By: Meghan Holden

Anarae Schunk, an award-winning chess player, had a heart that was “too big to be checkmated.”

At the University of Minnesota student’s memorial service on Sunday, a large chess piece sat on stage in the Burnsville Performing Arts Center’s auditorium, where nearly 1,000 attendees heard stories about the sociology student, who was found dead last Monday

after disappearing in September.

Schunk’s parents and family huddled together on stage, expressing their frustration, grief and love for Anarae.

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By: Nathaniel Rabuzzi

A University of Minnesota professor’s proposal to solve the Syrian conflict is being discussed at the national level.

The U.S. Department of State asked political science professor Kathryn Sikkink to submit her ideas to solve problems in Syria — a rare occurrence for University professors.

Sikkink, who’s been at the University for more than a decade, was one of about 10 academics selected to draft solutions for the Syrian crisis, an effort led by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

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By: Katelyn Faulks

Volunteers from all over the world identified the size, shape and type of more than 300,000 galaxies in 14 months — a project that would have taken an astronomer three years or more.

University of Minnesota researchers collaborated with an international research team to classify and catalog the galaxies using a website called Galaxy Zoo.

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By: Betsy Helfand

Minnesota completed a sweep of Colgate to begin its season for the second straight year, but the similarity between the two series ended there.

Minnesota found itself down a goal in both games but bounced back to win 3-1 and 8-3 over the weekend, a change from last year, when the Gophers overpowered the Raiders 18-0 in two games.

 “You don’t lose so many great players … and expect to come out and roll over teams,” head coach Brad Frost said. “You never want to get down a goal, but it was good to see the way our players responded.”

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By: Samuel Gordon

Jerry Kill’s most recent seizure Saturday highlighted the Gophers football program again for the wrong reasons.

His seizures — not the games — have become national news, but pundits around the country have lauded Kill’s bravery and his position as a role

model.

And it’s easy to see why.

He’s a man of integrity, and he fights through his epilepsy to guide the program in accordance with his strong morals.

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By: Nathaniel Rabuzzi

Five of the 35 Minneapolis mayoral candidates will focus on issues like government spending, public safety and alternative forms of energy if elected.

Troy Benjegerdes, Don Samuels, Cam Winton, Bob Fine and Gregg Iverson offered visions ranging from creating a new currency to canceling the city’s streetcar plan.

Benjegerdes said he wants to diversify energy options in Minneapolis by creating companies that provide renewable energy locally.

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By: Bryna Godar

John Wilson doesn’t consider his lack of hearing a disability. It’s a language barrier.

Misa Kayama is a minority in two ways: she’s Japanese and uses a wheelchair.

And Abdirahman Hassan, whose legs are slightly different lengths, has become proud of his disability.

For many, disability — or varied ability — is simply another aspect of identity, akin to gender, skin color or nationality.

But in discussions of diversity, in coursework or in the broader community, ability is often left out.

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By: Roy Aker

Amid scrutiny of law schools nationwide, the American Bar Association has recommended dropping faculty tenure requirements that decide whether law schools gain accreditation.

But at the University of Minnesota, some leaders say the change wouldn’t have much of an effect on the University Law School, or even be accepted.

Currently, law schools must offer tenure tracks for new hires in order to be accredited by the ABA. But the association now wants to loosen its accreditation standards, according to a Sept. 20 report.

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By: Nicolas Hallett

Dinkytown’s new shuttle service took its maiden voyage through the iconic four-block neighborhood on Tuesday.

The no-cost bus, named “Lucille,” is a 1962 mini school bus painted orange with flower graphics.

Every five minutes, the shuttle will pick up patrons at the University of Minnesota’s Fourth Street Ramp, make its lone stop outside Gold Country Apparel on Fourth Street Southeast and then make the trip again. The bus will run six nights a week between 5 and 9 p.m.

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By: Katelyn Faulks

After two years of analysis, University of Minnesota researchers have clarified how Minnesota might help the U.S. reach its energy goals.

The Renewable Fuel Standard mandates that the country use 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel per year by 2022, up from 16.55 billion

gallons in 2013.

The University researchers analyzed energy use predictions from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture, focusing on the expected production of

different biofuels.

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