By: Jack Satzinger

When the Gophers lost to Louisville 81-68 in the Armed Forces Classic on Friday night during primetime on ESPN, they got an unusual amount of exposure.

Before the contest, head coach Richard Pitino downplayed the game’s major storyline — he was coaching against his father, Rick Pitino — and focused on the opportunity it presented his team.

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By: Grant Donald

After Minnesota had two weeks off and fell to the No. 2 ranking, senior Meghan Lorence said her team needed to make a statement when it traveled to play Ohio State.

Naturally, she came out Saturday and recorded her first collegiate hat trick, which helped the Gophers to a 5-3 victory on Saturday, less than 24 hours after a 4-2 victory on Friday.

“We had to prove ourselves this weekend,” Lorence said. “The disappointing [Bemidji State series] was still in our minds, so we had to make a statement.”

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By: Ben Gotz

Apparently, an old rival can learn new tricks.

The Gophers (7-3-0) defeated Minnesota-Duluth in the first game of the season. But the No. 13 Bulldogs returned the favor on Friday and Saturday, sweeping top-ranked Minnesota.

The Gophers had no answers for the Bulldogs on Friday night at Mariucci Arena, where UMD dominated play in a 3-0 victory. The story remained mainly the same again in Duluth on Saturday, as the Bulldogs got off to a fast start and held on from there for a 2-1 victory.

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By: Christopher Phelan, professor, Department of Economics

It was with great interest that I read Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Danita Brown Young’s email to me (and apparently, everyone) titled “We Can Do Better.”

The email informed us that at a recent glow-in-the dark bowling event, students, as well as our beloved mascot, Goldy Gopher, “dressed in ponchos, wore sombreros, and participated in a themed party.”

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Controversy surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline is surging, as the United States Senate is expected to vote on it next week following the House’s recent approval of the pipeline proposal. It’s likely that key votes could come down to a small group of undecided Democrats who are being targeted by proponents in a bid to move forward with the legislation.

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Several reports released last week showed that college tuition costs are increasing at a slower rate than normal and that student borrowing rates are decreasing concurrently. However, Minnesota students may not feel those trends. The Institute for College Access and Success found that the state has the fifth-highest level of student loan debt in the United States.

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By: Martha Pietruszewski

Learning has evolved greatly since the time of the British Empire. We are no longer passing on information by ships. Instead, information is at the tips of our fingers at any given moment.

Sugata Mitra, a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University, proposed a radical solution to education reform in a 2013 TED talk. He wanted to create a “school in the cloud” that would dismantle the current education system as we know it. I propose we help create the self-organized learning environments that he envisioned.

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By: Anant Naik

The Pantages Theater will hold an event called 20+ on Monday night. The event is part of a broader movement across America called Hillsong, which encourages young adults to rejoin the church and celebrate the message of Christianity.

Hillsong started as a response to a general withdrawal of young adults from Christianity.

Kirk Graham, a pastor at the River Valley Church in Eagan, described this best in an interview with me in which he said, “The Gospel message isn’t tired. People are tired of a tired presentation of this message.”

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By: Taylor Nachtigal

The University of Minnesota is working to make the process of applying for and using research grants simpler, in accordance with new federal guidelines.

The University is currently working to bring its policy for research awards up to speed with the new guidelines, which school officials say will make the process more efficient and will reduce any chances of fraud, waste and abuse in the system.

While the changes streamline the grant process, it doesn’t come without new challenges. 

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By: Liz Anderson

A small group of passionate University of Minnesota students is teaming up to spur change on and off campus.

The students are part of the new University chapter of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, a national organization with more than 100 chapters that aims to give students the opportunity to address issues affecting their school and local community by drafting new policies for area leaders. 

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