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A new organization emerg-ing this spring has Minnesota State University, Mankato stu-dents joining together commit-ting to success.

Matnique Williamson, a senior majoring in corrections, collaborated with Interim Dean of Institutional Diversity Henry Morris to initiate the devel-opment of Black Intelligent Gentlemen (B.I.G.).

B.I.G. is an organization of students who have come together for the same purpose – to help black men graduate. Williamson, president of B.I.G., said he hopes that the group will build a brotherhood on campus.

Since the first meeting, held January 31, the organization has accumulated around 90 inter-ested individuals. The culture of its members is very diverse.

Everyone has different goals and views, but all share hopeful aspirations.

Vice President Cortez Hollis, a junior Business Management and Psychology double major, said B.I.G. is simply about mak-ing changes.

“At the end of the day you can look in the mirror at your reflection and you can’t lie to yourself,” Hollis said.

B.I.G. meetings allow mem-bers to bond together and form an alliance with similar beliefs about future prosperity. Topics covered include the education and career goals in the personal lives of its members, planning for the future, and seeing who needs help to achieve their dreams.

The goals of B.I.G. are outlined with the “three E’s model,” which uses the words

One big ideaBlack Intelligent Gentlemen seek to empower and educate

LINDSAY PETERSONstaff writer

• courtesy of cortez hollisMatnique Williamson (left) and Cortez Hollis (right) are the President

and Vice President of Black Intelligent Gentlemen, respectively.

B.I.G. / page 2

Women make up roughly half of the population at Minnesota State University, Mankato, how-ever the percentage of women in positions of leadership and power is far less than 50 percent.

In order to encourage leader-ship among the University’s female population, the Presi-dent’s Commission on the Status of Women was created in an attempt to improve the lives of the female population at MSU.

Appointed representatives host listening panels, mentor fac-ulty and staff, award professional development grants and express concerns to administration.

Perhaps the most important action the PCWS takes is honor-ing Women of Courage and Vision in an annual ceremony. The PCWS also recognizes the Research Project of the Year and awards research grants.

The 12th Annual Women of Courage and Vision Reception was held Tuesday in the Centen-nial Student Union Ballroom. This year, more than 400 women were nominated, including repre-sentatives from the Women’s Center and Department of Gender and Women’s Studies as well as influential women across campus.

When the nominated women walked into the ballroom, they saw photographs and names flashing across the walls recognizing the women who have made a difference at MSU throughout the year. The recep-tion was a gathering place for nominees to discuss the status of women, as well as celebrate their accomplishments over light snacks.

Every year, the PCSW nomi-nates one outstanding female to participate in HERS leadership training. HERS is a program that was founded in 1972 and was designed to for women who are looking to experience profes-sional leadership development at a national level.

“Right here at MSU, we have eight participants who have gone through the various HERS projects and institutes and today we are about to add one more name to that list,” said President

Richard Davenport. “I was very, very excited with the quality and number of applications this year, and so it was a very tough deci-sion to make.”

This year, Davenport an-nounced Marilyn Hart as the re-cipient for this year’s grant. Hart is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

In addition to funding Hart’s HERS experience, individual de-partments are funding the HERS activities of two other women at MSU: Michelle Alvarez, of Re-search and Sponsored Programs, and Candace Raskin of Educa-tional Leadership.

Of the eight women who had participated in HERS programs, five of the women were featured in a video shown at the reception about the value of the profes-sional leadership development on their careers.

Topics discussed during HERS programs range from dis-cussion on how to maintain your position as a leader while still being true to yourself to balanc-ing a career and a family.

“I had people say ‘well, women don’t really need this ex-tra opportunity, this extra train-ing.’” said Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events Jessica Guyer-Wood. “But when you do look at the number of administrators and presidents on campuses around the country, when you look at that top level of leadership, you realize that it isn’t equal by any means.”

Other HERS participants

agreed with this sentiment, arguing that Higher Education needs to keep up with the rapidly changing world.

“With the increase in female students and the positions that women are taking within our society, we need to keep up in higher education,” said Anthro-pology professor Rhonda Dass.

The PCSW also announced the recipients of research and professional development grants for the upcoming academic year. These grants are offered to stu-dent sand employees to conduct research or attend professional conferences relating to the status of women or gender-related is-sues.

The commission entertained more than $12,000 worth of requests, and ultimately $4,500 will be awarded to 15 women throughout Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.

In addition to research and professional development grants, the PCSW recognizes individuals at MSU for their gender-related research through the Project of the Year awards. These awards are given to three individuals annually: an under-graduate student, a graduate student and a faculty or staff member. Each winner typically receives a $350 reward.

“We have phenomenal women working on this cam-pus,” Davenport said. “You’re probably thinking that I’m just saying that because you’re here, but it’s true.”

MEGAN KADLECnews editor

megan kadlec • msu reporterThe President’s Commission on the Status of Women held a reception to honor Women of Courage and Vision Tuesday afternoon.

MSU’s women honored in Tuesday reception

Voices.........................................4Sports ............................................7A&E ................................................9Classifieds ..................................11

inSidE: WHAT WERE THE TOP-3 NFL FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS?FIND OUT ON PAGE 8

FRidAY H 63 • L 52 SATURdAY H 69 • L 52

Page 2 • Reporter News Thursday, March 29, 2012Thursday, March 29, 2012 Advertisement Reporter • Page 3

You’ve been pacing back and forth waiting for a phone call or email from a potential employer. All you want is to get an interview for your dream job, or any job for that matter. Finally, your phone is ringing and you have been offered an interview. Before you go crazy celebrating this potential job oppor-tunity, you probably should think about the actual interview process.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to break down the impor-tant parts of the interview process to help you out. This week, I’m going to focus on your interview presentation.

I bet you are thinking; wait, what? I have to give a presenta-tion during my interview? No, you don’t have to give a presentation, but what you look like and how you are dressed will play a major role in whether or not you get the job. First impressions are important, especially when it comes to job interviews, so you want to put your best foot (or shoe) forward in order to ensure that you make the best impression you can.

Many interviewees struggle when preparing for an interview because they are not sure if they should “dress up” or not. In my experience, it is better to over dress than to under dress. If the interviewer has on a suit and you

are wearing jeans, you are going to feel out of place in that setting. So, to play it safe, always dress up for interviews.

What is dressing up, you ask? This is different for men and women. But to be safe, for women, you can never go wrong with a pair of slacks and a nice shirt. While you have other options like skirts or dresses, slacks are always a safer choice.

If your skirt or dress is too short, this could be a turn off when it comes to the interviewer. Gentlemen can go with the same idea, slacks and a button up shirt. Whether or not you wear a tie is up to you, but I think it looks more professional if you do.

This is going to sound insane, but shoes also play a major role in your outfit. I would say it is never okay to wear flip-flops or sneakers with your interview attire. There are a few jobs, where you may be able to wear those items during your work hours, but for your inter-view, I suggest you stray away.

Make sure your shoes look just as good as your outfit and that you can comfortably walk in them. Some interviews are accompanied by a tour of the office and/or com-plex. Be sure that you can comfort-ably travel around the premise, just in case.

When it comes to hair and makeup for women, be sure you are going more on the natural side. Remember the saying less is more? Yep, well use that here. You

don’t want to scare your potential employer off with a face full of over-powering makeup.

You do not need to have your hair in an up do, but be sure to make it look as neat as possible. Men should think the same and add some product into their hair if ap-plicable. This will ensure that you don’t have that “I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-came- here” look.

One issue is whether or not you should take out your piercings or cover up tattoos. Some employ-ers may be turned off by the idea of piercings and tattoos, but some employers don’t mind. Here is my suggestion for you: I would say cover up your piercings and tattoos for the first interview. During the interview ask the interviewer if it would be appropriate to wear them/show them during work hours. This way you have a feel for what the company is like and how you can express yourself without making anyone mad.

See you next week, Mavericks. Until then, start putting together your interview attire.

WANTED:A person with a Masters in

Psychology to do some administrative and clinical

work and must like to lead, for a position in a mental health

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Find full-text articles online using one of the 200+ library databases

Ask how at the Library’s Reference Desk on 1st floor

empowerment, educate, and emulate to describe the goals of the organization.

Williamson approached Mor-ris about creating an organiza-tion after struggling with racism and not knowing whom to turn to for mentorship. Williamson says he wanted to start a group to help others who felt the same way.

Board members of B.I.G. have made appearances at Minneapolis middle schools, Minnesota School of Science and Nellistone Johnson, to share their ambition with young stu-dents to triumph.

Around second and third grade, many black boys begin to lose interest and deter away from math and science. It’s vital to catch them while they’re young and to help motivate them in the right direction, ac-cording to Hollis.

Emmanuel Bayo Ifonlaja, a Community Health and Graphic Design major, said that B.I.G. is influential for black males to excel in every aspect of life, beyond sports, incarcerations and death.

Williamson said he hopes Black Intelligent Gentlemen will continue to expand at MSU after he graduates and hopes to still contribute as an alumni to possibly spread awareness of B.I.G. to other universities and to connect with middle schools and high schools.

B.I.G. is free to join and everyone is welcome with no discrimination.

Williamson says that color is not an issue; if you are for the same cause you are welcome.

“We are all special in some sort of way or fashion, join B.I.G. and be the star that you are,” Hollis said.

Preparing for theReal WorldMADELINE GREENE | staff writer

Interview Presentation

B.I.G. “It’s vital to catch them while they’re young and to help motivate them in the right direction.” continued from 1

Page 2 • Reporter News Thursday, March 29, 2012Thursday, March 29, 2012 Advertisement Reporter • Page 3

Voiceswww.msureporter.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

How has the Tobacco Ban affected MSU? Compiled byElise Konerza

SponSorEd by:

“The ban has divided smokers and non-smokers on campus.”

ColTon WiTTeSenior, economicS

“i haven’t seen any changes to be honest.”

Chloe minkelJunior, recreation ParkS and LeiSure

“i didn’t even know there was a ban, but i guess it’s a good thing, it cleans

up campus.”

Chaz millerSoPhomore, conStruction management

“it hasn’t affected it, just makes it an inconvenience. i just volunteered to

pick up cigarette butts today.”

DemarCus linDseyJunior, communicationS and French

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The ban with no plan has continued to dwindle in its effectiveness at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Spring is upon us, and the increasingly warm weather is increasingly inviting for smokers, but as to where does a smoker find accommoda-tions to smoke?

With a widespread campus it is nearly impossible to walk across campus, smoke some-where that is off-campus, and return to class on time.

Nonetheless, without any clear distinction in the ban’s nature does it say where the boundaries of smoking begin and end. Is it still a public nuisance to smoke a cigarette

walking through the distant parking lots on my way to campus?

MSU students have begun to confide near Highland Hills Apartments to carry out their smoking. This causes another concern for the stu-dents’ studies, spending so much time off campus.

The ban asks that, “All members of the campus com-munity are empowered and encouraged to approach and advise violators, in a non-confrontational manner, of the campus smoking policy.”

Which working student, faculty or staff member has the time, initiative, will, want or concern to tell someone to

quit their habit?Let’s face it, if the ban

asks other people to enforce what is asked, there will be little to no cooperation and the level of concern greatly decreases. Come on, nobody likes confrontation.

Many students practi-cally live on campus going to school and work all day, like I do. To find the time to walk across campus is impractical to ask of the working student.

Smoker’s stands, used for the disposal of cigarette butts were removed after the ban was put into place. There has been a noticeable increase in littering as smokers who still smoke on campus have nowhere to dispose of ciga-rette butts.

To rid an object that ul-timately keeps our campus clean is a step backwards as ultimately the campus is try-ing to promote clean air, yet pollution is still a factor.

The smoking ban has done nothing but isolate and stigmatize student smokers, putting shame and point-ing fingers on a habit that is legal in the United States. It criminalizes behavior that is common among college students and probably won’t

go away for a very long time. As long as smoking is legal in the United States, it should be accommodated for.

The ban favors students who do not smoke and their right to breathe clean air. The co-author of a report about the negative effects of secondhand smoke states, “If you’re at a sidewalk café, and you sit within 18 inches of a person who smokes two cigarettes over the course of an hour, your exposure to sec-ondhand smoke could be the same as if you sat one hour inside a tavern with smokers.”

If smoke is intolerable, you certainly don’t stay in that place. Car fumes are bad for you, too, but most people wouldn’t linger next to a run-ning exhaust pipe.

Our parents, children of the ’50s and ’60s endured secondhand smoke like it was fresh air. Smoking was al-lowed in cars, busses, trains, theatres, airplanes, houses - practically everywhere. If secondhand smoke is as dangerous as it is made out to be now, and even after it has moved outdoors, the baby boomer generation should be hospitalized, or even dead, by now.

Colleges should be an environment that fosters the ability to make personal deci-sions and resembles the real world where in fact, like it or not, people smoke. The pro-motion of a smoke-free com-munity is progressive, but an outright ban is regressive.

It is understandable that universities are trying to pro-mote a smoke-free campus, but when it bans chewing tobacco as well, it begins to dictate what students can and cannot do. Chewing tobacco is in no way harmful to oth-ers and is impending on the free will of a student’s choice. Personally, chewing tobacco is disgusting, but spit away – I don’t care; you’re not harm-ing me in anyway.

As for the health informa-tion and awareness services to students, faculty and staff promised by Blue Earth County Public Health, it has yet to be seen.

College smoking bans are less about health and more about lifestyle choices, and when we come to realize this, we will also understand that these bans are not appropriate for college administrations to make.

Butt off: the ban that’s blowing smoke

There was misleading information in the story, “Green transportation fee proposal,” from Tuesday, March 27 written by Megan Kadlec. The first paragraph stated that, “A voting referendum for parking permit and parking ticket fee increases has been set to appear at the MSSA general election this month.”

Parking permit fees will not be on the ballot for the April 10 elections. Parking fees will be increasing, regardless. The only initiative on the ballot is the green transportation fee, which would increase student fees by 75 cents per credit and will reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

The Reporter would like to apologize for this error and any confusion it may have caused.

CORRECTION

ELISE KONERZA | assistant news editor

Surviving Tuskegee airman speaks at annual dinner

Monday night marked Minne-sota State University, Mankato’s 41st Annual Institutional Diver-sity Dinner. Students, faculty, staff and community members came together across many back-grounds in order to celebrate diversity on campus.

The annual dinner was founded by Michael Fagin, a professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies.

“Diversity has always been our number one goal,” said Presi-dent Richard Davenport. “We’ve tried to diversify this institution with students from all over Min-nesota and the United States, but also from 80 countries around the world.”

This year’s event was spon-sored by African American Affairs and focused on diversity

within the African American community. The dinner was supported by Black Intelligent Gentlemen, Brothers with a Purpose and the Black Student Union, who all gave presenta-tions on their organizations and what they have been doing dur-ing the past year.

The organizations that spoke all placed an emphasis on the im-portance of maintaining MSU’s high retention rates among un-derrepresented students, which are the highest in all of MN-SCU’s four-year universities.

Due to travel concerns and conflicts, the organizers of the event did not know if their key-note speaker, Calvin Moret, was going to make the event. Thus, they went on a quest to find an-other speaker who was involved with the Tuskagee Airmen. Surprisingly, they found Joseph

Gomer, a 92-year-old surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

When the discovered that Moret would, in fact, make it to the dinner, they decided that two keynote speakers were better than one.

Moret served in the Army Air Corps 99th Fighter Squadron. He was trained to fly P-40s during the war, but conflict in Europe was resolved merely four days before his squadron was to leave. His group was then trained to fly P-47s, though again fighting ceased in the Pacific theater.

Moret became a flight officer in 1994 and later received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 from former President George W. Bush. Moret is a sur-viving member of the Tuskegee

Airmen, a group of African American and Haitian pilots dur-ing World War II.

Before the early 1940s, black men did not serve as pilots; this was common practice because scholars of the time concluded that a black man did not have a large enough brain to make quick decisions in combat.

Moret, who is 85-years-old, thought this idea was preposter-ous.

“What can you tell about them?” he said, listing obvious answers like age, skin color. “But what can you really tell about [their character]?”

Gomer gave his speech after Moret, discussing his personal experiences with racism while in the war while also joking with

the audience. The Department of Institu-

tional Diversity encompasses African American Affairs, American Indian Affairs, Asian American Pacific Islander Af-fairs, Latino Affairs, the LGBT Center, Women’s Center and the College Access Program, accord-ing to Interim Dean of Institu-tional Diversity Henry Morris.

Tickets were available individually or by the table, and included a three-course meal, entertainment and the keynote address. Next year’s Institu-tional Diversity Dinner is to be sponsored by American Indian Affairs and will focus on the 150th anniversary of the Dakota Conflict.

Thursday, March 29, 2012 News Reporter • Page 5

Applications nowbeing accepted for the

2012-2013 school year for the following positions:

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Application deadline is Friday, April 6, 2012, at noon. For more information or to pick up an application,

stop in the Reporter Office(CSU 293) or call 389-1776.

Reporter – Editor

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Diversity dinner celebrates Africa

MEGAN KADLECnews editor

Surviving Tuskegee airman speaks at annual dinner

•web photoCalvin Moret, a surviving member of the Tuskegee airmen, gave one of

the keynote addresses at Monday night’s Institutional Diversity Dinner.

Page 6 • Reporter Advertisement Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sportswww.msureporter.com/sports

Thursday, March 29, 2012

THIS WEEKEND IN MAVERICK SPORTS:NO. 13 MSU SOFTBALL VS. MSU-MOORHEAD AND MINNESOTA, CROOKSTON

1 AND 3 P.M. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

MSU SOFTBALL COMPLEX BEHIND THE GAGE TOWERS

MSU Softball MSU opens NSIC home action with Moorhead, CrookstonJOEY DENTONstaff writer

It’s going to be tough to top a weekend like the last one for the Minnesota State, Mankato softball team, as head coach Lori Meyer won her 900th career game to go along with three MSU wins. But the Mavericks do have MSU-Moorhead and the Uni-versity of Minnesota, Crookston coming to town, and they want to go 4-0 this weekend. The Mavericks (23-6) will be coming into this weekend ranked No. 13 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll and 3-1 in the NSIC. This past weekend opened up conference play for the Maver-icks, and their first series against Minnesota-Duluth featured a 4-5 loss followed by a 6-0 shutout win. The next day, Meyer got her 900th career win in a 12-0 victory over Bemidji State, then led her team to an 8-0 triumph just hours later for her 901st win. One of the hottest bats for the Mavericks has been freshman sec-ond baseman Brittani Robinson. She is currently on a five-game hitting streak, hitting .300 with six hits in 18 at-bats, good for five RBIs and four runs. In the 6-0 win over Duluth, she contributed two hits and four RBIs and scored two of the team’s six runs. On the season, Robinson is batting .314 with five

home runs and 20 RBIs. Pitching-wise as a team, the Mavericks are currently leading the NSIC with a 1.41 ERA, and senior Kendra Huettl continues to dominate whomever she faces. The two-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week has appeared in 18 games with 93.1 innings pitched, only allowing 18 earned runs on 56 hits while striking out 118 bat-ters already this season.

Her teammate, junior pitcher Courtney McKelvogue, has also been an ace for the Mavericks early on, al-lowing only 16 earned runs in her 85.1

innings pitched. It’s hard to find a duo of pitchers better than these two in college softball at the mo-ment. The MSU-Moorhead Drag-ons are coming to Mankato this weekend with a 5-14 record. Last weekend they hosted two series, splitting with Upper Iowa with a 1-0 win and 3-11 loss, and the next day Winona State came and conquered the Dragons, 1-11 and 3-12. The Dragons have been struggling defensively so far this

season. In their 19 games this season, the Dragons have a 6.84 team ERA, the worst in the NSIC. Offensively, the team is bringing in four runs per game, led by ju-nior outfielder Paige Smith, who is batting .379 in 58 at-bats with five RBIs this season. On Sunday, the University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles bring a 7-14 overall record to Mankato, 1-3 in the confer-ence. Last weekend the team had it rough, also hosting Winona State and Upper Iowa with almost the same results as Moorhead, getting swept by Winona State and splitting with Upper Iowa. What has carried the Golden Eagles so far this season is their offense. Crookston as a team is batting .315, third in the confer-ence. Sophomore outfielder Paige Schaust has been carrying the load for the Eagles, batting .423 in 52 at-bats with one home run and 10 RBIs so far this season. Their pitching is another story. As a team, they are giving up 5.1 runs per game, with their number one starter, Stacey Marcum, giv-ing up 5.95 runs per game. On Saturday, the first game against Moorhead will start at 1 p.m. behind Gage, followed by the second game at 3 p.m., and Sunday’s games against Crook-ston are set for the same times and place.

Brittani Robinson

Miller and Werner heating up for MavericksMSU Golf

RYAN LUNDstaff writer

With record spring highs and sunny March days, the Minnesota State, Mankato men’s golf team is poised to open their spring season a little differently this year; with a few weeks worth of work under their belts. Historically the team has to travel south to hit the links at this time of year, a fact that often sees the Mavericks unprepared for one of the most important stretches of the season. “Last year when we went down to Upper Iowa we hadn’t even played a round of golf yet,” said head coach Geoff Klein. With a month’s worth of practice behind them the Mavericks shouldn’t have to deal with similar issues this year. The team finished ninth at the University of Illinois-Springfield Spring Invitational, March 18-19, shooting a combined 627 on the 6,832 yard par-72 course. Despite an underwhelming performance in Springfield, the team has recorded a top-five finish in five of its last eight contests. “We’d like to be a bit better,” Klein said. The team is currently compet-ing for an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, a spot that

will likely be contested by several conference rivals. MSU will compete alongside several of those rivals at the up-coming Wayne State Invitational this weekend in Wayne, Nebraska. NSIC foes Concordia and Upper Iowa will be there as well. MSU’s top individual finisher in Springfield, freshman Ross Miller, put together a strong performance, finishing in a tie for fourth with a score of 150 through 36 holes. Miller, who struggled with his putting game early on, worked hard during the fall season, a fact that hasn’t been lost on his coach.

“He’s playing very well as a freshman,” said Klein. “He’s been a very nice surprise.” The Mavericks will look to junior Greg Werner as well. Werner finished in a three-way tie for first place at the Classic Club Invita-tional during Spring Break, shooting 160 at the Palm

Desert, California course. MSU returns to action on Fri-day at the Wayne State Invitation-al, where they will likely feel right at home after weeks of outdoor practice. The forecast calls for a high of 75 degrees this weekend in Wayne, Nebraska.

Greg Werner

Mavericks head to Sioux Falls for nonconference actionTIGE HUTCHESONstaff writer

After a perfect 4-0 start to the conference season at home last weekend, the Minnesota State, Mankato baseball team has a unique opportunity to send an early message to a team that will become a regular opponent in the league

beginning next season. The Mavericks will square off against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars this weekend with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday for a chance to claim first bragging rights. Back in January 2011, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate

Conference board of directors voted to accept the Cougars, along with Minot State Univer-sity, as new members begin-ning in 2012-13. The Cougars spent the remainder of last season as members of the NAIA’s Great Plains Conference, but have been forced to tread water this season as provisional members of the NCAA Division-II. As of right now, the Cougars are without a conference and are ineligible for postseason play. But within a matter of months, all of that will change and the University of Sioux Falls will be a regular stop for MSU during the NSIC regular season, and because of that, this weekend’s series is a golden opportunity for both teams to make a statement. “We don’t know too much about them,” said MSU head coach Matt Magers. “We know they had their Spring Break last week and haven’t played since then, but I know they’re anxious to play us because they’re coming to our confer-ence next year and they’ll be

motivated to show us what they’ve got.” Entering the weekend with a 3-17 record, Sioux Falls should have plenty of motivation to compete. Not only could it use a win and some positive momentum, but the Cougars have a chance to announce their arrival by ambushing MSU, one of the NSIC’s titans and perennial teams to beat. The Cougars are led on of-fense by junior outfielder An-thony Williams (.353 batting average, team-best 18 hits), sophomore utility player Noah Coleman (.292 average) and senior infielder Jimmy Max-well (.280 average, team-best nine RBIs). On the mound, the most likely starters for the Univer-sity of Sioux Falls are right-handers Derek Fischer (2-1 with a 3.80 ERA), Brady Nolz (0-4, 6.15 ERA), Eric Brothers (1-2, 10.80 ERA) and Coleman (0-3, 2.77 ERA), the lone lefty. On paper, it’s been a tough season for the Cougars, but Magers still sees plenty to gain

for the Mavericks this week-end. “For us, we’re excited to go to Sioux Falls and get into the routine of playing on the road,” Magers said. “More than anything, we’re still kind of looking to define some roles, especially our fifth and sixth starters, and we’re look-ing to give some of our role players off the bench some opportunities.” Regardless of MSU’s unfa-miliarity with the University of Sioux Falls and its roster, Friday and Saturday are the final opportunities for MSU to improve as much as it can before conference play really heats up, and the keys remain the same. “We haven’t changed anything. We’re still working on the fundamentals of our game—the hitting, pitching and fielding,” Magers said. “But right now it’s just about maintaining what we’ve been doing, continuing to build up and hopefully be playing some better baseball here in the next couple of weeks.”

shannon rathmanner • msu reporterSenior third baseman Pat Dockendorf circled the bases after hitting a three-run homer in the fifth inning of MSU’s 5-3 win over UMD last weekend.

Page 8 • Reporter Sports Thursday, March 29, 2012

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6 p.m. today Madison Square Garden

(6) Minnesota (3) Stanford 23-14 Overall Record 25-11 (6-12 Big 10) (10-8 Pac 12)

Road to the Garden

Def. La Salle, Miami (FL), Def. Cleveland St., Mid. Tenn. St., Washington Illinois St., Nevada, UMass

Most Notable Win

at No. 7 Indiana home vs. N.C. State Key Players

Rodney Williams (12.2 PPG) Chasson Randle (13.8 PPG) Andre Hollins (8.9 PPG) Josh Owens (11.8 PPG) Austin Hollins (9.1 PPG) Aaron Bright (11.6 PPG) Julian Welch (9.6 PPG) Anthony Brown (8.0 PPG)

PREDICTION: Gophers 71 Cardinal 62

MEN’S NIT CHAMPIONSHIPTale of the Tape

NFL Free Agency

Hometown ’Queens didn’t make a big splash, but these teams did KYLE RATKEeditor in chief

1.) Peyton Manning to Denver

To be honest, I would love this move if Manning signed with just about any team. It’s Peyton effin’ Manning. If he’s healthy, the dude’s a top-3 quarterback. Side note: Is there any way that John Elway signs Manning to a 5-year contract if he doesn’t think Manning can make a full-recovery? The answer is no. If Elway thinks he can get back to 100 percent, that’s good enough for me. He makes any team better. Why was Denver more appealing than Tennessee, San Francisco and Arizona? 1.) The Broncos have a stud defense already, something he never really had in Indianapolis. Manning won’t have to throw for 450 yards a game just to give his team a chance. The same can’t be said about Arizona and Tennessee. 2.) This team made the play-offs last season with Tim Tebow. Tebow-mania, Timpossible, In Tebow You Trust... I don’t care how many names you give him. He’s not a good quarterback. If Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas can look above average with the tandem of Kyle Orton and Tebow, imagine what they’ll do with Manning. 3.) He’s playing in the AFC West. Did I mention that Tebow led this team to the playoffs last season? And the season before

that Matt Cassel led the Chiefs to the playoffs? I just threw up in my mouth after typing that. And you’re telling me Tony Romo still can’t get to the playoffs? This is disgusting. I have a feeling Manning will be just fine in this division. You can make a case for Man-ning going to San Francisco, and honestly, Manning teamed with Randy Moss and Mario Man-ningham gets me slightly aroused. But maybe he didn’t feel com-fortable there. Maybe he felt like there could be tension between he and coach (and a former guy he replaced at quarterback) Jim Harbaugh. Maybe he didn’t want to ruin Alex Smith’s return from hell. I don’t know, but I’m sure he had a pretty good reason for not going to San Francisco.

2.) Vincent Jackson to Tampa Bay

I hated this move right away. Jackson is a moody, 29-year old receiver who has caught more than 60 balls only twice in his career, has gone over 1,000 yards just three times and has never caught more than nine touchdowns. So, why does this guy deserve $55 million over five years? For most teams, he wouldn’t be worth this kind of green, but for a young team playing in a pass-first division (Drew Brees, Cam New-ton and Matt Ryan), the young, (hopefully) up-and-coming (I

thought they were supposed to be up-and-coming two seasons ago, what happened?) Bucs needed more weapons for Josh Freeman. Freeman and former No. 1 receiver Mike Williams both regressed in 2011. The Bucs could either sit there and refuse to give in to this pass happy league (and lose), or say ‘eff it and start doing what all the cool kids are doing. Best-case scenario: The Saints struggle without Sean Payton and finish 10-6. Brees still throws for 3948,408483748503475897 yards. The Falcons find out that Matt Ryan has hit his ceiling and finish 8-8. The Panthers are good, and Newton continues his road to stardom, but there isn’t enough talent around him to compete yet. They finish 6-10. This leaves some wiggle-room for the Bucs as Freeman takes a giant step forward and throws 30 TDs, connecting well with both Jackson and Williams. LaGar-rette Blount does not punch any coaches. Worst-case scenario: The Saints are too talented not to win the division, with or without Pay-ton, and finish 12-4. Brees throws for 398023894,4899304,38497 yards. Ryan leads the Falcons back to the playoffs, taking the Wild Card again, forming a deadly connection with Roddy White and Julio Jones. The Panthers continue to im-prove, and Newton leads them to a late-season push, missing out on the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

The Bucs finish at the bottom again. Freeman has another hor-rible year. Jackson freaks out and demands a trade. Blount punches new head coach Greg Schiano, causing Schiano to pull a Bobby Petrino and sprint back to college football. This is actually starting to sound very realistic… Let’s move on.

3.) Laron Landry to New York Jets

The Jets signed Landry to a one-year deal. Besides being a really good safety to play with in Madden, Landry is actually a pretty good real life safety and probably would be recognized a little more during the last six years if he wasn’t playing for the hor-rible Washington Redskins. Remember, Washington made it seem alright that starting Rex

Grossman was an alright thing. Note: Starting Rex Grossman at quarterback is never an alright thing. In a division in which Tom Brady is leading the way and having Peyton Manning re-join the AFC, having a good defensive backfield is crucial. Darrell Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson are now joined by Landry. If they can turn Landry into a Troy Polamalu type safety/linebacker/ “Im going to kill your quarter-back” type of player, expect a lot of blitzes coming from Landry. Side note: The Jets had a press conference for Tim Tebow, a back-up quarterback and didn’t have one for a pro-bowl caliber safety. We will laugh at this in 10 years. To read the moves Ratke hated, head to mikehagstrom.com/thek-idstake. You can follow Ratke on Twitter @Kyle_Ratke.

Getty ImagesThe Vikings gave former Seahawks tight end and Litchfield native John Carlson a five-year, $25 million contract.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

A&Ewww.msureporter.com/arts-entertainment

RIDDLE!Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre:

It could be youEMRE ERKU | staff writer

Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater has, over the years, been the starting point for the careers of many great actors. Such actors like co-founder of Step-penwolf Gary Sinise (Forest Gump) and John Malkovich (Burn After Read-ing) both began their careers acting on stage at Steppenwolf before going on to Broadway and film. And since then, the establishment has been quite the cornerstone in the stage and theater community, so for all you theater major Mavericks out there, make sure take a good look into perform-ing here, it could be the defining kick-start factor to an above aver-age career.

In most recent times, the Step-penwolf stage has been home to a more newly written playwright by Tony Award-nominated author Donald Margulies called Time Stands Still. It’s a story about the after-shock effects of a photojour-nalist Sarah Goodwin (actress Sally Murphy) returning back home from covering the war in Iraq. She faces turmoil with the relationship she has with her freelance-writer boyfriend James Dodd (actor Randall Newsome), who wants her

to settle down to a domesticated life in the States, but she feels the only life she can live is back in the horrors of war. This conflict between the two charac-ters emphasizes Goodwin’s feelings on changing the world through exposing the violent horrors of war while, on the other hand, it emphasizes Dodd’s com-mitment into keeping Goodwin home, safe, and in love, and through the means

of solid acting, both actors portrayed these character’s motives and feelings immaculately.

But what was surprisingly stronger than the acting was the message of the play itself: the after effects that ex-posure to war has on a person (other than a soldier) and the entails of life afterwards. Not only that, the play showed how women, not just men,

have the immense power to achieve glorified independence, courage, and perseverance in accomplish-ing something most wouldn’t and couldn’t do. Great female combat photojournalists such as Lee Miller (WWII), Catherine Leroy (Vietnam War), and Stacy Pearsall (Iraq War), all played their part in influencing the premise of Margulies’ show and have played their part in influenc-ing young female journalists to take lead in changing the world. And in distraught belief, all these elements were incorporated into one great play at Steppenwolf.

So to achieve greatness in the act-ing world, or any world for that mat-ter, Steppenwolf Theater is an ideal place for such paths. It gives hope to struggles, and it conveys many mes-sages of inspiration. Go there.

• web photoSteppenwolf production of Time Stands Still includes

talented performers. From left; Randall Newsome (James), Sally Murphy (Sarah), Kristina Valada-Viars (Mandy), and

Scott Jaeck (not pictured, Richard).

I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find

me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness.Answer: The Letter ‘S’

Congrats to Grace Webb for answering what the answer was. To the riddle. She won candy. New riddle next week!

The Hunger Games film had many things go-ing against it before it was finally let loose on multi-plexes around the world.

First, the film falls into four categories that are rarely taken seriously as good cinema: Blockbusters, teen films, action flicks, and movies adapted from a popular book series. Add a budget that’s surprisingly small compared to similar films like Twilight or Harry Potter, a violent and emo-tionally complex source ma-terial, and a release in one of the most densely packed summer blockbuster seasons in film history, and The Hunger Games had to climb a mountain to find success,

HUNGRY? / page 10

The Hunger Games

CHRISTIAN HAGEN | web editor

What?Post-Holiday Extravaganza

When?March 30 & 31

Where?Pub 500, The Eagles

Club, The What’s Up Lounge, The 410 Project, the merry

streets of Mankato

Who?The Midwest Art

Catalyst and a bunch of local

bands and artists

Why?To raise money

for in-danger art programs in local school district 77

• web photo

Page 10 • Reporter A&E Thursday, March 29, 2012

Beautiful Outdoor Pool Spacious Apartments

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both critically and commercially.And yet, somehow, the film has done

exactly that. The reasons are many. Writer-director Gary Ross took a real passion for the material and, working closely with author Suzanne Collins, took all the right steps to bring the acclaimed young adult series to life on the screen.

By far the best choice they made was the casting of Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence as main character Katniss Everdeen, a girl from a poor district in a dystopian future who is forced, along with 23 other children, to fight to the death in a televised bloodsport.

Many fans questioned whether Lawrence was right for the part initially, but anyone who saw her extraordinary turn in Winter’s Bone understood that she’s got the talent to carry Katniss’s very unique balance between adult strength and youthful fear. Lawrence does all that and more, turning out a star-making performance.

But Lawrence is hardly the only bright spot in The Hunger Games. In fact, it’s striking, when watching the film, to realize that the clearest difference between The Hunger Games and other teen action movies is its focus on acting and real-ism over special effects and wonderment.

It perfectly captures the spirit of the novels; there’s an inherent dark-ness and woe behind every scene, because the world of the film is so bleak. But when hope and happiness peeks through, it does so with heartfelt

need. These are characters so trapped in oppression that the very idea of defiance is dangerous, but also essential. They cannot survive without it.

The Hunger Games isn’t all heightened drama and dialogue. There are tremendously tense action scenes throughout, and the world of the Arena where the children are forced to fight is perfectly understated even as blood and fire consumes the characters every step of the way.

More surprising is how closely the film follows the books. There are deviations, a few characters left out in favor of a shorter run time and some explanatory asides that take viewers out of the Arena, something that never happens in the novels, to allow for ex-position which we simply couldn’t get other-wise. But for the most part, the plot is un-changed, and fans of the stories will be sated

to see that, as briskly as it’s paced, the story is still emotionally impactful and engrossing.

The film’s main drawback, besides its unrelenting pace, is in its cinematography and effects. If you don’t like action that relies heavily on shaky camera, you might become a bit queasy in many of the action sequences. And the special effects often fail to convey the awe that they’re supposed to imbue in the viewer. Sadly, Katniss’s fire outfits, elegantly described in the book, are cheap and a little silly on celluloid. But hopefully the film’s massive box office standing will give the next film a bigger budget for the more ex-travagant effects.

The cast is gold almost from top to bottom. Beyond Lawrence’s knockout performance, the biggest connections are made with Josh Hutcherson’s amiable take on Peeta Mellark, Woody Harrelson’s pitch-perfect Haymitch,

and Stanley Tucci’s scene-stealing Caesar Flicker-man. There isn’t a per-former in the bunch that fails to bring their charac-ter to breathing, rich life.

It feels odd to call a film with so much an-ticipation and money the year’s best surprise, but that’s exactly what it is. What could easily have been another cash-grab-bing young adult action bore is instead an artful and thought-provoking tale of science fiction.

You’ll walk out wanting more, and, if Gary Ross can bring the same care to the next in the series, you can expect to be well satis-fied.

HUNGRY? “It perfectly captures the spirit of the novels; there’s an inherent darkness and woe behind every scene, because the world of the film is so bleak.” continued from 9

•web photo

Thursday, March 29, 2012 Classifieds Reporter • Page 11

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