Minneapolis hosted a second open house in October at Phelps Park to discuss a project with community members that would re-envision the memorial for George Floyd, or George Perry Floyd Square.

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Shortly after his murder, community members built a memorial at the site of his death for him and others who were killed by law enforcement nationwide. The city is working with the community to redesign and reconstruct George Perry Floyd Square, located at the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue intersection, to become a permanent site for a memorial.

“The memorial is important for the community because of what the impact of the murder of George Floyd had on not just the community, but the whole world,” Phi Khalar, a community member who has been involved with George Floyd Square since May 2020, said.

The names of people who law enforcement killed are written on roads, crosswalks and traffic lights all over the intersection and people from around the world are able continue to come see their loved ones’ memorialized, Khalar said.

The memorial is unique to Minneapolis and is becoming a destination spot for people coming to visit, according to Khalar.

Alexander Kado is a transportation planner and project manager with Minneapolis Public Works. Construction for the project could start as early as 2024, according to Kado.

Kado said the city will decide if the intersection will be pedestrian only and if it will have car access or just bus lanes.

“Before the murder of George Floyd, it was a heavy arterial road with a lot of vehicle traffic,” Kado said. “Now it has a different sense of ownership by community members.”

People in the community, around the country and the world care about this intersection, Kado said. This project gives people an opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions about the intersection in the city’s decision making process.

While the city is mainly focusing on close community members that are the most affected by this intersection, it is giving anyone the opportunity to be a part of this project, Kado said.

The people have re-envisioned this corner on their own, according to Jenny Jones, a community member and volunteer caretaker for the George Floyd memorial. This memorial organically grew from community members and people who have visited the memorial from around the world, Jones said.

Jones said she would like to see the space as a pedestrian only area, with no car traffic on the “sacred ground.”

“The way I view it is that the city killed a man,” Jones said. “It’s not up to the city to decide how that man should be memorialized.”

The annual Como Cookout celebrated its 19th year on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Van Cleve Park, with live music, food and activities.

The cookout had a range of free food like chicken samosas, hamburgers, cotton candy and a Qdoba stand giving out free samples. Along with the free food, there were booths set up for local organizations and live music playing throughout the event.

The cookout was organized differently this year and gave residents the opportunity to get involved in the community by holding the annual board election for the Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) during the cookout. Attendees who lived in the neighborhood had the opportunity to nominate themselves during the event.

“This is a great place to meet your neighbors, so we figured it would be a good idea to have the neighborhood election at the cookout.” Julian Fernandez-Petersen, a student at the University of Minnesota and volunteer for SECIA, said.

Having the annual board meeting at the cookout makes the opportunity more equitable for people in the community, Mya Halvorson, communications intern for SECIA, said.

“We want more people to have the opportunity to get involved in the community, and this is an opportunity for people to come out and see what it is all about,” Halvorson said.

Mohamud Noor, state representative for District 60B, and Kari Dziedzic, state senator for District 60, have attended the Como Cookout for about 10 years. Noor said the turnout this year was one of the best he had seen in years.

“Food is a unifier,” Noor said. “We all need food and that brings people together. It’s important to know your neighbors and community, especially in some challenging times.”

The cookout featured a range of booths for community organizations, like the SECIA’s Environment Committee. Committee Co-Chair Peggy Booth represented the committee at their stand during the cookout.

The Environment Committee works on gardens, greening, air quality, water quality and other environmental issues around the neighborhood. At their booth, a game was set up with different plants attendees could guess the names of. There were also presentations about ways residents can get involved in environment-centered community projects in the neighborhood.

“It’s a wonderful way to see so many different people in the neighborhood and find out about different things happening,” Booth said.

Election day is coming up on Nov. 8, and in order to cast a ballot, students must be registered to vote in the district they want to vote in. Here’s how students can check their registration status and register to vote, either before or on election day.

To vote in the general election, students must check their registration status, eligibility and determine their residency. Students can check if they have previously registered to vote by going to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Students from Minnesota that are not already registered in Minneapolis and want to vote in elections taking place around the University of Minnesota area have to change their residency status to their Minneapolis address before voting.

Out-of-state students can vote in Minneapolis if they can prove they have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days. These students can also pre-register or complete same-day registration at their polling location when they go to cast their ballot.

To pre-register to vote before election day, students can go to mnvotes.org. Students will need to fill out an online form with their name, date of birth, Minneapolis address, email address and a state identification number from a driver’s license or their social security number.

Students can register to vote on election day at their polling location with proof of residency. Residency can be proven by providing posted mail with the resident’s name on it, a lease agreement, drivers license, utility bill or any official documents with the resident’s name and address on it.

Midterm elections are around the corner on Nov. 8; here’s what voters can expect to see on their ballots.

Gubernatorial Race
The candidates running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota are incumbents and DFL candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The Republican candidates running against Walz and Flanagan are Scott Jensen and his running mate Matt Birk.

U.S. House of Representatives – District 5
Representatives are elected for a two-year term and serve in the U.S House of Representatives. Each representative represents a different congressional district to introduce bills and resolutions, along with other duties. Running to represent District 5, which includes the University of Minnesota campus, are DFL incumbent Ilhan Omar and Republican candidate Cicely Davis.

State Senator – District 60
State senators represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota Senate. District 60’s current senator, Kari Dziedzic (DFL), is running unopposed.

State Representative – District 60B
State representatives represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Incumbent Mohamud Noor (DFL) is running unopposed.

Secretary of State
The secretary of state’s role is the chief of elections, meaning they operate the statewide voter registration system, among other election duties. They also help Minnesota business owners start and run their businesses. This term’s candidates are Republican Kim Crockett and incumbent Steve Simon (DFL).

Attorney General
The attorney general serves as chief legal officer and represents Minnesota in state and federal court. DFL incumbent Keith Ellison is running for reelection against GOP nominee Jim Schultz.

State Auditor
State auditors are the state’s financial watchdogs. They oversee approximately $60 million in local government spending. This term’s candidates are Republican Ryan Wilson and current DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha.

County Commissioner – District 4
County commissioners ensure that citizen concerns are addressed and requirements from the state and federal governments are fulfilled in their county. Angela Conley is the current county commissioner for District 4 and is running unopposed.

County Sheriff
The Hennepin County Sheriff manages the county jail, provides security to the district court and creates initiatives to stay in line with the office’s mandate of “keep and preserve the peace of the community,” according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office website. This year’s candidates are Joseph Banks and Dawanna Witt. This is a nonpartisan election.

County Attorney
County attorneys hold the most power in the criminal legal system because they can influence the community’s views on critical issues of justice and rights, according to the Minneapolis Foundation. The attorney primarily prosecutes felony crimes. This term’s candidates are Mary Moriarty and Martha Holton Dimick. This is a nonpartisan election.

As Election Day approaches on Nov. 8, students will be able to cast their ballots in various locations, depending on the address they are registered with.

Dinkytown
Students in Dinkytown living between University Avenue SE and the Union Pacific train tracks past 8th Street Southeast and from Interstate 35W to 15th Avenue Southeast will be able to vote at University Lutheran Church of Hope. This includes residents living in apartment buildings such as the Marshall, the Bridges, Floco Fusion, the Venue and the Doyle.

Marcy Holmes
Marcy Holmes residents living on the west side of Interstate 35W through 4th Avenue Southeast and from the Mississippi River through East Hennepin Avenue can cast their ballots at the First Congregational Church of MN on 8th Street.

Southeast Como
Residents of the Southeast Como neighborhood will vote at Van Cleve Recreation Center on 15th Avenue Southeast. This includes all residents living between the Union Pacific train tracks and Interstate 35W and Highway 280 through Como Avenue Southeast.

Superblock and Stadium Village
Students living in the dorms located on Superblock — Centennial Hall, Frontier Hall, Pioneer Hall and Territorial Hall — and residents in Stadium Village between Washington Avenue and Interstate 94 and Harvard Street Southeast through Huron Blvd. will vote at Grace University Lutheran Church.

Sanford, 17th Avenue, Yudof, Comstock, and Wilkins halls, Keeler Apartments and Fraternity Row
Residents living in these residential halls and between the Mississippi River, 15th Avenue, parts of Southeast Oak Street, University Avenue and Harvard Street. will vote at the Weisman Art Museum. This area includes most of the East Bank campus, except for some areas east of Superblock, which would vote at Grace University Lutheran Church.

Cedar-Riverside and Middlebrook Hall
Residents living in Cedar-Riverside between Augsburg University and Interstate 35W and east of the West Bank light rail station will vote at Augsburg University Christensen Center. This includes students living in Middlebrook Hall.

Bailey Hall and St. Paul Campus
The polling location for students living in Bailey Hall or near the St. Paul campus on the west side of Highway 280 will be Falcon Heights City Hall located along Larpenteur Avenue just a few blocks west of campus.

Nautical Bowls, a new smoothie bowl franchise, opened the doors to their first Minneapolis location in Dinkytown on Sept. 9. The Dinkytown location is the first of three coming to Minneapolis.

Bryant and Rachel Amundson funded Nautical Bowls in Minnetonka in 2018. One of the company’s values is to have access to a “quick meal without compromising your healthy lifestyle,” according to the company website.

Bryant is a University of Minnesota alumni, so choosing Dinkytown for their first Minneapolis location was an easy decision, said Lori Weinke, the general manager of the Dinkytown location.

“Our relationship with the community is really important to the company,” Weinke said. “They wanted to open a store in Dinkytown because of the founders’ personal connection to the University.”

The team of workers is nearly all University students, providing the company with an increased connection to the University, Weinke said.

The store offers a range of bases for the smoothie bowls –– such as acai, pitaya, mango and blue majik ––and toppings from goji berries to cocoa nibs. They also have a number of signature bowls on their menu, like the Nauti Bowl which is made with an acai and pitaya base, topped with granola, banana, cacao nibs and peanut butter.

In addition to their signature bowls, the Dinkytown store will be launching a Goldy Bowl, which the franchise has never done before, according to Weinke. The bowl will have a maroon and gold base and will launch later this year.

Nautical Bowls started an ambassador program to further build their connection with the Dinkytown and University communities. Current ambassadors are from a number of sports teams; the restaurant is working to get ambassadors from an adaptive sports team and other organizations outside of sports on campus, according to Weinke.

Parker Fox plays basketball for the University and is one of the student athlete ambassadors.

“It’s a great healthy but easy option. You can get your fruits, grains and such in an easy meal,” Fox said. “For me, as a student athlete, I don’t have a lot of time to make food all the time.”

As an ambassador, Fox said he posts about the store on social media to bring attention to the new location.

Other Dinkytown franchise owners were excited to welcome Nautical Bowls to the area, among them is Kent Kramp, vice president of the Dinkytown Business Alliance (DBA) and owner of Raising Cane’s in Dinkytown.

Kramp said he is hoping the location will bring more people from other Minneapolis neighborhoods to Dinkytown.

“There’s not one in Northeast, there’s not one in Downtown, so we can bring people from other local areas to Dinkytown that maybe haven’t been here in a while,” Kramp said. “Nautical Bowls can draw people in from further out than just the students in the area.”

Four University of Minnesota students in an entrepreneurship capstone class designed the Theodora Pillow to help people sleep more comfortably after having a mastectomy.

Kelli McCarthy, one of the students that designed the pillow, was inspired to create it after her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said her mother experienced discomfort while sleeping after her mastectomy.

“My mom was trying to sleep with the tissue expanders, but it was super uncomfortable,” McCarthy said. “She’s a side sleeper, so sleeping on her side really hurt and she was restricted to sleeping on her back for a month.”

The students that designed the Theodora Pillow — Avni Tripathi, Sayuj Suresh, McCarthy and Chris Wandling — went on Facebook to talk with other people who had mastectomies to see if this is a common issue, McCarthy said. After getting in contact with others experiencing the same issue, they understood that this discomfort was a frequent problem, Tripathi said.

“We knew the main problem was when the chest was on the bed it was super painful,” Tripathi said. “With this existing concept, something needed to be there to support it.”

Tripathi said after the group designed the pillow, she sewed the early prototypes to give to people that had undergone a mastectomy to test. The pillow has velcro fabric flaps on the side of the pillow to wrap around the person’s body so when they turn to their side, the pillow is there.

After receiving feedback from product testers, the group redesigned the product to better fit their needs. They changed to using a softer fabric and more of a memory foam filling, McCarthy said.

The group decided to name the pillow the Theodora Pillow after a sixth-century empress of Byzantium, who was known for her fight for women’s rights, according to their website.

John Stavig, the professor of the entrepreneurship class, said the class has evolved since it started in 2005. In recent years, the students have been working in smaller groups and have focused on important issues. Some of the students have taken their product beyond the classroom and continued with it after graduation.

“With the problems that are meaningful to them, they’re able to persevere and drive through because it’s much more worthwhile,” Stavig said.

Each group is given up to $15,000, depending on how much they need for production, Stavig said. Along with the budget, they are given opportunities to work with manufacturers and gain knowledge of what it is like to create a start-up company.

The Theodora Pillow group has worked together to grow and evolve a product based on a problem McCarthy came across in her personal life. The group said they are interested in finding a way to continue with this product and grow their business after the class is over.

“We plan to finalize our product with a manufacturer, then move to selling it. If we find success there, and we get better feedback, then we will decide our next steps,” Tripathi said.

Avni Tripathi is a former Minnesota Daily staff member.

Muslims around the University of Minnesota are celebrating Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, from April 2 to around May 1.

Mosques and organizations like the Muslim Student Association (MSA) are celebrating the holiday by inviting people to break their fasts together in the evening and holding prayers together throughout each day.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered a sacred month dedicated to fasting, prayers and community. Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and pray five times a day. Fasting is considered an opportunity to exercise self-restraint to not be driven by desires, according to a newsletter from Dar Omar Al-Farooq, a mosque in Southeast Como.

MSA is working with organizations around the University to hold events throughout the month. Each weekday night MSA provides food from local businesses for people breaking their fast. Other events include group prayers, an Islamic awareness banquet and an Ask-a-Convert panel.

Ibrahim Irfanullah, MSA vice president, said the organization has been trying to make students aware of the academic accommodations they can get throughout the month and resources for students to use to contact their professors if a lecture or exam interferes with Ramadan.

“We’ve made an email template to help students explain to their professors what Ramadan is so they can make necessary accommodations,” Irfanullah said.

Irfanullah said students can check MSA’s Instagram to check out upcoming events.

The Dar Omar Al-Farooq mosque hosts Iftar every night with East African and Mediterranean food, mosque teacher Saeed Warsame said. Iftar is the first meal that breaks the daily fast. After hours of fasting, the Dar Omar Al-Farooq community unites to end their fast until the following sunrise.

Salat Tuke, the manager at Dar Omar Al-Farooq mosque, said many people in the community come to break their fasts together at the mosque each evening, and everyone is welcome.

“Community is an important part of Ramadan, and each evening we invite anyone to join us to break our fast at the mosque,” Tuke said.

Warsame said Ramadan is about teaching patience and generosity, but mostly the month is about people’s connection with Allah.

“Sometimes in Minnesota, the sun is out for 15 hours and in that time there may be no one watching you,” Warsame said. “But you fast because this month is between you and Allah.”

There is a special night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan that, if you are to worship that day, it is as if you have worshiped for 83 years, or 30,000 nights, Warsame said. This night is considered the night of power and the holiest night of the holiday.

Ramadan is more than a month of fasting; it is a month of growing one’s faith. Many people change their life habits during and after the month, Warsame said. These habits can include not smoking or not speaking poorly about others.

“It has to teach you generosity. In the month of Ramadan, you are recommended to give out what you have,” Warsame said. “You have to be merciful and kind.”

Camdi, a Dinkytown Vietnamese restaurant, closed March 26 after struggling to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Camdi and Kiet Phan, the couple who own the restaurant, said they want to retire from the over 35-year-old restaurant to spend more time with family, especially their grandchildren.

The restaurant had a hard time recovering from COVID-19, Camdi said. The restaurant spent most of 2020 and 2021 doing takeout and delivery. For delivery orders, paying companies like DoorDash was an added cost for the restaurant.

Over the last few weeks, the restaurant has been filled with past students and their families that used to come to Camdi restaurant when they lived in Dinkytown.

“We watch these students come and go throughout the years,” Camdi said. “Many come back years later with their kids or grandchildren to show them the restaurant.”

Chris Lautenschlager, the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association executive director, said Camdi was a special restaurant. Lautenschlagersaid he regularly saw Camdi and Kiet cooking and talking to customers.

“I just knew that it was the place to go to get really authentic and inexpensive food, which is a key element to any person who lives near a university.” Lautenschlager said.

How Camdi came to be

Camdi Phan moved to Minnesota from Vietnam in 1978. She said as an immigrant learning English, she had a hard time trying to find a higher paying job. As a result, she decided to open her own business.

After a Japanese restaurant in the same spot closed, the owner pushed Camdi to open her own establishment. Camdi said the old restaurant owner mentored her throughout the business process and helped her learn how to run a restaurant.

“We made mistakes in the beginning, but those mistakes helped us learn to be better,” Camdi said. “That’s what helped us be successful for so many years.”

Hu Ly, a longtime customer and friend of the Phans, said Camdi and Kiet knew each other in Vietnam before moving to the United States. After moving here separately, they reconnected and got married. Kiet, a University of Minnesota graduate, joined Camdi in the restaurant a few years after it opened.

Ly said when he moved here from Vietnam in the 1970s there were few options for Asian cuisine. He would go to Camdi for an affordable and home cooked meal. Camdi grew a business that people in the community would visit for the food and for the environment, Ly said.

“My favorite table in Camdi is the table by the window. You see Gray’s across the street, and that’s where Bob Dylan started. You think, ‘Wow Bob Dylan used to live there in the apartment on the second floor,’” Ly said. “There’s a lot of history to see from that one table.”

Camdi and Kiet said they enjoyed running their Dinkytown restaurant, but they know it is their time to move on.

“I will miss the people that have been coming for years and the new students coming in for the first time,” Camdi said.

At the Claire Steyaert Antiques & Design grand reopening on March 12, owner Claire Steyaert, dressed in all black with bright red glasses, greeted each customer, offering drinks and chocolates. A variety of guests attended, many taking advantage of the refreshments as they browsed through the antiques.

The Prospect Park antique store, located in the Arts & Architecture building, reopened after being closed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the last two years, Steyaert opened her store for clients who requested appointments to shop. Now, the antique shop is open Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment.

Steyaert and Tim Carroll, the antique store’s marketer, said they were excited to reopen the store to the public. Carroll said the grand reopening was a celebration of the store, but more importantly, a celebration of Steyaert and her hard work.

For weeks before the reopening, Steyaert and Carroll cleaned, reorganized and set up the store. After two years, Carroll said they’d collected many new antiques to sell.

“We have spent days vacuuming and cleaning to prepare for the customers to come back,” Carroll said.

Steyeart said she organizes the store to make the pieces flow together. For example, she will place antique three-tiered dessert platters on a dining table and arrange hand-painted antique chairs as if they are in a living room. She said she wants people to be able to picture the pieces in their homes.

The store has a variety of collectibles, some dating back as far as the 17th century. Almost every piece has a hand-written card by Steyaert with a brief explanation including the year or decade it is from.

Along with the antiques, Steyaert also sells art from local artists, such as Louis Safer.

Steyaert, originally from Belgium, studied art history at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. She used to travel across the world with her husband, an art history professor, and it was during their trips that she became interested in art and antiques. Twenty-six years ago, they settled in Minnesota when her husband got a job at the University of Minnesota.

She said with her experience, she can determine the decade and origin of most pieces.

“I can tell if something is Italian or French by looking at it,” Steyaert said.

There’s a lot more to antiquing than many people may assume, Steyaert said. To run an antique store, you need knowledge of history and art styles as well as traditional business skills.

Steyaert has been in the antique business for 35 years and opened her store in Prospect Park 12 years ago. Throughout the years, University students have interned for her shop. She’s also accompanied some art history students on their study abroads in France.

The Arts & Architecture building is also home to a used merchandise store, Art & Architecture, and Glam Diggers Vintage, a vintage clothing store.

“It was never intentional for all of our vendors to be all vintage and second hand related, but we are a very eclectic mix of a little bit of everything,” said Tim Engles, the manager of Art & Architecture.