December 4, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 twitter.com/@msureporter

facebook.com /msureporter

Minnesota State University, Mankato

www.themsureporter.com

TUESDAY

H 44 • L 21

H 43 • L 39

WEDNESDAY

THE RUN CONTINUES MAVERICKS

MAKE IT 13-0

ryan lund • msu reporter

Mavericks down Missouri Western, advance to face Valdosta State, details on page 13 HOFFNER CHARGES DISMISSED SEE PAGE 3

A&E

9

INDEX: SPORTS

13

CLASSIFIEDS

15

Page 2 • Reporter

News

Tuesday, December 4, 2012T

Black Friday leads to strikes, deaths, controversy Fatalities and strikes are making annual shopping day a hazard for shoppers and employees SAM WILMES

staff writer

Black Friday, a major holiday for many consumers across the nation, came a little early this year.

Sales kicked off at Sears, Target and Wal-Mar t at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Night, changing the standard operating procedure

down! I will stab one of you [expletive]!” In the past, tragedies have occur red over saving some money.

In 2008, at a Long Island Wal-Mar t, over 2,000 people stampeded into the store before it was even open, k nocking the hinges off of doors. Employees

On Black Friday, consumers spent 59.1 billion dollars, enough to subsidize the food stamp budget of the United States for an entire year.

of early Friday openings.

While protests occur red, and many decried Target, Wal-Mar t and Sears for opening their stores on Thanksgiving Night, Black Friday set consumerspending records.

Black Friday has seemed to bring the worst out in some people, with one man this year famously yelling when entering a K mar t in Sacramento, California, “Calm the [expletive]

tried for ming a chain to protect themselves, but it was to no avail. A 34-yearold temporar y worker ended up being trampled to death.

The most tragic par t of this incident was that the man could have been saved. Paramedics ar rived and were helping the man, until they too were overwhelmed by the mob, all to save a little money.

In the same stampede,

a woman suffered a miscar riage. Old women have been trampled and, coincidentally at another Wal-Mar t another person was paralyzed in another stampede.

Why people get this worked up over deals that will come around again remains to be seen, but crafty adver tising seems to be at least par t of the equation. Businesses line the back of newspapers with adver tisements riddled with great deals.

And consumers take the bait. This year consumers spent 59.1 billion dollars, enough to subsidize the food stamp budget of the United States for an entire year.

While protests occur red, and many people were outraged, some workers were accepting.

One worker lamented his company’s decision not to open on Thanksgiving Night.

“We lost money because of it,” he said.

While ack nowledging that star ting that early (Or late, depending on your

perspective) can be a problem for some workers, he insisted that with dinner done by midafter noon, he would easily have had time for a nap before work.

Many do not feel the same way however. In Califor nia, Wal-Mar t employees held a strike on the busiest day for the retail giant. Protesting not only for higher wages, the employees held the strike partially over the hours they were assigned to work.

In spite of the Wal-Mar t protests, Black Friday saw more than 247 million people f lood stores this year, up more than 21 million from last year. In a sign that the economy may be improving, shoppers also spent an average

of 423 dollars, up substantially from last year.

While many see Black Friday as yet another tool for cor porations to take advantage of consumers, others see it as a way to pump money into the economy.

What Black Friday seems to prove is that Christmas is now as much about commercialization as it is about religious beliefs. While the two ideals don’t necessarily go hand in hand, People want to get that great gift for the ones they love. While protests have occur red, as long as people enter the stores earlier and earlier, businesses will continue to open earlier-since they k now it is a sure moneymaker.

Need to scrap your vehicle? $$ CALL US $$ • Used parts, cars, trucks & repairables!

• Purchasing all grades of metal!

• 70' scale on-site!

• Free Pick Up! • Friendly, Reliable Service • Top Dollar Paid • Online Parts Search

HOURS: Mon.-Fri., 8-5

507-524-3735

(10 miles south on Hwy. 22)

bandrautotrucksalvage.com

LOOKING FOR AN UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVE? Try

ENG 493 THE ART OF THE HORROR FILM M/W 10-11:45 Students will study horror films throughout history and around the world in this World Cinema class. This course is also available at the graduate 500 level (ENG 593).

STILL LOOKING FOR A LOWER-DIVISION ELECTIVE? Try

Or

ENG 214 – 1

ENG 214 – 2

SCIENCE FICTION/ FANTASY FILMS

ROCK ‘N ROLL FILMS

T/TH 2-3:45

W 6-9:45

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

News

Reporter • Page 3

Child pornography charges dismissed, Hoffner innocent

Judge Krista Jass dismisses case against MSU head football coach

editor in chief

Child pornography charges against MSU Football Coach Todd Hoffner were dismissed this morning by Blue Earth County District Court Judge Krista Jass.

Jass argued that the two cellphone videos taken in June of his children dancing naked and touching them-

selves are not pornographic.

A press conference was held at Maschka, Riedy and Ries Friday afternoon to discuss the court’s ruling. Hoffner did not take any questions after the press conference, though he did speak on his behalf.

“There was never a crime here. There was never behavior that arguably was a crime,” said attorney Jerry Maschka.

“The Hoffner’s are part of

an exceptional family and a fiercely protective of their children. They would never do anything to harm them in any way.”

The 26-page ruling stated that the videos displayed nothing lewd, sexual or exploitative.

“I’ll be the first to let you know that I am sorry for using my cell phone to videotape some innocent, and harmless,

“Throughout this process, we have often wondered how this situation could have been handled differently, but more importantly, how can we prevent this from happening to another innocent family in the future?” Hoffner said.

Jerry Maschka stated that this decision was more than just ruling of innocence: it was an exoneration of an innocent man.

“It is our contention that the County Attorney’s Office brought these charges with little investigation and even less analysis,” Maschka said.

Fleming argued that the videos were taken out of context by Assistant Blue Earth County Attorney Mike Hanson during the course of the trial.

He also stated that one of the case’s initial investigators provided an incorrect description of what Hoffner said in

Hoffner / page 5

NOW LEASING 2012-2013 WHY U-SQUARE? • More time to sleep and study • Less money on gas and parking • Above or next to U-Square Mall VILLAGE 1

MEGAN KADLEC

VILLAGE 2

web photo The case against head football coach Todd Hoffner has been dismissed, but his future at MSU remains uncertain despite the ruling.

family moments,” Hoffner said. “I didn’t think twice when I used that phone to capture 102 seconds of family moments. At the time, I just thought I was being a good dad.”

Hoffner hopes that, since the charges have been dropped, he can continue on with his life.

“My wife and I have anticipated this day for a long time,” Hoffner said. “The last 102 days have been long, painful and a nightmare that my wife and I have had to endure. Our lives have been turned upside down. We have suffered considerable mental, physical and emotional hardship.”

Hoffner said that he will now turn his focus to protecting another family from being put through this situation, in which he described a “small group of people” who harness the power to harm an individual greatly.

Behind Maverick Bookstore

3BR & 4BR Across from Taylor Center

2BR, 3BR & 4BR

All apartments have wireless internet and DTV with 7 HBO's, NFL Network, MLB Network, NHL Network & All ESPN's.

UNIVERSITY SQUARE

VILLAGE APARTMENTS

507-385-7977 CALL TODAY!

USQUAREMANKATO.COM

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Ed/Op reporter-editor@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5454

REPORTER STAFF - FALL 2012

POLICIES & INFORMATION

Editor in Chief: Megan Kadlec (507) 389-5454

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Megan Kadlec at (507) 389-5454. 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, which can be contacted at (507) 389-2611.

NEWS EDITOR: Ryan Lund............................. (507) 389-5450

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run 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 $35.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

sports editor: Reece Hemmesch.................(507) 389-5227 Variety Editor: Emre Erku........................... (507) 389-5157 ADVERTISING sales: Natasha Jones.............(507) 389-1063 Business Manager: Jane Tastad................ (507) 389-1926 ADVERTISING DESIGN MGR.: Dana Clark....(507) 389-2793

• 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.

Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSUReporter or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/msureporter

Bring Todd Hoffner ‘Finals creep’ keeps students back into the on their toes #Mavfam The Hoffner’s have been through enough, it’s time to bring the head coach back.

RYAN LUND

news editor

The nightmare is over.

For the first time in four months, the Hoffner family can breathe a collective sigh of relief; after a long night of controversy they can begin to rebuild.

And in the midst of that rebuilding, as his family attempts to reconcile the events of the last year, Todd Hoffner deserves better.

Yes, the veteran head coach is a free man, or at least, as free as a man can be after having his reputation thoroughly shredded, his name dragged through the proverbial mud like so many displaced nose tackles attempting to slow the crushing advance of a national media juggernaut intent on driving it to the turf.

Hoffner, however, is not quite free, not yet.

The head coach’s saga, which began with his abrupt dismissal from practice

Aug. 17, will live on as the constant spectacle that it became, and that it continues to be.

The veteran head coach will continue to live with the far-reaching consequences of a pair of innocuous videos, absentmindedly recorded to his school-issued cell phone, for the rest of his career, and very likely the rest of his life.

While District Court Judge Krista Jass delivered a strongly worded dismissal of the controversial case last week, a proclamation that should have brought an abrupt end to the proceedings, the case lives on in what Minnesota State University, Mankato has dubbed an “internal investigation” into the matter.

That’s right, while his team stands on the cusp of a historic national title, undefeated and seemingly undeterred by the alleged scandal that leveled their head coach, their leaders

continues to wait.

The team, which has backed Hoffner unequivocally since his arrest, rose above that first obstacle as they have so many others; now it’s time for the current administration to do the same.

Assistant Blue Earth County Attorney Mike Hanson had noble goals, to save the Hoffner children from what he deemed a sexually abusive home environment, from the perceived danger of a father who has been proven guilty of nothing more than a slight lapse in judgment in where he chose to leave his private family moments.

In doing so, however, he has succeeded in condemning the Hoffner children to a childhood of questions, of unnecessary controversy. From the trauma of the courtroom, to questions about their father’s imprisonment, Hanson’s zeal has

MavFam / page 7

MEGAN KADLEC

editor in chief

After looking at my schedule for the remaining two weeks of the semester this morning, I was in a panic. Instead of having the two weeks to finish writing my papers and studying for my exams, I had exactly a week.

Instead of making deadlines during finals week, many of my professors were scheduling their final exams for the last week of classes, and some even earlier.

I had three essays due last week, accompanied by an exam. This week, I have two essays and two exams. Next week, during what the University designates as finals week, I have one paper due accompanied by a presentation for my Feminist Thought class: Nothing else. My finals commence on Tuesday.

Professors are wrapping up the semester earlier than ever, but at what cost? Many of these professors state that they don’t want their students to be overwhelmed during finals week, thus an earlier exam date will help.

The problem lies in the fact that most professors think like this, thus attempts at

“What is the no. 1 item on your holiday wishlist?”

Vanessa gubbels, sophomore, Elemetary education “Clothes and new movies.”

Guled kassim, freshman, computer engineering

Madelynn Berndt, sophomore, social studies education

“A car.”

“North Face jacket and boots.”

Ze Yang, freshman, nursing “iPhone 5.”

helping their students out are completely misguided. Maybe professors choose earlier exam dates and essay deadlines because they want to be done, too.

Understandable, but wouldn’t a professor want to give students as much time as possible to write a 20-page research paper worth half their grade? It would, allegedly, make the grading process easier and allow students to do better. Isn’t that what professors should strive for?

Students who do well in their classes while actually learning something?

At this rate, we’re going to start having finals before Thanksgiving. I say that jokingly, but it’s actually true – my United States Government professor held his final the week before Thanksgiving, giving anyone who wasn’t doing well in the change to participate in in optional unit for the last two weeks of class that would end in an exam that would void your lowest test score. Nice, but weird.

When I was a first year student at MSU, my Introduction to Ethics professor told the class that he was required to

Finals / page 7

Compiled by Lela Magxaka

Chris Cronin, Senior, elementary education “iPod.”

T

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

News

Stocks market dips as ‘fiscal cliff’ nears NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks edged lower on Wall Street Monday after a surprisingly weak manufacturing report heightened concern that fiscal deadlock in Washington is already hurting the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 50 points to 12,975 as of 1:37 p.m. Eastern. The Standard and Poor’s 500 was down five points at 1,411. The Nasdaq composite was down six points to 3,004.

U.S. manufacturing declined in November, the Institute for Supply Management reported.

The ISM’s index fell to 49.5 from 51.7 a month earlier, below the 51.2 reading forecast by analysts. Any number below 50 on the scale means that manufacturing is contracting.

Businesses expressed concerns about the “fiscal cliff,” a series of sharp government spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to start Jan. 1 unless an agreement is reached to cut the budget deficit.

“The ISM numbers probably took a little air out of what was some hope for better news on where the economy is going,” said Jim Dunigan, executive vice president at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia.

“We’re still in the camp that this gets resolved and we don’t go over the cliff, but there’s a lot of angst between now and then.”

The White House and Congress are still seeking to hammer out a budget deal that

will avoid the “cliff.” Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner, have balked at President Barack Obama’s opening proposal of $1.6 trillion in higher taxes over a decade, a possible extension of the temporary Social Security payroll tax cut and heightened presidential power to raise the national debt limit.

“There’s a sense of insecurity until the President and Boehner get their act together,” said Ben Schwarz, chief market strategist at New York-based brokerage Lightspeed Financial.

“If they put together a package in short order, if they do it in the next couple of weeks, you’ll see a strong rally.”

Stocks have fluctuated since the Nov. 6 election as investors worried that a deal may not be reached in time to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts. The S&P 500 is still about 1 percent below its closing level on the day that Americans went to the polls, having fallen as much as 5 percent in the weeks following the election.

Wall Street opened higher Monday following news that manufacturing activity in China, the world’s second largest economy, grew for the first time in 13 months and after Greece announced details of a bond buyback program. The Dow had been up as much as 62 points shortly after the opening bell.

December is historically the best month for stocks. The S&P 500 has advanced an average

of 1.95 percent over the past 30 years during the month of December, according to research from Schaeffer’s Investment Research. The next best month is April, with an average return of 1.68 percent. The worst month is September, where investors lose an average of 0.72 percent.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose 2 basis points to 1.63 percent.

Other stocks making big moves: —Dell rose 42 cents to $10.06 after Goldman Sachs raised its rating to “Buy” from “Sell.” Goldman cited Dell’s healthy cash balance and said a recent decline in the stock may have been overdone. Dell has slumped this year on concern that consumers are migrating away from desktop PCs and laptops to portable devices such as tablets and phones.

— Health Management Associates fell 37 cents to $7.59 after the CBS news program “60 Minutes” broadcast a segment critical of the company’s patient admission policies. The program included interviews with former employees who said HMA pressured its emergency room doctors to admit patients.

—Supervalu jumped 26 cents to $2.65 following a report that private equity firm Cerberus is considering multiple options for buying parts of the struggling grocery store chain.

RENT RATES FOR 2013 SCHOOL YEAR:

$400 per room (apartments) $430 per room (townhomes) (Includes, FREE internet & cable)

744 James Avenue Mankato, MN 56001

507.387.3771

Email: huntington.hills@live.com

Reporter • Page 5

HOFFNER “If there is a clause in the contract that makes his employment conditional on him staying out of legal trouble or something to that effect, they could consider these allegations breah of contract.” continued from 3 the videos. Blue Earth County Sheriff Investigator Jerry Billiar wrote in his report that Hoffner told his children to “do it again” in one of the videos. As a subsequent result of this information, a search warrant was ordered and used to search Hoffner’s home in Eagle Lake.

According to Jass, in her ruling that dismissed the charges, all that Hoffner said during the videos were “Wow. Are you guys done,” and, “Is the show over.”

Hoffner was escorted off the practice field and placed on administrative leave at the University Aug. 17. He was arrested at his home days later, charged with two felony counts of child pornography for videos found on his universityissued cell phone. The videos depicted Hoffner’s children, between 5 and 9 years of age, dancing naked.

He has been the head football coach at MSU since 2008. The Mavericks, lead by assistant coach Aaron Keen, are currently 13-0, headed into Saturday’s match up against Valdosta State (10-2) at Blakeslee Stadium in the NCAA Division II national semi-finals.

The University is not yet finished with their internal investigation, according to a university official. They added that, until the investigation is complete, Hoffner will remain

on paid administrative leave.

“We are asking the University to send a message that reason should prevail over hysteria and that people shouldn’t be punished because they have been wrongly accused of criminal behavior,” Maschka said.

During Friday’s press conference, Hoffner stated that he would like to be reinstated in his position as the Maverick’s head football coach.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to my life, my job and my family,” Hoffner said.

The question that now remains in the minds of all those involved: Will the university allow him to continue coaching or will the simply buy out his $400,000 plus contract?

According to a student who is studying at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn, “If there is a clause in the contract that makes his employment conditional on him staying out of legal trouble or something to that effect, they can consider these allegations breach of contract and legally refuse performance.”

Whether or not there is such a clause exists in Hoffner’s employment is unknown.

A press release from MSU stated that state law prohibited the release of further information regarding the University’s internal investigation.

Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding job?

New and valuable experiences?

A job that fits your class schedule?

The Harry Meyering Center has the job for you!

HMC is a non-profit agency committed to helping people with developmental disabilities lead full lives in the Mankato Community. No experience or special skills necessary we will provide paid training for needed skills!

As a Direct Support Professional for HMC, you will receive: • Paid orientation and training • Work schedules that consider your class schedule • Excellent wage: $9.18 per hour Monday-Friday and $10.18 per hour on Saturday & Sunday.

• Work-site close to campus and on bus route • Valuable and rewarding experience.

Currently accepting applications for: • Direct Support Professional Part-time One to three evening shifts during the week; every other Saturday and Sunday (8 hours rotating shifts); plus fill-in & holidays.

Contact Jami DeVos, HR Director, for more information at 507-388-8972 or apply on line at our website:

w w w. h ar r ym e ye r ingc e nt e r.org

Page 6 • Reporter

News

Tuesday, December 4, 2012T

The Daily, original iPad newspaper, closing its doors

Wealth of other options makes standing out difficult in crowded App Store.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It was too expensive. It lacked editorial focus. And for a digital publication, it was strangely cut off from the Internet.

That’s the obituary being written in real time through posts, tweets and online chats about The Daily, the first-of-its-kind iPad newspaper that is being shut down this month.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. said Monday that The Daily will publish its final issue on Dec. 15, less than two years after its January 2011 launch. The app has already been removed from Apple’s iTunes, where it once received lukewarm ratings.

The Daily had roughly 100,000 subscribers who paid either 99 cents a week or $40 a year for its daily download of journalism tailored for touch screens. But that wasn’t enough to sustain some 100 employees and millions of dollars in losses since its launch. At the time of its debut, News Corp. said The Daily’s operating costs would amount to about half a million dollars a week, or around $26 million a year.

When News Corp. launched The Daily, it was touted as a bold experiment in new media.

The company hired top-name

journalists from other publications, such as the New York Post’s former Page Six editor, Richard Johnson, and said it poured $30 million into the newspaper’s launch. Now, the company is acknowledging that The Daily no longer has a place at News Corp., which is being split in two to separate its publishing enterprises from its TV and movie businesses.

Murdoch said in a statement that News Corp. “could not find a large enough audience quickly enough to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long-term.”

Some employees are being hired in other parts of the company.

Critics say The Daily’s dayto-day mix of news, opinion and info-graphics wasn’t that different from content available for free on the Internet.

And despite a high-profile launch that drew lots of media attention, the publication failed to build a distinctive brand.

There was no ad campaign touting its coverage and stories weren’t accessible to nonsubscribers, so it didn’t benefit from buzz that comes from social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

Trevor Butterworth, who

wrote a weekly column for The Daily called “The Information Society,” says the disconnect between the app and the broader Internet curtailed its reach. He was laid off in July when the publication shrank from 170 workers to about 120. As part of the purge, The Daily cut its dedicated opinion section and dropped sports coverage in favor of using a feed from its News Corp. sister outfit, Fox Sports.

“Stories weren’t widely shared or widely known,” says Butterworth. “It felt like I was writing into the void.”

When it launched, The Daily was meant to take advantage of the explosion of tablet computer sales, and the notion that people generally read on them in the morning or evening, like a magazine.

But each issue came in a giant file — sometimes 1 gigabyte large — and took 10 or 15 minutes to download over a broadband connection, which is unheard of for news apps, says Matt Haughey, the founder of MetaFilter.com, one of the first community blogs on the Internet.

Because the stories weren’t linkable, The Daily didn’t benefit from new Internet

traffic that would have come from content aggregators like Flipboard and Tumblr.

“They ignored the obvious, which was the Web,” Haughey says. Although many people are foregoing buying a laptop for the lightweight convenience of a tablet, the day hasn’t arrived yet when all online access will come through apps rather than the Web. “Maybe in five or 10 years, the Web will be less important,” he says.

“For now it seems like they were missing out.”

It may also have been a problem that News Corp. launched The Daily from scratch into an environment where readers tend to gravitate toward trusted sources and established brands. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, 84 percent of mobile device users said a news app’s brand was a major factor in deciding whether to download it.

One of the intangible challenges The Daily had was standing out in a sea of online journalism, both paid and free.

Some national newspapers, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have carved out a niche with informed coverage of sometimes complex topics and have

VOTED BEST BURGER IN SOUTHERN MN!

gained paying digital subscribers by limiting the number of free articles they offer online.

Gannett Co., which publishes USA Today and about 80 other newspapers, has succeeded in raising circulation revenue at local papers by putting up so-called online “pay walls,” taking advantage of the fact that there are few alternative sources of coverage for certain communities.

Without a unique coverage niche or a local monopoly, The Daily was caught between two worlds.

By being digital-only, the publication didn’t have a defined coverage area. It was “in competition with everybody and everything,” says Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. Yet it failed to carve out its own niche in that larger universe, he says.

“Its lack of editorial focus played a role,” Benton notes.

“It was sort of a pleasant, middle-brow, slightly tabloidy mix of news and features. And there’s lots of that available for free online. I would imagine if ‘The Daily’ were starting again now, they would invest more in establishing their brand identity early on.”

Staff: Campus Pastor Wong, Reverend Roger Knepprath, Mark Probst, Sr. Asst. Jesse DeDyne, RA Kody Green

1506 WARREN STREET • MANKATO • MN (Look for our electronic sign!)

507-345-4511

www.beaconwels.org

$2.00 OFF

The Duke Burger (Not valid Thursdays)

One coupon per customer.

Mondays • Wednesdays • Fridays Bible Study Wednesdays • Vespers 9 pm Thursdays • $1 Supper 5:30 pm, Bible Study 6:30 pm

FOR ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS We offer a quiet place to study, a computer lab, a kitchen to prepare meals, TVs, free washer & dryer, Bible studies, counseling, and great friendships!

CENTER HOURS: 8am-10pm OFFICE HOURS: M-W, 12-5pm; Thurs 9am-9pm

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

News

Reporter • Page 7

#MAVFAM “MSU, on the other FINALS hand, insists on keeping the Hoffner’s LOOMING nightmare alive, all while his team continues down the road to a national continued from 4 championship.” use the final exam time continued from 4 damaged them far more effectively than a universityissued cell phone ever could.

This appears to be the consequence of a post-Paterno world, one where the mere suggestion that children may have been harmed is enough to ignite a judgmental firestorm, courtroom be damned.

The Huffington Post certainly didn’t wait, nor did ESPN, where the initial story was breaking news, while his exoneration has been inexplicably downgraded to back-page status.

The assembled members of the media, despite our perceived roles as judge, jury and frequently as executioner, are often far more reluctant to take the defensive.

Condemnation, it would seem, makes for a more compelling headline.

The circus, however, has finally come to a halt. The media’s role in Todd Hoffner’s story is largely over, just as Mike Hanson’s is.

The prosecutor is off to greener convictions, while the assembled national media shuff le off in vaguely disguised disappointment, sharpening their keyboards for another day.

MSU, on the other hand, insists on keeping the Hoffners’ nightmare alive, all while his team continues down the road to a national title.

The school that should have been in Hoffner’s corner, that should have wiped his bloodied brow between bouts and lifted his spirits when the odds appeared to lengthen, should be rallying behind him now, welcoming its wrongly accused head coach back into the fold with open arms, to share in the very success that he was so fundamental in orchestrating.

Contractual obligations and closed-door legal issues aside, Hoffner deserves the support of the “#MavFam” that the school’s Twitter account has been promoting throughout the Mavericks’ playoff run.

It’s an odd choice for a promotional tool when the man who needs that family the most is behing denied it, despite the legal action that dragged his name through something far worse than mud.

Todd Hoffner, father, deserved better then; Todd Hoffner, coach, deserves better now.

designated by the University.

We went to class during finals week, on Thursday night, to watch a movie and discuss our final papers.

I’m not sure if my professor was lying to me or the University has since changed their rules, but it seems to me that very few professors are taking advantage of their scheduled final exam times anymore.

Out of the five classes I am taking this semester, only one meets during finals week. Many of the friends I have talked to about this have similar situations. One of my good friends is done with everything Friday, and is able to go home before finals week has even began.

So, as we enter what could be deemed the “new finals week,” here is my advice: Take a break, breathe, and prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Take twenty minutes to write down everything you need to complete before the end of the semester and rank it based on importance and deadline.

Writing that 15-page Sociology due next Wednesday might seem like the most important thing at the moment, but it could make your forget about your Chemistry exam this Friday.

Good luck on all of your exams, essays and projects, Mavericks. The end is near.

With Land to Air Express and its connecting partner Jefferson Lines, you can get where you need to go, stress free! Land to Air provides connections to cities throughout Minnesota, in addition to the airport. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

No bothering family and friends, no parking issues, no fighting traffic, no trouble with the weather! Save time, money and aggravation.

Afternoon schedules. Pickup by the Waves sculpture on MNSU campus by reservation.

Page 8 • Reporter

Advertisement

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A&E

APP OF THE WEEK:

NEW RELEASES

Polkast Music

IN THEATRES: The Guilt Trip....................... December 19 This is 40............................. December 21 Jack Reacher....................... December 21

Polkast LLC Play any song from your computer directly from your phone wirelessly.

Free app.

IN MUSIC: Smashing Pumpkins................December 4 Eric Clapton......................... December 11 Rush.................................... December 18

TODAY’S TRIVIA

QUESTION: On this date, 1988, what actor was in a motorcycle accident?

Bring the correct answer to CSU 293 to claim today’s prize!

reporter-arts@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5157

An Editor’s Thought

Typical Christmas music and the cure to its sickness EMRE K. ERKU

a&e editor

W

ho doesn’t love listening to Bing Crosby on a chilling Christmas Eve with a glass full of warmth on the rocks, sitting on a cozy recliner parallel to a bright burning fire crackling like mini fireworks? Who doesn’t love spending time with their true loved ones in front of a giant TV screen watching A Charlie Brown Christmas while the family dog or cat peacefully sleeps on the end of the couch?

Yes, Christmas time is the perfect way to enjoy the fruits of our labor with the ones we care about, and it is the perfect opportunity to experience a perfect life, even if it’s temporary. But this holiday isn’t just aimed at listening to the same old thing over and over again.

There’s more out there than Felix Bernard’s “Winter Wonderland” or Dean Martin’s version of “Let it snow.” The world isn’t just only filled with the typical Christmas life of suburban America – Christmas is for all.

In the opinion of yours truly, classic Christmas songs are fine to listen to, but at times they can be extremely repetitive and they possess the potential to provoke insanity.

Christmas music is an open door for all genres to enter, not just martini lounge singles that almost pollute the ears of the young. And Christmas music shouldn’t just represent the cliché mindsets of happiness and peace – not all people have it good.

Rap and hip-hop are genres that throw all the cliché Christmas music aside and gives insight into the shortcomings of society.

This doesn’t mean that all of it represents the turmoil of living an impoverished American life, but much of it includes the harsh realities of enduring violence, sex, drugs and everything in between.

“Where do the homeless and

bums got to sleep, where do the hungry and needy greedy got to eat?” Raps Dat Ni**a Daz, on the Snoop Dog single, “Santa Claus Goes to the Ghetto” – a song that exposes gangster life during the holidays. With a funky baseline

ous gangster rappers of all time.

He was a pioneer in the rap game.

Starting with his label “Ruthless Records” and his group NWA, Easy made his way into stardom with controversial ideals such as disobedience to the police and

and the deep voice of the late Nate Dogg, Snoop also raps about his infamous love for marijuana.

“Now on the first day of Christmas, my homeboy gave to me a sack of the krazy glue and told me to smoke it up slowly,” raps Snoop.

Another famous Christmas rap song comes from the late Easy-E, one of the most notori-

selling drugs. The man didn’t care about what the rest of the world thought, and this is why he was such a master at his trade.

Instead of sleigh bells and frightful weather, it’s sex under the mistletoe and smoking on chronic in E’s song “Merry Mothafu*#in Christmas.” The song is just a fun version of gangster life during quarter four.

Inebriation is another fun topic that rappers include with their holiday cheer. Take for example Dirty Boyz’s 2005 Christmas single, “All I want for Christmas,” a song that is all about getting “crunked” off Hennessey during Christmas Eve. Lyrics include “dashing through the snow in a stolen Chevrolet with my broken taillight ridin’ dirty all the way.” This leads to wishing Santa Claus would drop felonies off the rappers’ records. This song exemplifies the drunkenness of the American public during the holidays, something that oldies are not capable of.

But, it is true that there is at least one rap song out there that we, including our parents, are familiar with.

From the legends out of Queens, NY came a song that popularized in the 1980’s. Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” is a song that can be considered an element of the classical category.

It is a song that compares to the likings of Crosby and Martin.

Bars and lounges of near of far play the continuously play the song like it’s going out of style – the thing is, it never will. This song tops any other Christmas piece indefinitely.

It has the funkiest beat ever, and is complemented by the raw powered voices of Run and D.M.C. As the head-bobbing beat begins, D.M.C raps, “Its Christmas time in Hollis Queens, moms cooking chicken and collard greens.” And you know the rest.

Playing this song at any Christmas party compels people to get wild. It is the most feel-good Christmas rap song of our generation and the last.

So, Mavericks, instead of choking yourselves to death with baby boomer lounge music that repeats itself year after year, try listening to something different – something that shows people out there that Christmas isn’t always a walk in the park. Some people in this world have to deal with things that others don’t have to, and rap is a great way to get in touch with this fact.

Page 10 • Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 T

Trish Bjerke’s Take on Celebrity Gossip TRISH BJERKE

staff writer

Royal Pregnancy Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant!

On Monday, Middleton, 30, was admitted to the hospital due to hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a severe form of morning sickness. Sometimes, the cause of hyperemesis gravidarum is carrying multiples. It is unknown how far along the duchess is, but it is somewhere under the 12-week mark. Kate and her husband, Prince William, were married last year at Westminster Abbey. The child will be third in line to take the throne when it is born.

Trouble for Travolta?

Another one of John Travolta’s alleged gay lovers has come forward. Doug Gotterba recently spoke to the National Enquirer about their supposed affair and claims that Travolta’s attorney mailed him a letter threatening to sue him. Gotterba says the attorney, Marty Singer, wants to sue him for violating a confidentiality agreement that was signed when he stopped working as Travolta’s pilot.

Gotterba turned around and filed his own lawsuit against Travolta on the grounds that he is “being held to a contract

that doesn’t exist and that he should be able to speak without legal fear.”

NFL Shocker On Dec.1, Kansas City Chief’s linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend nine times after she had threatened to leave him. He then drove to the Chief’s practice facility and committed suicide in front of his head coach, Romeo Crennel, and general manager Scott Piolo. Belcher joined the anti-violence group Male Athletes Against Violence while he was in college, so what triggered him to snap?

According to the Huffington Post, traumatic brain injury is frequent in NFL players and can cause emotional, social or behavioral problems. It can also cause changes in personality, like “disinhibition, inability to control anger and impulsiveness.” Additionally, Belcher had begun drinking every day and taking painkillers. He is the sixth NFL player to commit suicide in the past two years.

Taylor Swift’s Next Ex Country/pop singer Taylor Swift is back off the market.

One Direction’s Harry Styles, 18, and the 22-year-old country crooner have gone public over the weekend. In mid-November, they were caught holding

hands backstage at The X Factor and on Sunday they were spotted in Central Park. In late October, Swift and then boyfriend Conor Kennedy broke up because of different schedules and distance. Wonder how long Styles will last.

The Biggest Loser In January, The Biggest Loser will kick off Season 14 of the show. For the first time, the reality series will have children participants joining the adults. The show follows overweight individuals as they lose weight and become healthier. The 15 adult contestants will be split into three teams, with one child assigned to each team. Two of the children are eighth graders and one child is a junior in high school. TBL’s producers have stated “the teens won’t be subject to quite the same public humiliation as the overweight adults. The teens will not be weighed on the air, and they won’t be eliminated.”

The focus for the teens is not winning the competition, but health and child obesity awareness.

of former boy band 98 Degrees, didn’t apologize for his behavior. Instead, he proudly tweeted, “Just got kicked out of the chargers stadium and couldn’t be prouder! Go Cincy Bengals! #whodey” After the Bengals won the game, he tweeted, “Bengals win again.

I’d talk trash to everyone in SD, but what’s the point? You already had me kicked out of the stadium and you still lost.”

Now that’s an extreme fan.

And now… Time for everyone’s favorite Lindasy Lohan is back in the news, folks. On Nov. 29, the actress was booked for third degree misdemeanor.

Tiffany Mitchell, a psychic, claims that Lohan punched her in a New York City nightclub.

Lohan feels as if she was the “victim of a well calculated setup because shortly after she turned down Tiffany’s offer of a palm reading, she noticed some of the psychic’s

friends gathering around her designer purse at another table.” Reportedly, friends informed the 26-year-old redhead that Tiffany’s friends had stolen her bag.

Lohan thinks that Mitchell is scamming her to make money and has reportedly hired a private investigator to search into her background. An unnamed client of Mitchell’s says that the psychic is a professional liar: “I went to see (Mitchell) for about three weeks in November 2011. She used fear tactics to make it seem that I could be in real trouble if I didn’t pay her $43,000.

She senses when people are vulnerable and when she can make money. I complained about her (Mitchell) to Palm Beach Police but they didn’t do anything about it. I didn’t pay her, but I’m sure others in Palm Beach did.” Can’t wait until Lohan and Mitchell get to the bottom of this.

Nick Lachey: Getting Feisty On Sunday, Nick Lachey was kicked out of the San Diego Chargers stadium for trash talking. Lachey, a member

HELP WANTED The MSU Reporter has immediate openings for Student Advertising Sales Representatives.

We are looking for outgoing students who are comfortable meeting potential clients in person and maintaining communication with them on a weekly basis.

Position requires 20 hrs./week during daytime business hours and must have access to a vehicle.

Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply.

Stop by the Reporter Office (CSU 293) for an application or for more information.

$10 Off Any Piercing (MINIMUM OF $40)

$20 Off Any tattoo (MINIMUM OF $100)

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A&E

Reporter • Page 11

December 4 Home Video Release: The Dark Knight Rises

• web photo

JAMES SCHUYLER HOUTSMA

web editor

When it comes to trilogies, the toughest part is sticking the landing and delivering great third movie. Only a select few are known to have an exceptional third part with even fewer having all three movies be exceptional. And despite almost losing its balance in a few places and the ungodly expectations placed upon it from the get-go, The Dark Knight Rises lands with relative grace and delivers an ambitious and engaging finish.

Eight years after taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes as Two-Face, Bruce Wayne has given up the mantle of Batman but has not moved on in life.

Damaged both physically and emotionally, things start to pick back up after cat burglar Selina Kyle steals his fingerprints. Now Bruce/Batman is pitting against Bane, an international terrorist and a powerhouse of intimidation, as well as other mistakes from the past in a final gauntlet he may not survive.

Ambitious is the tip of the iceberg in describing The Dark

Knight Rises. It makes many daring decisions people probably weren’t expecting and with it essentially being three hourlong movies put into one, there is so much to take in that one viewing simply is not enough to appreciate what is going on.

But oh how there is much to appreciate.

Christopher Nolan’s precise direction makes this behemoth move along at a great pace.

More importantly his talent with themes, this time specifically pain, despair, fear, class warfare, and hope, puts the movie above standard popcorn fare and gives us material to ponder upon.

As with almost every Nolan movie, the cast knocks it out of the park. Christian Bale gets more Bruce Wayne screen time than Batman, but this movie completely bridges the gap between the two and makes you give a damn about the character all the way through.

Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman brings out the best elements of that character and is captivating. Every word out of the

mouth(piece) of Tom Hardy’s Bane is instantly quotable (and no, I didn’t have much trouble understanding him). Michael Caine breaks your heart. Gary Oldman brings the inner turmoil.

And Joseph Gordon-Levitt provides a fresh perspective on the film’s happenings.

However, as a faction of internet-land has been screeching since July, the problems with The Dark Knight Rises lie in the writing. With such an ungodly epic amount of material to convey in under three hours, the seams are more visible than they should be, coming in the form of an occasional plot hole, overly expository dialogue, rushed sections, and maybe the worst comeback ever written (“So you came back to die with your

city.” “No. I came back to stop you.” Facepalm).

What should be kept in mind though is that so very few of these issues make the even slightest dent in the movie’s impact. The journey of Bruce/ Batman as he is propelled towards the end of his career as the dark knight is so engaging, thanks to Nolan, the cast, and the technical crew (production design, cinematography, sound editing/mixing, visual effects, and score are all among the best this decade has to offer), that harping on things like how the reactor was a bomb or illogical it was for Bruce to get back to Gotham is so beside the point and just stupid.

The opening plane heist, Batman’s triumphant return, the

first beatdown between Bane and Batman, or one of numerous other memorable scenes. The Blu-ray release featuring special IMAX sequences. Earthshattering audio. A plethora of special features. Completing the terrific trilogy with a terrific entry. Need I go on with reasons to swiftly pick this movie up?

The release of The Dark Knight Rises is an occasion to Rise for and once it is available, then you have my permission to buy.

The Dark Knight Rises is now available on Blu-Ray/DVD and VOD, with the fire rising on 12/18 for Redbox, while those waiting for Netflix will just have to imagine the fire until 12/24.

NEW TUESDAY SPECIAL 10 P.M. - 11 P.M. "The BEST SPECIAL IN MANK ATO"

Serving the Mankato area since 1961.

Experienced drivers.

Let us be your designated driver!

Local & Long Distance Call for a quote!

Reliable service at fair prices.

388-7433

Prompt, courteous service.

Now offering discounts to students and veterans!

Our variety of cars and minivans are sure to meet your needs. No charge for extra passengers.

Expires 12/27/12

Open 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week

Page 12 • Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

MSU’S Theatre and Dance to Perform This Weekend

TRISH BJERKE

staff writer

On Friday and Saturday the Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Theatre and Dance will perform its Fall Dance Concert in the Ted Paul Theatre of the Early Center for Performing Arts.

The concert will feature choreographed pieces from seven performers. Dr. Julie Kerr-Berry, a professor and Dance Program Director at MSU, and Daniel Stark, a dance instructor at MSU, will join choreographic talents with guest artists Gabriel Anderson and Penelope Freeh and students Sophia Cecile Pimsler, Brenda Martinson and Michelle

Collins.

Last year, Kerr-Berry won National Dance Education Organization’s Outstanding Leadership award. She started the dance program at MSU and is well known throughout the dance world.

Anderson, an independent dance artist and performer, is a former company member of Mathew Janczewki’s ARENA DANCES. He has performed at both national and international levels and currently teaches at MSU as an adjunct professor.

The concert will open with Freeh’s piece called “Ancient Elegy,” a ballet dance using “’vocabulary’ to get the audience thinking.” Freeh has worked with groups like Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Ballet, Skylark Opera and the Walker Art Center/Southern

AA CAMPUS MEETING Weggy's (University Square) Wednesday Nights at 7:30 p.m.

Closed meeting focusing on college students interested in recovery

expert auto repairs • Since 1957 •

Repairs • Tune-Ups • Mufflers • Brakes • Batteries • Air Conditioning Electrical • Flush Transmissions • Cooling Systems Brake Systems • Power Streering Systems • Fuel Systems

ONE STOP REPAIR CENTER

s r

r

TM

127 WASHINGTON STREET E., MANKATO

For all of your automotive repair and towing needs

(507) 345-5005 465 Poplar St., Mankato

Theatre’s Momentum. For the past seventeen years, she has been with Twin Cities-based James Sewell Ballet. She also works as an adjunct ballet teacher at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Kerr-Berry’s piece is intended to introduce newer dancers to the audience. Stark and Anderson’s pieces are based on the extremities of emotion and the questioning of progress, respectively.

According to the MSU Dance website, Stark believes that dance was first built on movement and is trying to establish what the movements are trying to say. His new work is, “based around the extremities of emotion and how to reveal the reasoning behind emotions.”

Pimsler, a junior Dance

major, formed the piece “Floccus.” “Floccus” is about a community that “empathizes with one another but reveals the individuals’ true identity and feelings.” Last year, Pimsler choreographed for both Fall and Spring Student Showcases.

This will be her first piece on the main stage.

Sophomore Martinson found inspiration for her piece, “5812,” in the 58th book of the Bible. The dance will challenge the audience to look past what is happening today and see the hope that tomorrow could bring.

Collins, a BFA candidate, shaped her acrobatic piece “Parallel Dream” around the “concept of being manipulated by sources.”

Because there are seven different choreographers, the Fall

Dance Concert will hold a lot of versatility. More than twenty dancers will perform both traditional ballet and modern dance.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available for purchase online at MSUTheatre.com or MSUDance.com. You may also buy them through the Box Office located in the lobby of the Earley Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are $8 for current students and $10 for regular admission.

On Sunday, Dec. 9, a Student Dance Showcase will be held at 2:00 p.m. In addition to Pimsler, Collins and Martinson’s pieces, the event will showcase the works of other MSU Dance majors. Tickets are $5.

THIS WEEK IN MAVERICK SPORTS:

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Sports

THURSDAY

DECEMBER 6TH FRIDAY

DECEMBER 7TH SATURDAY

reporter-sports@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5227

DECEMBER 8TH

NO EVENTS SCHEDULED

2:07 pm WOMEN’S HOCKEY...................................@ St. Cloud State 7:37 pm MEN’S HOCKEY..................................vs. Alaska Anchorage 8:00 pm BASKETBALL................................................ vs.Winona State 2:00 pm FOOTBALL................................................. vs. Valdosta State 6:00 pm WOMEN’S BASKETBALL.................................vs. Upper Iowa 7:07 pm MEN’S HOCKEY.......................................Alaska Anchorage

FOR MORE COVERAGE OF your favorite Maverick TEAMS VISIT: MSUMavericks.com

On to the next one, Mavericks move forward with 17-10 victory

MSU is now two victories away from a national championship after Saturday’s win over Missouri Western State. The Mavericks will now play Valdosta State this saturday with a trip to the national championship on the line.

No. 8 MWS No. 3 MSU

JOEY DENTON

staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Junior quarterback Jon Wolf led the Mavericks to victory once again with a thrilling performance which included 100 yards in the air, 67 yards on the ground and this 20-yard scamper for a second-quarter touchdown.

After three quarters of hard nose football, the Mavericks needed one score and one drive to take them to the next round in the NCAA tournament, and they got it.

With the score knotted at 10 and game clock reading 8:51, the no. one seeded Maverick offense took the field and drove the ball 68 yards before redshirt freshman running back Conner Thomas broke through the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown run.

It was then Missouri Western State’s turn to tie up the game with 3:16 left in regulation when sophomore linebacker Kris Fleigle, who ended the game with 9 tackles, at their own 1-yard line, sacked quarterback Travis Partridge.

On third and 18, the Griffons were trying to produce a big play when Partridge threw the ball thirty yards, but it would end up in the hands of senior safety Earl Brooks for an interception.

The Mavericks would keep control of the ball until the end of the game, giving MSU a 17-10 victory and another game to play.

With the Griffons coming in to the matchup eighth in the country in rushing yards per

10 17

game with 280 and with one of the best running backs in division II in Michael Hill, the Mavericks game plan was to stop the run, and so they did. At the end of the game, Hill only got 50 yards on 15 carries and Partridge only moved the ball 29 yards on the ground in seven carries.

“I thought our guys from a defensive line standpoint, linebacker standpoint, and even in to the secondary did a great job of doing their job and filling gaps and minimizing his opportunities to break in to the open,” acting head coach Aaron Keen said.

The Mavericks also bullied the Griffons in their passing game as well with getting three interceptions, including the game clincher

by Brooks.

On the other side of the ball, the Mavericks were able to move the ball on the ground, and get some key plays from junior quarterback Jon Wolf, with his legs and arm. When the Mavericks were stuck in a third and long situation, more times than not, Wolf scrambled out of a collapsing pocket and bought more time until he found open receivers down the field.

In their rushing attack,

Thomas was able to find the holes in the Mavericks’ zone blocking scheme as he ran for 159 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.

Wolf followed up with 67 yards of his own on 17 carries.

Junior offensive lineman Andrew Essman feels confident that if the holes for the running backs are there, they will find and bust through them.

“We are really confident in our run game,” Essman said. “We have great backs back that can always produce for us. We’re confident in making holes for him.”

And coach Keen knows that teams play differently every game and to have to run against two dominant defensive ends in David Bass and Ben Pister, he saw a great performance in the run game from the sidelines.

“I thought our guys did a great job of executing the game plan up front, from a running back standpoint and even from a quarterback standpoint running the football,” Keen said.

With the victory, the Mavericks stay alive in the NCAA division II tournament and get to be hosts once again with Valdosta State coming to play. The 10-2 Blazers defeated Carson-Newman 48-26 in the Super Region no. 2 final on Saturday. Kickoff will be at 2 p.m. at Blakeslee Stadium.

MSU hockey earns a sweep for second weekend in a row The Maverick men’s hockey team scored nine goals on the weekend from nine different players to oust Bemidji State.

RYAN LUND

news editor

At 6 feet, 2 inches, with a lanky frame, an excitable demeanor and an acrobatic skillset, freshman Stephon Williams could be seen as the prototypical college goaltender.

However, for 172 minutes, a shutout streak that began November 24th in Wisconsin’s crowded Kohl Center and ended midway through the third period Saturday night, the Alaska native was anything but prototypical.

Williams backstopped the Minnesota State University men’s hockey team to its second sweep of the season last weekend, as the Mavericks downed the visiting Bemidji State Beavers a combined 9-1.

MSU set the tone early Friday,

Bemidji State MSU

0 3

putting BSU’s defense to work with a series of quick chances.

The speedy start paved the way for sophomore Matt Leitner, whose shot was turned aside by BSU netminder Mattieu Dugas in tight, before freshman forward Dylan Margonari stuffed the errant rebound past Dugas glove-side for his 4th goal of the season.

The Beavers stingy defense settled in following the goal, falling back and holding the Mavericks scoreless for the remainder of the period, despite a pair of minor penalties that sent MSU to the locker room with a 17-9 advantage in shots on goal.

Williams kept the game scoreless with a pair of dazzling saves

Bemidji State MSU

1 6

in the second, but the goal would stand for most of then period, until a pair of familiar faces found the back of the net once again.

Matt Leitner carried the puck down low, throwing it out front for senior Eriah Hayes, who brought Verizon Wireless Civic Center to its feet in spectacular fashion.

The Mavericks’ captain put his passing skills to work for just the third time this season, firing the puck behind his back to a waiting Zach Lehrke, who snuck the puck off of Dugas and in for a 2-0 lead.

Another BSU penalty, this time to senior Jake Arashenko, had MSU buzzing late in the second, but the Beavers’ defense

held strong yet again, despite another busy period for the Mavericks’ offense.

The Beavers hit the ice with renewed energy in the third, taking advantage of an early interference penalty to MSU’s Max Gaede to turn the tide, setting up shop in the offensive zone.

Bemidji’s momentum would be short-lived however, as a hooking penalty to BSU junior Radislav Illo tilted the ice back in the Mavericks’ favor.

The penalty would expire without incident, but freshman Bryce Gervais didn’t let MSU’s spark go to waste, redirecting Max Gaede’s shot through traffic for his 4th goal of the season to close out the scoring at 3-0.

The shutout, Williams first as a Maverick, kept the freshman

on edge as the clock began to wind down.

“It’s just one of those things where you look at the clock and it keeps going slower,” Wiliams said, as the Mavericks offense kept the puck firmly in the Beavers end for long stretches of play.

Head coach Mike Hastings had much to say about the Mavericks’ numerous offensive opportunities as well.

“I thought we had good energy,” Hastings said, citing the line of Leitner, Margonari and Lehrke as a big contributor to his team’s recent success.

“That line’s been carrying us a little bit,” he said. “It was nice to see them give us a start again.”

However a different set of promising forwards would lead

MSU Hockey / page 14

Page 14 • Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

MSU Hockey “Williams Backstopped the Minnesota State University men’s hockey team to tis second sweep of the season last weekend, as the Mavericks downed the visiting Bemidji State Beavers by a combined 9-1.” continued from 13

the Mavericks Saturday, as rookie Teddy Blueger’s 3 assists propelled MSU to a 6-1 route of the Beavers.

Williams began his encore performance just a few minutes into the first period, stoning a point-blank chance to keep the game scoreless, before the Mavericks’ secondary scoring broke through five minutes into the contest.

Sophomore defenseman Brett Stern, playing in his 31st game as a Maverick, netted his first career goal, following a hard-fought scrum in front of the net.

The puck found its way onto the stick of Eriah Hayes in front of the net once again, who fired it back to Stern near the hash marks for his inaugural tally at 5:59 of the first period.

The Mavericks’ powerplay unit took the ice for the sixth time on the weekend at 10:48 of the period, finding the net for the first time in the series after being held scoreless on Friday.

Freshman Teddy Blueger notched his first assist of the evening on the play, leaving the puck between the circles for linemate Jonny McInnes, who ripped a wrist shot past Dugas for a 2-0 MSU lead.

The Mavericks’ quick start put BSU on its heels early, as the Beavers struggled to register any offense in the opening stanza, registering just 2 shots in the period.

A pair of Beavers penalties to open the second period sent the Mavericks’ powerplay to work

once again, and the unit wasted no time in finding the net for a second time.

Dylan Margonari dished the puck Teddy Blueger down low, as the highly-touted Latvian centerman fed sophomore Chase Grant for his second assist of the evening, increasing the Mavericks lead to 3-0.

Not to be outdone, the Mavericks leading scorer continued the offensive barrage less than two minutes later.

Eriah Hayes steal at neutral ice found its way to the waiting stick of Matt Leitner, who worked his way across the blue line before ripping a wrister past Dugas just inside the circles to make it 4-0.

The Mavericks’ defense was equally impressive in the second, surrendering just 2 shots once again, but as MSU began to put the game out of reach the action on the ice began to heat up.

BSU freshman Phil Brewer was ejected for elbowing to close out the period, before senior Brady Wacker followed him, drawing another major penalty just 25 seconds into the third, this time for contact to the head.

Junior Josh Nelson made the Beavers pay just over 30 seconds into the man-advantage, converting on another feed from Blueger for a 5-0 advantage.

The teams returned to even strength just long enough for Eriah Hayes to extend the Mavericks’ lead at 7:23, after Jean-Paul Lafontaine’s pass from behind the net found Hayes out front,

who blasted a shot past Dugas to complete the route.

Another set of game misconducts, this time to the Mavericks’ Jon Jutzi and Zach Lehrke, gave the Beavers a 5 on 3 powerplay to close out the period, spoiling Stephon Williams’ bid for a second consecutive shutout at 13:07 of the period.

The Mavericks’ defense held strong through much of extended penalty kill, stifling the Beavers’ powerplay with blocked shot after blocked shot, but in the end BSU’s Jordan George would not be denied.

Although Williams made the initial save and appeared to smother the puck, George found a way, as the puck trickled past the rookie netminder, ending a shutout streak that spanned eight periods of hockey in total.

Hastings attributed much of

the team’s success to Williams’ early heroics once again.

“I thought the biggest save of the game was the first one Stephon made,” he said. “Timely saves [are] everything in games.”

The veteran head coach was also quick to praise sophomore Brett Stern, whose early goal sparked the Mavericks offense to their most dominant performance of the season.

“That was the best game that Brett’s played since I’ve been here,” he said.

The win elevates MSU to 5-5 in conference play, tying the Mavericks with North Dakota and Colorado College for fifth place, and marks one of the longest WCHA winning streaks in school history.

Elsewhere in the WCHA, Wisconsin freshman Nic Kerdiles game-winner propelled the

Badgers to a 3-1 ousting of the Pioneers Saturday at Denver’s Magness Arena, earning the Badgers a much needed 3 points following Friday’s tie.

Minnesota held off a late UNO surge to down the red Mavericks 3-2 in Minneapolis, completing the sweep to maintain a 1-point lead over Omaha in the standings.

North Dakota walk-on Drake Caggiula’s overtime heroics earned North Dakota a split with visiting Colorado College, while Michigan Tech escaped Duluth with a single point Saturday, playing the Bulldogs to a 4-4 tie.

The Mavericks wrap up their home-stand Friday, playing host to last place Alaska-Anchorage (0-4-3).

The puck drops Friday at 7:07 p.m.

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Junior forward Johnny McInnis netted a goal Saturday night and earned an assist on the same night to help the Mavericks defeat Bemidji State, 6-1.

1872 Madison Avenue (507) 720-0027

(Next to Red Lobster. Across from Walmart)

Now accepting small dogs!

Beautiful Outdoor Pool

Spacious Apartments

FREE HAIRCUT for

1000 HAIRCUT $

or

First Time Clients 1 & 2 Bedrooms

Rent begins at $382.50/mo.*

FREE Parking on Campus

Heat & Water included

1 Mile from Campus

Laundry Facilities

* Based on double occupancy in 2 Bdr.

for

Returning Clients

CODE 0090

CODE 3740

Expires 1/31/13

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 (507) 389-1776 www.themsureporter.com FOR RENT

FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

FIND A PLACE TO RENT OR post rental listings at radrenter. com.

4/25 5 OR 4 OR 3 OR 2 OR 1 bedroom houses/apartments available right now. Some for the next year. Many to choose from.

Check out our website www. ottoH.com owner/agent or call 507-625-1010.

12/6 POST ROOMMATE LISTINGS, OR just connect with the people who live around you at radrenter.com/social.

4/25 1633 LOFTS: LEASING AUGUST 2013, brand new luxury units across the street from campus www.lofts1633. com.

12/6 COLLEGE TOWN: BRAND NEW cottages, each room has its own private bathroom. www. collegetownmankato.com. 12/6 RENT MSU HOUSES: OVER 60 houses to choose from. 1-10 bedroom options. www.rentmsu. com.

12/6 LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO LIVE IN ? Look no further than wiserents.com conveniant locations, and affordable prices call Jeremy 507-3515192 or text 952-994-5966.12/6 C edar M eadow Apartments Leasing 3 bedroom apartments for August 2013. www. cedarmeadowapartments.com call 507-327-2831 for info. 12/6

COLLEGE STATION: affordable clean, 1-5 bedroom options. www.collegestationmankato. com.

12/6 NEW 4+5 BEDROOM AVAILABLE August 2013, $375/bed plus utilities. Ask about the All Inclusive option.

Bonus if signed by 12-14. Call 385-1999 for more info. 12/6 1 BR at Colonial Manor available now. $610/month. Heat, water, parking & internet included in rent. Only a block from MSU. Pool. Coin Laundry. First month rent free if lease signed by Dec. 20. Call 218-255-0478 for more information.

12/6

NOW HIRING. FLEXIBLE schedule, part-time job for students, great experience. Daily School Bus route approx. hours from 6:40-8:15 am and 2:103:50 pm. Also hiring an Athletic/ Activity Trip Drive, approx. hours 2:30-9:00 pm. Trip driver hours are flexible. Training for CDL provided. Great pay and performance bonuses! 56548 Doc Jones Road. 345-5470 12/6

your

FOR SALE AFFORDABLE HOUSING Trailor for sale in University Park call 507-380-0724 for details.

Priced $2000, negotiable. 12/6

HELP WANTED S T U D E N T PAY O U T S . C O M PAID survey takers needed in Mankato 100% free to join! Click on survey.

12/6 BARTENDERS WANTED! $250/ day potential. No experience necessary. Training available.

Age 18+ OK. (800)965-6520 Ext 170.

5/2

MONEY

MISCELLEANOUS SECONDHAND BOOKSTORE & Exchange, South Front St. across from Fillin’ Shahon Coffee house. All types of leisure reading. Browsers welcome OnceRead 388-8144 Mon-Sat 10 to 5 pm.

12/4

NOTICES FREE SHOTOKAN KARATE classes offered Monday 6-8 pm.

Tuesday 7-9 pm. Thursday 6-8 pm. Room PH 102. Beginners are welcome. Need not to be a MSU student to join. For info call Brad @ 507-388-5301 or lostgonzo@gmail.com or search MSU Shotokan on facebook or yahoo groups.

5/2

PT Direct Support Professionals

LivingLinks is looking for part-time Direct Support Professionals (DSP) to work with individuals with developmental disabilities in a group home setting.

Candidates must have a valid driver’s license, good driving record, and excellent oral and written communication skills. 15-25hrs/week, various shifts available. Every other weekend and holiday is required. Wage range is $8.48-9.50/hr. Pick up an application at LivingLinks 1230 N. River Dr., Mankato, or download at www.livinglinks.org.

If you have any questions, call 507-345-7458.

get the

MOST CASH for your textbooks RIGHT NOW

get up to 50% back no matter where you bought them

Monday, Dec. 10th - Friday, Dec. 14th

your school. your bookstore.

Page 16 • Reporter

Advertisement

Tuesday, December 4, 2012