The University of Minnesota is requesting $45 million to support its core mission, including increasing wages for faculty and staff. 

The supplemental budget request was discussed with faculty at the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC) meeting on Jan. 18. Melisa López Franzen, the executive director of government and community relations, attended the meeting to gather support for the request before the upcoming legislative session. López Franzen is a former senator, herself.

According to a report published by the FCC, faculty salaries at the University rank at the bottom of the Big Ten universities after adjusting for cost of living.

Mark Bee, chair of the FCC, said faculty salaries at the University have been in decline for the past few decades. He does not believe that the $45 million will reverse the decline.

“Is it enough to make any sort of reasonable recovery from the decline we’ve undergone in the last 20 years? Absolutely not,” Bee said.

The University Senate in April 2023 unanimously passed the Workforce Reinvestment Resolution, which requested the University’s administration allocate more money for its employees. This is part of the first principle of that resolution that employees receive fair and competitive compensation.

According to the resolution, the decline in state appropriations has left faculty and staff with greater workloads that are not fairly reflected by their salaries.

The FCC published the Driven to Recover report on faculty compensation on Nov. 16, 2023. The report found faculty salaries at the University have fallen well behind salaries at its peer institutions.

According to the report, the University has become uncompetitive as faculty salaries have not kept up with peers. Across peer groups, faculty salaries at the University rank in the lower 1/4 to 1/3.

The report illustrates inflation-adjusted salary increases from 1997 to 2022 at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and other peer institutions. Within that period, the average faculty salary increases were 25% higher at private institutions and 16% higher at public institutions.

“It took 20 years to dig this hole,” Bee said. “We’re not going to get out of it in one budget cycle or even two or three or five probably.”

Franzen said the last 20 years or more have seen a serious decline in state investments in higher education in Minnesota.

“We’re not able to spend the dollars in our institutions on one of the biggest drivers of how this place operates, which is people and staff and faculty,” Franzen said.

Because of this, Franzen said it is difficult to compare the University with schools that may not have seen a similar decline. Unless they are getting funding from a foundation, philanthropy or research, a major part of faculty compensation comes from the legislature.

“We need a strong partnership from the state so we’re able to do our core mission,” Franzen said. “We can’t do our core mission without faculty. It’s just not sustainable.”

According to the FCC’s Driven to Recover report, the state’s per capita investment in higher education fell from the 78th percentile to the 49th percentile between 2002 and 2007, plunging to the 43rd percentile after the 2008 financial crisis.

Andria Waclawski, a spokesperson for the University, said in an email to the Minnesota Daily that Ettinger showed his support for increased faculty and staff compensation as part of the supplemental budget request at the Board of Regents meeting on Oct. 12, 2023.

“We need to acknowledge and support the needs of our faculty and staff, particularly around issues of compensation,” Ettinger said at the board meeting.

Rep. Gene Pelowski, the chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee, said in an email to Daily that he discussed the size of the budget with Ettinger and Chancellor Scott Olsen over lunch Thursday. However, he said he could not promise that the supplemental budget request would be granted. 

According to the University’s presentation given at the capital on Oct. 30, 2023, in anticipation of this upcoming legislative session, the supplemental budget will be used to support students as part of the University’s core mission supplement.

“The University thinks it can achieve excellence and student success without fairly compensating faculty,” Bee said. “As if faculty have nothing to do with it.”

Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) and University of Minnesota student organizations kicked off their project to occupy empty Dinkytown commercial buildings at the Carlson School of Management on Thursday. 

The project is the Dinkytown Chronic Vacancy Solution Collaboration (DCVSC), a combined effort of Councilmember Wonsley’s office, Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Carlson Impact Lab and the Minneapolis Downtown Council Chameleon Shoppes initiative. 

Wonsley and project stakeholders met with 48 Carlson School of Management students who have spent this semester researching the issue of chronic vacancy in the area.

The city issued an ordinance addressing chronic vacancies in Minneapolis in 2023. A product of the city-wide vacancy issue, the collaboration aims to revitalize Dinkytown’s commercial economy by bringing local businesses into vacant properties. 

Wonsley said amid a housing crisis, business owners have struggled to find affordable properties across the city, especially in Dinkytown.

“We’re also seeing local businesses struggle to stay in the area,” Wonsley said. “Especially small businesses, and that’s leaving an opening for many of the commercial spaces to be occupied by large, out-of-state corporate businesses that don’t necessarily have a stake in the community.”

The collaboration between USG, Carlson Impact Lab and Wonsley’s office was initiated by Katie Smithberg, a fourth-year student at the University and the Government and Legislative Affairs Local Coordinator for USG. 

Smithberg said she noticed several vacant buildings, such as University Food Hall and Loring Pasta Bar, and wanted to know what could be done to bring back businesses.

“[I] went to Councilmember Wonsley’s office with that list [of vacant buildings] and the request of like, ‘What can we do about this?’” Smithberg said. “We want Dinkytown to be a vibrant area where students can thrive in both the business community and the residential community as well.” 

Smithberg added that to succeed in tackling this issue, student input is crucial because University students drive the majority of business in Dinkytown. 

“I’m really excited that the people researching this are going to be students,” Smitherberg said. “They offer a really valuable perspective to this issue and I really want to see the work being done as a result that is going to make Dinkytown a better place to live.” 

Carlson Impact Lab is newly implemented and required in the Carlson School curriculum, according to Amee McDonald, the managing director of the class. 

Split into two semester-long courses, the Impact Lab first teaches students the foundations of problem-solving and handling ambiguity. The second course requires students to apply those skills to real-world projects. This semester, the project is the chronic vacancy collaboration.

McDonald said her students have spent the beginning of the semester researching “the role of the city, the role of the University” and “the consequences of chronic vacancies” to better understand the root causes of chronic vacancy in Dinkytown.

A distinction of the DCVSC from city-wide vacancy efforts is its understanding of Dinkytown as a unique economic environment. 

Kent Kramp, president of the Dinkytown Business Alliance and the owner of Dinkytown’s Raising Cane’s location, said businesses in a University neighborhood face a specific set of economic challenges.

“The most glaring [issue] to me is something that we struggle with in our business, which is being on a college campus,” Kramp said. “You have to be able to handle having almost your entire population move away for an entire summer and winter break.” 

Smithberg said addressing this economic challenge is a primary focus of the collaboration.

“[We’d] like to make sure that one, the entrepreneurs that come to Dinkytown will be fit for this place,” Smithberg said, “We don’t want people to be put in a situation where they’re not going to thrive as business owners.”

Kramp said another important factor to consider in Dinkytown’s chronic vacancy is the difference between local business ownership and chain management. 

“A manager is less likely to go outside and sweep the sidewalk, a manager is a lot less likely to stay late and go to a community meeting,’” Kramp said. “I’ve got managers that go above and beyond, I know other businesses in Dinkytown certainly do, but you really change it when the ownership isn’t local.”

Wonsley said the DCVSC is prioritizing protecting local businesses as stakeholders in the community in addition to student involvement. 

“We want to see [vacant properties] be occupied by local business owners so that we’re making sure we’re protecting local ownership and making sure that we’re having stakeholders like business owners come into the space and know, and care, about having a stake in our local communities,” Wonsley said.

McDonald said in addition to being fundamental members of the Dinkytown community, the students bring a fresh perspective to the issue, allowing them to ask difficult questions and put effort into seeking answers.

“The biggest thing they bring to the table is that beginner lens, that beginner mindset, that curious approach,” McDonald said. “Being able to ask those tough questions, knowing that they’ve got access to experts and faculty members that can point them in the right direction and teach them about the tools that can make these projects come to fruition.”

Wonsley said engaging University students in the legislative process is an advantage special to Ward 2 and will be especially valuable as the DCVSC progresses.

“We have this amazing asset in our ward to be a hub to so many emerging leaders and existing experts,” Wonsley said. “Why would we not leverage that, especially in this role of policy creation and problem-solving?”

World traveling is a highly sought-after luxury amongst people from every corner of the planet. While some lucky ones get to experience the privilege of picking a destination abroad and having the experience of a lifetime, most of us are settling with going on Pinterest and creating travel-themed mood boards.

College students, like many, experience complications in accomplishing their travel goals. There are plenty of reasons for this, including financial barriers, academic obstacles and an abundance of personal factors, just to name a few.

I’m here to tell the financially struggling college kids that you can turn your mood boards into a reality by visiting a magical little place known as the Learning Abroad Center (LAC) at the University of Minnesota.

Ann Hubbard, assistant dean and director of the LAC, said it is important for all University students to know what financial aid options are available to them when considering a study abroad program.

“We have a really supportive policy here on financial aid applicability to studying abroad,” Hubbard said. “The staff in the financial aid office go so far to try to help students look at all the options. There are also some very affordable programs.”

While many students on campus are aware of the competitiveness of the scholarships provided by the LAC, there are other aid options available to all students that can help with the financial burden of planning your trip abroad.

Hubbard said there is an abundance of financial aid resources ranging from program scholarships to national scholarships available to all students, and the LAC would love to talk to any students with financial concerns. 

If it means anything to you, readers, I recently went on a three-week-long study abroad trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico, which helped me fulfill my language requirement for my degree. I sadly returned to Minnesota, but I did so with a much clearer spring semester schedule.

I rely on financial aid to support me in my college career, and I thought that studying abroad was out of my financial limit. However, upon discovering the short-term programs that are available to students, I was able to figure out an affordable solution that would allow me to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Michael Wiltgen, a fourth-year finance major, explained that his two-week-long study abroad trip to Europe provided him with insights that will benefit him in his future career endeavors.

“I think it’s a really great experience that a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do. My mindset on it was that I should probably do this now because who knows when I could make a trip like this again,” Wiltgen said. “It was very cool to see a lot of different cultural backgrounds when I was going overseas, I think that was a really unique opportunity.” 

According to the LAC Annual Report 2022-23, 70% of students on the Twin Cities campus have completed a program in a European country, 16% have completed a program in Asia & Oceania, 11% in the Americas and 3% in Africa and the Middle East. 

Additionally, the top five destinations in order of popularity were Spain, the U.K., France, Italy and Germany.

The LAC staff is actively working to promote several programs in non-European countries. However, their efforts have been met with challenges as they don’t have a definitive explanation for why students are not diversifying their traveling experience.

Ashley Metz, a program advisor at the LAC, has many experiences abroad in non-European countries and advocates for countries less traveled by the University’s students. According to Metz, each program has on-site staff there to support you.

Hubbard and Metz said they feel confident in the LAC’s resources and are proud to be a part of an office that offers mental health support for students while abroad.

It is common for students to experience a fluctuation in their mental health while completing their program abroad. These mental challenges may also follow students back to their home country as they readjust to their regular routines.

If you are concerned about how studying abroad may affect your mental well-being, the LAC has several resources to help you comfortably prepare for your travels on their website.

It may not be in the cards for every student at the University right now, but I strongly advocate for participating in a study abroad program if given the opportunity. As cliche as it may sound, it really is the experience of a lifetime.

An investigation is underway following a break-in at Frontier Residence Hall at the University of Minnesota during winter break.

On the night of Dec. 23, three individuals forced open the residence hall’s front door at 701 Fulton St SE and entered the building, according to Director of Housing and Residential Life Susan Stubblefield. 

The University’s Department of Public Safety did not issue a SAFE-U alert because the building was closed with no students living there at the time of the incident. A University spokesperson said the break-in did not meet published criteria for when to send out a SAFE-U alert

Katie Ousley, University internal communications and public relations strategist, said the implemented locking mechanism on the door seemed to have been ripped out, and the door was forced open. 

Though it appears nothing was stolen or substantially damaged, Stubblefield said the total cost of damage for both the implemented lock and the front door will not be known until the investigation is resolved. 

Frontier Hall resident Henry Molhoek said he was shocked to hear of the break-in, given the significant security measures already implemented in the building. Students must scan their U-Cards once to enter the building and again to enter the living areas. 

Stubblefield, who has been at the University for 30 years, said security incidents like this happen very rarely in residence halls, and that this incident is more unique than most. 

“It’s a bit of a mystery, the breaking-in of the building,” Stubblefield said. “There wasn’t significant damage done, so it’s difficult to know what the motive was.”

The individuals’ connection to the University is also unknown, Stubblefield said, adding further difficulty to the investigation. 

Molhoek said the building was likely easier to break into when few people were there, and he still feels safe living in Frontier.

External cameras outside buildings as well as maintenance of overall safety mechanisms help to ensure the safety of those on campus, Stubblefield added, though they do not always prevent unique events like this. 

“When we have individuals who come to cause problems, they keep strategizing around our strategy,” Stubblefield said. 

Despite this, Stubblefield said she is confident in the strength of University infrastructure. The University regularly maintains and implements enhancements to its security measures to ensure community safety to the greatest extent possible. 

Campus Safety Coalition Board Member Erin Brumm said University administration has done a great job of being receptive to safety issues on campus.

Residence halls should be the safest places on campus, according to Brumm.

“Students should always feel safe in their home,” Brumm said. “People that don’t live in those dorms that shouldn’t be there, shouldn’t be there.”

Stubblefield said the University employs a “three-fold approach” to safety and security for the University’s residential communities, which involves building infrastructure measures, staff presence and education to residents.  

The mass addition of locks on bathroom doors in several residence halls last academic year was very successful in increasing student feelings of safety in the residence halls, Stubblefield said. 

“That’s very expensive to do but very necessary,” Brumm said.

Additionally, Stubblefield said Safety Month in September and Safety Week in April encourage students to increase their awareness of what they can do to ensure their safety on campus.  

“Certainly, student safety and security in our residence halls is of utmost importance to us as a department and as a University,” Stubblefield said. “We are continuing to enhance a number of things that we do for students.”

Correction: The original version of this article misstated which University group sends out SAFE-U alerts. The University’s Department of Public Safety sends those alerts. Additionally, Susan Stubblefield’s correct title is Director of Housing and Residential.

There are few moments in life more satisfying than opening a can of beans. Perhaps it is the gear of the can opener sinking its teeth into the aluminum lid, the glossy sheen of plump, ripe legumes or simply the reminder that I’m indulging in the pleasures of a plant-based diet.

I became fully vegetarian during my freshman year, but the meager options in the dining halls (eggplants and rice) did not make for a satiating meal and quickly forced me back into an omnivorous lifestyle. Now, equipped with the freedom and counter space to cook my own meals, I have become a self-proclaimed “vegetarian with benefits”: I do not cook with meat in any capacity but will eat the occasional piece of chicken or pork outside my apartment.

My initial motivation to become a vegetarian stemmed from my passion for environmentalism. According to the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the meat and dairy industry alone is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

However, I quickly realized while my current diet — often referred to as “flexitarian” or “plant-based” — did not have any tangible impact on global warming, it made a significant difference in my personal well-being. 

Consider a can of organic black beans from Trader Joe’s, which costs $1.09 and supplies

 24.5 grams of protein. While I pity the fool who consumes an entire can of beans in one sitting, I pity the cash-strapped college student who spends $7.99 on a Trader Joe’s organic chicken breast far more. While that hefty slab of meat is certainly satisfying, it costs about $0.08 per gram of protein whereas the can of black beans costs about $0.04 per gram of protein — half the price. A small difference, but these numbers add up.

Netanya Sodoff, a third-year student, was raised vegetarian and has maintained a mostly meat-free lifestyle in college due to environmental concerns and dietary restrictions.

“My roommates have kind of unintentionally become vegetarian in order to save money,” Sodoff said. “Most of them have cut back to eating little to no meat whatsoever because it’s not affordable for them.”

Sodoff, who admits to occasionally eating meat outside her apartment, said she would eat leftover meat in the kitchen she worked in over the summer to prevent food waste. 

“A big hindrance to the vegetarian movement is the idea that if you’re not going all the way with it, if you’re not being a strictly vegetarian person all the time, it’s somehow a moral failing,” Sodoff said. 

She raises an important point: you can make the conscious decision to avoid meat without considering yourself vegetarian. After all, vegetarianism isn’t a religion. The sweet potato police won’t come knocking on your door if you’re caught eating chicken. 

Louisa Brody, a fourth-year student who defines her diet as “flexitarian,” shared a similar perspective as Sodoff. Brody said she avoids meat during the week but occasionally eats white meat on the weekends.

“If you’re thinking about cutting meat out of your diet, just know that you don’t have to go all the way all at once,” Brody said. “You definitely don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to eat plant-based alternatives.” 

Brody said plant-based cooking has inspired her to discover new recipes that focus on holistic nutrition, which has transformed her relationship with food into a source of nourishment as well as happiness. 

For more perspective on the benefits of plant-based eating, I spoke with students from Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA), an organization that operates on campus and throughout Minnesota to speak out against the environmental and ethical harms of factory farming and to provide resources for people interested in switching to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

“When you go vegetarian, you’re introduced to a lot more vegetable alternatives and things like jackfruit and tofu, which tend to be less processed,” said Joscelyn Sturm, a student member of CAA who is vegan. 

While meat provides a solid source of protein, vegetables supply a wide variety of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber that meat products lack. And for people worried about protein intake? With the proper ingredients, a vegetarian meal can be just as filling. 

“Lentils and soybeans like tofu and seitan are some of the highest protein foods there are,” said Kelso Anderson, a student leader of CAA. “If you’re eating beans or nuts or lentils and legumes, you can get sufficient protein and iron.”

Furthermore, cooking with meat can be unsafe and time-consuming. As a student with a crammed schedule, I try to cook as expeditiously as possible, but raw meat requires sanitation practices and a specific internal temperature to be considered food-safe. 

Given I only just learned how to cook onions, properly preparing meat for my own consumption is a daunting task. The members of CAA agreed, noting the reduced risk of food poisoning as an added benefit of their vegan and vegetarian diets.

A plant-based diet is a practical, if not inevitable, lifestyle choice for college students. Whether as a means to save money or as a framework for healthier eating, avoiding meat has the potential to significantly improve your quality of life.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off that can opener, crank open some beans, and breathe in the wonderful smell of protein, fiber and Mother Nature in her purest form.

Even collegiate dancers know not many people are aware of collegiate dance. Now, people on social media are attempting the latest trend — the “University of Minnesota Dance Team turns,” inspired by the University’s dance team. 

The collegiate dance spotlight was placed directly on the team the weekend of Jan. 12 as they won their 22nd national championship in the Universal Dance Association (UDA) College Nationals competition held in Orlando, Florida. 

Viral jazz routine honors the 20th anniversary of championship-winning 2004 team 

Apart from taking home a national championship, the team also took home some newfound fame as word of their jazz routine honoring the 2004 team with a rendition of “Dream On” by Aerosmith circulated social media. 

“This dance is so special to our legacy because it was the 20th anniversary of the team doing ‘Dream On,’ so we wanted it to be extra special,” said Taryn Pfeifenberger, a junior on the team.

Since social media put a spotlight on the team, many people are feeling inspired by what they do, according to Emily Jeffcoat, a sophomore on the team. 

“It’s been super cool to see how many people in dance, [both] boys and girls, are just inspired by our routine, and all of the hard work that we put into the season really showed on the stage,” Jeffcoat said. “All the hard practices, all the hard work, all the extra hours, it was just worth it in the end.” 

Matthew Greco, a sophomore on the team, said they went through extensive training to prepare for UDA College Nationals, which is a four- to five-month process.

As the team prepared for nationals, they practiced twice a week by doing an hour-long morning lifting session starting at 6:30 a.m. before practicing again at 5 p.m., leaving most of the day to go to classes and do other things, according to Greco. 

“Nobody realizes how difficult it is to do what we do, especially at the collegiate level,” Greco said. “We don’t even need the recognition, we don’t need money, we don’t need anything like that. It’s just this overarching theme of being able to say, ‘Wow, that’s really hard.’” 

As if training was not hard enough for the team, they faced an additional challenge in self-choreographing their viral jazz routine, despite it not being the first time the team has come up with their own choreography, according to Amanda Gaines, head coach of the team.

“It was a challenge that we were excited to take on,” Gaines said. “We knew we wanted to do something different than what we did last year, and when we looked at the makeup of the team and the skill set they had, we knew that they were capable of it.” 

Gaines’ trust in the team motivated the team to make the routine even more special, according to Pfeifenberger. 

“Our coach came to us around this time last year and said, ‘I trust you guys to make this routine,’” Pfeifenberger said. “That was just the magic touch, us choreographing it ourselves.” 

Jeffcoat said the team nitpicked certain sections of the routine and gave each other choreography ideas. 

“Everyone had implemented their ideas into the routine, which also made it really special because it was our dance and we got to show that on the stage,” Jeffcoat said. 

Social media pushed collegiate dance into the spotlight

As videos of the dance team’s jazz routine made their rounds on social media, both dancers and non-dancers liked and commented on their spins and synchronized movements. 

Tia Tumbleson, the team’s assistant coach, said they had faced some of the pressure of being a great team and self-choreographing a routine, so going viral on social media was rewarding. 

“It’s just great for them to see how receptive the world has been to it,” Tumbleson said. “We were not expecting that it would get noticed; we deleted TikTok not knowing it was blowing up as it was happening.” 

For much of the team, it was the first time they experienced a lot of attention on social media, which Pfeifenberger said has its pros and cons. 

“There was a lot of people supporting us, but there was also a lot of people against us and we tuned that out,” Pfeifenberger said. “We tuned out the negative [comments] and we really just focused in on the positive but didn’t let that affect us.” 

For freshman Mia Tassani, having her first season end in a national championship and with tons of outside recognition was surreal. 

“I’ve never done a UDA competition before, but it was incredible knowing that our hard work paid off and [having] people recognizing that and getting to celebrate with the team,” Tassani said. 

Being recognized for their efforts on social media meant a lot for a team that is typically never showcased and a sport that does not get a lot of recognition, according to Greco. ESPN featured a video of their jazz routine on their social media pages and the team got a social media shoutout from Aerosmith. 

“People view us as the pretty people that stand on the side and shake some pompoms,” Greco said. “To have the work that we put in broadcasted really means a lot to us because nobody sees the behind-the-scenes of what we really do.” 

For Jeffcoat, the social media fame has shown how humble the team can be. 

“There’s that sense of confidence rather than cockiness, and I think throughout all of this, we’ve all just been super humble about it,” Jeffcoat said. “It’s rewarding to see so many people support us through that and making it a trend by doing the turns.” 

Greco is used to the fame that comes with being the only male on the team. Prior to this season, he said there would be at least two people every semester who would recognize and talk to him but now this attention has increased. 

“Walking around and being on campus, I catch glimpses of people side-eying me. I’ve had a few people come up to me [and] be like ‘You’re so amazing,’” Greco said. “I even had somebody ask to take a picture with me.”

He added he hopes the rest of the team gets recognized amid the heightened social media buzz. 

“You could walk around and be able to pick out a few of the football players if you knew their names,” Greco said. “It would be cool if people were like, ‘Oh, that’s whoever from the dance team.’”

More than a championship

Dance is not formally recognized as a sport under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but Greco said the team is making an impact on the younger generation of dancers due to the heightened social media buzz. 

“It’s crazy to think that the whole team is paving the way for college dance and pushing the boundaries of what we thought it could be,” Greco said. “A lot of social media outlets are starting to recognize dance as a sport.” 

Greco, the first-ever male member of the dance team, said he has seen a lot of younger male dancers trying out for dance and participating in the dance team’s clinics. 

“It’s so surreal being the first male ever on the team, it’s a proud accomplishment to be able to say that and have a large impact on the younger dance community, which is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Greco said. 

Being from New Jersey, Greco’s parents did not want him to go to college far away in Minnesota, but growing up watching the dance team at UDA Nationals was a big reason why he chose the University. 

For Tassani, being able to keep working and improving is a big lesson she has learned from her first year in collegiate dance. 

“It’s definitely been a love-hate relationship because it’s easy to get really frustrated,” Tassani said. “My sophomore year of high school I had hip surgery and I got to be away from dance for a while. It showed me how important it was to me and how I want to keep doing it.” 

Gaines hopes the University community will continue to recognize and appreciate the team for all their hard work. 

“I hope that the University continues to see the value that [the team] brings to the University and the reach that we can have and that there is a huge support system out there that appreciates what we’re doing,” Gaines said. 

Jeffcoat hopes the team inspires others to do what they love through the product they put on the dance floor. 

“At the end of the day, we’re showing what we love to do, and I want people to continue to be inspired and maybe potentially wanting to dance in college someday,” Jeffcoat said. “Everyone can dance in college, there’s always a place for everyone.” 

Despite the social media spotlight, the team continues to stay humble through it all. The team will now host spring clinics and recruitment events before concluding their season by performing at Gophers basketball games, according to Gaines. 

“We’re still real people and we just take our lives day-to-day,” Pfeifenberger said. “We don’t linger in this fame. We just want to be ourselves and keep pushing ourselves, which we hope to do in the near future.”

The University of Minnesota’s optional ACT and SAT test score policy is potentially expiring in 2025 as the Office of Admissions assesses the policy’s future.

Many colleges across the country, including the University, implemented an optional ACT and SAT test score policy to their applications during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The current policy will keep these test scores optional for prospective students applying to start at the University in the fall of 2025. 

Keri Risic, the interim executive director of the Office of Admissions, said the longer-term policy of optional test scores beyond 2025 is still being assessed.

“We want to make sure our admissions process supports student success,” Risic said.

Students’ thoughts

Current students who talked to The Minnesota Daily said standardized tests increase barriers to entry and should be part of a holistic process. 

Adam Douiri, a first-year student and someone who submitted his ACT score when applying, said he thinks test scores should continue to be optional. 

“At the end of the day, a single test score is not going to define a single person,” Douiri said. “You can find that certain people with certain test scores will perform better in classes, but I don’t think it’s fair to cast that upon everybody else.” 

On the other hand, Douiri believes test scores are going to be more valuable in the future than they are now, especially with the development of advanced AI tools.

“I do feel like colleges are going to begin to care a lot more about standardized tests,” Douiri said. 

Wyatt Halvorson, a third-year student, did not send in his test scores because he was ashamed by his results and thought it was going to inhibit him from getting accepted into the University. He added he does not think test scores should be required since they do not serve as a great metric.

“There are a lot of barriers for people that surround standardized testing,” Halvorson said. “Whether it’s a learning disability or socioeconomic status, I think this metric is just completely flawed and inequitable.” 

Dhruv Bala, a fourth-year student, said he hopes applications are examined holistically and not focused solely on test scores. Bala added for many people, test scores do not reflect their abilities very well so if test scores do become mandated again, he does not think they should be weighted higher. 

 “Other factors should be given more precedence,” Bala said.

The application process

Risic said the University has practiced holistic review for more than 20 years.

“Our admissions decisions are based on a very careful overall assessment of each student’s academic preparation and performance as well as the additional information and context provided in the admission application,” Risic said. “There is no single factor that is a deciding factor.” 

Risic added some factors considered include outstanding talent and achievement, strong commitment to community service, and evidence of having overcome social, economic or physical barriers to education. 

About half of students admitted to the University have submitted ACT or SAT scores since they became optional, according to Risic.

Since the fall of 2019, the number of students enrolled at the Twin Cities campus has increased by almost 4,000, according to University Institutional Data and Research. According to Risic, this does not have to do with the change in test score policy.

“The increase in the number of students admitted between the fall of 2019 and 2023 was a strategic change enacted to fulfill the University’s goal to increase undergraduate enrollment,” Risic said. “This has nothing to do with optional test scores.”

Risic added a test score is not a deciding factor in the University’s admission review.

“It’s important to remember that in our holistic review, we assess student academics and life experiences,” Risic said.

University of Minnesota researchers detail the loopholes and pitfalls of drug companies’ discounted pricing program and what Minnesota entities are doing to enhance transparency. 

The 340B Drug Pricing Program allows clinics to buy prescription drugs from drug companies at a discounted price. 

Claire McGlave, a third-year doctoral student in the School of Public Health, said the 340B Drug Pricing Program was initially created to allow certain healthcare providers, such as clinics and hospitals, to buy prescription drugs at a discounted price. 

“It just frustrates me that this is how this kind of broken backward diversion system is how we claim we fund healthcare for low-income people in the U.S.,” McGlave said. 

Clinics that offer care to under- and uninsured people have to offer drugs at either a low cost or at no cost in order for their patients to have access to them, McGlave said. The 340B program helps healthcare providers to mitigate their losses. 

For example, if a clinic offers a patient a month’s supply of birth control pills for free, that would normally cost around $40, McGlave said. The 340B program allows clinics to buy birth control at an average of a 35-50% discount and lessen the economic burden on those providers. 

The 340B program has grown since it was founded in 1990, especially when the Health Resources and Services Administration expanded the program in 2010. The expansion increased eligibility for the program and the amount of hospitals they work with, McGlave said. The issue is big hospitals that already have large revenues and high profits also have access to these discounts and are not always passing the extra funds onto the patients. 

“It would be so much more efficient to just set aside some money from either state or federal sources that would directly go to these clinics that need it rather than forcing them to jump through hoops and putting their livelihood at stake when it gets too big,” McGlave said.

Hospitals and clinics using 340B are not required to use their savings to pay for drugs their patients need, according to McGlave. The issue is the program money could be used for paycheck bonuses for their CEO or to build new clinics for aesthetic purposes. 

Mary Butler, co-director of the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center, said she wishes programs like 340B were smaller and more centralized to prevent cases that distribute the money outside of big healthcare systems. 

Documentation and oversight of where and who the money is going to, along with a focus on providing to low-income and disadvantaged populations, is key, according to Butler. 

As of the last Minnesota legislative session, Minnesota-covered entities are required to report where their money from the 340B program goes, McGlave said The first report is due April 1, 2024, from all Minnesota healthcare providers covered under 340B, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The only other state that requires documentation and transparency of where funds are distributed is Maine, McGlave said. 

Todd Sorensen, executive director for the Alliance for Integrated Medication Management, served as a 340B consultant for the federal government’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs for ten years before his role ended in 2014. He said he discontinued being a consultant because the program became “far too complex.”

Hospitals and clinics are using the 340B program at such rapid rates because the healthcare system is not producing enough revenue outside the program, Sorensen added. 

“If a health care system is managing their 340B program effectively, they are probably pretty dependent on it,” Sorensen said. 

In some cases, a federally qualified healthcare center (FQHC) might use 340B savings to operate a dental program, which can be a difficult service to offer without the program’s funding, Sorensen said. 

Some examples of FQHCs in Minnesota include the Native American Community Clinic, Cedar Riverside People’s Center and the Northpoint Health and Wellness Center, according to a report from the Department of Health, which was last updated in September 2018.

Small community-based clinics, like safety-net providers, are where the majority of dependency and need is, Sorensen said. 

Safety-net providers are hospitals and clinics that serve Medicaid patients who are either publicly insured or completely uninsured with no coverage, McGlave said. They receive government funding but can still use the 340B program. 

“If we could get these [drug] manufacturers to continue participation for those safety net clinics, the 340B program will be used to serve more patients and go further,” McGlave said. “It is scary that some clinics are closing because they don’t have access to these discounts, leaving many low-income people with no healthcare at all.”

 McGlave added the existence of the program is under attack from drug companies that try to sell their drugs at full price.

“The way we fund healthcare in the United States is so dysfunctional,” McGlave said. “This program is a perfect example of a completely inefficient system that diverts money from people’s pockets into corporations when it is intended for helping people who are low-income.”

Anyone who has lived on the University of Minnesota campus at some point has witnessed the spectacle of sorority rush week: the chanting, the matching clothes, the groups of freshmen lining up on the sidewalk. 

Upon seeing this, most people probably wonder what influences someone to join a seemingly ridiculous and often-parodied group. 

But for most freshman girls on campus searching for a sense of community in a new environment, it is almost impossible to not get roped in. Sorority recruitment, while almost certainly unintentional, uses psychological tactics that cults consistently rely on to build their following. 

The process begins with evaluating the right target: an emotionally vulnerable person who is at a crossroads in their life and is susceptible to influence. 

One of the biggest transition points in any young adult’s life comes during freshman year. Separation from family and friends is not just emotionally challenging: it compels the new student to naturally attempt to reclaim the safety net they have lost. 

This internal struggle coincides perfectly with sorority rush week, when the sales pitch begins. 

No matter their reason for joining, once the ideal candidate comes knocking at the doorstep, cult leadership begins the process by trying to foster a connection. This happens in a variety of ways — group activities, conversations — but it is paramount that the recruit is being “love-bombed” at all times. This term (coined by the leader of a famous 1970s Korean Christian cult known as “The Moonies”) involves bombarding candidates with affection, flattery and validation. It often includes current members feigning mutual interests, highlighting philanthropic work and discussing social causes they are “passionate” about, all in the name of improving their image.

Cult expert Ronald N. Loomis summarized this concept perfectly in a testimony for the Maryland Cult Task Force.

“They’re quickly trying to convey the message that, ‘I am your new best friend,’” Loomis said.

During rush week, this tactic reveals itself in various ways. Lauren Simpson, a former member of Alpha Chi Omega, described rush week as “a collection of introductions, discussions on values and motivations, presentations on sorority uniqueness and detailed discussions of philanthropy and personal passions.”

Crucially, Simpson highlighted the approach taken by sorority leadership during these activities.

“They’re trying to also sell the sorority to you … so they’re like, ‘This is what we do, and this is what’s unique to our sorority’ … they really try to emphasize how much you mean as a person and what you’re going to be there,” Simpson said. 

During these activities, there is also no shortage of tears. 

“It’s hit or miss whether or not they cry because each house has a different preference ceremony,” Simpson said. 

However, the most concerning aspect of these interactions is that, in some sororities, tears are considered necessary.

In serving as a mentor during rush week, Ellie Berglin, a former member of Gamma Phi Beta, recounted a direction she received from the vice president of membership.

“She was like, ‘All right, guys, your goal is to make the girls cry,’” Berglin said.

According to Berglin, she and some of the other mentors expressed skepticism about being able to do this.

Discussing personal subjects with a recruit is one thing. Actively attempting to make them cry to create a dependency is more than emotional manipulation. It is a cult tactic. For these recruits, having that “emotional safety net” in the same room to love-bomb them with phrases like, “We love you,” and, “You’re special,” can leave them feeling indebted. 

Following acceptance, the process begins by immersing newly admitted members into their new culture. Once you get a bid, sororities shower you with T-shirts, keychains, tumblers, stickers and plaques while forcing you to attend weekend retreats, weekly meetings in fancy clothes and parties that require fancy outfits. 

It is hard to ignore the social pressure this creates for an 18-year-old. Many feel the need to reciprocate by devoting themselves to the group. Potentially, there is an element of fear — no one wants to be the one who abruptly stops hanging out with their sorority sisters, gets cold feet about living in the house during their second year or wastes the thousands they have already sunk into dues. 

This dynamic is what allows cults to keep control over newly admitted members. Members who become fully immersed begin to peer pressure others, create enemies out of those who leave and effectively idolize the group or leader that gave them their platform. 

In sororities, idolization and immersion often manifest in competitiveness rooted in the recruitment process, which involves numerous sororities selling themselves against each other.

Overlooking these concepts is natural. In a cult-focused episode of the Netflix series “Explained,” the show highlights how many new members often have such a need for a sense of belonging that they experience a lapse in judgment, causing them to ignore potentially harmful warning signs. 

Nonetheless, the purpose of these comparisons is not merely to say that sororities are the college version of cults. Such a statement diminishes the potential for forming lifelong friendships and gaining rewarding experiences within these organizations.

Instead, sororities should reconsider the emotional toll they impose on vulnerable women during recruitment. Engineering situations that prompt tears, coupled with the promise of a social safety net and the fear of missing out, amount to emotional manipulation, regardless of the language used to rebrand it. Unnecessarily emotional interviews, peculiar chants and a substantial financial burden should not be prerequisites for making friends, especially when receiving a bid is not guaranteed.

While sororities can function effectively and be genuinely worthwhile with the right people, this should never come at the expense of emotional turmoil.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, a world-renowned and boundary-pushing contemporary dance company that has toured across 44 states and 19 countries, performed on Thursday at Northrop Auditorium as part of the 2023-24 Northrop Dance Series.

The performance, which was just over two hours including intermissions, featured 14 dancers and four dances, each by a different choreographer. 

The Hubbard Street production did not have one singular overarching theme, as the choreographers were brought in and given the artistic freedom to create the dance they wanted with little restriction. Because of this, each of the four dances performed covered a variety of topics, from seeking connection to virtuosity to community, said Kristen Brogdon, Northrop’s director of artistic and community programs.

The last time Hubbard Street came to the University of Minnesota was in 2018, according to Brogdon. She said she decided to select the dance company because many of the current performers are relatively new. 

Brogdon added the newest artistic director of Hubbard Street, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, was a reason to include the dance company in this year’s Northrop season because of her new approach to the organization.

“One of the things I admire about [Fisher-Harrell] is that she can keep looking forward to the future with an appreciation for the past,” Brogdon said.

Before Fisher-Harrell stepped into her current role in 2021, she danced for Hubbard Street when it was more focused on Broadway-style choreography, according to Brogdon. Despite the company shifting away from that genre, Fisher-Harrell has found ways to incorporate Hubbard Street’s history with entertainment-based dance into their current repertoire. 

“[Fisher-Harrell] has figured out ways to really kind of weave a deep artistry together with that sense of entertainment so that the audience is going to see themselves on stage,” Brogdon said. “They’re going to find something that they can love and appreciate in these very broadly varied programs that they do.”

One of the choreographers, Rena Butler, is a critically acclaimed artist who has worked in dance companies across the country. Her piece shown at Northrop was titled “Aguas Que Van, Quieren Volver,” a trio dance inspired by part two of a novel called “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting” by Czech and French author Milan Kundera.

The part of the book Butler drew inspiration from, entitled “Mama,” shows a mother, a son and his wife navigating their relationships with each other and the miscommunication they face throughout. However, while the music in the piece is “groovy and sensual,” Butler wanted there to be hidden qualities of the dance that alluded to assault, which ties back to her own life.

“There’s such a hidden vernacular of possible assaults or hidden deviousness to [the dance] that you can see if you’re looking quite clearly,” Butler said. “Are [the dancers] three people? Are they two people with static in between or are they all the same person trying to put themselves back together again? I wanted to abstract it in that way. Depending on the experience you’ve had, you can choose your own adventure.” 

Eliana Thompto, a freshman studying psychology and dance and an attendee of the performance, said Butler’s trio “was probably everyone’s favorite” because of the way the dancers were able to “work around each other” yet create a cohesive story. 

According to Thompto, people of all ages attended the event. She credits Hubbard Street’s performance with bringing in many campus and surrounding community members to engage with the dance art form.

“I honestly kind of forgot that we were in a bigger community with families and stuff, and so just perspective-wise, I thought that that was really nice,” Thompto said.

Not only do dance companies like Hubbard Street create a sense of community, but they also create a powerful mode of communication that anyone can understand and feel, according to Brogdon. 

“With Hubbard Street in particular, really looking for those moments of joy, moments of connection, that feeling of ensemble,” Brogdon said. “I wanted it to spread from the stage out into the audience and to have people leave Northrop with that feeling that they were part of something bigger than themselves.”