Emory Wheel/Chloe Yang

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) took a horrifying stance against bodily autonomy. Millions of people across the county awoke to the abject reality of SCOTUS reversing half a century of progress.

SCOTUS eliminated the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, overturning the precedent decision Roe v. Wade. The Court cited that since the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, the right is not implicitly protected by law. This decision proved that nothing is safe; that same-sex marriage, same-sex sexual relations and contraceptive access are on the line because of six despicable justices.

In landmark decision Dobbs v. Jackson, Mississippi argued that all pre-viability prohibitions on abortions are consitutional — fetal viability being when the fetus can survive outside the womb. In siding with Mississippi, SCOTUS ripped away the power to choose from people throughout the country. The decision will impose significant restrictions — and in some cases, outright bans — on abortions in about half of states. This includes Georgia, which will likely see abortion rights snatched soon through the previously suspended “heartbeat law,” which bans abortions six weeks into the pregnancy, before many people even know they’re pregnant. 

In seeking to protect the lives of “unborn” people, the Supreme Court has compromised the freedom of living people. Overturning Roe v. Wade has dangerous implications: the increase in maternal mortality and children growing up in poverty, the symbolic and practical loss of female autonomy throughout the country and the likely increase in unsafe abortions, among others. 

While millions of people mourned the loss of their bodily autonomy, numerous pro-lifers have celebrated the end of Roe. They ignore the long-standing cries from numerous Black women at the forefront of the reproductive justice movement. SisterSong, a Southern reproductive justice movement organization, defines reproductive justice as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe sustainable communities.” By this definition, abortion bans are human rights violations.

By revoking Roe, SCOTUS has violated our fundamental human rights to our body autonomy and will force women to give birth in the United States, an overtly unsafe country which offers more protections to guns than its actual citizens. We deserve better. We deserve to have our human rights recognized and protected; to choose how to be a parent in this country. This includes deciding when to become a parent. 

Beyond the future of abortion, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas highlighted that numerous protections under the law derived from Roe are not protected. Roe held that the consitutional right to an abortion is part of a right to privacy not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, but springs from five constitutional provisions. Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples, is part of the same constitutional fabric as Roe. It stems from an implied right to privacy and protects a person’s decisions in personal life choices like marriage and pregnancy. In his concurring opinion, Thomas called on the court to reconsider the right to marriage equality and the right of married couples to make choices on contraception. The end of same-sex marriage could be next. We’re afraid — you should be too. 

The Dobbs v. Jackson decision sends a terrifying message: any right not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution is at risk of being snatched. This means your rights to marry who you want, have sex with who you want and make decisions concerning your own life and body are all at the mercy of the government. 

Writing an article on the unethicality of banning abortion feels like preaching to the choir; most of you believe in the consitutional right to body autonomy that the six justices of the Supreme Court have ripped away. Most Emory students won’t truly lose the right to have an abortion, as the fall of Roe v. Wade predominantly affects poor women who cannot cross state lines to seek help. 

But this is a call to arms. The bare minimum you can do to protect your rights this November is vote — even as tiring as that notion is. The least you can do is be educated about your state elections, especially Senate elections, because it’s the Senate that approves and denies Supreme Court nominees. Get involved in local reproductive justice organizations in Atlanta, such as SisterSong and Spark Reproductive Justice Now. They have done the work for decades and will continue to fight this unjust decision. 

As cliche as it sounds, we must maintain hope. We must be determined to regain our fundamental rights. We owe it to our future generations, the people who have fought before us, and ourselves. We deserve bodily autonomy, and now we must fight for it. Don’t take this lightly. You need to organize to protect your fundamental human rights to have sex and get an abortion when you want one. 

Sophia Peyser (25C) is from New York, NY. Rachel Broun (23C) is from Carrboro, NC.

The post Let’s talk about sex: Here’s how the Supreme Court wants to take away your bedroom rights appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Thousands of protestors swarmed to the streets of Boston in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Appeals court temporarily blocks construction at People’s Park

Nick Quinlan /Senior Staff

The First District Court of Appeal granted a stay order Friday that temporarily halts all construction and landscape alteration at People’s Park, as first reported by Berkeleyside.

According to the stay order, a decision regarding construction at the park is due July 19. This most recent order is part of the ongoing California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit filed by Make UC A Good Neighbor and The People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group against the UC regents.

UC Berkeley recently began relocating park residents to transitional housing to make way for the construction of student and supportive housing this summer.

“The university has confidence in its strong legal position, and we are equally confident that the construction of urgently needed student housing will begin this summer, as planned,” said campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof in an email.

Check back for updates.

Riley Cooke is a deputy news editor. Contact her at rcooke@dailycal.org, and follow her on Twitter at @rrileycooke.

The Daily Californian

Seeking out late-night dining spots for a study session or to decompress with friends after a long summer day of routine is an important outlet to have. There is, thankfully, in my case, an unending love of breakfast-for-dinner diners that stay open late. 

Rise and Shine … or Not?

Most people aren’t very likely to get up in the morning to sit down to a full breakfast spread before going about their day. This makes late-night options in Salt Lake that aren’t too pricey even more important.

Enter The Belgian Waffle and Omelet Inn and Dee’s Family Restaurant, two homey diners that serve full menus into the late hours of the night or early morning.

The Belgian Waffle and Omelet Inn

The Belgian may seem like an unassuming and divey diner but it’s been operating 24/7 since 1979.

Their extensive menu features everything from full breakfasts to burgers to dessert-for-dinner options. But two stars shine on their menu as favorites for late-night patrons, the “Garbage Hash” and the “Belgian Delight.”

The hash is a dependable option — potatoes, peppers, onions, ham, additional veggies and the optional egg, all smothered in cheese and served in a heaping pile on the plate. It’s easily a feast for one or a split side for two, and it’s under eleven dollars. 

The delight is a little more impractical and indulgent. A belgian waffle topped with your choice of fruit and whipped cream with the optional (essential) addition of ice cream. It’s a sugar rush that pairs well with the hash and another great option for sharing if you can’t decide what to order. 

Dee’s Family Restaurant

Dee’s Family Restaurant has several locations in and around Salt Lake, making it a widely accessible option. They’re open until 10 p.m. most days and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sporting a menu of sandwiches, breakfast options and desserts that keep it basic, Dee’s has mastered the art of the old-time dining experience and brought it into the modern late-night diners of today. 

With sizable portions and relatively cheap prices, it’s a great option if you want breakfast or dessert and a cup of coffee while some of the city sleeps and the night life starts up.

Their biscuits and gravy, while basic, is largely portioned. Two biscuits, hash browns and eggs for 11 dollars isn’t bad. Topping it all off with a fresh pot of coffee, whether decaf or regular, will elevate your dining experience. 

If, like me, breakfast is synonymous with dessert in your mind — the banana split is a must. Had I known that it would come in the form of three mammoth scoops of vanilla ice cream, sauce, whipped cream and a whole banana, I might have had the wisdom to make it my entire meal. 

To Dine or Not to Dine?

Both diners offer a vast menu selection for relatively inexpensive prices. The large portions and cozy feel of both locations make them a great spot for late night dining. 

Whether it’s a late-night out with friends or a solo break from studying, working or even the normal routine of life, stop in and see where these late-night diners might take you.

w.fuller@dailyutahchronicle.com

@whit_fuller_

The post Late Night Eateries: Breakfast for Dinner at 2 a.m. appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

INTRO MUSIC

ALBERTO GOMEZ: Hi, everyone. My name is Alberto Gomez and you’re listening to In The Know, a podcast by the Minnesota Daily. Together, we’ll be exploring the University of Minnesota’s students and communities with each episode.

On Thursday June 23, 13 high school students from across Minnesota gathered in the Weisman Art Museum to join the now 24 year-old WAM Teen Architecture Workshop. Over the course of five weeks, these students will learn the fundamentals of architectural planning, hand modeling, architecture as an art form, and career paths in architecture and design.

The workshop aims to serve as a fun introduction to a field that Jaimee Yung, the Director of Education at the Weisman, believes youth need more exposure to.

JAIMEE YUNG: We look to any students who, first of all, don’t have access to this type of programming maybe in their schools. So, a lot of schools don’t offer that there might not be enough budgeting to have classes like this.

GOMEZ: After a two year gap in programming, Yung is more than excited for the return of the Architecture Workshop. To Yung, the workshop serves as a way to serve local communities and provide a rare learning opportunity to youth.

YUNG: And so thinking about our role in the city, as far as architecture and then our connection to the university and the college of design, and thinking about what, how can we bridge the community with the university by utilizing our bright, shiny building.

GOMEZ: Through exposure to working professionals from around the Twin Cities and mentorship from U of M School of Design students, Yung hopes that high school students will find a niche that they can fit into.

YUNG: So we bring in consultants from different areas of architecture and design to talk with the students. So we might bring in an interior designer, a landscape, we’ll bring in a structural engineer, we’ll bring in a designer so they can kind of see that there’s not one path, that there’s many ways that they could be involved with architecture and design.

GOMEZ: Every Thursday for five weeks, groups of four to five high schoolers are led by a student-mentor from the U of M School of Design who has already progressed in multiple architectural design courses. With their mentor, the high school students explore campus, ask questions about their mentor’s college experiences, and are guided through multiple hands-on-activities.

Eight years ago, Angelo Davalos walked around the University as a mentee of the Weisman’s Teen Architecture Workshop; he now finds himself leading a group of students through multiple workshops and around the campus. Had COVID-19 not taken away two years of programming, this would have been Davalos’ fifth year as a mentor.

ANGELO DAVALOS: The nice thing about this camp is every year, the project changes and is something different, um, which I really enjoyed. And it is also led by people like myself, mentors or college students,who can really connect and try and teach things to these high school students that they have recently learned themselves.

GOMEZ: According to Davalos, not much has changed since he was a student mentee with the workshop. Prior to the pandemic, the workshop ran for five days over the course of a single week. But with the program now being spread out to one day a week for five weeks, Davalos and other mentors are more easily able to dedicate themselves to the program.

According to Davalos, by using School of Design students as mentors, the workshop creates an opportunity for college students to show mastery of their knowledge and act as a mentor for younger students considering college.

Davalos explains that he sees the Workshop as a pre-pre-architecture program, and he hopes that his efforts will leave his mentees with a leg up if they eventually find themselves in architecture school. But even then…

DAVALOS: One thing I’ll say about this program specifically is I learned more about architecture in this five day camp than I did probably in my first year of architecture school. It teaches you really direct and applicable knowledge.

GOMEZ: Every year, students are presented with a different type of project to plan out, build a scale model for, and present to professional architects from the Twin Cities. According to Yung, past projects have ranged from bridges, inventive stairwells, and campus cafes.

According to Sage Caballero, an educational assistant at the Weisman, this year students will be working on an event pop-up structure over the five weeks.

SAGE CABALLERO: So I’m thinking about the Wiseman and collaborating with other groups, a lot of times, you know, in the real world will have events or, um, art popup is kind of the best way to think of it, cause they’re all so different and can vary so much that happen outside of the museum. And so kind of thinking about what is the best way to, for the students in terms of architecture, how do we make it look like the Wiseman in the sense that it has our branding and our sort of quirky building that we have attached, um, without just kind of mimicking the building itself.

GOMEZ: Caballero explains that the project will task students with creating an easy to put up and transportable structure that harkens back to Frank Gehry’s design of the Weisman itself, while still maintaining its own identity.

Each day of the workshop is dedicated to different phases of the project. According to Yung, day one focused on introductions, team building, and the revelation of the five-week project.

The second workshop focuses on selecting a location for the students’ pop-up while also getting to explore the University alongside their mentor. Over the next three weeks, students are slowly introduced to different terminology, architecture practices, and real-world-professionals. According to Caballeros, the workshop functions as an introduction to the world of architecture and design. No prior knowledge of the field is required for students to join the workshop.

CABALLERO: And a lot of them don’t necessarily know the intricacies of what architecture is; there’s so many different types of it. And so letting them see what that is and letting them kind of dig in, most of them obviously have an interest in architecture, but this allows them to go into college, knowing a bit more and knowing kind of being able to see what paths they could go down.

GOMEZ: The Weisman Teen Architecture Workshop doesn’t come free or without some difficulties. Enrollment is open to any 10th-12th grade student for a $200 fee. But to make costs easier, the Weisman works with local architect firms to offer scholarship opportunities waiving a portion of the fee.

YUNG: We work with donors to get the funding for that, but really thinking about, again, it’s about the access and helping under-served students. So we don’t want the cost to be a barrier.

GOMEZ: Yung estimates that about half of all students request program scholarships. And year after year, the Weisman has tried to make the workshop more affordable.

YUNG: We’d like to get to a point in our funding model where we can provide it for free for all students, so that’s the goal.

GOMEZ: Pre-pandemic, the workshop would host anywhere between 30 to 45 high school students. With half the usual students this year, Yung believes that the smaller groups will allow for closer relationships amongst students and mentors, while still creating a fun energy.

YUNG: I love when the room gets really loud and messy, um, cuz the students are interacting and talking and sharing ideas and you see them, um, sort of arguing or, or having disagreements and then having to figure that out like this person has this idea, but this person has this idea and then they have to try to figure out like, how are we gonna make this work?

GOMEZ: After having worked closely with the Weisman Teen Architecture Workshop, Davalos hopes to not only see it thrive, but expand beyond just the 13 to 45 students who can make it to the Weisman. And already, Yung has begun playing with the idea of expanding the workshop students as young as middle school.

DAVALOS: I really think that this is a staple to be used in many other places cuz it really teaches these students so much in such a condensed amount of time. Teaching them, you know, collaboration, huge part of architecture, but even the, the process of design and, the technical aspects as well as the conceptual, portions. So that’s why I’ve kept coming back is it has meant so much to me that this program stays alive. It really helps these students to figure out what architecture is and if they truly are interested in it or not.

GOMEZ: The Daily would like to thank all of our listeners for tuning in. We’ll see you next time. And don’t forget to like and rate In The Know wherever you enjoy your podcasts. My name is Alberto Gomez and this is In The Know.

For Dharshini Anugu, the gender disparity among students at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management is at the top of her mind. 

In the male-dominated school, the third-year student said she has sometimes found it difficult  to make her voice heard. For instance, she said a male student once asked her and others for advice and then appeared to only listen to what another male student had to say. 

“I found it so hard to initially break that barrier,” Anugu said. “They [men] look at you and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re a girl, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’” 

As a finance student, she said her major classes generally only have two or three female students, including her. According to the University’s Official Enrollment Statistics Report, the school’s student body is currently about 42% female, .01% non-binary and 58% male. 

School administrators are aware of the gap. Assistant Director of Undergraduate Enrollment Eric Ly said the school is in the process of a years-long effort to attract, and retain, more female students. 

During the 2011-12 school year, 1,789 female undergraduate students were enrolled in the school, according to the report. There were about 2,500 women during the 2021-22 school year, an increase of about 39% over a decade. 

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Ly has worked in the enrollment field at the University since 2013, originally assisting transfer students before the school promoted him to include freshman in his responsibilities, he said.  

The growing number of women taking classes at the school is, in part, a result of initiatives by school leaders to promote what Carlson has to offer, Ly said. One such program is the annual Women in Business luncheon. 

To plan that event, organizers partner with the student-run undergraduate Women in Business club (WIB), which is a group of undergraduate business students who encourage women involvement in the business world. The group invites all students, faculty and staff from the school to attend the luncheon with the hope of peaking female students’ interest in Carlson, Ly said.

About 350 students were members of WIB during the 2021-22 school year, WIB President Lauren Boike said. WIB meets biweekly and plans multiple social events, in addition to the luncheon, throughout the year, Boike said. 

Boike was a senior marketing major at the school during the 2021-22 school year. She said she joined WIB as a sophomore with the goal of being more involved in extracurricular activities on campus.

“Through showing my dedication to the club, and putting in some extra efforts, [I became president]. I just care for the club,” Boike said. 

One of the club’s biggest events is the Annual Charity Gala, Boike said. Huntington Bank Stadium hosts the gala, which includes a silent auction that raises money for charity. 

The club chose Dress for Success — an organization that helps women build their resumes, find jobs and get workplace-appropriate outfits — as the recipient of the fundraiser for the past three years, Boike said.  “Their values align with ours so much,” Boike said.

At the 2022 gala, the club raised about $15,000 for Dress for Success, Boike said.  

Anugu is not a WIB member, but she said she keeps busy with other clubs, such as the  Investment Banking Club (IBC). In that group, Anugu said she is the only woman, and she hopes to serve as a mentor for any future female students who have an interest in investment banking and want to join.

“The biggest advice I would give [to them] is to ask for what you want, and go forth with confidence,” Anugu said.

USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024, leaving the Pac-12 after over 100 seasons, President Carol Folt announced in a communitywide email Thursday. 

“This decision was made after serious deliberation and analysis, and with great appreciation and respect for our Pac-12 colleagues with whom we have enjoyed a wonderful history and relationship,” Folt said. 

All sports except for beach volleyball, men’s volleyball and men’s and women’s waterpolo will now compete in the Big Ten, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Folt said that the move to the Big Ten will “enable additional support” for student-athletes. 

“Our move to the Big Ten positions USC for long-term success and stability amidst the rapidly changing sports media and collegiate athletic landscapes,” Folt said. “Equally important, we are joining a conference that shares our values of academic excellence, athletic competitiveness and diversity and inclusion across all sports.”

The Big Ten primarily consists of schools in the Midwest region, meaning longer travel days for student-athletes. Folt said the University discussed this with the Big Ten in its considerations. 

“We are committed to devoting the necessary resources to ensure our student-athletes can continue to thrive in their coursework with minimal travel disruption,” Folt said. “We know the Big Ten shares our commitment to prioritizing student-athletes’ well-being and academic demands, and we are fortunate we can spend the next two years working with the conference on travel and scheduling plans.”

Crosstown rival UCLA is also joining the Big Ten, in a deal that sent shockwaves down the college athletics community. 

It is not yet clear in which divisions USC and UCLA will play or which Big Ten opponents they will face in their inaugural football seasons. 

Rumors swirled Thursday morning of the potential deal, until the Big Ten officially accepted USC’s application to the conference Thursday afternoon. 

This deal comes months after Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference, marking a monumental change in the landscape of college football and raising questions on conference realignment’s impact on the College Football Playoff. 

USC will still compete in the Pac-12 for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

The post USC to join Big Ten Conference appeared first on Daily Trojan.

The question you may be asking is: “Can I drive on the highway with a permit?” The short answer is yes, but it depends on the conditions. Currently, most states do not allow non-commercial drivers to operate motor vehicles while holding a passenger or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This means that if you are licensed to drive in another state, and you plan to travel to another state, you must get a permit before getting behind the wheel. If you live in an LDR and are eligible to apply for a State Permit Test, applying for a driver’s license from that state is usually not an issue. However, if your desired driving location is out of your reach because of a natural disaster or other factors beyond your control, then getting a permit might be an option. You can find out whether or not you are able to drive on the highway with a permit from your state by doing some research online beforehand. And also – if you don’t live in an LDR – it’s always worth checking with your local law enforcement officials before taking action.

Can You Drive On The Highway With A Permit?

No, you cannot drive with a permit on the highways. You will need to obtain a driving permit from the local government in order to operate a car on the highways.

What Are The Conditions For Getting A Permit On The Highway?

1. You must be a citizen of the US and have a valid driver’s license issued by your state.
2. You must not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other substance while driving on the highway.
3. Your car must be registered in your name and you must show proof of insurance to the local government in order to get a permit.
4. If you are authorized to drive in another country, then you will need to apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP).
5. You will need to pass a written test before getting a driving permit on the highway in your state.

What Are The Advantages Of Being Able To Drive On The Highway With A Permit?

• You can drive on the highway with a permit in your state if you are not allowed to drive in other states.
• You will be able to travel freely across state lines if you obtain a permit from your local government.
• It will allow you to get a job, which is more convenient than getting a job in another part of the country because you can drive there easily and quickly.
• It will allow you to visit relatives and friends who live in other states or countries easily.
• It will allow you to get medical treatment wherever necessary, which is very important for people who are aging or have physical disabilities that prevent them from driving on the highway because they may need medical treatment that only happens once every few months or years at most.
• If you are a student, it will be very convenient to drive on the highway with a permit because you can take your driver’s education class and take your written test at the same time.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Being Able To Drive On The Highway With A Permit?

• If you are a student, you will have to pay for your permit.
• It will cost more money to get a permit than it would cost to get a learner’s permit.
• You can be stopped by the police if they suspect that you are driving without a valid license or permit.
• You can be fined or arrested if you drive on the highway without a valid license or permit in some states but not in others.
• You will have to pay more money than you would have had to pay if you were still getting your driver’s education class and taking your written test at the same time as before because now it will cost extra money for both of these things instead of only one of them at a time before getting a permit on the highway in your state.
• You can be stopped by the police if they suspect that you are driving without a valid driver’s license or permit and they do not have enough evidence against you to arrest or fine you, so they may let you go by just giving out some warning tickets instead of arresting or fining you as well as issuing fines and/or arresting other people who also drove on the highway without having any valid licenses or permits at all, which is very unfair and unjust for those people who actually did commit an offense against traffic laws by driving on the highway without one of those things.

How Can I Pass The Written Test To Get A Permit On The Highway?

• There are many ways to pass the written test to get a permit on the highway in your state.
• You may want to study for a few hours every day or every week, which will allow you to learn how to pass the written test in just a few days or weeks if you are able to concentrate well and if you study hard enough.
• You can also ask friends and family members who have passed their tests recently what they did, what they did, and what was important for them when they took their tests because it is not uncommon for people who have passed their tests in the past to give some information about what they did that helped them pass their exams when taking those exams again.
• You can also ask people who have taken similar tests at different times of the year what is different about those exams so that you can prepare yourself better during exam time so that you do not fail your exam by failing to prepare yourself properly for it or by taking an exam at just the wrong time of year or during a period where there are other distractions that might make it harder for you to focus properly on your test questions and answers so that you do not become discouraged and give up before finishing your exam because of how difficult it might be for you at that particular time of year or during certain periods of time in general when there are other factors involved with being able to focus on your test.
• You can also study for the written test in your state by going online and looking at written tests that are similar to the ones you need to take to get a permit on the highway in your state.

Conclusion

This write-up is a very good resource for those who want to learn more about how to pass the written test to get a permit on the highway in your state. This write-up will help you understand some of the things that are important for you to know when taking that exam and will give you some ideas about what may or may not be important for you to focus on when taking that exam so that it goes well for you.

FAQ’s

Q: What is the name of the test that I need to take to get a permit on the highway in my state?

• The name of the test that you need to take to get a permit on the highway in your state is the written exam given by your state.

Q: When is the exam given?

• The exam is given once a year by your state and it is usually during the month of February. The exact date of the exam may be different from year to year, but you should be able to find out what you need to do so that you can pass this exam during that time of year.

The post Can You Drive On The Highway With A Permit? appeared first on Marquette Tribune.

UPDATE: The fire has been extinguished and no injuries have been reported, according to a press release from the Minneapolis Fire Department. 

The fire originated in the basement of a three-story building at 1717 University Ave SE. While responding to the fire, fire crews received reports of several manhole covers blown out of the street after a possible gas spill into a sewer line, according to the press release.

Buildings along University Avenue and Oak Street SE between 10th and 19th streets have been evacuated, according to the press release. Children that were at the YMCA as well as another daycare in the area have been evacuated. MTC buses are responding for temporary shelter along with Northrop Auditorium, according to the press release.

Fire crews are receiving additional calls of gas odors in the surrounding area and are monitoring buildings, according to the press release.

Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD) responded to a fire and explosion along the intersection of University Avenue SE and 17th Avenue SE, according to a SAFE U notification sent out around 3 p.m. on Thursday.

According to a Citizen livestream, firefighters first responded to a report of a basement fire in a building located along the 1700 block of University Avenue around 2:30 p.m.

A social media message shared with a Daily reporter said the fire could have originated in the boiler room of fraternity Delta Tau Delta. A student within this fraternity reported that the frat’s fire alarms went off and the house evacuated; after this, the explosion occurred and three members of Delta Tau Delta claimed to have seen the manhole covers blow up off University Avenue for about three blocks.

While responding to the fire, MFD reported receiving news of a sewer explosion that blew manhole covers off the road between 10th and 18th avenues along University, according to reporting from KSTP.

Following the initial notification, there was a follow up request for residents of the 17th Ave Residence Hall to evacuate, citing a nearby structural fire and a possible natural gas leak.

KSTP reported that by 4 p.m., buildings between 15th Avenue and Oak Street and between Fourth Street and Pillsbury Drive were being evacuated and authorities are requesting that people avoid the area.

MFP tweeted that no injuries have been reported and the cause of the incident is most likely a flammable gas spill rather than natural gas.

Any residents who have been evacuated are able to go to Northrop Auditorium for shelter, according to a SAFE U notice sent out by the University.

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

This Wednesday’s SGA meeting marked a lively departure from the organization’s more relaxed summer session. What was expected to be a productive, if somewhat dull, session quickly exploded into debate over concerns of bias and religious freedom. 

The dispute initially arose from the potential appointment of Mya Little as an associate justice on the SGA Supreme Court. In her opening address to SGA, Little repeatedly emphasized her Christian beliefs, going so far as to open her speech with a bible verse. 

“I read that scripture months ago and it really inspired me,” Little said. “It made me realize that the world to me, and in my eyes, is made out of love.”

Though Little did go on to say that her love was not conditional on the basis of religion, race or political creed, the religious tone of her introductory speech seemed to strike a chord of doubt in some of the assembled SGA members.

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Marie McGrew sought to address these concerns during the questioning phase. Stressing the crucial nature of bias as it applies to the Supreme Court, McGrew asked Little how she intended to account for, and contend with, her own latent biases. 

“Bias has a very negative connotation. I have an opinion,” Little said. “So long as respect is being exchanged between one another, I don’t feel like opinions need to be labeled as biases.”

This answer, however, would lead to only more questions as Little was asked to leave the Senate chanber and the representatives moved for an unmoderated caucus to discuss their concerns openly. 

Several senators immediately objected to what they saw as Little’s potential for bias, both in her religious conviction as well as her perceived failure to account for her own latent bias. Senate Speaker Aryana Azizi highlighted the heightened concern around religious influence in government in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“I personally think it’s a little bit tone deaf given the current political climate,” said Azizi. “I don’t think now is the time to be preaching about religion given the clear lack of separation of church and state in our federal government.”

But Little was not without her supporters, as several sitting members of the SGA high court spoke to her qualifications and highlighted her accomplishments with organizations such as Black Law Students and First Generation Coogs. 

Hobby School Sen. Nolan Shultz also came to her defense, citing a purported need for more Christian values in the  government. 

“I think with record-level crime, disparity and poverty, we need more Christ in government,” Shultz said. “I need to go on the record saying I bring Christ anywhere I go.”

Though these remarks seemed to only galvanize opposition, Little ultimately failed to receive the necessary two-thirds of the vote required to be appointed to the SGA Supreme Court. This came as a disappointment to several SGA members, as Little would have been the first Black woman to serve as an SGA Supreme Court justice.

Though Little would not be the only student to leave the Senate chamber disappointed that day. Of the four students considered for appointment, none were confirmed. 

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Religious student’s SGA Supreme Court bid struck down by Senate” was originally posted on The Cougar