February 2020

NO. 20 | FEB 2020 | FREE

DULUTH’S FIRST SELF-POUR BAR OPENS ITS DOORS IN LINCOLN PARK’S CRAFT DISTRICT | PG. 4 MAC MILLER GIVES FANS HIS BEST IN POSTHUMOUS ALBUM, “CIRCLES” | PG. 6 NEW UMD FOOD HALL LOOKS TO BREAK GROUND IN MAY | PG. 8

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Duluth’s First Self-Pour Bar Opens Its Doors in Lincoln Park’s Craft District

The Bite: Creative Writing Submissions

06 Mac Miller Gives Fans His Best in Posthumous Album, “Circles”

08 New UMD Food Hall Looks to Break Ground in May

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITOR

REPORTER

Suenary Philavanh barkumd@d.umn.edu

Paying Thao thaoo369@d.umn.edu

Izabel Johnson joh18708@d.umn.edu

BUSINESS MANAGER

REPORTER

Courtney Cornelius barkumdbiz@d.umn.edu

Abigael Smith smit9087@d.umn.edu

PHOTOGRAPHER

MANAGING EDITOR

REPORTER

Brianna Taggart tagga015@d.umn.edu

Brett Sharp sharp402@d.umn.edu

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

REPORTER

Evan Hughes hughe656@d.umn.edu

Atticus Hodges hodge270@d.umn.edu

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

REPORTER

Heidi Stang stang344@d.umn.edu

Sarah Brown brow5867@d.umn.edu REPORTER

EDITOR

Dominic Bisogno bisog003@d.umn.edu

Madison Hunter hunte557@d.umn.edu GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Karli Kruse kruse292@d.umn.edu GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jaylynn Glaus glaus011@d.umn.edu GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Chas Morgan morg0323@d.umn.edu

Christyna Yang yang6308@umn.edu

COVER ILLUSTRATION: EVAN HUGHES

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DULUTH TAP EXCHANGE IS THE FIRST SELF-POUR TAPROOM IN DULUTH, CONSISTING OF A WIDE VARIETY OF LOCAL SELECTIONS AND A FULL BAR. PHOTO BY IZABEL JOHNSON.

By Izabel Johnson You walk in the front doors of Duluth Tap Exchange and are greeted by an employee who asks for your ID and credit card.

These items are scanned and, if you are over 21, you receive a wristband.

You then go and get a drink, but not from a bartender. You will be pouring your own from a vast selection of taps lining the walls of the bar. You have the choice of beer, seltzer, wine or cider.

By scanning your wristband, you check in at the tap that you are using and the system records how many ounces that you pour. You are allowed to pour 32 ounces before you are required to return to the host stand.

Located on West Superior Street, Duluth Tap Exchange is the first bar in Duluth to offer this type of self-serve system using iPourIt technology. The bar opened on Jan. 18 and has already been a hit with the community, according to

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DULUTH’S FIRST SELF-POUR BAR OPENS ITS DOORS IN LINCOLN PARK’S CRAFT DISTRICT owner Jordan DeCaro.

“It’s been really exciting and it’s just been getting busier and busier,” team member Bella Pike said.

online but finally decided to go for it while visiting a selfpour bar in Minneapolis.

“I was blown away,” DeCaro said. “I told them

on Jan. 12, 2019, and almost exactly a year later, Duluth Tap Exchange was opened DeCaro is not the only person to be impressed by the idea.

“It’s a cool concept because you’re more in control,” customer Leah Roushar said.

I think it’s gonna be awesome down here for a long, long time.

JORDAN

DeCaro stated that he had the idea for Duluth Tap Exchange for a while and had previously discovered the iPourIt technology

DECARO

‘I want to take this thing to go. Can I take it?’”

DeCaro first called the iPourIt sales representative

“People have been loving it,” Pike said. “People love the fact that we change out the taps and are getting new and upcoming things that people haven’t necessarily tried before.”

Pike also stated that the system allows for more interaction with the customers.

“You can really talk to your customers and get to know them rather than just pouring them a beer and moving on to the next person,” Pike said.

DeCaro stated that he and his team work very hard to

create a fun atmosphere for the customers.

“It’s about the team,” DeCaro said, “It’s about who you have here.”

According to team member Kent Trehus, customers have been shocked at the low price that they paid for the variety of beer and liquor they tried.

“It’s like a buffet...you can

literally try everything and not..spend a ton of money,” Trehus said, “If you’re interested in trying something new, you don’t have to pay for a full beer, you can literally pay for an ounce.”

“Being able to serve yourself is nice,” customer Rik Roushar said. “You don’t spend six dollars on a beer.”

The Duluth Tap Exchange offers 40 tap beverages, including a variety of local selections and a full bar.

Food is not available at the establishment, but they partner with local restaurants, such as OMC Smokehouse, that offer delivery to the bar.

“I think it was just a really interesting concept to bring to Duluth, especially

with the big scene of craft beer and ciders…. it’s the perfect addition,” Pike said.

According to Pike, they will soon begin offering specials such as bottomless mimosas and a bloody mary bar.

“It’s not just one dimensional...we kind of cater to everybody,” Trehus said.

DeCaro stated that eventually the business is looking to expand, possibly to Superior, but for now they are focused on making sure the first one is done correctly.

Customer Ray Hausch stated that he has seen the self-pour system in bigger cities, but not in Duluth.

“It’s hard to know if it’s going to make it in Duluth or not,” Hausch said.

DeCaro and his team, however, appear confident.

“The concept will...draw people here and that will draw people’s interest... it’s going to be a staple in this community,” DeCaro said, “I think it’s gonna be awesome down here for a long, long time.”

DULUTH TAP EXCHANGE EMPLOYEES (FROM LEFT) KENT TREHUS, BELLA PIKE AND ESSE ANGELL POSE INSIDE THE RECENTLY-OPENED TAPROOM IN THE LINCOLN PARK CRAFT DISTRICT. PHOTO BY IZABEL JOHNSON

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By Dominic Jose Bisogno The musical skills of Mac Miller have returned one last time with his posthumous album, “Circles,” released on Jan. 17. Released over a year after the rapper, singer, and producer’s untimely death in 2018, “Circles” represents the last major project of Miller’s career.

The album combines vocal performances from Miller prior to his death and after the release of his last album, “Swimming,” with record production based around conversations Miller had with collaborators. The result is a raw album that may lack some of the finetuning of a usual record but makes up for it by providing the musician’s dedicated fan base with a series of brilliant tracks and a chance to say goodbye.

At a reasonable 48 minutes in length and featuring 12 songs, “Circles” has several standout tracks.

This album includes a lot of different takes on production style. Beats, rhythm and general style vary from track to track.

That’s what makes the title track, “Circles,” so special; it doesn’t try to be anything more than a message from the artist.

The album is at its rawest, with Miller delivering a simple but heartbreaking performance against the calmest beat you’ll hear all year.

Miller puts out heart warming lyrics like, “don’t you put any more stress on yourself it’s one day at a time” throughout the track, which feels like a meditation on his own situation but still manages

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MAC MILLER GIVES FANS HIS BEST IN POSTHUMOUS ALBUM, “CIRCLES” to feel intensely relatable.

“Blue World” is one of the most ambitious tracks on this album. Its beat, which features a sort of stuttering voice to keep its rhythm, is unique to the track and intensely memorable.

Miller’s performance is just as unique, featuring a well-executed mixture of rapping and traditional singing which shows all his vocal strengths.

The album doesn’t have all the direct emotional messages as some of the album’s other notable tracks, but it accomplishes enough musically to easily make the list for its best tracks.

“Good News” was the first song from the album released, earning a huge response and a music video along the way. It’s less experimental than “Blue World” but its lyrics are packed a rollercoaster of emotions, reminding the listener of Miller’s much beloved personality while also focusing in on the struggles the musician faced with lines like “A lot of things I regret, but I just say I forget, Why can’t it just be easy? Why does everybody need me to stay?”

Miller ends “Good News” with a heart breaking approximation of his life, “That there’s a whole lot more for me waiting, I know maybe I’m too late I could make it there some other time, Then I’ll finally discover, That it ain’t that bad.” It’s a tough song to

WARNER BROS. (2020)

listen to, given the context of Miller’s passing, but it’s also a glimpse deep into where the 26-year-old rapper was toward the end of his life.

As perfect as “Circles” is as an opening song for this album, “Once a Day” also feels like a fitting end to what may well be the last album ever published under Mac Miller’s name.

Miller returns to the simple sounds the album began with, presenting a raw and emotional vocal performance.

“Once a Day”, the shortest track on the album at just two minutes and forty seconds, includes just a few verses. Each line, however, leaves a lot for the listener to consider. The track and album’s final lines are simple, “Once a day I rush,

Once a day I fall asleep with you, Once a day I drop but I can’t find a single word,” but the way the track cuts off is almost as if the song wasn’t supposed to end there, which leaves a gut wrenching period at the end of the sentence for Miller’s final album.

Whether or not you were a big Mac Miller fan in 2011, 2015 or 2018, this album is a must. The circumstances of “Circles” may be painful, but that doesn’t hold the album back.

Instead, “Circles” is filled with remarkable, delicate, and powerful tracks from corner to corner.

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CONCEPT ART FOR THE CLEAN EATING STATION, WHICH WILL BE ABSENT OF THE EIGHT MAJOR ALLERGENS. GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BETSY HELGESEN

By Atticus Hodges UMD is officially getting a new Dining Hall by Fall of 2021 adjacent to Superior Dining where there will be many new options to get food, with construction looking to break ground this May. The official cost of the project is unknown at this time, with more definitive numbers coming by the end of February.

During Resident Adviser training right before spring semester started, UMD’s Resident Advisers were given the opportunity to listen to a presentation run by Betsy Helgesen, the Director of Dining Services. Helgesen gave updates concerning the new food hall project.

In an interview from Nov. 2019, Helgesen stated that the new food hall is expected to be completely finished by summer 2021. The long Duluth winter should not

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NEW UMD FOOD HALL LOOKS TO BREAK GROUND IN MAY be a problem either, since the exterior is expected to be completely done by the time winter hits, so the interior can be worked on while the snow is coming down.

The new building will be directly adjacent to where Superior Dining is currently. As Helgesen explained, on the opposite side of the big drop-off of stairs where there is a lot of green space as you are walking from Griggs/LSH info desk is going to be the location of the top of the

new food hall is going to be.

Below you can see a concept for the entrance to the food hall as well.

In terms of what sort of food services/options are going to be inside of the new food hall, the concepts they currently have include a sort of “Bulldog Wild Wings.”

This option will be a pub style, burger option for students that will have TV screens with games hopefully being played, according to Helgesen. In

addition to this, a concept of serving mocktails is something they are hoping for as well.

Another option for those who go to the new food hall is a coffee station “that has a patisserie, so fresh pastries, and gelato and we think that having a coffee area so close to the students will be really good” says Helgesen.

Another food option will be a Clean Eating station, which will include all the dining center’s gluten free options and the eight allergens not present.

You can look at this story to learn more about the Clean Eating station.

CONCEPT ART FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE NEW FOOD HALL. GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BETSY HELGESEN

There will also be an International Station, according to Helgesen.

The idea behind this station, and all of the others, are in its early stages, but Helgesen hopes that there will

hopefully be rotating concepts after a certain period of time. For example, one week could be Mediterranean themed, and then the next it could be Asian, with continuous changes of what type of food is being served. Helgesen believes this would be a great opportunity to pair with campus organizations/classes as well.

“Say for the Multicultural center when we have [a chef] visiting maybe we could do something awesome with Hmong culture for example and offer a meal or have a guest chef…..or partner with a French class,” Helgesen suggested.

Other additional features will be a new kitchen with modernized equipment, as well as a new dish area. The new kitchen will be located where bike parking currently is, and then the dish area will be in between Superior Dining and the new food hall. The remodeling of the main production will be a big upgrade as well, with Helgesen mentioning how it has not been remodeled since 1971.

Amanda McCann has been working at Superior Dining Center since 2017, who is both excited and curious to see how the project comes together.

McCann wanted to emphasize that she does not speak for Dining Services as well, and these are just her own words and opinions. McCann stated, “I think it might help solve the chaos of lunch ...and I like of a more central dish

room with some newer equipment with better cleaning abilities.”

McCann also addressed how it is a bit disappointing how there might be some lost seating while construction is going on, but the longterm benefits will be very nice. Also, McCann said “I think for newer prospective students, it will be good for them to see since it looks like a lot of other campuses have that sort of dining setup.”

Overall, while she may be sad that she will be gone by the time construction is finished, she is still very much excited about it.

With this new food hall finally looking to start construction at the end of this semester, Helgesen wanted to reiterate the reasoning behind constructing this new hall. “We need more seats. We need more retail. We need to offer students services that they want and need and we tried to be thoughtful and intentional with our decision to provide a variety of choices with the stations and even more choices at the stations.”

Even though this new project is generating a lot of excitement, there are still many aspects that are unknown at this time.

For example, how meal plans will be adjusted or restructured is still uncertain, although the idea of having current meal plans be able to be used there has been suggested, with a potential limitation on those with unlimited plans. The cost of the entire project has also

not been finalized, as well as the exact number of seats being added.

And to reiterate, how the different options within the food court will work is not conclusive, except that there will most certainly be a Clean Eating space with no allergens present.

So although excitement should be had for this new project, it must also be tempered with opening still about 18 months in the

future, and many things not finalized. Helgesen herself is excited as well, with a mindset of having facilities for the students, and that they are meeting their needs. “We’re not trying to do the fanciest, craziest additions. Based on the feedback we get, these are services that students need or want to see.”

CONCEPT ART FOR COFFEE AND “BULLDOG WILD WINGS” SECTIONS. PUB STYLE SEATING CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACK RIGHT. GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BETSY HELGESEN

CONCEPT ART OF THE INTERNATIONAL STATION, WHERE VARIOUS THEMES ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE PRESENT. GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BETSY HELGESEN

CONCEPT ART FOR THE CLEAN EATING STATION, WHICH WILL BE ABSENT OF THE EIGHT MAJOR ALLERGENS. GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BETSY HELGESEN

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THE BITE:

CREATIVE WRITING SUBMISSIONS My Daughter...

By Rikkia Walker

Mother, that is not necessary

I try not to give much thought

And When she grows older

to the day I may have a child

And can tie her own shoes

but when I am honest with myself

I will stand by and watch

when I allow myself to drift

And ties the bunny ears

to imagine my life and to go through the what ifs I can imagine Holding a baby girl

As she loops each loop I will watch her in fear Because

get out of bed Because she is a bit sad I will tell her that I am sorry About the burdens she bares

I know my daughter will be brave And smart and strong

I will tell her of her mother and

Because she will come from her mother

The illlness that she passed on

Who broke and rebuilt so many times

I will tell her of the clouds

She is mostly glue

That know her name

But her mother never shattered

She can now walk in the world

I will tell her that they will clear

When the time comes

Resilience to these clouds

Where her hormones are acting up

And stand up and build again

And she will gain But that she has to get up

And neither will she Because she will know her worth And know that she is worthy

And she comes home

That we do not stay home for rainy days We prepare for storms

How she depends on me

After sitting in a pool of blood

Because they are coming

To be her guidance

And she cries to me

They always are

To imagine the day that I may have a child

I will stroke her hair

And she will never be ready

I don’t think about it too much

Because they come unannounced

But when I do

Her tiny hands in my hand I can imagine

She cannot get around So I take her everywhere My mother may advise me

And put her head in my lap I will tell her the beauty of womanhood

But that she will stand tall

To put her down sometimes

She will know her body like the back of her hand

And push through it

To allow her to adjust to being

I will tell her That woman makes man

A storm always leaves a wreck

When she will not

But she will stay down as long as she needs

Without me I tell her

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And there will be damage

I sometimes grant myself the pleasure

I hold back a smile

The Beauty of it All

By Rikkia Walker When the time comes When the dark is no longer Just the dark When the winter isn’t just something to endure When the snow isn’t seen as an inconvenience When we stop for a second And look around To see how truly beautiful it is How the stars have never looked quite like this

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