The University of Minnesota Department of Public Safety released footage from a squad car on Wednesday in response to community accusations that officers racially profiled and harassed a student. 

Shortly before 2 a.m. on Feb. 1, UMPD approached a student who they believed may have fit the description of a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred earlier that night. 

A student government leader who is a person of color reported that he was approached by UMPD cars as he was walking through Dinkytown. The student believes he was stopped by police because of his race. The Minnesota Daily is not naming the person at this time due to his concerns of retaliation.

The student was wearing a dark jacket. According to the student, a white male with a black coat was also nearby.

An officer can be heard saying, “It’s a white male, dark hoodie, but he doesn’t have a mask.” It is unclear if the officer is referencing a person on the sidewalk or the suspect’s description. 

A few seconds later, police cam footage shows the police vehicle turning the corner of Fifth Street Southeast and 11th Avenue Southeast with lights flashing. The student was then stopped and questioned by two police officers, according to UMPD.

“If I would have left the situation, what would have happened?” the student said. “I am so tired of the police terrorizing students.”

The student alleges that officers exited their vehicles with their “hands on their guns” and described feeling cornered. 

“We just had a robbery of a person and you kinda match the description, as far as someone wearing a dark hoodie,” said an officer in the footage. 

In the video, the student tells officers he is a University of Minnesota student and offers to show his student identification. An officer then says he believes the student and that he was “good to go.”

The interaction has prompted a campus-wide response, including from student organizations like Students for a Democratic Society, which called on Joan Gabel and the Board of Regents to condemn UMPD’s “acts of profiling, escalation and terror.”

In an email reviewed by the Minnesota Daily, UMPD Lt. Troy Buhta responded to the student stating that video footage of the incident “does not fit the narrative” of the student’s complaint.

This is a breaking news report. More information may be added as it becomes available.

On Wednesday Gov. Tim Walz announced a four-week plan to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Beginning Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. and extending to Dec. 18, bars and restaurants must end dine-in services and move to take-out or delivery only; facilities like gyms, fitness studios, entertainment venues, event spaces and similar establishments will be required to close.

Additionally, sports activities — for adults and children — will be put on pause, and social gatherings will be limited exclusively to members within a household. This is down from last week’s restriction of 10 people from three households or less.

Places of worship, wedding ceremonies and retail stores will continue to operate per safety guidelines and under limited capacity.

States across the midwest are experiencing a large uptick in COVID-19 cases, with Minnesota surpassing 240,000 cases.

“Today marks a somber milestone in the pandemic as we surpass 3,000 Minnesotans lost to COVID-19,” Walz said in a statement. “This immense loss strikes at the heart of our state. We are at a breaking point.”

More than 1,000 Minnesota physicians and providers wrote a letter that reiterated the concerns on the rising positive cases, and emphasized the strain hospital staffers are experiencing.

“The growth is so rapid that health care systems are pushed to the brink.” the letter read. “Daily, there is a scramble to find ICU beds and staff, non-emergent surgeries are delayed, emergency rooms are overwhelmed, and the transfer of patients in need of life-saving care between hospitals is increasingly challenging.”

The announcement comes as the state’s death total from the COVID-19 pandemic surpassed 3,000, with a national death toll of more than 250,000.

The University of Minnesota dining hall management is proposing new enforcement and implementation strategies to address student COVID-19 safety concerns.

During the Twin Cities Student Senate meeting on Oct. 21, Amy Keran, the director of contract administration, presented potential changes in the dining halls to reinforce safety guidelines. These changes include the installment of plexiglass at all dining halls, reinforcement of the reservation system and the presence of an M Dining manager to enforce safety protocols.

“We don’t want people to have to go back to their rooms. We really want to try to have as many options available to people,” Keran said. “So, that’s why we’re really trying to help press upon [students] that if they help us comply and do these things, we’ll be able to keep the dining halls open.”

Since the start of the semester, M Dining has implemented COVID-19 safety guidelines in all residence halls and University dining spaces, including a reservation system, signage to ensure 6-foot social distancing and face covering protocols.

M Dining management sent out an email to students and families on Oct. 3 addressing the fact that some students were not following the current COVID-19 safety protocols. Additionally, the email said all students must use the OpenTable reservation system beginning Oct. 5 for residential dining centers, whether they are choosing to dine in or take meals to go.

“COVID-19 is too serious to become complacent,” Vice President of University Services Mike Berthelsen said in the email. “Failing to follow this important safety guidance, which is part of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan, puts everyone at risk–especially those with underlying conditions and weakened immune systems.”

Students have been seen moving chairs, congregating in groups at tables and taking their face masks off when eating and not putting them back on, Keran said.

“I’ve been seeing the same things, just a complete disregard for all the rules and precautions,” said Grace*, a community advisor on campus. She requested her real name not be used due to her ongoing employment status. “The dining hall tried to have specific places to have students sit, and they’ve just completely disregarded that. They’ll just take off their face masks way too early or won’t put [them] on after they finish eating.”

Grace said the University should tackle these concerns more directly instead of sending email reminders.

“I understand the point of sending out an email, but freshmen don’t read their emails,” Grace said. “I would like to see them start addressing the rules, even if they have to hire more staff specifically to enforce the rules.”

Chris Elrod, the senior marketing manager with M Dining, said food safety is the top priority.

In an email to the Minnesota Daily, Elrod said, “M Dining, managed by Aramark, is committed to maintaining both a safe environment to serve students and a safe workplace for our employees.”

The name of a current CA has been changed due to employment concerns.

Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson announced in an email Friday that students will now have the option to change the grading basis for their classes until 11:59 on Nov. 30.

In addition, students who receive an F grade on the A/F grading system will have their grade automatically converted to an N on the S/N, or pass/fail, system, so as to not have it impact their GPA. This applies for both fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.

There is a clear distinction between the grading policy for this semester versus spring 2020, however: any classes taken pass/fail will not count toward major or minor degree requirements, despite student advocacy this fall.

These decisions came after consultation with the Minnesota Student Association and faculty governance.

The change to pass/fail will not automatically apply to D grades. However, the announcement said that students may request to have a D converted into an N by emailing One Stop Student Services from a university email account.

“I strongly urge you to check your APAS report, review the fact sheet on the One Stop website, and/or consult with your academic advisor before making any of these changes,” said Croson in her email to students.

The University also extended the last day to withdraw from Fall 2020 coursework to Dec.1.

In an email addressed to students and parents, the University announced that it will remain in phase three of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan.

The email, sent by University Services Vice President Mike Berthelsen, said the decision resulted from a notable increase in COVID-19 cases across the state and within Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

“This decision will enhance our abilities to safeguard the health of our students, staff and faculty and monitor the spread of COVID-19 within the state and nationally,” the email read.

Phase three of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan grants first-year students full access to campus, the greater community and to community spaces of dorms at any time of the day, while respecting occupancy signs and other requirements. The protocol also allows students to have up to two guests from their residence hall in a room at a time but still has a midnight curfew.

Phase four, the final step of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise plan, would have granted students access to any dining hall, allowed guests from outside of a residence hall and would not have had door monitoring or a “back home” time.

University leaders expect to make more announcements in the coming weeks. Students are still advised to wear face coverings indoors and outdoors when social distancing is difficult, and remain six feet apart from one another.

Housing and Residential Life announced on Oct. 7 that community advisors will receive additional compensation for the year’s employment period in acknowledgement of their efforts and the impacts of COVID-19 on their work.

CAs will receive a payment of $20.50 per duty shift, regardless of how long their shift lasts. CAs typically work one duty shift per week, which typically last from 4:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next day, and weekend shifts typically last 24 hours.

The payment comes as an addition to the rest of the CA compensation package, which includes full board, a 14-meal per week meal plan and the choice of one additional form of compensation per semester valued at $250, such as tuition credit, FlexDine or Gopher Gold.

CAs will be compensated for their last two months of work, and the contract period will last until May 2021.

As a previous CA, president of the Minnesota Student Association Amy Ma said she thinks this is an important first step of acknowledging the work of CAs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the beginning of the year, Ma and former MSA Vice President Becca Cowin announced their advocacy for additional compensation for housing workers on Instagram. MSA also addressed their advocacy for CA compensation in a letter addressing their concerns on the University’s Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan.

“We were clear in talking to the administration that if CAs are being expected to have responsibilities way beyond what they typically would be, they should also be compensated for that work,” Ma said. “In my view, CAs should have been paid even before taking on this extra responsibility.”

Ma said, based on what she has heard from CAs, additional testing is still needed. MSA will continue to advocate for increased testing, she said.

Jess*, a CA on campus who wished to remain anonymous due to her ongoing employment status, said she was not expecting the decision. CAs received temporary hazard pay during the spring and summer months, but they were not expected to be paid during the fall.

“I would say the first couple weeks being out in the hallways, it was a little rough enforcing the COVID-19 guidelines because we’re supposed to approach students if they’re not wearing masks or if too many people are in a certain room and things like that,” Jess said. “It has been an additional stressor.”

James*, another CA who wished to be anonymous because of his ongoing employment status, said he hopes the University takes additional measures to ensure the safety of CAs.

“I wish that, especially since we’re in such a high risk environment, that we’d be given testing, or perhaps like mandatory testing procedures, because if we get [COVID-19], we’re probably going to spread it to other people, and that’s just not a good idea,” James said.

In an email statement regarding the decision to additionally compensate CAs, Housing and Residential Life interim director Susan Stubblefield said she remains committed to supporting CAs through the varied tasks of their position.

“As always, our department aims to foster a mindset of continuous improvement, which is why maintaining open lines of communication with our building teams is vital to our operation. This has been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic as many circumstances have required changes to our approach,” Stubblefield said in the email.

]Around 40 people attended a march for community control of the University of Minnesota Police Department organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on Friday.

Before the march began, protesters gathered in front of the UMPD building to discuss the issue of police presence on campus. Students then marched on Washington Avenue before heading to Northrop Plaza for closing statements from organizers and an open mic for protesters.

SDS organizers called for the disarming and defunding of UMPD and are working alongside other students groups, such as UMN Climate Strike and the Black Student Union, to establish a Campus Civilian Police Accountability Council (CCPAC) that would give students, workers and community members full control of UMPD. Establishing a council would allow community members to determine the allocation of funds and dismiss officers for misconduct.

“It’s exciting that students want to show up and show out for community control. This protest in particular was really impactful for us because we were able to bring in more community members outside of the students that attend this University,” said Olivia Crull, a member of SDS.

Several community activists spoke at the rally, including Sumaya Aden, the sister of University student Isak Aden, who was killed by police last year during a SWAT operation that included officers from Bloomington, Burnsville, Edina and Eagan.

Sumaya Aden told the protesters about her experience with UMPD during a moderated community conversation with Gov. Tim Walz at an event hosted at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in February. UMPD forcibly removed protesters after a verbal exchange with Walz and the moderator of the discussion. Once in the lobby, protesters continued to demonstrate when UMPD detained and handcuffed Aden, video footage captured by Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar showed.

“We have officers running around on campus arresting people to use them as an excuse to get people out of a location that they don’t want them at. It’s not acceptable. It’s an abuse of power,” Aden told protesters. “I wasn’t doing anything illegal, but they take me and put me in the squad car to get out of the building.”

In a closing statement, SDS member Eric Dorland explained why the organization is fighting for a CCPAC and how it benefits the community.

“In short, [a CCPAC] allows people to decide exactly how they want the police to function and allows people to take public safety into their own hands in a system that has
disenfranchised them since its beginning,” Dorland said.

SDS has been especially vocal in its efforts for a CCPAC and the defunding of the police since the police killing of George Floyd in May.

A majority of students surveyed by the Minnesota Student Association believe that switching to a fully online course for the fall semester will increase safety for the University of Minnesota community.

The survey received responses from 3,789 students, and was sent out to students on Aug. 27 to collect opinions about campus safety in the wake of reopening campus and operating in a hybrid format.

On Aug. 24, the University’s Board of Regents approved a plan to move all in-person classes online for up to two weeks. They also delayed move-in to University residence halls until after the first two weeks of fall semester.

The survey found that 40% of students said that they do not feel the University’s COVID-19 precautions will keep them safe.

Nathan Brown, a third-year student, said he feels that some campus safety measures could be improved.

“I personally feel safe for the most part on campus. However, there are some precautions that seem to be ignored such as in my in-person lab. While we are required to wear masks, they [the University] haven’t taken any further precautions to keep students safe,” Brown said. “There are about twenty of us crammed into one lab room for each section. I would feel safer if the University had provided more sections of the lab so that less people would be in one room at a time.”

Jenna Leseman, another third-year student, thinks a hybrid format was a good decision by the University. However, Leseman attends all her classes online, and said that she would be uncomfortable going to an in-person class.

“I don’t find it necessary to be in person,” Leseman said.

When asked whether she believes the University has taken the necessary COVID-19 precautions, she said doing something is better than doing nothing.

“I don’t see any of the actions that the University has taken as bad,” Leseman said. “It does make me feel a lot safer to be living on campus knowing that there are precautions that are being taken, regardless of what students are doing in their free time.”

First-year student Collin McEllistrem said he likes having a mix of online and in-person classes because it allows more flexibility in his schedule.

“I think I personally am lucky enough to have a good balance of getting to go in person. Most people have none,” McEllistrem said. “I would say I definitely feel safe. I mean, my worry when it comes to COVID would be for my family members.”

The Minnesota Student Association elected fourth-year University of Minnesota student Sophronia Cheung as the new undergraduate student body vice president on Thursday.

Cheung will succeed vice president Becca Cowin, who announced her resignation last week, citing “personal health concerns” in her resignation letter.

Prior to her new position with MSA, Cheung served as the external vice president of the Minnesota International Student Association.
Cheung was elected from a group of three finalists who were selected after interviewing with student body president Amy Ma. The finalists went on to attend a special forum session with the rest of MSA.

Each candidate gave an opening statement, took questions from the forum body, then delivered a closing statement. Ma selected Cheung after a 30-minute deliberation period, and received approval from the majority of MSA members in a motion to confirm.

“I am honored to have been selected and have this opportunity to represent students’ voices, make an impact on the community, and foster an open and transparent relationship with students and the school,” Cheung said in an email to the Minnesota Daily.

Cheung will assume her position as vice president beginning Friday.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Sophronia and seeing the perspective she brings to MSA. She’s been heavily involved on campus, and her experience as an international student will be crucial as we continue our advocacy efforts for all students,” Ma said in an email to the Minnesota Daily.