When Al Nolen’s mom told him to get out of the house as a child, the last thing he expected to find was a career in basketball. His first love was football, but a legacy on the court awaited him.

He started playing in pick-up games at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul when a few teammates spoke to him and made him recognize his talent. The motivation from his peers inspired him to give the sport a more serious shot.

The people in Nolen’s community became the bedrock of his aspirations, and he wanted to pay them back. Their voices encouraged him to choose basketball and now it was time for him to add his own.

Nolen was hired on Sept. 25 to be the new radio color commentator of Gophers men’s basketball. However, the former Gopher has been the voice of Minneapolis basketball for years.

He took his skills through the University of Minnesota (from 2007-11), as far up as the G League and as far away as Germany. After years of playing basketball — that being all he knew — he decided to hang up the sneakers.

For Nolen, he had a “good divorce” from basketball. Although the decision made him nervous, he knew that his reputation would precede him in future endeavors.

“I continued to play because I played all my life and I did not know what the next step was,” Nolen said. “I played a little longer than probably I should have, and once I walked away from it, I kind of just put it in the closet, shut the door and I moved along.”

After his retirement from basketball, he pivoted to a career in coaching children across Minnesota. The events surrounding the death of George Floyd changed his perspective on his career, pushing him to give back to youth in the inner city.

“I wanted to figure out exactly how to support my community and how to offer it for kids,” Nolen said. “I also worked in a school system for over a decade, so I was familiar with the youth, the educational piece and the basketball piece and I thought, ‘Man, I should start a foundation.’”

Through his namesake foundation, Nolen carried on his mission to educate his community through basketball. He turned his sessions into free-of-charge camps and paired them with classes that taught social and emotional learning skills, financial literacy and health and wellness. The interactions with the younger generation were contagious and caught the attention of many prominent voices in the Twin Cities.

Paul Allen, the play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Vikings and KFAN radio host, said when he noticed Nolen’s charitable work, his ears perked and he sought to help. The devout Christian started by donating to Nolen’s foundation and then opened his morning radio show for him to come in and talk about Gophers basketball.

“Al tried to settle into a different kind of identity or segue his life professionally and I just found him to be quite open, quite honest, more vulnerable than most men I’m either ministering to or chatting with when it comes to their careers,” Allen said.

Nolen’s time on Allen’s talk show became the foundation of his prominence on air. 

Whenever a college basketball scenario emerged as a trending topic, Nolen would be the first Allen would call to discuss. Soon, repetition over the radio readily bolstered his resume as a broadcaster.

When former Gophers center Spencer Tollackson stepped down after 13 seasons of adding color to Minnesota basketball games, an opportunity Nolen never expected to inherit opened up.

The University called Nolen “out of the blue,” asking if he was interested. According to sources who spoke with The Minnesota Daily, the pool of candidates who either were interviewed or expressed interest in the opening included, but were not limited to, Andre Hollins, Vince Grier and John Thomas, all of whom are former Minnesota student-basketball players.

Greg Gerlach, vice president and general manager of Gopher Sports Properties, oversaw hiring for the new position and interviewed the potential new hires. Gerlach said when going through the process, he wanted to avoid pushing people who have done a good job inside the company out of earning promotions.

“All [candidates] don’t tend to have all those qualities,” Gerlach said. “It’s more about who’s available at the time and interested in the job, how does it look.”

Athletes are uniquely positioned to use their sports experiences as leverage in the broadcasting industry. Not every athlete can do this well, let alone in front of thousands of people turning in live multiple times a week, but their involvement adds an element of personal engagement for long-time fans.

Tollackson learned early that, despite “viewing the world through maroon and gold-shaded glasses,” objectivity is the utmost important aspect of commentating. He said it is an aspect athletes have to be wary about and when listeners realize it is missing, their credibility goes with it.

“In order to have the longevity and the scalability in the industry, you have to be honest,” Tollackson said.

After finishing last in the Big Ten in 2022, Minnesota men’s basketball’s recent history of play has drawn a fair share of concerns. The players’ development, the job security of coaches and recruiting have all been questioned. Navigating these grounds will put Nolen’s ability to objectively speak on the program under the same attentive light.

To keep his integrity as an analyst alive, Nolen studied how Tollackson and Gophers play-by-play announcer Mike Grimm operated with each other. He recalled hearing how efficiently Grimm would steer the commentary, swerving between analyzing and calling plays live and how quickly Tollackson would take the wheel to add a quip of his own.

Nolen appreciates what he has learned so far from sitting in the passenger seat next to Grimm. The experience has given him a new admiration for sports commentating and has drawn a few memories to his playing days.

When asked about the growing trend of athletes entering the media industry, Nolen said it is a good thing.

“However, there’s a difference between journalism and being an analyst and I think there’s a fine line,” Nolen said. “Working with Mike Grimm, I’m coming in and wanting to be a student first … I see how Mike preps, his preparation for his research, how he goes about his day and it’s like, ‘Oh, this is just like being a basketball player.’”

While Nolen learns to define the line dividing the types of sports radio commentators, Allen and Grimm have long recognized the perspectives former athletes bring to the industry and appreciate the subjective contributions.

In their respective journeys, both concluded that, if broadcasting hopefuls want to “make it,” they must unapologetically use what they are given.

“Now, if that advantage happened to be you’re a Division I basketball player with a name that is known more than most names, well, that’s your lot in life,” Allen said. “You’re not flaunting it or keeping others down by doing something deceitful, you’re just using what you have earned to get into a spot.”

For Grimm, whose job depends more on consistency rather than day-to-day content, he seeks a partner who not only utilizes their strengths but can build a strong relationship. Before completing a full season of calling games with Nolen, Grimm sees the positive potential in their partnership.

“You’d want someone who can communicate well, has a firm grasp of explaining something, someone who’s an expert in basketball,” Grimm said. “We spend a lot of time together on the road and that’s part of why Spencer and I became great friends, it’s why Al and I will likely become better friends as we hang out more and get more comfortable with each other.”

Nolen’s actions off the court have propelled him to a platform he can leverage into something greater. His work in the community is not finished and he plans to resume his basketball camps come summertime.

“The kids are my main thing at the end of the day,” Nolen said. “That’s what it’s all about, my community. That’s bigger than basketball, bigger than anything and everything to me.”

Meanwhile, Nolen has a job to do, a job which will only get harder as the season progresses. If he has learned anything since picking up a basketball, it is to prioritize and serve the community that helped him get to where he is today.

The transition from the court to the sideline will take time, but time is on his side. As long as his platform remains, so will his voice.

“The Curse,” a new series from the minds of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, finished airing its first season last Friday. The show satirizes HGTV home-buying shows through awkward and anxious situations.

The series features Whitney (played by Emma Stone) and Asher Siegel (played by Fielder), a newly married couple trying to get their new TV show “Fliplanthropy” off the ground. “The Curse” focuses on the lives of the couple outside of the show, their unhappy marriage and the gentrification that the New Mexico community is undergoing as a result of their show.

Stone’s character, Whitney, is the daughter of two real-estate moguls — a fact that she tries to cover up for the appearance of the show. She likes to be in control but is too clumsy and unaware to be good at it. Stone’s performance shows her talent as an actress as she convincingly portrays her character’s wide array of emotions consistently throughout the series.

Asher’s main motivation is to make his wife happy, yet his meek and selfish nature causes him to put himself in unreasonable and senseless situations. This is Fielder’s first time acting in the leading role of a dramatic series, and he does a decent job at it. Asher’s persona is similar to Fielder’s real-life deadpan personality, yet through brief moments of emotion you can better understand how the character is truly feeling.

One thing that makes the series stand out is the cinematography — the camera is almost never in the same room as the characters. Each scene appears to be filming the subjects from a distance without their knowledge. Safdie calls this directional style “realism candid camera” as it has the appearance of a hidden camera show. This style of directing adds to the eerie atmosphere of the show to make it out like we are looking in on situations that are meant to be kept hidden.

Throughout the show the characters are put into embarrassing and distressing situations all with the end -goal of getting their show on television. As the series progresses the fake -smiles the couple puts on becomes more and more eerie as you learn more about the despair going on in their personal lives.

Fielder is best known for his show “Nathan For You” and Safdie’s most well-known work is as the director of A24 film “Uncut Gems.” “The Curse,” also produced by A24, is a direct mix between Fielder’s cringe-humor and Safdie’s love of anxiety.

The ambient and experimental synth tracks add to the unusual nature of the show. The soundtrack of the show is done by Oneohtrix Point Never, an electronic music producer and composer who also made the soundtrack to “Uncut Gems.”

The show takes a turn in the last half of the finale that some have compared to the surreal, dream-like logic of “Twin Peaks.” It catches the audience off-guard and leaves the viewer with an almost incomplete conclusion to the series. It also features a cameo from Rachel Ray and “Sopranos” actor Vincent Pastore.

“The Curse” may not be for everyone. Humor can only be found through uncomfortable and maladroit situations that leave the audience unsettled. However, it has a clear vision and is effective at executing it.

As the cross country season ended, the Gophers men’s and women’s teams reflected on how the season went. Unfortunately, neither team made the national championships this year.

At the NCAA Division I Midwest Region Championships, the women’s team placed fourth overall while the men placed 14th.

This year was proven to be one of rebuilding. Though the women placed fourth, they did not earn enough points throughout the season to make it to the national competition.

Scores are determined by the top five finishers per team. The women ran a 6k and the team finished with a total time of ​​1:47:36 with an average time of 21:31 per race.

Gophers head coach Sarah Hopkins said there were a few reasons the team did not quite reach their goals. For the women, the team was extremely close.

“They’re a really close-knit group, which is great,” Hopkins said. “But sometimes when you’re a really close-knit group, it’s hard to be really competitive with each other, because you just want to be together and help each other and support each other.”

Cross country is a team sport, however, there are still many levels of individuality that are important. Halfway through the season, Hopkins made adjustments to the team.

“Sometimes you have to push the envelope and you have to want and run faster than somebody else,” Hopkins said. “Sometimes, you don’t want to make somebody else feel bad and so I think we kind of had a little too much nice to start. We need to find that balance of supporting each other but also being able to push and run as hard. I think that was something we figured out mid-season and once we made that adjustment, things got a lot better.”

At the regional championship, Erin Reidy finished first for Minnesota and 29th overall. With a time of 21:25.3, Reidy beat out teammate Ali Weimer by one second. Weimer finished with a time of 21:26.3, good for 30th.

Reidy said she struggled with consistency this season.

“I think it was definitely a learning year,” Reidy said. “There were a lot of un-running-related issues that happened on our team, including myself. I ended up with a concussion and I had some heart issues over the summer, so it’s definitely a hard thing to try to come back from and, for me, consistency is a big thing that goes well with my training and I didn’t have that.”

Despite these struggles, the team ran well together. The top five runners finished with a rare gap of four seconds between each other.

The men’s team had a building year as well. The team is exceptionally young, with 11 freshmen and redshirt freshmen out of the 16 runners rostered.

All of the athletes on the men’s team ran a 10k course. Together, they finished with a total time of 2:41:04 with a time of 32:12 on average.

“It was more of just a young group that was training at a really high level,” Hopkins said. “ I think because they were just young, it’s gonna take a lot of time for that training to come to fruition on race day.”

Minnesota’s top finisher, Emmet Anderson, finished 48th overall with a time of 31:45.8. His standing improved from the previous season, where he finished in 52nd place at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.

Anderson’s perspective on the season focused on building fitness and long-term goals, rather than just this year’s results.

“I think all the important things that I could control and outcomes I could have hoped for happened, meaning that I built the fitness that I wanted to and I think that a lot of other guys on the team felt similarly,” Anderson said. “The team was kind of plagued with sickness, so maybe we didn’t get the results that we wanted.”

Anderson has been consistent this season and has come into a front-runner position all season. He was a dependable runner for Minnesota on the front end of the team.

“I do love the team aspect of cross,” Anderson said. “After every race, whether you did good or bad, it kind of feels like you guys went through a little battle together.”

Overall, the season may not have ended with a nationals appearance but the lessons learned, adjustments made and resilience displayed by the teams set a strong foundation for future success. As they face tougher competition in the upcoming seasons, the experience gained this year will prove invaluable in shaping a more competitive and determined cross country program.

Next season, competition will be tougher with more teams joining the conference, two of which are considered some of the best programs in the country in both men’s and women’s cross country. The University of Oregon and the University of Washington women’s teams finished the season 21st and 17th in the NCAA rankings while the men’s finished 10th and 23rd overall, respectively.

The Minnesota Gophers won the Quick Lane Bowl 30-24 over Bowling Green, the program’s seventh consecutive bowl game win.

The Gophers went into the bowl game with a lengthy list of inactive players. Five of them were defensive players who had started games this season.

One positive to come out of the inactive list was the return of freshman running back Darius Taylor. Taylor led the team in rushing yards in the regular season though he only played in five games.

On defense, the lack of depth in the linebacker room plagued Minnesota all season, relying on Maverick Baranowski, Devon Williams and Tyler Stolsky. On top of that, defensive signal caller Joe Rossi departed to East Lansing for the same role at Michigan State.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck approached the bowl game with his attention on the program’s seventh consecutive bowl game victory. During a press conference on Dec. 20, Fleck said the team would not begin the search for a new defensive coordinator until after the season’s completion.

“For me to be able to put one hundred percent of my attention right now into the hire, I’d be shortchanging our team, staff, players and state of Minnesota,” Fleck said. “I have an obligation to make sure I do my due diligence and not sportingly.”

Heading into the game Tuesday afternoon, safeties coach Danny Collins got the chance to call the defensive plays for Minnesota.

Bowling Green started the game with back-to-back first downs, picking up 29 yards. On the third play, quarterback Connor Bazelak launched a 46-yard pass to receiver Odieu Hiliare for a touchdown just over a minute into the game.

Taylor got the Gophers’ first touch and took it ahead for a gain of 14 yards and a first down. On the next play, quarterback Cole Kramer, making the first start of his collegiate career, completed his second pass of the season to Daniel Jackson for three yards.

Minnesota’s early offensive game plan was to give Taylor the ball. He received nine of the first 10 touches and took them for 51 yards.

On third-and-goal, Kramer found receiver Elijah Spencer, who created space at the top of his route in the endzone for a touchdown. Minnesota failed to convert the two-point conversion on a trick play that saw kicker Dragan Kesich take the snap and attempt to hurdle a defender. The score stayed 7-6 Bowling Green.

After marching into Gophers territory again, the Falcons stalled on offense, leading to fourth-and-seven from the 34-yard line. Instead of attempting a 51-yard field goal, Bowling Green went for it. The deep pass to Hiliare fell incomplete and led to a turnover on downs.

Minnesota started the second quarter with a third-and-three, running it up the middle with Taylor. The play who picked up two yards and led to a Minnesota punt.

Camden Orth, part of the quarterback tandem for the Falcons, started the drive with a six-yard rush. Orth fumbled the exchange between him and Harold Fannin Jr but the Falcons recovered, leading to a punt back to the Gophers.

Two straight incompletions by Kramer led to Kesich kicking a 31-yard field goal to put Minnesota ahead 9-7.

The Falcons moved into Gopher territory after two completions to Hiliare before a penalty and a sack from defensive lineman Jah Joyner moved them back to their side of the 50 yard line. Bowling Green was forced to punt, giving Minnesota the ball back.

After a punt exchange, on Minnesota’s first offensive play, Falcons outside linebacker Cashius Howell hit Kramer, popping the ball up into the air. Safety Darius Lorfils intercepted the ball and returned it to the Minnesota 15-yard line. After not picking up a first down, Falcons kicker Alan Anaya drilled a 33-yard field goal making it 10-9 Bowling Green.

At the half, both teams struggled to move the ball offensively after both scoring touchdowns on their opening possessions. Kramer headed into the locker room seven7-for-11 for just 19 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Gophers received the second-half kickoff, and Kramer was hit as he threw again, but this pop-up was not fielded. Taylor picked up 23 yards on the next two plays on the ground, picking up a first down.

Minnesota capped off an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a “tush push,” utilizing Kramer’s frame to get into the endzone. The Gophers gained every yard of the drive on the ground and took the 16-10 lead.

On their next offensive possession, Minnesota drew up a play-action pass to free up tight end Jameson Geers for his first career touchdown, pushing the lead to 23-10 Gophers.

Bowling Green started their first drive of the fourth quarter with a handoff to PaSean Wimberly, who accelerated through the secondary for a pickup of 42 yards.

The Falcons picked up another first down and then ran a sweep to Wimberly for 18 yards into the endzone for a touchdown, pulling the Falcons within a score of 23-17.

Redshirt sophomore Le’Meke Brockington gave the Gophers their best kickoff return of the season of 51 yards into Falcons territory.

The Gophers rushing attack and a pass interference penalty helped move Minnesota back into the red zone. On the second of Taylor’s back-to-back wildcat carries, he high-stepped his way into the end zone, pushing the Gophers’ lead to 30-17.

The Falcons put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with a Bazelak touchdown run, cutting the Gophers lead to six points. IHowever, in the process of doing so, they took over five minutes off the clock and spent their last two timeouts.

Fifth-year receiver Corey Crooms Jr., who did record a single reception in the game, recovered the onside kick attempt.

Taylor sealed the victory by getting himself over 200 yards on the ground with a 10-yard run and a first down. Taylor’s 208 rushing yards and 11 receiving yards contributed to 78 percent of the Gophers total offense.

During the postgame press conference, Taylor, a native to Detroit, said he had about 100 family and friends attend the game to watch him play.

“I used probably about 100 tickets,” Taylor said. “I had a lot of people here but it was just cool to play in front of my family. Honestly, it was just great to be back playing in general with the guys.”

Kramer knelt with the ball three times to burn out the rest of the clock and earn his first-ever victory as the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Gophers. Kramer finished with two touchdown passes on 26 passing yards in his final game of football.

During a postgame interview with Fox 9, Kramer said despite the team’s change, the win showed how the team persevered.

“This team is extremely resilient. I couldn’t be more proud and thankful for them,” Kramer said. “Every step of the way, we’ve had our ups and downs throughout the season, but something special about this team is how connected we were and we showed it today.”

After the U.S. Supreme Court decision rejected race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities reversing decades of precedent, the University of Minnesota is continuing with its changes taken in July to comply with the ruling.

In a 6-3 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and North Carolina, the Supreme Court struck down the consideration of race as one of many factors for universities in deciding who to admit, NPR reported.

Bottom line up front
In a Sep. 7 Board of Regents speech, Provost Rachel Croson reaffirmed the University’s commitment to enrolling and graduating a diverse student body despite considerations of race not being permissible.

“We continue to be able to evaluate each applicant holistically, including their lived experiences of identity and how those experiences inform an applicant’s unique ability to contribute to the University community,” Croson said. 

University Admissions Director Keri Risic said the lack of consideration of race in the holistic review process will not change much, as academic success has been prioritized in applicants for the past 20 years.

“We remain committed to an admissions process that carefully looks at everything that a student brings to our campus community and continue to support student success,” Risic said. 

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Vice President Sara Davis said application reviewers are no longer able to see race, ethnicity or family attendance information when considering applications. 

“Because it’s a new standard, the University is trying to go through and find everything that might change,” Davis said.

What does this mean for the University?

In the Sept. 7 Board of Regents address, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Robert McMaster said University reviewers will continue to analyze coursework and rigor of curriculum, grades, class rank/grade point average, and ACT and SAT scores (if provided). 

McMaster presented four race-neutral strategies the University implemented after the ruling was announced:

• Revise applications: “Make one short answer question required, that on the student’s background of experiences and perspectives and talents.”
  • “Requiring an answer to this question ensures that application reviewers obtain the information needed to consider holistically how the applicant continues or contributes to diversity through their lived experiences,” McMaster said.
• Train reviewers: “The Office of Admissions will be vigilant in working with staff to ensure there is a complete understanding of how to interpret files.”
  • Each of the University’s 60 reviewers undergoes extensive training on how to interpret an application and must sign a statement that says race cannot be a factor that contributes to diversity under the Supreme Court decision, McMaster said.
  • Permissible examples of race inclusion in applications include, ‘What it could mean to be a youth orchestra’s first Black violinist,’ or, ‘An applicant’s rendering of how learning to cook traditional Hmong dishes from her grandmother has nurtured her sense of self,’ a Board of Regents slide read. But race in those instances can only be included as a factor that contributes to other characteristics, according to McMaster.
• Pathway programs: “All five campuses will continue to use well-established and highly effective recruitment strategies and to develop enhancements for these approaches moving forward.”
  • McMaster said the Supreme Court decision allows for targeted outreach, recruitment and pipeline or pathway programs through public schools and programs as long as these programs do not admit based on race. He added an approach is to focus on such avenues with significant numbers of first-generation, low-income and underserved students.
  • University Regent Mike Kenyanya said as unfortunate as it is to have free and reduced lunch programs be a proxy for diversity, widening of socioeconomic applicant pools is where the investment needs to be.
  • “If you can’t be selective or have consideration of the pool, you make a more diverse pool,” Kenyanya said. “Then inherently, you’ll get that success.”
• Foster sense of belonging: “On all of our campuses, myriad advising, career counseling, mentoring and other student support centers will be maintained.”
  • McMaster said the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence will continue to provide informal mentoring, and Living Learning Communities will continue to serve as spaces where students with similar interests and backgrounds live together.

Political science professor Tim Johnson said despite the difficulty of maintaining diversity levels without considering race, the University will undoubtedly try.

“Colleges and universities fundamentally understand that having diverse student populations is good for education,” Johnson said. “There’s all sorts of data that suggests that’s the case — they will continue to ensure that there are diverse student populations.” 

McMaster said the University will continue to measure their relative success of retaining diverse admissions as they move forward over the next few years.

SCOTUS context

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a longtime critic of affirmative action programs, wrote the decision for the court majority, and said the nation’s colleges and universities must use color-blind criteria in admissions. 

“The solution to our Nation’s racial problems thus cannot come from policies grounded in affirmative action or some other conception of equity,” Roberts wrote. “Racialism simply cannot be undone by different or more racialism.”

Among the dissenting justices were Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan. Sotomayor said this interpretation would hurt the equal protection clause and substantially reduce minority admissions.

“The court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society,” Sotomayor said. 

Roberts said race could still be considered as long as applicants can explain how race has affected their lives. 

The court left the door open to consideration of race in military academies, writing that race-based admissions are key for maintaining “diverse interests.”

Johnson said it is difficult to justify the separation of the military academy and education standards.

“That is a really difficult argument for the justices to make at the same time as saying that diversity is not good here,” Johnson said. “This is one place where the court’s decision fell pretty badly, if you will.”

Demographic changes

According to the 2023 University Performance and Accountability report, one third of the 2023 fall class were Black people, Indigenous people and people of color. This is the highest amount of students of color in the history of the University, a statistic that has doubled in the last 20 years.

In the report, students of color are considered 19.7% underrepresented at the University. The University sets enrollment targets by department but do not track any representation targets for race and ethnicity.

Four out of every 10 Americans are people of color, according to the most recent 2020 population census. Diverse representation remains a key priority for the University, and research is mixed regarding how to increase diversity levels.

Admissions and diversity:

After California’s 1996 ban on race in admissions, the proportions of Black and Latino students at UCLA, one of the most highly selective schools in the state’s system, fell drastically. 

A decade later, only 96 Black students enrolled in a freshman class of nearly 5,000, becoming known as the “Infamous 96.” 

A Georgetown University admissions system simulation shows it is possible for colleges to exceed current diversity levels without race only by increasing consideration of low socioeconomic status combined with grades. However, maintaining projected diversity levels would require an expansion of financial aid that could put strain on college resources.

A U.S. Center of the Education and Workforce model shows race-conscious admissions most accurately reflect the population of graduates from the nation’s high schools. Research shows the most effective way to increase the representation of all historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups is to consider applicants’ race and ethnicity in the admissions process.

USG is soliciting feedback from students to see how they feel about this, and Davis said USG will be informed as those changes are being made.

Students on race in admissions

Third-year student Jose Vazquez said because of the institutional power white students benefit from, the consideration of race for equal applicants would be negligible. 

“It is so easy for people in these predominantly white institutions, in positions of power that are not dominated by people of color, to not recognize systemic racism and all the ways that people in their intersecting identities are discriminated against every single day,” Vazquez said. “For them to not recognize and understand that we have to deal with so many more problems because of just living, especially within this system, that is terrible.” 

Vazquez said the ruling will negatively impact how people of color see universities. 

Cyrus Jarjay said he would like to think diversity could be maintained under the new policy, but said every step back is ultimately negative.

“My instinctual opinion is that background can still be included, because that essay is there,” Jarjay said. “With these Office of Admissions teams, not knowing what they put into that process, I am wary to truly say these changes will be effective.”

Looking forward

Other universities will still be able to widen application pools and dismantle some barriers for historically underrepresented students of color, namely socioeconomic ones. The University’s elimination of barriers like required ACT/SAT scores, preferences for legacy admissions or increased recruitment efforts in certain geographic areas would indeed contribute to a diverse student body, University Office of Admissions Communications Director Tanya Wright said.

“We are hoping students don’t rule it out too soon and then limit their options,” Wright said.

Research shows the Supreme Court ruling would almost certainly result in a drop in diversity. It is uncertain whether the ruling will change the holistic admissions process, according to the Office of Admissions.

Only time will tell if the University will be able to reach its diversity goals under a ruling that ignores race, according to Johnson.

The Office of Admissions remains committed to diversity, as a diverse campus is beneficial for white students and students of color alike. 

Risic said the holistic review process has been based on a very careful academic assessment for the past 20 years and did not provide details on how additional racial context was considered before the ruling.

“There’s never just one deciding factor in the admission decision,” Risic said. “We are making a decision based on the overall assessment, with the primary factors being the academic factors and considerations.”

Correction: The original version of the article misstated when these changes went into effect. They took effect after the July Supreme Court ruling.

Correction: The original version of this article mischaracterized what targets are set by the University. The University does not track race and ethnicity targets.

This article has been updated.

Gophers men’s hockey travels to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to face off against the unranked Ohio State Buckeyes in their final game of 2023.

Ohio State is winless in regulation within conference play as their only win came in a shootout against Michigan in their first Big Ten series. The Buckeyes sit in last place in the Big Ten standings and are nine points behind the next closest team, Penn State.

Despite the Buckeyes being winless, Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said there are no chances for the Gophers to catch their breath this series.

“We have to fight for four more days now,” Motzko said.

Minnesota faces their first unranked opponent since playing St. Thomas in the first series of the season. St. Thomas is the only team the Gophers have swept this season.

Minnesota does not play a game for the remainder of December after their series against Ohio State and will resume their season on New Year’s Day.

“The break is going to come at a great time,” Motzko said.

The break also indicates the midway point of the Big Ten season as the Gophers will have played 12 out of their 24 conference games.

For graduate players Bryce Brodzinski, Jaxon Nelson and Justen Close, this break also means they are midway through their final season as Gophers.

Brodzinski said the break is valuable regardless of how a team is playing.

“If we’re playing good going into the break, it’s good for us because we can use that time to reflect on what we did in the first half,” Brodzinski said.

Final season for Brodzinski and Nelson

Brodzinski said he has not changed anything in particular to cherish the remainder of his collegiate career. He added spending time with teammates in the remaining time is most important for him.

Nelson said he realized playing away games as a graduate, like this weekend in Columbus, will likely be the last time playing at that arena. Additionally, he did not know whether he was going to return to the Gophers last season and, because of that, went through last season as if it were his last year in Minnesota.

“Now knowing for sure that this is the last season, [I have to] leave it all out there all the time,” Nelson said. “You never know what will be your last shift.”

Brodzinski and Nelson have been top contributors to the team’s scoring in their final season with the Gophers.

Brodzinski leads the Big Ten in scoring with seven goals and 13 points. He has scored in each of his last four games, totaling seven points across the contests.

Brodzinski said being an upperclassman for the past three years means his game has not changed but he continues to build confidence as he gets older.

Nelson is third on the team in Big Ten scoring with two goals and eight points. He has four points in his last four games.

The Gophers enter their second consecutive series on the road and end 2023 with two away series. Nelson said away series have fewer distractions which benefits their young team.

“Going on the road is just business for us,” Nelson said.

Minnesota returns to 3M Arena at Mariucci on Jan. 1 against the U.S. National Under-18 Team in an exhibition game.

Shortly after comedian Matt Rife’s Netflix special premiered on Nov. 15, he was met with backlash about his opening joke. The joke starts with Rife talking about how he went to Baltimore one time and when he and a friend went out to eat, their hostess had a black eye. The punchline of the joke was that if the hostess knew how to cook she probably would not have a black eye. It was a domestic violence joke.

Many of the criticisms that Rife received was about how the joke was not his to tell, especially as a white man who has no known history of domestic violence and who blew up on TikTok due to a female dominant fan base.

Rife doubled down on the joke in his response to the backlash. He posted to his Instagram story saying, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology.” The link sent users to a website that sold special needs helmets.

Similar to other situations where comedians have told jokes and received major backlash, the conversation about where the line for dark humor is came up across platforms, especially TikTok, where many people know Rife from.

Lauren Clement, a third-year at the University of Minnesota, in an email response to the Minnesota Daily, described dark humor as “a joke that is controversial, goes against social norms or is not politically correct.”

This is a common definition of dark humor. However, professor Maggie Hennefeld, who teaches in the department of cultural studies and comparative literature, provided a more general explanation for what defines dark comedy as a genre.

Hennefeld, who taught a class on comedy previously at the University, said dark humor is a broad category but summarized it as the kind of humor that makes light of topics that are typically uncomfortable or difficult to talk about.

“Is cringe comedy dark humor?” Hennefeld said. “If it makes you effectively uncomfortable to engage with it, that could be a form of dark humor.”

Hennefeld mentioned physical comedy as another possible example of dark humor due to its violent nature. She references the “Looney Tunes” cartoons, where the Coyote often decapitates himself or falls off of a cliff but comes back to do it all over again.

“There can be a lot of grotesque and morbid transgression in comedy,” Hennefeld said.

All of these examples fit the definitions given by both Clement and Hennefeld, but there is typically less controversy surrounding these types of humor. However, everyone has their limits when it comes to dark humor.

“The degree to which a joke goes over the line depends on the person and their background,” said Clement in her email response.

For example, Clement thinks that a good dark comedy joke needs to be more funny than it is cruel, so “punch up instead of punching down,” she said.

Hennefeld, on the other hand, said “dark humor can punch down as much as it punches up.”

This shows the difference in opinion many people have when it comes to what is acceptable from a dark joke.

Additionally, Clement said dark humor jokes should be done within that person’s own background. In regards to the Matt Rife controversy, Clement thinks “a woman could tell a joke about domestic violence as a form of dark humor, but a man can’t.”

Similarly, many people believe white people should not tell a joke that is racist.

The University’s Comedy Club, which allows students to learn how to do stand-up, write sketches, and perform comedy, wrote in a statement to the Daily that dark humor should “ride the border of what is conventionally acceptable to joke about without directly discriminating against any group or individual.”

Hennefeld agrees with Clement in the sense that proper dark humor needs to be funny but not low hanging fruit. She finds that jokes based on insults and outrage are often cop outs. They are not necessarily funny, but they cause a reaction.

Dark humor doesn’t have to be based in politics and social issues. Hennefeld suggested sometimes dark comedy is best when it is done about something that is more universal, such as mortality, rather than a joke that is focused on people’s identities.

The University’s Comedy Club wrote in their statement dark humor should not upset the audience but more so make them somewhat uncomfortable.

“It’s about what audiences are willing to laugh at,” Hennefeld said.

When the success of a field is based on how audiences react to it, it may be important to think more about the joke being told than dismissing the criticism people are giving.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the clumsy character in Loony Tunes. It is the Coyote.

University of Minnesota students are weighing their housing options for the upcoming school year, as some choose their housing due to financial reasons or upcoming graduation.

Some students decide to stay in their current housing, while others look for options elsewhere. Students may choose to live in off-campus housing as opposed to the dorms.

Frederic Esters, a third-year sustainable agriculture and food systems major, currently lives in a duplex in St. Paul and plans to continue to live there next year due to the convenience of having public transportation nearby and having a lot of space. He has four roommates and two of them are current students.

“Financially, it’s a good move, and it was a lot of work to haul all of our furniture up the stairs,” Esters said. “It made a lot more sense [staying there] since most of us are students and didn’t want to move again.”

Esters lived in their parents’ house during their second year in order to save money and did not want to live in the dorms again due to their high cost. Since Esters had to prioritize classes, he had to change their work schedule in order to make time for classes and volunteer work.

“I ended up having to drain everything I had saved to get through the semester, so my classes had a hidden cost,” Esters said.

According to Esters, one negative aspect of living in their duplex is the lack of communication with their landlord with problems about their unit, which is an older building.

“We had squirrels in our walls, [a] huge safety hazard,” Esters said. “They didn’t do anything until we had to go and get a house safety inspector to check things out and mandate our management company to try to do something, and the most they did was cut branches around our house.”

With some students choosing to live in off-campus housing, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) wants to remove potential barriers students face with housing, such as leasing terms and addressing maintenance issues.

Siya Sakhardande, a third-year student and USG’s government and legislative affairs state coordinator, said concerns over the Identity Dinkytown apartment complex sparked conversations with students regarding making decisions about housing in order to hold landlords accountable.

USG helped pass legislation last year which will require landlords to wait six months before a lease expires for students to choose to renew them.

“In my lease, it’s written that within 15 days of moving in, I have to tell them whether I want to move in or move out, and you can’t make that judgment call 15 days in,” Sakhardande said. “The pressures faced by students to re-sign as quickly as possible and the panic and chaos that causes in your life is not really productive.”

USG helped pass legislation giving students an option to allow their landlord to enter their space to inspect issues before moving in and out. Currently, landlords ask students to take photos of issues in their apartment only for the issues to not be resolved, resulting in charges after moving out. Both pieces of legislation will take effect on Jan. 1.

“This is our first time signing real contracts, paying these fees, learning how to live by ourselves and be independent,” Sakhardande said. “Giving students the choice to make these decisions in a manner that’s respectful of their timeline as a student and a tenant empowers them to make these decisions and to make decisions that they won’t regret.”

Dhruv Bala, a fourth-year computer science student who currently lives at Wahu Apartments, is graduating from the University this year and plans to apply for graduate school. His housing plans are up in the air due to the possibility of not getting into his desired graduate program.

“I’m trying to go out of state, so I’m still uncertain about where I’d live,” Bala said. “I’d probably pick an apartment by the campus I go to, and if I don’t end up getting into where I want this cycle, then I’ll probably end up staying at home for a few months and apply in the spring cycle.”

Bala said if he does get admitted into a graduate program, all he is worried about is learning how to cook, since he currently utilizes a meal plan from the University. He added if he ends up staying at home, he is worried about wasting time and not doing useful things such as getting a job.

“A lot of the fear is anticipation, and when it actually happens, you feel bad for a few days, but your mind adapts,” Bala said.

Bala is not concerned about his housing situation, adding he has faith he will end up on the best path for him.

“At this point, I just put my all into sending my applications out and after that look into opportunities for money,” Bala said. “Part of it depends on where I get in, because a lot of jobs require an in-person commitment, then I want to know where I’m going.”

Sakhardande encourages students to bring their housing concerns to the University’s Student Legal Service, which is able to review leases and resolve issues between landlords and roommates.

“The situation with the Identity brought more awareness to the resources that we have on campus,” Sakhardande said. “You pay for them, they’re there for you, they will support you, and that is often a resource that I will redirect students to whenever I hear concerns.

Classes are wrapping up at the University of Minnesota and finals are approaching. The University has many spaces on campus for students to study and get work done.

The Minnesota Daily polled students to find out the five most popular study spots on campus.

1. Second floor of Walter Library

The second floor of Walter Library, a classic study spot at the University, offers a unique environment for students seeking a productive space for academic pursuits.

Throughout the day, Walter bustles with activity as students engage in their studies. The library becomes a hive of energy, with the various rooms serving different study groups or individuals.

The atmosphere in Walter is conducive to individual study but also provides resources for those seeking tutoring in specific subjects. Different spaces on the floor are dedicated to quiet study, collaborative study or tutoring.

Malin Anderson, a third-year student majoring in biology, said she likes to go to the quiet study room.

“I focus a lot better when I’m in a space like that because I don’t have any distractions,” Anderson said.

The most striking feature of Walter is its beautiful ceiling, which adds to the overall aesthetic appeal of the place. The ornate design, combined with cozy and warm lighting, creates an inviting atmosphere that encourages focused learning.

After 6 or 7 p.m., the library generally starts to empty out. The library closes at midnight on weekdays, but starting Dec. 8, the library will be open 24 hours for students with a U Card until Dec. 21 at 6 p.m.

2. The Toaster Innovation Hub

In the basement of Walter Library, the Toaster is a dynamic and lively collaborative workspace, offering a contrast to the more traditional library ambiance found on the upper floors.

The Toaster features energy and interaction and the space is designed to foster collaboration, with funky seating arrangements encouraging students to gather and exchange ideas.

Tiana De Grande, a fourth-year student majoring in ecology, evolution and behavior, said she likes to study in groups, so the Toaster is perfect for her.

“It’s nice because you can talk and it’s not a quiet environment,” De Grande said.

Tables provide ample space for groups to convene, making it an ideal location for group projects, and the contemporary design elements contribute to a refreshing and innovative atmosphere. There is also a cafe in the basement where students can refuel with coffee or snacks.

The popularity of the space makes it a busy area, and finding an available spot to sit can be a challenge.

3. Moos Tower

Moos Tower offers many different study experiences: with high tops, couches and long tables, students have multiple options for workspaces.The building’s layout promotes a peaceful atmosphere and while many students nap on the couches, there is enough activity to prevent it from becoming distractingly silent.

Makayla Makovec, a first-year student majoring in sociology, said she lives in Superblock and likes to go to Moos Tower because of its proximity to her dorm.

“It’s also just the right amount of noise and traffic where it doesn’t get boring,” Makovec said.

The tower comprises multiple floors, each equipped with charging outlets at most tables. Large rooms with whiteboards are available for rent, adding versatility to the available study spaces.

For those who prefer a quiet study setting, there is a designated area on one of the upper floors, complete with lots of windows that offer natural light and a refreshing view.

4. Recreation and Wellness Center

The main lobby of the University Recreation and Wellness Center (RecWell) on the East Bank campus is perfect for students who want to get in a workout during their study day.

The lobby is full of tables and couches, and the clanking of exercise equipment and the constant traffic of students and faculty is beneficial to students who do not like to study in complete silence. In the middle of the lobby, a fireplace and a large water feature contribute to a cozy atmosphere.

Alison Weber, a first-year student majoring in biology, said she loves the open spaces and natural lighting at the RecWell.

“It’s just a great place because I can go from working out to studying or vice versa,” Weber said.

Within the RecWell, near the North Gym, there are more tables and chairs for students to utilize if they are seeking a quieter, less busy environment.

Conveniently situated near Stadium Village, the RecWell provides students with easy access to a variety of dining options. Within the RecWell itself, students can purchase shakes or smoothies at Shake Smart for a snack.

5. Wilson Library

Wilson Library, located on the West Bank, boasts numerous study spots. Although its aesthetic may not be considered picturesque, the library is highly practical with a lot of space for students.

The third and fourth floors, in particular, are frequently unoccupied, making them ideal for those seeking a focused environment among the multiple bookshelves.

The first floor features a collaboration area where students can talk and work on group projects. Wooden desks and table areas are strategically placed between the bookshelves, providing additional study spaces.

Regan Engeman, a first-year student majoring in elementary education, said most of her classes are on the East Bank, but she comes to Wilson Library because it is her favorite study spot.

“This library is a little quieter and it’s more likely I will find a space to study,” Engeman said.

America has long been a nation “under God,” but many are stepping out of His divine shadow.

The proportion of religiously unaffiliated people — those who would select “none” on the census under which religion they identify with — has increased greatly over the past few decades. In the 1990s, as many as 90% of adults identified as some form of Christian. Now, that share has fallen to two-thirds.

That doesn’t mean our values will shift.

Following the wayward mid-century, the religious right made a staunch attempt to cement Christian values in the American ethos. After decades of rising hemlines, conservative think tanks wanted to find a way to truncate social progress for a mixture of political and religious motivations.

Christianity was at its peak in the late 1970s, after which its grip began to slowly loosen. Christian leaders remain concerned by this, but is it really cause for alarm?

“It’s been going on for a long time,” said J.B. Shank, a professor of history at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.

Right-wing politicians have always tried to frame the decline in strict Christian adherence as a moral issue. Every past decade had its own moral panic to characterize the kind of thing Christians were meant to worry about. The 1970s and 1980s had satanic panic and the War on Drugs. These days, the right’s anti-Christian boogeymen have been condensed into the indistinct idea of “wokeism.”

While conservatives have clumsily attempted to define the term many times, their opposition to “wokeism” is largely recognized as the simple aversion to progress. The right is also known to refer to “Cultural Marxism,” the name far-right conspiracy theorists give to a widespread effort by academic and Jewish elites to destroy Christian and conservative values.

It isn’t clear how many people adhere to the bonkers conspiracy theory associated with the word, but “wokeism” has a visibly large number of people upset. What tends to resonate more than the anti-Semitic ideas behind it is there is indeed an effort to undermine traditional conservative values.

So many Christians believe they are persecuted in this still predominantly Christian country that the phenomenon even has a name: the Christian persecution complex.

While Christianity has faced and does face opposition in different periods and areas, it is not a problem in the U.S., where a policy institute has already crafted a mandate with instructions for the next president to turn the country into a theocracy.

The truth is, America remains a largely Christian country (for now) and the religion enjoys a great amount of influence. Neither Christians nor the right wing have anything to be afraid of.

“One of the dominant frameworks that I particularly like is to see secularism not as a revolt against religion, or a breaking free of religion, but in fact as a phenomenon that, at some levels, is about the pluralization of religion,” Shank said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, one thing the left outspokenly supports is tolerance of all kinds. Tolerance, one of the things right-wingers decry for being woke, is the virtue by which one accepts everyone, regardless of race, sex, creed or religion — including Christians.

Nobody opposes prayer in schools solely because it is Christian, supports same-sex marriage because they hate God’s ideal familial structure or teaches comprehensive sex ed because they want to foist ungodly material on children.

I don’t doubt that conservative lawmakers know this to be true, but they run on these ideas, and people believe them. The increase in “nones” might make them more susceptible.

The “nones” are not a threat to religious liberty, and they certainly are no threat to American values, a concept which itself is so nebulous that a meteorite couldn’t shift it. The one thing we ought to value above all else is tolerance.

Tolerance is key to living in any multicultural society, especially one going through an ideological puberty as profound as ours. As our nation changes, the measure of our strength will lie not in the dominance of any belief but in the embrace of what makes us all unique.