By: Betsy Helfand

The Gophers’ top-producing line looks a lot like it did last year, based on personnel.

Minnesota returned sophomores Hannah Brandt and Maryanne Menefee, two of the three forwards who make up the line.

But the player missing from the trio changes the line’s whole complexion.

The Gophers are without forward Amanda Kessel this season while she competes for the U.S. national team.

Kessel was the nation’s leading scorer last season with 101 points, and Gophers head coach Brad Frost called her “arguably the best player in the world.”

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By: David Nelson

For the second straight year, a talented setter has transferred to the Gophers. It was senior Alexandra Palmer last year. This year, it’s Sydney Howard.

The sophomore came to Minnesota after playing in 29 matches and 116 sets for South Dakota State last season.

“I picked Minnesota [because] I loved the atmosphere here and being in the city life,” Howard said. “I just wanted a bigger school, [and] the coaching and the team fit well.”

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By: Jake Stark

Jon Trasamar struggled to find his swing over the first half of the Gophers’ fall season.

Now, he appears to have it back.

The senior on the Gophers men’s golf team shot an average of 12-over par through the first three tournaments of the fall season.

In the past two events, however, he’s averaged a score of 2.5-under par.

“My play was a little disappointing from a result perspective,” Trasamar said. “We all had expectations coming in from the summer. So it would have been nice to get off to a better start.”

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By: Kyle Stowe

When Angela Castro first came to the University of Minnesota from her native Colombia, she learned her definition of “cold” didn’t apply to Minnesota winter weather.

“I had no idea how cold it was really going to be,” she said. “It was a shock.”

To help international graduate students acclimate to the University, a group of students recently started the Council for International Graduate Students.

CIGS aims to provide international graduate students with an outlet to discuss issues they might face at the University.

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By: Nathaniel Rabuzzi

Some state legislators are planning to push this season to raise Minnesota’s hourly minimum wage, despite failed attempts last session.

Supporters say the increase would spur economic growth, while opponents say it would disrupt how businesses in the state operate.

Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, is leading legislative efforts to raise the rate to $9.50 per hour. He said the increase would cause money in the state to circulate better, benefiting businesses.

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By: Julia Marshall

This month, colleges and universities across the state have been offering incentives like waived application fees to recruit more students.

The University of Minnesota is part of a statewide push, called College Knowledge Month, aiming to help high school students understand the college admissions process and gain better access.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education created the initiative to encourage schools to waive their admissions fees to try and get more students to apply throughout October.

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By: Samuel Gordon

After Saturday’s monumental win over Nebraska, defensive coordinator and acting head coach Tracy Claeys told ESPN in an on-camera interview that Gophers football will always be Jerry Kill’s program.

But Minnesota’s last two wins have had as much to do with Claeys as anyone else.

He’s guided the team in its two most impressive games of the season — two wins that just so happen to be the program’s most significant victories in the Kill era.

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By: Jace Frederick

A month ago, Jasen Baranowski, a freshman student manager for the Gophers men’s basketball team, wasn’t hanging out with friends or relaxing on his couch like students normally do on Friday nights — he was doing the team’s laundry.

Now someone can do Baranowski’s laundry for him. He’s on the team.

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By: Jack Satzinger

BY JACK SATZINGER

jsatzinger@mndaily.com

It’s not hard to picture Brock Vereen holding a microphone as a sideline reporter after his college career is over.

He interned at the NFL Network last summer, interviewed head coach Jerry Kill at Big Ten Media Days in July and sums up games with the poise of a seasoned public speaker.

“This is just the win we needed as a program,” Vereen said after the Gophers beat Nebraska 34-23 on Saturday. “We’ve been in situations like this, but finally we put all the pieces in the right place.”

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By: Marshall H. Tanick – University alumnus, Employment law attorney

The epileptic seizures that caused Gophers football coach Jerry Kill to miss games and take a leave of absence raise a number of concerns. 

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