attended public schools in Syria and later

traveled to Egypt, where he studied at Cairo University, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

He returned to Syria and began working at the foreign ministry in 1964, rising to the top post in 2006.

His first mission outside the country as a diplomat in the 1960s was to open the Syrian Embassy in the African nation of Tanzania. In 1966 he moved to work in the Syrian Embassy in the Saudi city of Jiddah and a year later he moved to the Syrian Embassy in Madrid.

In 1972, he headed the Syrian mission to London and in 1975 moved to Romania, where he spent five years as ambassador. He then returned to Damascus, where he headed the ministry’s documentation office until 1984, when he was named as the head of the foreign minister’s office.

He was appointed as Syria’s ambassador to Washington in 1990, spending nine years in the U.S. During that time Syria held several rounds of peace talks with Israel.

In 2006, he was appointed foreign minister at a time when Damascus was isolated

by Arab and Western nations following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a year earlier.

Al-Moallem is survived by his wife and three children.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 3

MNSU Offering ‘Alternative’ Spring Break

By COLIN HANKE Staff Writer COVID-19 is not stopping Minnesota State University, Mankato students from attending Alternative Spring Break, which is a cheap alternative for students who want to make the most of their spring break.

MNSU’s Alternative Spring Break is more community-service based than just travel, potentially making it a great resume builder.

“The Alternative Spring Break Trip is going to take place locally this year in Mankato,” said Alexander Trewartha, coordinator for the Alternative Spring Break.

“This will make it a safe and free trip for any students looking to attend.”

Trewartha said he wanted to make sure nobody was excluded from these activities, even if they’re not in Mankato.

“Myself and two other student leaders are planning a variety of in-person and virtual service opportunities,” he said. “We are also planning a mix of social events that are virtual and in-person as well.

Students that will stay in the Mankato area or decide to go home will have the opportunity to join us throughout the week.”

Third-year biomedical sci-

Continued from page 1

Men’s basketball will have a similar start to their season, as they take on the Bemidji State University men’s team immediately following the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. in the Taylor Center. The Mavericks beat out the Beavers in last season’s meeting with a

TALENT

AP file

ences major Ornella Malm said, “I really haven’t ever given the alternative spring break much consideration, as I usually go to Florida with my friends. This year is a little different though and I might attend, given the current circumstances we are living through.”

Given the circumstances with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, Malm is among many students who are re-planning their spring breaks.

Malm also added, “I think it could be a fun way to spend spring break. I have to stay in the Mankato area for my new job, so I’m thinking about doing it because it likely is going to be a safe alternative, rather than going to the beach with

higher concentrations of people.”

Sari Rimawi, a fourth-year international business major, said, “I am graduating this spring, so I am thinking about attending this. I transferred into this university from a community college, so I haven’t really heard much about it in previous years, but it sounds like something that could be pretty fun with my friends.”

Alternative Spring Break begins on March 8, 2021 and runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students who are interested or have any questions are encouraged to sign up through the Community Engagement page by Jan. 29, 2021. Trewartha can be contacted at alexander.trewartha@mnsu.edu.

Pandemic Politics Leave DC in Gridlock as Virus Surges WASHINGTON (AP) — With the nation gripped by a resurgent coronavirus and looking to Washington for help, President Donald Trump and lawmakers in Congress have a message for struggling Americans: Just keep waiting.

The urgency of the nationwide surge in virus cases, spiking hospitalizations and increasing death tolls has hardly resonated in the nation’s capital as its leaders are vexed by transition politics and trying to capitalize on the promise of a coming vaccine. The virus has killed more than 247,000 Americans this year and infected at least 11.1 million — some 1 million of them in just the past week.

Yet in Congress, where talks over economic relief bills stalled out months ago, lameduck approval of aid is hardly front-of-mind. Across town at the White House, Trump is more focused on getting credit for the vaccine development push and blocking President-elect Joe Biden from getting the information needed to ensure the new administration can smoothly take over the fight against the pandemic.

“Another Vaccine just announced,” Trump tweeted Monday morning after Mod-

SPORTS

JACQELYN MARTIN • Associated Press A supporter of President Donald Trump holds a Trump 2020 flag outside the U.S. Capitol building as they attend pro-Trump marches, Saturday Nov. 14, 2020, in Washington.

erna announced that its candidate appeared in early testing to be 95% effective against the virus. “For those great ‘historians’, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch!”

On a call Monday with governors, Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, struck a rosy tone and asked states to give their residents comfort that vaccines are coming and that “America and your state has never been more prepared.”

That didn’t stop Louisiana

Gov. John Bel Edwards from appealing to Pence and Trump for a more unified message on the importance of social distancing and wearing masks.

And Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, reported that 27 states were in the “red zone” for widespread transmission of the virus — more widespread and worrisome than spikes seen earlier this year.

Biden, who has warned of a “dark winter” ahead on the virus, called for the Trump administration to share its vaccine distribution plans with his own incoming administration.

Continued from page 1

The Talent Committee has been going through each act and deciding what acts will move to the showcase, based on the quality of performance, variety, creativity and audience engagement. These acts will include mostly students showcasing their musical talents with instruments or singing, as well as dance acts, and they will also be

FOOD

score of 87-60.

Lastly, the MNSU wrestling team will start their season off with a match against Minot State University. The Mavericks hold an undefeated record of 8-0 against the Beavers as they look to continue that streak on Jan. 7.

competing for $600 dollars’ worth of prizes.

“At the end of the performance there will also be judge commentary,” said Keebler.

“There will be a virtual fan vote during the live stream that will impact the final results.”

This feature will allow the audience to have a voice on their favorite acts.

Continued from page 1

“Julia Sears breakfast food is my favorite place to eat on campus. My favorite is their pancakes with cheesy eggs and turkey bacon. Terry by far cooks it best and is very nice to everyone,” student Audrey Hopwood said.

While the dorms might have some great breakfast food available, there are other options on the other end of campus.

“Einstein’s avocado toast and coffee are really good. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I got to college and Einstein’s is my favorite place,” student Alex Whittiwer said.

Not only does MNSU offer a meal plan that grants you access to the dining center, but also provides an abundance of foods that cater to all students’ interests and dietary needs.

However, the dining center isn’t the only place you can find tasty bites. The Centennial Student Union also provides all sorts of meals for students, including international foods.

“My favorite place to eat on campus is Star Ginger in the bottom of the CSU. I really enjoy their iced thai tea and boba tea,” commented MNSU student Danielle Rydberg.

Fan favorites that some students might find back in

their hometowns is also a big hit at MNSU. “My favorite here is definitely Chick-fil-A. I usually get just the regular chicken sandwich with Chick-fil-A sauce,” student Sean Bergeman said.

Along with this, Kaylyn Haeg, sophomore at MNSU added on, “Just the regular Chick-fil-A sandwiches are really good, but I also really enjoy the Taco Bell here.”

If students wish to make better eating habits, there are options for them throughout the university.

Julia Player, freshman at MNSU, said, “I’d say my favorite is Erberts and Gerberts because it’s a healthier option and tastes good.”

Students also have the option to hit convenience stores within some of the residence halls that are also equipped with food service, such as Chets in Carkoski Commons.

“Chets is my favorite, their grilled cheese is really good.

It’s also nice they have a little convenience area,” freshman Isabela Munoz said.

MNSU has over 10 alternative dining places besides the dining center that many students like to grab a bite to eat at, or get a quick snack when going about their day around campus.

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4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

FALL 2020 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN

Online Schooling Needs Alternative Grading

maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

Editorial Mistakes are lessons often learned too late...

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

As we wind down our first full semester under new COVID-19 regulations, we as students should reflect on the education that we have been provided during this time.

Faculty have been doing their best to keep the caliber of our education on par with how normal years are, but the fact of the matter is that online schooling is simply far more difficult.

Whether it comes from difficulty in communication between students and professors, misunderstandings of the syllabus, or the seemingly relentless technical difficulties, the grades that come from this semester should be seen with a large asterisk.

On top of these basic, inarguable educational barriers, there is another level of difficulty that affects students on a more individual basis: motivation and retention.

Attending classes via Zoom class is not the same as attending classes in person.

There is much less accountability by means of attention, as face cams are rarely required and microphones are almost invariably on mute.

The university cannot reasonably expect students to be at their maximum learning potential while attending “Zoom University.”

This is not to say faculty members aren’t trying their best. Constantly there are new and innovative ways some staff are finding to keep students engaged and ready to learn.

Some classes even lend them-

NEWS EDITOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu PHOTO/WEB 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 Logan Larock 507-389-5453 logan.larock@mnsu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu

selves better to online learning.

That being said, faculty just “doing their best” is not providing the same level of education that students would be getting in a normal year.

So how can we grade students in the same way that they have been in years past, if the student’s education isn’t the same.

During spring semester, when the university was forced to close down early and move everything online, there was a “pass/no cred-

it” option given to students who had difficulty adapting to the new online system. In this scenario, students earn a pass if they get over a C; they receive no credit for the class if they receive a C- or lower.

Last semester, this option gave students who were struggling with the new system an option to not see their GPA tank as a direct result of the pandemic.

As many students have found this semester to be similarly challenging,

this option should be extended to students again.

The fact is, this year’s fall semester is unlike any other fall semester this school has ever seen. We, as the student body, are the guinea pigs of this new style of teaching and learning, and should not be indirectly punished for it.

As we are forced to learn in alternate ways, the University should work to give students the option to have their grades be reflected in alternate ways as well.

“How has online school affected your grades?”

Compiled by Muhammad Ibrahim

DAVID ALIMO, JUNIOR “I think it’s good, we get good grades in it.”

MADISON DIEMERT

FATIMA TASKIN, JUNIOR “I think it’s better to study online.”

HANAN BASHA, SENIOR

KALEAB FETENE, SENIOR

“I think online is better since “Online is better for me, but I we can study easily though it.” prefer some in person classes as well.”

MANAV MENDONCA, JUNIOR “I like online classes, but in person are good too.”

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, November 17, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Photos: Virus Ward Doctor Runs From Dawn to Dark

ROME (AP) — Dr. Elisabetta Teti recalls the nightmare weeks when the coronavirus first erupted in Italy and girds herself for what her life will be like through the coming winter if tens of thousands of Italians are still getting diagnosed with COVID-19 and hundreds are dying every day.

Teti, an infectious disease specialist at a hospital on the outskirts of Rome, already begins and ends her workday in darkness. AP Photographer Alessandra Tarantino followed the 39-year-old doctor one recent Saturday, from her home, through a 12-hour shift caring for patients needing sub-intensive care, and home again, exhausted.

The process she completes in a special, sanitized room involves carefully putting on a protective gown, two pairs of gloves taped around the wrists, two face masks, a hair cap and a visor.

Photos by ALESSANDRO TARANTINO • Associated Press

6 • MSU Reporter

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8 • MSU Reporter

News

Women Crucial to Biden’s Win, Even as Gender Gap Held Steady

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Peru Now Has No President as Crisis Takes Chaotic Turn

BOB ANDRES • Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Associated Press Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at a Black Women’s Power Breakfast co-hosted by Higher Heights and The Collective PAC at the Westin, Nov. 21, 2019 in Atlanta.

Ask Virginia voter Mary Hayes why Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump, and she does not hesitate.

“Women won this election!” says Hayes, 56, a mother of three and Biden supporter from Leesburg, Virginia.

In particular, she credits two categories of voters that she herself is part of: Black women and suburban women.

Trump had begged the latter group — some of whom he’d alienated by referring to them as “housewives” — to “please, please” like him. But that plea rang hollow, she says.

“We showed America that suburban women are diverse, and are a beautiful collection of ethnicity, race, marital status, occupations and many other categories,” Hayes says.

“Suburban women mobilized, determined to remove Trump from office.” And, she says, they succeeded.

From nearly the moment Trump took the presidential oath, it was women who were the face of the resistance — marching in enormous numbers in their pussyhats, and fueling Democratic gains in the 2018 midterm elections.

So in 2020, the year women celebrated the centennial of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing their right to vote, many had expected — and some polls suggested — a dramatic repudiation of Trump with a widened gender gap.

The results were a bit more complicated.

Hayes is correct that women were crucial to Biden’s vic-

tory — simply stated, if only men had voted, Trump would have won. Black women and suburban women, in particular, proved to be pillars of Biden’s coalition. But the election also delivered a reminder of Republicans’ strength with other groups of women.

Trump had a modest advantage among white women, and a much wider share of white women without college degrees, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters. And despite expectations that the much-analyzed gender gap would expand, it remained essentially the same from previous elections, including 2016.

In Congress, the big news was significant gains for Republican women, and overall a record number of women will serve in the 117th Congress — at least 141, including 105 Democrats and 36 Republicans, according to current numbers from the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University.

Overall, the results are “a moving target,” says Debbie Walsh, director of the center.

But it was in sum “a good year,” she says, “both for the election of women candidates on both sides, and for the participation of women voters.“ And of course, a huge glass ceiling was shattered with the election of the first female vice president, Kamala Harris.

AP VoteCast showed a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Biden and Harris.

RODRIGO ABD • Associated Press A caravan of demonstrators on motorcycles ride as they wait for news on who will be the country’s next president, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Who is the president of Peru? The answer to that question Monday was no one.

The Latin American nation’s political turmoil took a chaotic turn Sunday when interim leader Manuel Merino quit and Congress couldn’t decide on his replacement.

That left Peru rudderless and in crisis less than a week after legislators ignited a storm of protest by removing President Martín Vizcarra, an anti-corruption crusader highly popular among Peruvians.

“There is no one at the head of the government in a deep public health and economic crisis,” said Abhijit Surya, Peru analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit.

“It doesn’t bode well.”

There are two potential exits to the ordeal: Congress could put forward a new candidate to approve with a simple majority vote or the country’s highest court could step in. But with neither route guaranteed to bring a solution, some Peruvians called for new protests and the country verged on collapse.

“I think this is the most serious democratic and human rights crisis we have seen since Fujimori was in power,” said analyst Alonso Gurmendi Dunkelberg, referring to the turbulent rule of strongman Alberto Fujimori from 1990 to 2000.

Peru has much at stake: The country is in the throes of one of the world’s most lethal coronavirus outbreaks and political analysts say the constitutional crisis has cast the country’s democracy into jeopardy.

Congress sparked the calamity a week ago when lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to oust Vizcarra. Using a 19th-century-era clause, legislators accused him of “permanent moral incapacity,” saying he took over $630,000 in bribes in exchange for two construction contracts while governor of a small province years ago.

Prosecutors are investigating the accusations, but Vizcarra has not been charged.

He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

The move outraged many

in Peru, who denounced it as an illegal power grab by a Congress full of inexperienced politicians looking out for their own interests. Half of the lawmakers are under investigation for potential crimes, including money laundering and homicide. Vizcarra wanted to do away with their parliamentary immunity — a move popular with Peruvians but not with the legislature.

The little-known president of Congress, Manuel Merino, a rice farmer, was sworn into office last Tuesday as hundreds of Peruvians protested nearby. He promised to keep in place a scheduled presidential election in April. But his Cabinet appointments irked many, and a heavy-handed response by police fueled anger.

A network of human rights groups reported that 112 people were injured in Saturday’s protests from projectiles, batons and inhaling tear gas.

Two died — Jack Pintado, 22, who was shot 11 times, including in the head, and Jordan Sotelo, 24, who was hit four times in the chest near his heart.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

MSU Reporter • 9

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

Theater: “Angel Street” Opening this Week!

By DESTINY KEMPF Staff Writer

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Theater Department will open “Angel Street” on Wednesday in the Ted Paul Theatre at the Earley Center for Performing Arts.

The Theatre Department advertises the play as a mystery, with Bella, Mr. Manningham’s wife, being questioned by a Scottish detective. He then informs Bella he believes Mr. Manningham to be a dangerous man, leaving Bella in an uncomfortable situation.

Director Heather Hamilton says she was most excited for audiences to see the good guys winning.

“We live in a time where there is a lot of deception going on and a lot of people being deceived,” Hamilton says “One of the reasons I’m having so much fun with this show is that everybody sees the bad guy is truly the bad guy, and everybody gathers together to help save them.”

“I want people to know there are bad guys and people who come together and help each other can win,” Hamilton added “When people come together to help and believe what is in front of their very

MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM • The Reporter

eyes, then we can make everything better.”

Hamilton says her favorite

part of “Angel Street” is the mood.

“The set, the light, the

sound and the costumes come together to create a really, really cool environment. It’s not

specifically Victorian, but kind of close to it. The actors react and interact with that environment really, really well to create this awesome mood.”

COVID-19 also brought additional hardships for this production, including a month’s worth of rehearsals and the casting of an entire additional cast.

“We have two separate casts for this show in case somebody drops. It’s sort of like directing two plays at once, and that’s been a challenge.

Luckily, everyone I’m working with is amazing and they are just taking ownership of things and making it work and being flexible,” stated Hamilton.

When asked how she thought the cast and crew were handling all the modifications they had to make due to the pandemic, Hamilton praised all of them.

“They’re resilient, they’re creative, and they’re fluid and just being tough and not complaining.”

Hamilton appeared optimistic about the pandemic as well.

ANGEL STREET page 11

Good Thunder Reading Series Getting Ready for Spring Semester

By AMANDA FILREIS Staff Writer

While the Good Thunder Reading Series at Minnesota State University, Mankato has had to make some modifications to its usual arrangements, the core has remained the same.

This three-part series brings in professional authors to work with and teach MNSU students about the craft of writing Most, if not all, events this semester have been held virtually due to COVID-19, whereas, in past years, the in-person events were held in the Centennial Student Union.

“It’s great that the organization can be flexible. It’s difficult to plan events during this time, but I really think Good Thunder is doing a great job,” said MNSU student Kaylyn Haeg.

According to MNSU Professor Candace Black, director of the Good Thunder Reading Series, the criteria for recruiting the authors relies on how much authors charge for ap-

Brit Bennett, left, and Michael Torres

pearances, if the author has published new books, diverse subject matters and a variety of genres.

“Public reading attendance may be down,” said

Black, “but the audience that does come is still very enthusiastic. … It’s an honor to bring writers. It’s fun and stimulating while also encouraging creativity for those who are

Courtesy photos

involved.”

The organization’s biggest challenge for this year is getting the word out, especially with fewer students spending time on campus.

Despite COVID-19, Good Thunder Reading Series organizers hope to keep going.

They want to be able to introduce students to new literature and improve on their writing.

For the students of MNSU, the organization’s efforts don’t go unnoticed, even to those who don’t hold a great love of literature or aspiring writers.

“It’s not my cup of tea, but I think it’s very beneficial for the students working towards literary majors and even some who go for communications,” commented MNSU student Derek Von Ruden.

The Good Thunder Reading Series lineup for the Spring 2021 semester consists of Brit Bennett appearing from Jan. 26-29, Chris McCormick and Michael Torres on Feb. 25, Ayse Papatya Bucak on March 25 with Kao Kalie Yang, and Tina Gross closing out the semester on April 22.

“Being exposed to contemporary writing is essential no matter your circumstances,” Black said.

10 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Cousins, Vikings Overcome Patterson Return, Beat Bears 19-13

ROB GRABOWSKI • Invision/Associated Press The Weeknd performs on day three at Lollapalooza in Chicago on Aug 4, 2018.

The Weeknd to Headline Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show

CHARLES REX ARBOGAST • Associated Press Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, in Chicago.

CHICAGO (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings overcame a 104-yard kickoff return by Chicago’s Cordarrelle Patterson to beat the Bears 19-13 on Monday night.

Cousins won for the first time in 10 career Monday night starts. He hit Adam Thielen with a 6-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put Minnesota ahead 19-13, and the Vikings (4-5) hung on for their third straight win. They also snapped a fourgame losing streak against Chicago (5-5).

Bears quarterback Nick Foles got taken from the field on a cart in the game’s final minute. He landed on his right, throwing shoulder when he was slammed to the ground

by Minnesota’s Ifeadi Odenigbo as he threw the ball away.

Patterson joined Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington as the only players with eight kick returns for touchdowns when he ran back the opening kickoff of the second half to give Chicago a 13-7 lead. It was the longest kickoff return in franchise history, surpassing Gale Sayers’ 103-yarder against Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 1967.

Still, the Bears lost their fourth in a row, matching their longest skid since coach Matt Nagy was hired in 2018.

Cousins completed 25 of 36 passes. He threw two touchdowns to Thielen, who made a one-handed grab on a first-quarter score.

Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook ran for 96 yards on 30 attempts, and Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 135 yards. The defense did not al-

low an offensive touchdown for the first time in 20 games, including the playoffs, and the Vikings won for just the fourth time in 18 games at Soldier Field since it reopened in 2003 following renovations.

With offensive coordinator Bill Lazor calling the plays after Nagy handed off those duties in an effort to lift a unit that ranks near the bottom of the NFL, the Bears managed 149 yards. It was their lowest total since they had 147 against San Francisco on Dec. 3, 2017.

Foles threw for 106 yards and an interception. It was a far cry from his previous start against the Vikings, when he led Philadelphia past them in the NFC championship game on the way to a Super Bowl title in 2018.

Khalil Mack had his first interception since 2018. But the Bears continued to fade after a 5-1 start.

The Bears led 13-7 when Chicago’s Dwayne Harris muffed a punt. The Vikings’ Josh Metellus recovered at the 20, leading to Dan Bailey’s 37-yard field goal. Bailey added a tying 43-yarder with just under two minutes left in the third.

With offensive coordinator Bill Lazor calling the shots for the first time all season, the Bears managed just 149 yards and failed to score an offensive touchdown in a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

Coach Matt Nagy handed the keys to Lazor this week in an effort to spark a slumping team ahead of a key NFC North matchup. But the Bears (5-5) experienced many of their usual issues in their

fourth straight loss, topped by a banged-up offensive line that has made it nearly impossible for the offense to get into any sort of rhythm.

Playing without David Montgomery because of a concussion, the NFL’s worst rushing attack finished with 41 yards on 17 carries. Nick Foles was carted off the field after he was thrown down on an incomplete pass with 37 seconds left, finishing 15 of 26 for a season-low 106 yards.

Even with the trouble on offense, the Bears took a 13-7 lead on Cordarrelle Patterson’s franchise-record 104-yard return on the second-half kickoff. It was Patterson’s eighth career kickoff return for a touchdown, tying Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington for the modern-day NFL record.

Chicago then forced Minnesota to punt, but Dwayne Harris muffed the return. After Dan Bailey kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Vikings (4-5), the Bears went three-and-out on their next four possessions.

They didn’t get another first down until Foles found Patterson for a 10-yard gain with about five minutes left.

The Bears had just 32 yards in the second half against the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense heading into the weekend.

INJURIES Vikings: The Vikings were without TE Irv Smith Jr. (groin) and CB Cameron Dantzler (concussion).

Bears: Besides Foles, DT Akiem Hicks (hamstring) and Harris (triceps) were injured.

UP NEXT Vikings: Host Dallas on Sunday.

Bears: Have a bye, then visit Green Bay on Nov. 29.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Weeknd will bring his popular falsetto vocals to the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.

NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced Thursday that the three-time Grammy Award winner will be the headline performer on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The Weeknd said he’s humbled by the opportunity.

He posted a photo of himself with the logo of the halftime show on social media to announce the news.

“We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position,” the singer said in a statement. “I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage.”

The Weeknd broke though into mainstream with his smash hit “Can’t Feel My Face” that was featured on his second studio album, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” which topped the Billboard 200 in 2015 and won

a Grammy. He’s had three other chart-topping albums including his recent offering “After Hours,” which was released in March.

Earlier this year, The Weeknd’s hit single “Blinding Lights” became his fifth song to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He’s also won Grammys for his album “Starboy” and the song “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey).”

“The Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own,” said Jay-Z, founder of Roc Nation. “His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry. This is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer.”

Roc Nation and Emmy-nominated producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the show.

The game will air live on CBS. It’s the second year of collaboration between the NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Variety

MSU Reporter • 11

AC/DC is Back With New Album LOS ANGELES (AP) — Through decades, deaths and disasters, AC/DC keeps thundering on.

Forty-seven years along, and with the closest thing possible to their original lineup, the rockers on Friday are releasing “Power Up,” their first album in six years.

It’s also the first since the 2017 death of Malcolm Young, who founded the band in Sydney, Australia in 1973 with his little brother, Angus. “Power Up” is dedicated to the elder brother and is shot through with his spirit and songwriting.

“We all felt Malcolm around us, he was there. We’re not spiritual type people, but, boy, oh boy,” lead singer Brian Johnson, 73, told The Associated Press in an interview via Zoom from his home in Sarasota, Florida. “Malcolm was a very strong character in real life, and him passing away wasn’t gonna stop that. He was there, everywhere, and I think you can tell it on the record.”

All 12 tracks are co-written

by Malcolm and Angus Young, selected by the younger Young from a trove of unused songs that piled up during the band’s long life.

“Malcolm and myself over the years, whenever we’d come to an album we always walked in with a lot of A-grade songs,” the 65-year-old Angus Young said via Zoom from his home in Sydney. “We always had a stack full more left that were all great, great tracks.”

Most of the songs came

ANGEL STREET Continued from page 9

“Any changes we had to make to the curriculum or our shows, that’s a drag,” she says. “But it’s not that big of a deal. I’m worried about our neighbors.”

“This show is really fun.

It’s the kind of show where you root for the good guys.” she says. “But with that said, it’s also about scary stuff. It’s about domestic violence and gaslighting. It’s heavy, but it’s fun to have a show where the bad guy is so clearly the bad guy that nobody is in question and the audience is not being gaslighted. The audience looks at this guy and knows he’s lying, and I just wish there was more of that type of clarity in our country.”

Angel Street runs November 18-21 at 7:30 p.m. and November 21 and 22 at 2 p.m. in the Andreas Theater. Tickets can be purchased in the Box Office or online.

JAE C. HONG • Associated Press Nintendo Switch game consoles are on display at Nintendo’s official store, Jan, 23, 2020 in the Shibuya district of Tokyo.

ROB GRABOWSKI • Invision/Associated Press Brian Johnson, left, and Angus Young, of AC/DC, perform on the Rock or Bust Tour on Feb. 17, 2016, in Chicago.

from a fruitful writing period in a long gap between albums from 2000 to 2008, and Angus Young chose those that most evoked his big brother.

“I concentrated on the ones I knew were Mal’s favorites,” Young said. “It’s a fitting project for him. He always liked being simple and direct, so I felt, what better than his music?”

“Power Up,” their 17th studio album, whose first single and video, the blues-inflected “Shot in the Dark,” were released in October, is overflowing with the same thundering chords and schoolboy sneers that made them legends with albums like “Highway to Hell” and ”Back in Black.”

The latter was also dedicated to a recently deceased essential bandmate, original singer Bon Scott, who died in 1980.

“There is the similarity between Bon’s tragedy and

Mal’s,” Angus Young said.

With Malcolm Young suffering from the dementia that would lead to his death, his nephew Stevie Young stood in for him on 2014s “Rock or Bust,” and did it again on “Power Up,” though at 63 he’s hardly the new kid.

“We’ve known Stevie forever and ever. He’s been around us for decades,” bassist Cliff Williams said via Zoom from his home in North Carolina.

“So there was no trying to fit him into any kind of thing.”

After a tough tour in 2016 that Johnson couldn’t finish because of hearing loss that had grown increasingly severe, it appeared the classic version of the band might never play together again.

The album had been recorded in 2018 and early 2019 , and the jam sessions came in preparation for the planned release date, early in 2020.

Last Week’s Crossword Answers!

Academics, Video Game Makers Team Up in Rare Collaboration LONDON (AP) — A study by Oxford University researchers on how playing video games affects mental health used data from video game makers, marking what the authors say is a rare collaboration between academics and the game industry.

Lack of transparency from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors.

The paper released Monday by the Oxford Internet Institute comes as video game sales this year have boomed as more people are stuck at home because of the pandemic and many countries have once again imposed limits on public life.

The findings are based on survey responses from people over 18 who played two games, Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Hori-

zons.

The study used data provided by the game makers, Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America, on how much time the respondents spent playing, unlike previous research that relied on imprecise estimates from the players. The video game industry has previously been reluctant to work with independent scientists, the paper noted.

Such partnerships might be needed for future research on the booming video game industry.

Academics “need broader and deeper collaborations with industry to study how games impact a wider, and more diverse, sample of players over time,” said Andrew Przybylski, the institute’s director of research. “We’ll need more and better data to get to heart of the effects of games, for good or ill, on mental health.”

12 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Photos: From a Flower in Kashmir Comes a Precious Spice

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Cradled by low mountains and spread across a vast expanse of small, fertile fields, a sea of purple flowers opens in Himalayan Kashmir to produce one of the world’s most precious spices, saffron.

At the end of autumn, families in the Muslim-majority region race against the clock to harvest the saffron crocus flowers, which bloom for only two weeks a year. Men, women and children stoop as they laboriously pick the delicate flowers and place them in wicker baskets.

They next separate the purple petals by hand, and from each flower comes three tiny, delicate stigmas which are then dried in the sun, becoming one the most expensive and sought-after spices.

Photos by DAR YASIN • Associated Press