November 24, 2020

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

TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 24, 2020

Students Ask What Next Semester Holds

Men’s Hockey Wins Season Opener

Stay Healthy While Traveling for Thanksgiving

By ASHLEY OPINA

By JULIA BARTON

Staff Writer

SPRING page 2

Maverick Athletics

As students at Minnesota State University, Mankato begin registering for spring classes, the question of whether or not we will return to campus — with COVID-19 still very much a factor — hangs in the air.

MNSU faculty are working to accommodate everyone’s needs, which can be a challenging task with COVID-19 cases on the rise.

Although students have little say in what the university does regarding spring semester, their opinions are still worth sharing.

Grace Bromann, a sophomore studying biology cytotechnology, says she suspects that the MNSU administration will proceed with caution for the upcoming Spring Semester.

“I feel like they will be more cautious when it comes to guests on campus and who we interact with,” says Bromann.

She said she hopes her in-person classes make the switch to synchronous learning for health and safety reasons.

“I’m hoping my current in-person classes move over to FlexSync so we limit the spread of COVID,” says Bromann. “But I’m hoping my science labs remain in person because they’re harder to do online through Zoom.”

Bromann is a hands-on learner and online classes are a challenge for those like her. However, she believes that online classes are the smartest option during a pandemic.

Maddie McCauley, a senior studying communication sciences and disorders, hopes for a more normal spring semester in comparison to Bromann.

“I’m hoping that there’s

Staff Writer

Minnesota State forward Reggie Lutz (16) scored twice in the season opener against Bemidji State.

Second Game Postponed due to Positive COVID Test

By DANIEL MCELROY Staff Writer

The Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s hockey team began their season in a dominating 5-0 win against the conference rival Bemidji State University Sunday.

Maverick junior defenseman Andy Carroll opened up the scoring with the first goal of the season after a feed from senior forward Jake Jaremko with seven minutes remaining in the

first period.

It was the first of three assists for Jaremko Sunday evening. Jaremko would tally the next two assists in Reggie Lutz’s two goals in the second period, both of which were scored within 3:27 of each other.

Lutz scored a career high 13 goals last season, good enough to tie for third on the Mavericks. Lutz looks to go above and beyond that number in what will be a shortened season.

Freshman defenseman Jake

Livingstone put up his first point and goal of his college career after capitalizing on an offensive chance from his forwards Cade Borchardt and Jared Spooner.

Livingstone is playing his first year in college hockey after spending four seasons with the Langley Rivermen in the British Columbia Hockey League.

In his final year in Langley,

HOCKEY page 2

Online Schooling Raises Questions from Students

By BAILEY BRENDEL Staff Writer As Minnesota State University, Mankato shifts to a fully online format many people have mixed feelings on how the rest of the semester will play out. Many students are unsure about where the semester is going to go.

Many different classes have decided to take on different formats for how the rest of the semester will go. “I have virtual classes, virtual labs, and all my classes have been on Zoom since the beginning,” explains freshman, Ellie Reitzel.

For many students the class format will not change for them. Therefore, they can keep to their already set schedule.

IN THIS DON’T WAIT ISSUE: FOR VACCINE

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KJERSTIN HALL • The Reporter “I think it’s very different and asynchronous classes,” she for each class,” Says special continues. education major, Ashley Simmons. “Personally, I have been mostly online for the majority page 2 of the semester, in both online

ONLINE

WOMENS HOCKEY SEASON OPENER

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Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Health Services promotes students to travel smart and safely as many MNSU students will be traveling home this week with Thanksgiving coming up.

Student Health Services has been echoing what the Minnesota Department of Health has been issuing regarding the recommended rules in place to keep everyone healthy and safe, especially during this year’s holiday season.

“We really want people to stay safe and healthy and keep others healthy.

If you are planning on going home for the holiday, we recommend students to quarantine as best as possible before going home to their families as well as minimizing their contact with others,” Natalie Schuette, MNSU’s Covid-19 case manager stated.

“Try and stay away from large crowds and make sure if you are leaving the house wear your mask and social distance as much as possible,” continued Schuette.

Student Health Services also stated how important it is for students to test negative before leaving campus if experiencing symptoms, along with frequently washing their hands and sanitizing.

“This is certainly not anyone’s first choice for how to spend the holidays.

It’s really unfortunate for everybody but the more we can do as a community to stay healthy and stop or slow the spread as much as possible, the better we will be in the long run,” Schuette continued.

This past Thursday on

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VIRTUAL CONCERT

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

HOCKEY Continued from page 1

File photo

SPRING Continued from page 1

Minnesota State goalie Dyden McKay (29) was named the Goaltender of the Year by the WCHA.

Livingstone put up 49 points in 52 games and was a finalist for the Defenseman of the Year award.

The Mavericks scored their fifth and final goal from German forward Julian Napravnik with just under nine minutes remaining in the third period Dryden McKay, junior goaltender and last season’s WCHA Goaltender of the Year, stopped all 21 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season.

Bemidji State University pulled senior goaltender Zach Driscoll half way through the 3rd period after allowing four goals past him, letting sophomore goalie Michael Carr get his first minutes in goal since

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

joining the team.

Carr made two saves and allowed one goal in 10 minutes in the crease.

The next meeting between the two teams, which was originally set to face off at 3:07 p.m. on Monday afternoon at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, has since been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test on the Mavericks personnel.

There is no makeup date announced as of right now, and any comment on the matter will be made at a later time.

The Mavericks hope to play this weekend in their home opener against the Beavers on Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28.

more opportunities for my learning community students to engage with each other and enjoy activities on campus,” says McCauley. She currently holds the position of Learning Community Coordinator for the Exploring Health Careers Learning Community and emphasizes the importance for her students to connect with one another in person.

“I’m not sure what the spring will bring but I hope we still get to enjoy our college experience,” says McCauley.

“I hope we can have as normal of a semester as possible.”

As a senior, McCauley says she hopes to get the most out of her last year in college.

Another student, Paige

Brademeyer, a junior studying business management and marketing, says she suspects spring semester to resemble fall semester.

“It seems like it will look pretty similar to this fall in the sense of small in-person classes with a majority of them online,” says Brademeyer. “That seems to work well for the most part.”

Her critiques of online classes and the lack of face-toface interactions stems from her opinion that college is not the same without them. However, she understands that, in times like these, it is necessary to have alternative ways to learn to keep everyone safe.

“As much as I love being

on campus, it might be smarter to be completely online for the Spring Semester if COVID continues the way it does,” says Brademeyer.

Alyssa Parson, a freshman studying communication studies, marketing, and graphic design agrees with Brademeyer.

“I’ve noticed that there are even more remote teaching only courses available as I was registering for classes,” says Parson. “I expected that.”

However, similar to McCauley, she says she hopes campus will be open to students again.

“It’s honestly become a ghost town,” says Parson. “I hope that changes.”

ONLINE Continued from page 1 While there are many concerns about moving to the online format, many students believe there are some positive things when it comes to online school.

“I like that for the most part I am in control of my own schedule,” stated MNSU student Abby Johnson.

There are others who agreed with this statement.

According to sophomore Brady Emery, “I like being able to do things at my own pace and doing them at times that work best for me.”

Many students live a busy lifestyle, with school, work, and extracurriculars. Online education gives them the opportunity to balance their schedule.

“My favorite part about the online classes is that I can have flexibility with what I need to get done at home along with work,” says sophomore Natalie Horn.

There are many good things that come out of moving to full online. However, there are many concerns people have about their success in their classes. Students feel like they are missing out on some of their college experience.

Freshman, Noah Schnettler said “My least favorite part about online classes is losing out on the in-person environment and experiences.”

Some students, like Carter Schmitz, have concerns about communicating with their professors. “Some of my

professors post their lectures late at night making it hard to study and leaves me feeling behind in class the next day,” he explained.

Other students have a hard time focusing on the online format. Junior Lauren Classman said, “My least favorite part about online classes is that it is hard to concentrate when staring at a screen all day.”

This can be a concern to many students as it can cause many problems with focusing and can strain people’s eyes and give them headaches.

With the online format, it is important to consider all the negatives and look at what you can do to make the situation better.

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MSU Reporter • 3

FALL 2020 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

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COVID-19 Vaccine Doesn’t Mean We’re in the Green

Editorial A new wave of COVID-19 has recently struck us, especially in the Midwest, with case numbers increasing exponentially in the last few weeks.

With an increase in hospitalization as well as the number of frontline healthcare workers being put into quarantine, the strain on hospitals has increased drastically.

This strain on the healthcare system is what we feared from the beginning, and is what caused the initial lockdown.

The idea was to “flatten the curve”, which is what we did for quite some time. Until now.

There is a perceived silver lining though. Many people, even the stock market are very optimistic of vaccines being developed by various contractors.

Pfizer and Moderna are two organizations that have developed vaccine candidates that have seen around 95% success in Phase III trials. This means that they have been tested with a very large sample size against a control group, with a high success rate.

These vaccines have been developed under a government program called “Project Warp Speed”. This program was designed to develop, test, and distribute a vaccine in the fastest way possible.

Experts are saying there is a very real chance that the vaccine will be available by the end of December or early January.

However, with this hope for the vaccine should not come a lackadaisical attitude toward the virus.

During this crunch time, as we wait for the vaccine, we cannot afford to just stop caring about social distancing. We have to remain vigilant and continue to work toward keeping everyone safe.

While there is a strong disagreement of Governor Walz announcement to shut down restaurants and bars, the reasoning is fairly easy to follow.

The majority of transmissions in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, is through

the community. From this, it can be expected that the amount of frontline healthcare workers that actually get COVID-19 are more likely to get it from their community than at their job.

When we put these healthcare workers at risk of infection, we are putting those that they are taking care of at risk as well. Even if these workers test positive before they come in contact with their at risk patients, the healthcare institutes they work for run the risk of be-

ing understaffed, which could also put these patients at risk.

So, yes, there is a possible end in sight to all this madness. However, COVID-19 will not go away overnight.

Just because we are near the end of the marathon, does not mean we should stop running.

In the weeks or months it takes for the vaccine to develop and be distributed, we need to remain careful to not overwhelm our healthcare system.

“If there is a COVID vaccine, how likely are you to take it and why?”

Compiled by Kjerstin Hall

KENZA-MARIE FOFANA, SENIOR

AIDA KARIMU, SENIOR

TYLER JOHNSON, JUNIOR

MEGAN MCKENNA, JUNIOR

JISELA GONZALEZ, FRESHMAN

“I would because I care about my elders.”

“I would take it to help prevent the disease.”

“I wouldn’t take it becuase I think I’ve already had COVID.”

“I’m very likely to take it to protect those around me.”

“I will becuase I got all my other vaccines.”

4 • MSU Reporter

News

Progressive Democrats Good or Bad for the Party?

By CHRISTIAN LOHRENZ • Columnist With the events following the presidential election this year, I have heard a lot of discussion about a variety of topics.

One that I’ve found very interesting is the conversation about whether or not the progressive side of the left is truly hurting the Democrats.

A recent article in the Washington Post made the claim that the ideals of the more progressive side of the country is what is hurting the Democrats in elections. While it is certainly an interesting point to discuss it seems the results of the 2020 election would disagree.

I remember watching exit polls come in on the days following the election and thinking a lot about one of the questions. One of the exit polls asked voters what they felt was the biggest issue presented in the U.S. currently.

The polls offered ideas such as the pandemic, the economy, racial issues, health care and many more. I was shocked by how high the percentage (after the pandemic) had said health care was the biggest issue.

Racial issues were also rather high on the list. Naturally, I was curious how these exit polls were being conducted with so many votes being cast by mail, but this had been cared for by pollsters.

Progressive candidates around the country that were on the ballot for various offices. Every House Democrat who endorsed and has acted in support of Medicare for All won reelection in 2020. This being one of the main platforms that many progressives advocate for along with climate change and criminal justice reform.

All this to say that in reality some candidates like Illhan Omar in Minnesota, who have been under fire by many on the right for the entirety of her career, still retained seats in Congress. In the house, while people on the outside of the cities may make claims against her and call for her to be unseated it is unlikely to see these happen.

The same could be said for all of the members of “The squad” (Illhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Talib). Members of their constituency have turned out in support of them overwhelmingly in their elections.

Certainly, on a federal level this could be something with implications as those who align ideally with some of the more progressive ideals tend to lose support. For example, the Biden campaign, abandoned one of the widely debated policies in the Green New Deal, calling for a more moderate approach to tackling climate change. This was an apparent attempt so far of the Biden campaign to try to bridge the gap between the left and the right.

All this to say that while the nature of the more progressive side of the country and its leaders have certainly been more in the spotlight in recent elections, their supporters show up to vote. It certainly goes to show in this election that record numbers of voters showed up to vote. It seems to me at least that the idea of Progressives hurting the Democrats is certainly something to debate as independent voters and moderates choose sides in elections, but perhaps there is a growing voting population who agrees with these ever-growing public figures.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

TURKEY Continued from page 1 Nov. 19, MNSU had offered free COVID-19 testing in the Centennial Student Union Building. The test was available to all students and faculty as most students will be going home this week.

“I am going home for Thanksgiving then coming back on Sunday to do online in my apartment just because it’s easier to focus in Mankato than it is at my house,” Makayla Ketterling, sophomore at MNSU said.

Mallory Goettl, freshman at MNSU, said,“I’m spending Thanksgiving with my family and I’m sad about leaving but happy about the refund I’ll get for the dorms.”

MNSU is going completely online post-Thanksgiving until the end of fall semester.

Despite plans for spring semester being unpredictable, some students plan on staying in Mankato after winter break.

“For Thanksgiving I’m just gonna keep doing online in my apartment this week and then go home for a couple weeks in December.

I’ll then come back in January for the second semester,” Morgan Lau, sophomore at MNSU said.

“I am planning on going home for Thanksgiving

and spending time with just my immediate family, I’m sad about leaving early and would rather have done finals on campus and stay in the dorms just because it’s easier to focus, but I do plan on coming back for the second semester,” commented MNSU freshman, Lexi Kvistad.

For most students who had lived in the dorms on campus, their on-campus experience this fall semester ended a couple weeks earlier than years past.

“I am sad to leave early, I plan on finishing up classes for this semester and I’ll work back at home. I plan on coming back for the second semester,” commented MNSU freshman, Michael Groves.

Anica Thomas, freshman at MNSU, said, “My plans are to eat Thanksgiving with my family. I’m sad about leaving early but I hope to be back for the second semester in January.”

Although students were not looking forward to cutting their last couple weeks of on campus life of the semester short, the health and safety of the students and faculty is MNSU’s first and most important priority.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Photos: Show Goes on at Madrid´s Opera House Amidst Pandemic

No one performing onstage in Spain’s Teatro Real opera house is masked, and that alone looks odd these days amid a pandemic.

And that’s even before the second act scene in Antonín Dvorák’s “Rusalka” — about a water nymph who falls in love with a mortal — in which cast members kiss and grope in a feigned, non-socially distanced orgy.

While many of the world’s major venues are shut down, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Covent Garden in London and La Scala in Milan, watching a performance at the Teatro Real in Madrid can almost make you forget about the coronavirus.

Located in one of the cities hit hardest by the virus, the Teatro Real is making a herculean effort for the show to go on, investing in safety measures that have allowed it to stage performances — albeit with smaller audiences — since July.

Photos by BERNAT ARMANGUE • Associated Press

6 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

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

Women’s Hockey Returns after Long COVID Hiatus

By DANIEL MCELROY Staff Writer The Minnesota State University, Mankato women’s hockey team (0-2-0) faced off against the No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (2-0-0) in what ended as two losses for the Mavericks with scores of 5-0 and 7-3 on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday the Mavericks came out with a strong start, playing in the offensive zone and drilling shots on goal and forcing turnovers. The Bulldogs quickly retaliated and pressured the Mavericks for a hefty portion of the rest of the period.

The first goal of the game came from Taylor Anderson for the Bulldogs, after intercepting a pass in front of the Mavericks and firing a shot over the glove of the Mavericks sophomore goalie Calla Frank.

University of Minnesota Duluth scored twice more in the first period, one at even strength, and one shorthanded after the Bulldogs would take a hooking penalty with five minutes left in the first.

The Mavericks continued the game losing battles in the corner and racing to the puck as the fast-paced Bulldogs took advantage of their powerplay unit and scored their fourth goal of the game with one minute remaining in the

By AMANDA FILREIS Staff Writer

‘I can’t believe how much I missed you.’, etc.”

Overall, Koupal stated they probably had around 3,000 interactions.

“The production was phenomenal. We had Robert Petersen, the Strategic Production Media Coordinator with IT Solutions. We had multiple cameras from backstage, from side views, from front views. You had every possible perspective,” Koupal said.

“Then we added our sound technician and technical crew with Ryan Strelow, who is the CSU technical coordinator in charge of sound. And then on top of that Bill Tourville, our assistant director for Campus Programs he has a light system and he brought the lights. So we had the whole effect of a concert performance.”

Koupal then discussed his

With a major American holiday right around the corner, it’s important to reflect on the best ways to celebrate during a pandemic. Let’s start off with getting the obvious content out of the way.

It’s inadvisable for traveling out of state or being in close proximity to people that you don’t live with. This is due to the updated state guidelines and increased possibility of spreading the virus. If you must go out and about, it’s still highly requested to wear a mask in public.

If you do go home to celebrate with your immediate family, there’s still a slight chance of getting sick.

As stated by an email from Minnesota State University, Mankato President Davenport, the University recommends each student to get tested for COVID-19 before heading home for the holiday.

On the occasion you do get sick, plan enough time for self-quarantine, typically for 10-14 days. Try to travel alone if possible or at least with people you know that are low-risk. Depending on how the travel is done, self-quarantine upon arriving at the destination would be recommended in case of exposure during the trip. Overall, just be flexible with your plans. If travel isn’t possible, you can always use Zoom.

If there is to be a gathering, keep the guest size small and eat outdoors if possible.

When inside, open the windows, maintain distances and keep your mask on when not eating or drinking. As for the food itself, try to explore a smaller meal. To be precise, try to prepare the thighs, legs and/or breast.

You can go for a smaller bird like a roast chicken or duck. Try to prepare at least some of the dishes such as desserts beforehand. This can also allow time to prepare servings beforehand to reduce contact. Paper plates and cups as well as utensils as well to not only reduce ex-

MUSIC

CELEBRATION

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter Minnesota State dropped its season-opening series with Minnesota Duluth over the weekend at home.

period.

The Bulldogs score their fifth goal of the game in a quiet third period as they capitalize on yet another penalty from the Mavericks sophomore defenseman Charlotte Akervik.

Penalties seemed to dictate the game for both teams, as the Mavericks took seven penalties, and the Bulldogs took six, totaling 26 penalty minutes.

Saturday’s matinee game showed the Mavericks putting up more of a fight than previously, but in the end, Universi-

ty of Minnesota Duluth be the more conditioned team, putting up five straight goals after a close first two periods.

The Bulldogs played an all around better game as nine different players recorded points in their second win of the season, scoring a shorthanded goal for the second game in a row, and winning 49 faceoffs to the Mavericks’ 15.

Three Mavericks put up their first goals of the season. Madison Oelkers, Kelsey King, and Kennedy Bobyck all scored goals in the second pe-

riod in an intense battle to try to split the series.

Frank stopped 40 shots of the 47 she faced, putting up an .833 save percentage for the weekend. Even after a slow start to Friday night’s game, Frank continued to make flashy glove saves and do everything in her power to keep her team in the game. Although the team came up short in the end, Frank and the rest of the Mavericks put up a valiant effort against a top team in the nation.

CSU Hosts Live Mae Simpson Virtual Performance

By DESTINY KEMPF Staff Writer Mae Simpson, an original high energy funk, soul, and alternative band based out of Minneapolis, performed a live virtual concert in the Minnesota State University, Mankato Centennial Student Union Thursday.

The performance was organized by Lenny Koupal, the Communications Coordinator for the CSU, and Joe Scarpellino, the Minneapolis-based promoter who helped arrange the band’s visit to campus.

The performance, held in Ostrander Auditorium, originally was planned to hold in-person viewers as well, but because of the increase in COVID-19 cases, it was solely live streamed.

Fans could access the concert on the Centennial Student Union Facebook page, CSUSerendipity YouTube

Pandemic Tips: Celebrating Thanksgiving Safely

Photo grab from livestream

channel, and Mae Simpson Music Facebook page. KMSU also broadcast the performance from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.

However, Koupal stated, “Even though the auditorium was empty, they treated it like a live performance. Mae Simpson admitted that her energy gets a little more animated during the concerts, but it still was very exciting to watch.”

Mae Simpson Music was the 2019 City Pages Readers’ Choice for Best New Band. It also was nominated for Best Live Concert.

Koupal also mentioned how Simpson has a very loyal fanbase.

“As they were online on her page they were all saying ‘This is awesome’, ‘This is the best way to spend my lunch break’,

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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Variety

Vikings Succumb to Cowboys, 31-28

MSU Reporter • 7

CELEBRATION posure but also clean up.

MNSU students are looking ahead for their plans and creating a safe space for everyone.

“We’re going to be doing dinner with immediate family this year,” said student Ford Johnson.

“Afterwards, we’re going to have a Zoom meeting with extended family members who couldn’t be with us. It’s kind

MUSIC

BRUCE KLUCKHOHN • Associated Press Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson recovers a fumble by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, right, during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Minneapolis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The Minnesota Vikings stumbled through the first half, an uneven and undisciplined performance that was a little unlucky, too.

As well as they played against the Dallas Cowboys after that, those early mistakes made their margin for error too small to overcome.

The same might ultimately be said about their 2020 season. With their 31-28 defeat, the Vikings (4-6) squandered a prime opportunity to pull within one game of the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Andy Dalton returned from a two-game absence to throw three touchdown passes, hitting Dalton Schultz for a

2-yard score with 1:37 left to lift the Cowboys to victory on Sunday and stop the Vikings’ three-game winning streak.

“It was one of those games, and so many NFL games are like this, where one or two plays makes a difference,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “You know that going into the game, you feel that during the game, but we just didn’t come out on the right side of enough of those plays to win the game.”

“It was one of those games, and so many NFL games are like this, where one or two plays makes a difference,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “You know that going into the game, you feel that during the game, but we just

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didn’t come out on the right side of enough of those plays to win the game.”

The Cowboys took over at their 48 and drove for a touchdown and a 13-7 lead. When the Vikings had the ball next, center Garrett Bradbury was called for holding, two plays preceding a punt.

Continued from page 6

of a bummer since this would normally be the excuse to see the whole family and have fun but you gotta do what you got to do,” Johnson continued.

Everyone has been impacted by our current circumstances in some way shape or form.

We want to be with our loved ones, especially for the holidays, but we need to be smart at the same time.

Continued from page 6

favorite part about the entire performance. “What I really love about going and watching the livestream is you really hear the amazing vocals of Mae Simpson.”

Koupal encourages everyone to listen to the performance, no matter what kind of music you listen to. It will remain up on the Facebook page as well as the YouTube channel.

“If you have some downtime just put in some earbuds and listen to them. It’s a great way to just get an appreciation and pass some time with amazing music.

The Serendipity Music series is currently planning their lineup for the Spring Semester.

They hope to have Mae Simp-

son Music return for another performance in the future, so students can see them in person.

Other future plans for the Serendipity Music Series include the idea of potentially bringing in music connected with the university. This would include MNSU faculty, staff, alumni, etc. Koupal stated this idea is still in the initial stages and if it does not happen next semester, he hopes it will eventually happen.

“That gets back to the whole idea of this series. It’s all about exposing our campus community, our students to an array of music. But another key focus is we are bringing all Minnesota musicians to this series,” added Koupal.

8 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

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