On the University of Minnesota campus, students have noticed the presence of people handing out Bibles growing.  

The Gideons International, a Christian association of men that started in 1908, focuses on distributing the Bible and has given out around 2 billion Bibles worldwide.  

The Gideons International website states that their organization’s mission is to distribute the Bible in public areas, including college campuses.

“Moments of impact and Scripture placements now include prisons, hospitals, military facilities, hotels and motels,” the website said. “Testaments are distributed at schools, colleges, and many approved venues.” 

According to the Office of Institutional Compliance, groups who want to use a specific space on campus are required to have a permit. 

“Persons or groups distributing information are prohibited from: coercing others by demands, threats, or other means to accept publications,” the statement said. “Interfering with, disrupting, or otherwise advocating disruption or violation of any other lawful activity of any other person(s),” 

Andrew Hansen, a program director at the Anselm House, a Christian organization at the University of Minnesota, said in Christianity, the main mission is to spread the religion as the Bible connects with Christians. 

Hansen said the Gideons are allowed to distribute Bibles to students, and in terms of engaging with people, he is unsure whether there is a better alternative. 

“My understanding is that they’re perfectly within their legal bounds to be handing out Bibles on campus,” Hansen said. “The question I would have is what is going to be the most effective conversation or engagement?” 

The Anselm House provides the Bible to students and faculty in multiple languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi, Hansen said.

The Office of Institutional Compliance’s policy statement said that if someone wants to distribute publications, they can’t interfere with the university’s mission. The office’s freedom of speech statement said groups can be prohibited if it’s deemed offensive. 

Gavin Bergman, a third-year student studying industrial engineering, said it’s important to hand out Bibles, whether or not some students engage with them. 

“I think it goes a long way to just hand these out, even if they’re not going to be read,” Bergman said. 

Bergman said he supports the distribution of the Bible on campus because it is protected by the First Amendment. 

“I think that the freedom of religion is something that should be expressed at our campus, whatever side you’re coming from,” Bergman said. “If you’re insulted by somebody handing out little Bibles up the street corner, I’d say that’s kind of bigoted.” 

Lacey Marsh, a rising third-year student studying developmental psychology with a minor in neuroscience, said the Gideons force Bible distribution to students on campus. 

“I think it’s a little bit kind of forceful,” Marsh said. “I think if you want somebody to follow Jesus, you don’t want to just go up to them and invade their space and their personal time.” 

Marsh said some students may or may not be offended by Bible distribution. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian association, sets up literature carts as a form of preaching, and the association said it has been more effective than preaching from house to house. 

“The house-to-house activity is still the primary way in which the witnesses make known bible truth,” the Jehovah’s Witness website said. “Yet, literature carts have proved to be very effective.” 

They have set up literature carts on the corners of the University of Minnesota campus and wait for students to approach them.

On the University of Minnesota campus, students have noticed the presence of people handing out Bibles growing.  

The Gideons International, a Christian association of men that started in 1908, focuses on distributing the Bible and has given out around 2 billion Bibles worldwide.  

The Gideons International website states that their organization’s mission is to distribute the Bible in public areas, including college campuses.

“Moments of impact and Scripture placements now include prisons, hospitals, military facilities, hotels and motels,” the website said. “Testaments are distributed at schools, colleges, and many approved venues.” 

According to the Office of Institutional Compliance, groups who want to use a specific space on campus are required to have a permit. 

“Persons or groups distributing information are prohibited from: coercing others by demands, threats, or other means to accept publications,” the statement said. “Interfering with, disrupting, or otherwise advocating disruption or violation of any other lawful activity of any other person(s),” 

Andrew Hansen, a program director at the Anselm House, a Christian organization at the University of Minnesota, said in Christianity, the main mission is to spread the religion as the Bible connects with Christians. 

Hansen said the Gideons are allowed to distribute Bibles to students, and in terms of engaging with people, he is unsure whether there is a better alternative. 

“My understanding is that they’re perfectly within their legal bounds to be handing out Bibles on campus,” Hansen said. “The question I would have is what is going to be the most effective conversation or engagement?” 

The Anselm House provides the Bible to students and faculty in multiple languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi, Hansen said.

The Office of Institutional Compliance’s policy statement said that if someone wants to distribute publications, they can’t interfere with the university’s mission. The office’s freedom of speech statement said groups can be prohibited if it’s deemed offensive. 

Gavin Bergman, a third-year student studying industrial engineering, said it’s important to hand out Bibles, whether or not some students engage with them. 

“I think it goes a long way to just hand these out, even if they’re not going to be read,” Bergman said. 

Bergman said he supports the distribution of the Bible on campus because it is protected by the First Amendment. 

“I think that the freedom of religion is something that should be expressed at our campus, whatever side you’re coming from,” Bergman said. “If you’re insulted by somebody handing out little Bibles up the street corner, I’d say that’s kind of bigoted.” 

Lacey Marsh, a rising third-year student studying developmental psychology with a minor in neuroscience, said the Gideons force Bible distribution to students on campus. 

“I think it’s a little bit kind of forceful,” Marsh said. “I think if you want somebody to follow Jesus, you don’t want to just go up to them and invade their space and their personal time.” 

Marsh said some students may or may not be offended by Bible distribution. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian association, sets up literature carts as a form of preaching, and the association said it has been more effective than preaching from house to house. 

“The house-to-house activity is still the primary way in which the witnesses make known bible truth,” the Jehovah’s Witness website said. “Yet, literature carts have proved to be very effective.” 

They have set up literature carts on the corners of the University of Minnesota campus and wait for students to approach them.

Hamza Abdirashid Siad was charged with first and second-degree assault, along with possession of a machine gun, according to the Hennepin County attorney’s office, after shooting two people after a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony on May 30. 

A 49-year-old and a 19-year-old were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center after the shooting, but were later discharged. According to court documents, the 49-year-old suffered a fractured skull after being shot in the head, but managed to recover. 

Court documents claim that, after the shooting, Siad was seen in surveillance footage walking towards Williams Arena, where he then placed an item in the bushes and put the black gown he was wearing on the sidewalk. 

Officers found a Glock 17 9 mm pistol and the black gown near Williams Arena, according to court documents.

Siad walked around Pleasant Street and passed police officers before he was arrested, according to the statement of probable cause. 

Wayzata High School Superintendent Chase B. Anderson made a statement about the two victims after the graduation ceremony on June 1. 

“We can confirm that one of the two individuals injured in the shooting is a parent of a Wayzata High School graduate,” Anderson said. “With his permission, we are grateful to share that he has been released from the hospital and is currently recovering. The second victim has also been released, though no additional information has been made available at this time.” 

Anderson said the graduation ceremony had many precautions, and the school is looking into increasing the security for future events. 

The University of Minnesota Police Department said they are currently investigating the case, but cannot make any further statements. 

Siad’s hearing is on July 2.

Hamza Abdirashid Siad was charged with first and second-degree assault, along with possession of a machine gun, according to the Hennepin County attorney’s office, after shooting two people after a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony on May 30. 

A 49-year-old and a 19-year-old were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center after the shooting, but were later discharged. According to court documents, the 49-year-old suffered a fractured skull after being shot in the head, but managed to recover. 

Court documents claim that, after the shooting, Siad was seen in surveillance footage walking towards Williams Arena, where he then placed an item in the bushes and put the black gown he was wearing on the sidewalk. 

Officers found a Glock 17 9 mm pistol and the black gown near Williams Arena, according to court documents.

Siad walked around Pleasant Street and passed police officers before he was arrested, according to the statement of probable cause. 

Wayzata High School Superintendent Chase B. Anderson made a statement about the two victims after the graduation ceremony on June 1. 

“We can confirm that one of the two individuals injured in the shooting is a parent of a Wayzata High School graduate,” Anderson said. “With his permission, we are grateful to share that he has been released from the hospital and is currently recovering. The second victim has also been released, though no additional information has been made available at this time.” 

Anderson said the graduation ceremony had many precautions, and the school is looking into increasing the security for future events. 

The University of Minnesota Police Department said they are currently investigating the case, but cannot make any further statements. 

Siad’s hearing is on July 2.

The Anthro Club, the furry club at the University of Minnesota, was created to provide a safe place for students who identify as furries.

Founded in fall 2023, the club currently has 30 members and holds biweekly meetings at Coffman Union. The club was created to make a space for students interested in anthropomorphism, and has a variety of different events, including a fursuit walkout.

Zachery Wesley, a second-year student and the club’s event coordinator and future club president, said it is open for any students to come to any meetings and events, regardless of whether they identify as a furry or not.

The club gets its name from “anthropomorphism,” the attribution of human characteristics or behaviors to non-human entities — a core concept at the heart of the furry fandom. Furries are people interested in anthropomorphism, often curating their own anthropomorphic identities called “fursonas.”

Club meetings are a way for members to socialize with one another. Members often bring board games to play together or just come to hang out.

Wesley said the club was created for anyone interested in anthropomorphism at the University.

“We started the group in order to provide a space to gather for people who enjoy anthropomorphic works and art,” Wesley said. 

Wesley said the group has not faced many significant challenges thus far, but it has had difficulty finding resources as a new club starting out. 

Some people in the anthropomorphic community interested in the mediums do not consider themselves furries, and it comes down to their personal choice. 

Brady Collins, a first-year student and a member of the club, said the anthropomorphic community has been interpreted badly in the past, but is being seen in a more positive light recently. He added he has been interested in anthro since he was in high school and identifies as a furry, and said there is a possibility that the university has a lot of students who identify as a furry. 

“It’s a pretty small community that is becoming more known throughout the world,” Collins said. “It used to be kind of frowned upon, but that’s not the case anymore.” 

Collins said his favorite part of the club is being in a space with other students in the anthropomorphic community. 

“Just getting to have the same interest and getting to know that there’s more people like me and people who have their own characters and people who have an interest in the fandom itself,” Collins said. 

Wesley said they have a fursuit walkout where they dress up in their fursuits and walk around campus. People tend to give them dirty looks during their first walk.

Vincent Norton, a second-year student and current club member, said he appreciates the group for how it allows him to pursue interests in anthropomorphism and feels a vital sense of belonging in the group as a queer person.  

“The fact that I was able to find a community where the queer culture just felt something that I had known that I had these feelings and I had known that I liked these things,” Norton said. 

Norton said non-furries do not understand what it means to be a furry. 

“I feel like most people know what a furry is, but they don’t really know anything past that,” Norton said. 

Collins said people outside of the furry community have a negative view of furries due to memes and internet controversies, especially on social media. He added that the club wants to change the negative perception of its community. 

The club recently started putting up posters on campus, and Collins said he is happy that the club is getting more attention. 

“I just hope it keeps growing, to be honest,” Collins said. “I love the fact that there’s the posters up because I’ve seen people talk about it.”

Breyona Killian, a student at the University of Minnesota, couldn’t find another therapist at Boynton Health after she requested a different one. The clinic never responded to her. 

“Boynton Health never responded, but the therapist that I didn’t want to see anymore reached out and asked to reschedule, and that’s pretty much where we’re at,” Killian said.  

As mental health diagnoses increase on campus, many students believe there is an ongoing mental health crisis as they experience long wait lines with student counseling. Boynton Health is also not being responsive. 

How can Boynton Health become more accessible to students, especially those who had a negative experience? 

A majority of students use non-emergency mental health services, and 30.2% of students use emergency and crisis services, according to the Boynton Health 2024 survey.

Within the past year, 26.1% of students were diagnosed with a mental diagnosis and 59.9% of student’s mental illnesses impacted their academics, according to the Boynton Health 2024 survey.

Killian said she had to find therapy outside of the university to deal with her mental health after her negative experience at Boynton Health. 

“It feels like they’re puppets,” Killian said.  

Killian requested a different therapist when she went to Boynton because she couldn’t relate to her previous therapist as much as she wanted. 

“I wasn’t vibing with the guy, with the therapist that they gave me,” Killian said.

In November, the University installed $75,000 in fencing on the Washington Avenue Bridge after two people died by suicide. Vice President of University Services Alice Roberts-Davis said the university is working on improving the bridge to prevent suicide. 

“While we continue to work on funding and approvals needed to implement a long-term solution to enhance the safety of the Washington Avenue Bridge, we have installed temporary fencing on the bridge’s pedestrian deck that creates a barrier between pedestrians and the bridge’s pedestrians and side railings,” Roberts-Davis said. 

College students in the U.S. said one of the main reasons why there is a mental health crisis is due to dealing with personal and family responsibilities on top of their academics, according to Insider Higher Ed.  

Liza Meredith, a psychology professor at the University, said she has mixed feelings about if there is a mental health crisis on campus. 

“I know a lot of my students are struggling with mental health issues and I don’t know if they perceive Boynton as a reliable option for them because you have to wait a long time in between appointments,” Meredith said.

Meredith said when it comes to a potential change in how Boynton Health works, we need to have a more diverse staff there. 

“That would suggest hiring more counselors for more diverse identities and different models so that potential clients have more choice,” Meredith said.

Dan Peterson, a sophomore studying business and marketing at the University, said he copes with his mental health issues by going out. Peterson said in order for Boynton Health to change, the stigma of mental health has to stop. 

“Before the resources can change, the culture around mental health needs to be changed,” Peterson said. “There are some resources there, but those resources need to be socially acceptable to use before people start using it.” 

Nearby universities have a similar structure to the University’s mental health services. 

The University of Minnesota has a resource tool called Help Compass. You answer a few questions leading to the correct resources such as crisis hotlines, Boynton Health Services and student counseling services. 

There are step-by-step questions on the website such as whether or not you’re in an emergency, if the help is for you or someone else and what kind of specific support you’re looking for.

The University of St. Thomas has crisis drop-in hours Monday to Friday from 2-4 p.m. Only full-time students are eligible for all counseling services. 

The University of St. Thomas has a resource guide for faculty on how to respond to a student in crises such as depression, hazing, physical illness and sexual assault. 

Iowa State University has a crisis assessment from Monday to Friday during their business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The University of North Dakota offers more resources within its counseling services, such as couples counseling and substance use services. 

The University of Minnesota has a resource tool called Help Compass. You answer a few questions leading to the correct resources such as crisis hotlines, Boynton Health Services and student counseling services. 

There are step-by-step questions on the website such as whether or not you’re in an emergency, if the help is for you or someone else and what kind of specific support you’re looking for.