Gopher women’s hockey hosts the Minnesota State Mavericks at Ridder Arena this weekend for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

The two teams will meet for a best-of-three-game series with the winner advancing to the WCHA Final Faceoff.

Minnesota finished third in the WCHA standings with a 19-7-2 in-conference record, while Minnesota State finished sixth for the second consecutive season.

The Gophers won all four regular-season games against the Mavericks this season. Three of the games were decided by one goal, including their most recent matchup being decided in overtime.

Minnesota State has not won a game against Minnesota since Jan. 15, 2022, when the Mavericks defeated the Gophers 5-4 in overtime at Ridder Arena. Prior to the loss, Minnesota State’s last win against Minnesota was on Jan. 20, 2007. 

Gophers head coach Brad Frost said the team is aware that the series against Minnesota State will not be easy.

“Nothing is guaranteed going into these weekends,” Frost said. “In particular, the matchups with Minnesota State have all been one-goal games.”

Against ranked opponents this season, the Mavericks have five one-goal losses and one win. Their lone victory against a ranked team was a 2-1 win on Jan. 12 against then-ranked No. 8 St. Cloud State.

The Gophers’ seven losses this year were solely against two ranked opponents: No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Wisconsin.

Frost said one of the hardest parts in sports is to end another team’s season.

“The only way for [us] to play beyond this weekend is for [us] to keep winning,” Frost said.

Frost added that despite the Mavericks having six wins in the WCHA, the team can score and defend well. Minnesota State won all six of their matchups against non-conference opponents this season.

Minnesota’s first game against Minnesota State this season was a 3-1 win at Ridder Arena on Nov. 3. The Gophers scored three unanswered goals in the victory in response to the Mavericks opening the scoring within the first two minutes.

In the Gophers’ last home game against the Mavericks on Jan. 26, the Mavericks erased the Gophers’ three-goal lead in the third period. Maverick’s leading goal scorer and senior forward Jamie Nelson had two goals and one assist in her team’s comeback attempt.

Gophers redshirt junior forward Abbey Murphy scored in the latter half of the third period to give the Gophers a 4-3 win. Murphy leads the team in points against the Mavericks this season with five total, including three goals and two assists.

Gopher captain and junior forward Peyton Hemp said she enjoys the playoffs because it motivates seniors and other players in their final season. 

“Everyone goes crazy for every single goal in the playoffs,” Hemp said.

For fifth-year defender Taylor Stewart, there is truth behind Hemp’s comments as playoff season carries a sense of urgency for upperclassmen.

“You’re playing like every game is your last game,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the Gophers’ recent series against Minnesota Duluth involved a lot of physicality. She added all of Minnesota’s playoff games will include that same level of intensity, especially against Minnesota State.

“Not only will they be putting bodies on us but we’re going to get them right back,” Stewart said. “When teams start to play physical with us, we match it and shove them down too.”

After announcing an open call for artists in fall 2023, the city selected Minneapolis-based artists Lori Greene and Juliette Perine Myers to lead the creation of the New Nicollet Redevelopment art installation.

Once the open call was made, a selection committee was formed to evaluate artists’ applications. The panel was composed of nine members of varying expertise with roles such as an arts commissioner, an artist, a landscape architect, community and site representatives as well as city staff members, according to a committee meeting presentation.

Originally, the site of the Nicollet Avenue Kmart, the dilapidated building was demolished by the city in October, marking progress in the New Nicollet Redevelopment project.

The redevelopment project aims to reconnect Nicollet Avenue, restore traffic flow and reunite the south Minneapolis community by building new commercial and housing developments.

Artist applications were evaluated on project-specific criteria such as experience creating public art and flexibility, according to committee members Mary Altman, the city’s Public Art supervisor and Witt Siasoco, a contractor for the city’s Art in Public Places program.

Altman said a unique part of the selection criteria was the artists’ ability to cultivate longevity in both the artwork and artistic opportunities.

“These artists have two jobs,” Altman said. “One job is to create a work of public art that’s integrated into the new roadway and bridge that’s getting constructed, but the other job is to identify future opportunities for artists in that space.”

Greene and Perine Myers fit the bill.

The artists

Greene received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in art respectively from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

While attending graduate school, Greene accepted a commission to do public art and began her career as a working artist at 26 years old, an atypical path for most artists.

“I was really lucky because I got a grant right away out of grad school and was able to kind of just jump right in,” Greene said. “Not a very usual happenstance for an artist.”

Perine Myers attended college to pursue a double major in psychology and studio art, receiving her undergraduate degree from Macalester College and realizing a lifelong dream of becoming an artist.

Initially interested in a career in art therapy, Perine Myers later shifted her focus to community and public art while working for the non-profit Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment. 

Perine Myers said her work with the non-profit led her to her first public art commission where she worked and learned from Greene. 

“I was working with teenage girls who were immigrants and refugees who were mainly Korean, Somali, Ethiopian, and I wanted to do an art project with the girls,” Perine Myers said. “The people at the organization connected me to Lori because their office is across the street, and that’s how I met Lori.”

Greene and Perine Myers have since spent about six years working together creating public art of mosaics, sculptures and murals. The two said because most of their public art is outdoors, they have done a lot of experimenting with the construction and installation of pieces.

“We learn a lot from everything we do,” Greene said. “We have to use special equipment.”

“For this last project, we’re using a lift, and the installation process is always just super fun,” Perine Myers said.

Community focus

Altman said it is important for the artists to connect to south Minneapolis for their art to anchor and enhance the community’s identity.

“These are existing neighborhoods, but this multi-block area is gonna be a brand new community with brand new buildings [and] brand new streets,” Altman said. “The public art can really help build the identity of that place.”

Experienced in creating art with local communities, Perine Myers said she and Greene thought applying for the New Nicollet project was a logical next step in their artistic endeavors.

“We’ve done so much work with communities that this felt like a really good fit for just the type of work that we like to do and that we love to do,” Perine Myers said.

Greene said creating art as a means of healing for not only herself but for a community is a crucial part of her artistic process throughout her career.

“I use art as a method of healing, and have from the beginning,” Greene said. “I often get hired to do projects that are around healing, so I’m not just healing for myself, but helping the community.”

Greene added that creating accessible art is key to her work and to making art with an impact on people’s lives.

“We try not to make it so that it’s so abstract that you don’t know what’s going on,” Greene said. “But also that if you’re not somebody who typically looks at art, that you still will respond to it.”

Perine Myers said the healing properties of creating art are similar to the ways public art can cultivate a sense of community.

“That experience of healing through making art and then public art and community art, I felt like [it] does a very similar thing because it allows opportunities for people to come together,” Perine Myers said. “More so as a community to contribute to an art piece that will go in their neighborhood or will go in a public space that is accessible to lots of people.”

Looking ahead

Although Greene and Perine Myers will spearhead the creative process for the New Nicollet art installation, they will not embark on the project alone. The pair will join the collective of people who have worked on the project, Siasoco said.

“There’s so many people that have been involved in this and our job really is to bring all those things that have happened over the last five to ten years and bring that to the table for Juliette and Lori,” Siasoco said.

Altman said the design of the New Nicollet space may present challenges to the design of the art installation. However, she is confident in what Greene and Perine Myers will create.

“For an artist, it’s a challenging space,” Altman said. “It’s also right out there where the people are, which is cool because it will be viewed by people going through the space in multiple ways, people in cars, people on bikes, people are walking and so I’m anxious to see what they come up with.”

Siasoco said in his experience as an artist, listening to the communities involved will be imperative to Greene and Perine Myers creating a timeless piece of art in Nicollet.

“Being in Juliet and Lori’s shoes is really thinking about what connects with people in this moment but also is compelling in 25 years,” Siasoco said. “That’s something that if [Greene and Perine Myers] do listen and they do reach the communities that are present and spend the time with them, it’s going to undoubtedly be a work that will stand the test of time.”

Perine Myers said as members of marginalized groups, she and Greene have long-standing values of focusing attention on the experiences of marginalized people, a practice they will incorporate into their community engagement process.

“In so many of the projects that we’ve done together, we really prioritize both centering and uplifting people in the community who have marginalized identities,” Perine said. “That’s just an important part of our engagement process is to kind of bring visibility to people that are not visible.”

Greene said she and Perine Myers’ ultimate goal with the New Nicollet Redevelopment project is not to create art for the south Minneapolis community, but rather create with.

“We’re all working on this together,” Greene said. “We’re not doing it to anyone.”

The city is hosting an open house event on March 7 to share design concepts for New Nicollet, hear feedback from the community and where Greene and Perine Myers will begin their community engagement process for the art installation. 

Minneapolis activists, University of Minnesota students and Minnesota Department of Public Safety members seek to spread awareness and information about Minnesota’s murdered and missing Indigenous peoples. 

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) is a movement advocating for the end of violence against Native people and calls attention to the large number of missing and murdered Indigenous people, especially women and girls. 

MMIR is often called Missing and Murder Indigenous People in other states. 

The MMIR office, along with the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, held a march through East Phillips Park on Feb. 14 in honor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Day of Remembrance. 

Ana Negrete, a community planner for the MMIR office, said the impact of MMIR on the Native community is difficult to understand when it does not personally impact you. 

Within Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety, the MMIR office strives to support families of missing and murdered Native relatives, as well as spread awareness and education about their resources. They also help families communicate with law enforcement and investigators through the missing persons process. 

Gov. Tim Walz signed the legislation into law to establish the MMIR office in 2021 after the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) taskforce and Wilder Research Center sent a report to the Minnesota State Legislature detailing mandates to end violence against Native people.

Negrete said the office acts as a bridge between law enforcement and families to help facilitate communication. She added that she helps raise awareness and organizes community events for people to stay informed. 

“We’re just kind of following the family’s needs,” Negrete said. “We work with law enforcement to make sure that they’re aware of what we’re doing and what we’re asking for.”

Amber Schindeldecker, the public information officer for the MMIR office, said when a person goes missing, the first step is contacting 911 because without an active case with law enforcement, the MMIR office cannot help. 

“If they suspect that they might be in danger or trouble, it’s better to make the report,” Schindeldecker said. “You can cancel a missing person’s report.”

Negrete added making those difficult calls and getting in contact with law enforcement and the MMIR office is necessary to help missing friends and family. 

“You can’t get the time back that’s spent looking for their loved ones,” Negrete added. “So make that call.” 

According to Negrete, the MMIR office helps conduct missing person search parties, create flyers and run homicide investigations with law enforcement. Negrete said relying on the support of her teammates and her faith helps her cope with this line of work. 

“What keeps us motivated is hearing the stories from the families,” Negrete said. “When you hear what they go through on a daily basis, that keeps you moving.”

“People don’t really understand the scope of what MMIR is and how much it affects families,” Negrete said. “Indigenous people make up 1.4% of the population in general and are 8%, last we checked, of the homicide rates for women, for Indigenous folks.”

Schindeldecker said it is important for people to understand that generations of these cases have received little to no attention and just by word of mouth, their stories and voices can be amplified. Schindeldecker said word of mouth was the most common way these cases were spread.

“I’m not Indigenous, so I think about it in terms of myself in that if I had a loved one go missing I would do everything in my power to make sure that the full extent of the resources and services are being utilized and offered to find them but with Indigenous people the systems weren’t built for them,” Schindeldecker said. 

The office also released the MMIR license plate on Feb. 14 to help raise awareness and funds for the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag reward fund. The fund offers an award for information on missing and murdered Indigenous people in Minnesota. 

Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag means “They will be remembered forever” in Ojibwe. The tribe is a Native tribe originating around the Great Lakes area.

The creation of the MMIR is a sign of progress, according to Vice President of the Minnesota Indians Women’s Resource Center Marique Moss. She said the creation of the license plate will help people learn more about missing Indigenous people. 

“I think that is a great idea. Everybody looks at license plates and so if one person can say, what is that? Google it and get that information, then that’s sort of a domino effect and they can tell this person and that person,” Moss said. “The whole point is we don’t want to be invisible. We want to be seen.”

The Minnesota Indians Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that provides social and mental health services for native women in Minneapolis. Moss said the community action by Indigenous people in Minnesota has helped increase the awareness of Indigenous issues. 

“I’d say what pushes it for us is that we are that cultural corridor. There is so much Indigenous history tied to Minnesota. Education reform is being harmed right now,” Moss said. “You can’t talk about being African American or even say the word slavery. If you can’t say slavery or any of those words, you definitely cannot talk about missing and murdered Indigenous women.”

For Indigenous students at the University of Minnesota, MMIR is an important step in the right direction, according to Ava Grace, a second-year University student double majoring in journalism and the Dakota language. Grace said that the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women is something she grew up with. 

“It’s like that fear of becoming another statistic, another percent to that 15 percent of missing Native women in Minnesota. It’s always been an issue, not just in Minnesota, but across Canada and the U.S.,” Grace said. 

RickyMae Littlest Feather, a native student on campus who went to the Feb. 14 march, said the march was a demonstration of the native community’s unity. 

“It is such an empowering feeling that when Native people want to get something done, and we get together, we can get it done,” Littlest Feather said. “But it is also very sad because that means that all those people that are there have family members or themselves are victims and are a part of the MMIW movement in some way, shape or form.” 

Both Grace and Littlest Feather said the license plate is a step in the right direction, but the University and local government could be doing more to help uplift native voices. 

“[The University] does their little Dakota land acknowledgments at the beginning of all their speeches, but acknowledging it, I guess, doesn’t really do anything. It needs to have action as well,” Littlest Feather said. 

For the future, Grace said she wants to help make the University safe for Indigenous students.  

“I hope to educate more people and attend more events with my community,” Grace said. “Just to help the U of M grow as a safe place.”

With spring break around the corner, many students reflect on the sufficiency of University of Minnesota’s semester breaks. 

In the fall, University students do not have a traditional break like other Minnesota colleges and have no formal time off until the four-day Thanksgiving break. Contrarily, the spring offers a weeklong spring break in early March.

Trisha Bui, a second-year University student, said spring break is a time to hang out with family and friends before upcoming exams.

“I think it’s nice to have students relax for a whole week before midterms and finals start again,” Bui said. “At least for mine, there’s going to be like finals and midterms right after, within like a week.” 

While some students have expressed concerns about spring break being too early this year, Bui said she did not think so but was surprised the school did not have President’s Day off. 

“They have good breaks,” Bui said. “A lot of schools, they don’t have a long winter break, they only have like two weeks.” 

Amelia Zaic, a first-year University student, said she heard concerns about spring break being early, but she feels it is a product of the semester moving by fast. 

“I really like spring break,” Zaic said. “The spring semester gets so difficult so I think it’s a good break for people and to get like working back at home too.”

Katherine Scheil is an English professor at the University who often teaches the same class in the fall and spring semester. She said professors and faculty have to make adjustments to their course material for each semester, especially if they choose to give midterm exams. 

“In terms of planning a course and pacing, of course, you have to think about what’s the body of material in the fall that best fits the Thanksgiving [break] to the end of the semester,” Scheil said. “That’s not so much an issue in the spring.”

Scheil added that the energy from students is different before and after breaks. She said students typically feel ready for time off before spring break while often feeling anxious after Thanksgiving break because of upcoming  exams and end-of-term assignments.

“I would just say, be aware that the energy of the class changes across the course of the semester,” Scheil said. “So again, in the fall, the energy post-Thanksgiving changes. Students are much more anxious and under stress.” 

According to Scheil, another issue the faculty faces with breaks regards family, with many faculty members having children with differently scheduled breaks. 

“There can be family issues for faculty members with spring break because if you have children in school, our spring break doesn’t necessarily align with the spring break for your children. And especially if you have young children, that can be very difficult,” Scheil said.“That’s just life but that’s kind of another issue about having a week-long break.”

Amrin Awal, a second-year University student, said she hoped spring break would be longer but likes where the break lands in March. She added another wish for time off in the fall.

“I just hope there was a fall break, honestly,” Awal said. “Because like, we don’t get any breaks for the first semester.”

Awal added all her friends have a fall break and wished the University would follow the example other schools set. 

Many state universities and colleges in Minnesota do have a fall break, including St. Cloud State and Southwest Minnesota State University, according to their academic calendars.  

Shane McCue, a first-year University student, said he enjoys spring break and where it is placed but wishes there was a weeklong break in the fall to give himself more time to spend at home. 

“The first semester, I kind of wish we’d get a full week,” McCue said. “The Thanksgiving [break], it’s just like I live in Michigan so I had to fly out on Wednesday and come back pretty soon.” 

Ben Stiyer, a second-year University student, said he prefers longer breaks over having a few sporadic days off, but he also enjoys having a routine that can be disrupted by having too much time off.

“I personally don’t really like breaks,” Stiyer said. “I think they get me out of school mode.” 

This article has been updated.

The University of Minnesota’s Student Organic Farm’s (SOF) grant has almost reached the end of its two-year limit, leaving the farm to look for funding in other places. 

Despite previous efforts from students and faculty, SOF is still looking for support to fund the program.

The farm is actively seeking out grants and fundraising opportunities, working with the University Foundation to find people who care about experiential learning spaces, said Mary Rogers, a professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).

“We still are not receiving a lot, or much support I think, from the University as a whole or the college even in funding this resource and keeping it viable,” Rogers said. “We’ll see on a year-to-year basis whether or not we can continue.” 

Previous funding efforts 

After shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogers wrote a proposal to bring the farm back after students vocalized their wish to see it return. A year later, the School of Agriculture’s Endowed Chair awarded SOF two years of funding.

In the fall of 2022, when SOF’s funding had one year left, Lizzy Van Ert, now a third-year student who interned at SOF, wrote a letter to CFANS Dean Brian Buhr and now former Associate Dean Frances Homans, asking the administration for a guarantee of future financial security.

Van Ert worked with other students on the letter to provide their perspectives on why SOF is an important learning opportunity. Despite 52 students signing the letter, it did not receive an initial response. According to Van Ert, she followed up and tried to get a response before winter break but was told the administration would discuss the letter in a meeting after break.

In March of 2023, Buhr said in a statement to The Minnesota Daily there was an intent to respond to the letter when more research on funding was done, but the students never received a response. 

“Not getting a response was fairly frustrating,” Van Ert said. “To my knowledge, it was discussed, although I was not informed after it happened, and I did have to continue following up to ensure that it even got discussed.

Rogers said she was dismayed when the student letter came out and the administration did not have a response. 

“It just seems, you know, a little disrespectful,” Rogers said. “If people are going to take the time to write a letter and to sign it, it should at least have a response.” 

Buhr said from the college’s perspective, funding is moved out to programs and departments who then make decisions about the allocations of those funds. 

According to Buhr, the main issues are budget reductions that come through the college and University and finding a person to manage the farm.

“We don’t have any plans to discontinue it,” Buhr said. “The question is how we get the funding to do that and our challenge is we got several operations like this across the college and so we try to hold the consistency across programs.”

Buhr added the administration sees SOF as a valuable student learning resource, and they are not trying to remove the farm.

As to the lack of response to the student letter, Buhr said the response “fell through the cracks” when the college had transitions of leadership but he hopes to have cleaner communication now. 

“We’re really heavily focused on sustainability of course and that’s across the college,” Buhr said. “The programs related to sustainable food systems, related to that, we’re always doing evaluations of looking at how can we make those better.”

Impact of the funding struggle

Without funding from the University or endowed chair, SOF continues to be funded through profits from farmer’s markets and donations from supporters. This funding covers the cost of student wages and farm equipment, Van Ert said. 

Molly Seligman is a fourth-year student who interned on the farm last summer. While she was not involved with the letter to the dean, Seligman said she heard from students that it was disappointing to not receive a response or see more action taken. 

Seligman said the funding made the farm more cost-effective through learning to budget and reuse items. 

“The cost created more sustainable thinking,” Seligman said. “Where we had to think about how to use all our stuff to the absolute most and I think that’s a really good thing.” 

Seligman said one example was the weed mats which are put on the fields to keep out the weeds. She added the farm had to reuse the mats, but with some containing holes and not being reusable, they could not use them for as many rows. 

“It would be really nice to get new ones, but we didn’t have the budget for it and that’s just like a really real, common occurrence,” Seligman said. 

Seligman added labor was also a large issue with the lack of funding. She said the farm had so many strawberries they were forced to let some of them decompose in the field because they did not have enough people to pick them. 

The future of the farm

CFANS professor Julie Grossman said she thinks it is getting harder to fund hands-on initiatives like this. 

“It’s experiences like this that are incredibly vital for keeping our entire campus vibrant and allows students to learn by doing,” Grossman said. 

Seligman said she feels labor costs are going to be a big concern for future funding of the farm. 

“Labor is the biggest cost, honestly, with the farm,” Seligman said. “My biggest concern with the next couple of years is if they’re going to have enough people to keep up with the amount of sometimes raging produce on the farm.”

Seligman added she hopes the school can recognize the benefits the farm provides, such as educational initiatives and supplying students with local and affordable produce in the food desert that the University is. 

Van Ert said the farm manager position is a heftier cost for the farm, and the organization will be in a more comfortable position knowing it is secure.

“Unless the school helps to fund the position, the farm manager salary cannot be guaranteed by SOF’s other sources of funding,” Van Ert said. 

Grossman has accepted the position of CFANS associate dean of undergraduate programs, effective March 1. She said she is excited to promote initiatives like the farm in her new role. 

“I’d really like to see that continue into the future with CFANS support as well as greater University support across campuses to bring our campuses together around this issue related to local food production and organic food production in general,” Grossman said. 

Rogers said she is currently working on grants to assist with the cost and education of the farm. For instance, one grant will connect the farm with the animal science program, allowing chickens to be raised on the farm. 

Despite funding challenges, Rogers said SOF is currently looking for students to work summer internships and encourages students interested to get involved now.

“If you want to get involved, now is the time because we don’t know how much longer this resource is going to be here,” Rogers said. “We can try to keep it alive. I think the farm needs friends and needs supporters.” 

A University of Minnesota researcher in the College of Liberal Arts found deaths reported as natural causes were actually due to COVID-19.

An estimated 1.2 million excess deaths were reported during the first 30 months of the pandemic in the United States. One in seven of these deaths were not accurately attributed to COVID-19. 

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the Minnesota Population Center, said she focused on comparing mortality rates before the pandemic and during the pandemic itself. By looking at where the bulk of deaths occurred in a short time span, researchers spotted deficiencies in the U.S. death reporting system. Some deaths were not reported right away or were inaccurately attributed. 

“We found that in those first two and a half years, there were 1.1 million more deaths in the United States than we would have expected to have had there not been a pandemic, and that’s a staggering number,” Wrigley-Field said. 

Deaths appearing to be caused by COVID-19, but not considered COVID-19-related deaths, were most consistent in the first and second years of the pandemic, according to Wrigley-Field.

During the first two and a half years of the pandemic, 16% of deaths were not predicted by past mortality rates and were not considered to be caused by COVID-19, Wrigley-Field said. 

One key piece of evidence was found by the use of spatiotemporal patterns, which looked at COVID-19 surges happening at different times and places, Wrigley-Field said. To find out what deaths attributed to natural causes were actually COVID-19-related deaths, mortality trends and data from past months were compared to deaths in the first 30 months of the pandemic. 

People did not realize they were in the midst of a COVID-19 surge, which is why the majority of COVID-19 deaths were not accurately accounted for, according to Wrigley-Field. 

“The people who are responsible for assigning causes of death, like a medical examiner or coroner, didn’t necessarily think to themselves like, ‘Oh, should I be wondering if this was COVID?’ because they didn’t realize yet that COVID was surging around them,” Wrigley-Field said.

Marc Jenkins, the director of the Center for Immunology at the University, said misreporting often occurs more in rural areas where death reports are filed by sheriffs versus metropolitan areas where coroners file death certificates. 

Almost all of the unaccounted deaths did not occur from natural causes but instead from COVID-19, Jenkins said. 

If examiners had taken antibody tests, which allow them to see if the person had COVID-19 at the time or ever in the past, they could have then narrowed down the cause of death to COVID-19 and reported it accurately, Jenkins added.

Excess deaths were found to be more concentrated in western, southern and rural areas in the nation because COVID-19-related deaths are less likely to be recorded, especially when families have more control in reporting the cause of death, Wrigley-Field said. This most likely occurs when people die outside of the hospital, particularly in areas where COVID-19 is believed to be fake.

COVID-19 is an infectious airborne virus, Jenkins said. Vaccinations, masking and social distancing can help students on campus stay safe and healthy. 

“I don’t tell anyone what they should do,” Jenkins said. “I just talk in terms of probability.”

The population can view protection against COVID-19 like a building that is one hundred stories tall, Jenkins said. Getting vaccinated will take a person to the 90th floor while masking and social distancing will get them to the 100th floor. 

Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said there was a lot of misinformation on social media telling people the vaccine was unsafe or unhelpful and exacerbating the perceived number of deaths. 

“I think social media in general was both a help and a hindrance,” Osterholm said.

There is not a specific set of strategized policies that can be implemented to prevent another pandemic, Osterholm added. Simply embedding lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can help people prepare for the future. 

“When we think about pandemic preparedness for disaster preparedness, we don’t usually think about our cause of death reporting,” Wrigley-Field said. “But to me, we should, and this research underscores why it’s so important.” 

Gophers baseball failed to win a game in Fort Myers, Florida, for the second consecutive year, dropping to a 2-4 record on the season after their series against Northeastern University.

To start the weekend, the Gophers took on the Minnesota Twins in an exhibition game. The Gophers kept it close, scoring twice in the sixth to bring it within a run, before the Twins scored 10 unanswered, finishing the game in a 13-2 loss.

Freshman Charlie Sutherland plated Minnesota’s only two runs of the game on a single up the middle.

Hopkins, Minnesota native Jake Perry said playing against the Twins was a dream come true.

“It’s something you dream of as a kid, but it was great to experience it,” Perry said. “Just to be around those guys and be in that environment, seeing how they go about their business.”

In Game 1 against Northeastern, Minnesota jumped on the Huskies early, holding a 4-1 lead after four innings. The fourth was the last full inning in which the Gophers had the advantage throughout the series as Northeastern took Game 1 by a score of 8-7 and won the following game 6-2.

Senior shortstop Jake Larson provided the first home run of the season for Minnesota in Game 1. Larson is tied with Perry for a team-high .333 batting average and leads the team with a .667 slugging percentage.

Larson said his work in the offseason at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven performance training company, has led to his success this season.

“I’d say my work at Driveline has definitely helped me prepare for not only seeing the ball better but just making overall better contact,” Larson said. “To this point, I’ve cut down my strikeouts. I’m putting the ball in play more which has contributed to my average.”

Perry said Larson hit the team’s first home run for the second consecutive season. Larson homered to left field against UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 19 of last year, similar to his homer versus Northeastern.

Perry, hitting a .333 average, currently leads the team with eight hits and 12 total bases. The Gophers third baseman improved each season statistically at Minnesota.

“I got a whole bunch of experience, and I’ve just seen myself grow physically since I’ve been working out a bunch,” Perry said. “I think my approach to the game has improved a whole bunch.”

Perry said, as a freshman, he did not have a plan at the plate. However, throughout Perry’s time at Minnesota, he learned how pitchers attack him and what to expect in specific counts while at bat.

On the mound, senior transfer Justin Thorsteinson has made an instant impact for the Gophers early this season. Through 6.1 innings, the former Oregon State pitcher has thrown for a 1.42 ERA paired with eight strikeouts.

Thorsteinson said he is an emotional pitcher and allows it to fuel him when he is out on the rubber, especially in his Minnesota debut against New Mexico.

“It’s just a bunch of build-up every single pitch,” Thorsteinson said. “That’s when I’m feeling at my best, when I’m angry, when I’m aggressive and I just usually black out.”

Thorsteinson’s experience adds flexibility to the rotation, as he will potentially see playing time in the role of a starter, reliever and closer throughout the season. Thorsteinson said he is open to any role, and his main priority is staying healthy so he can help the team win.

Minnesota gained experience from the weekend and the team’s confidence in winning games has not wavered, according to Larson.

“This team, despite being 2-4, has complete confidence in the fact that we have the ability to win the Big Ten and do greater things,” Larson said.

The Prospect Park Association (PPA) held a community meeting Tuesday evening where local leaders and residents discussed emergency response calls, changes to a nearby medical clinic and an update to the Witch’s Hat Tower. 

Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) led the meeting with PPA Vice President Britt Howell, PPA Secretary David Frank and Commissioner Billy Menz from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. The focus of the meeting was the reopening of the Witch’s Hat Tower, policing in Prospect Park and the Valhalla Clinic.

The Witch’s Hat Tower

The historic Witch’s Hat Tower is set to be re-opened either fall 2024 or spring 2025, according to Wonsley. Around $350,000 will be allocated to the Tower for repairs, which will start this year. 

Wonsley said an agreement regarding maintenance, jurisdiction, liability and more would also be established before the Tower’s re-opening. The City Council and the city’s Parks and Recreation Board are currently working on the agreement. 

The Witch’s Hat Tower is located in Tower Hill Park within the Prospect Park neighborhood and has been a community staple for decades. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tower was closed and fell into disrepair. 

Many community members, such as Joe Ring, have noticed the lack of maintenance and attention to the Tower. In the meeting on Tuesday evening, Ring said he has heard complaints from visitors about the untamed trees at the base of the Tower blocking the view of Minneapolis. 

“A few weeks ago I met people from Dubai and they were there with three children. They were here scoping out the University of Minnesota for their kids to go to school and they were very, very disappointed,” Ring said. “There is a real issue on how the maintenance has been done on the foliage.” 

Policing in Minneapolis

Second Precinct Inspector Nicholas Torborg and Crime Prevention Specialist Teila Zoller spoke with residents at the PPA meeting and received multiple questions about the community’s trust with Minneapolis policing and the differences between calling 911 and 311. 

Zoller said the city’s 311 call number is for non-emergency, suspicious activity the police should be aware of and added if you witness something that does not seem safe or believe something dangerous could happen, call 911. 

“Just call 911,” Zoller said. “The worst thing they can say is, ‘Sorry, we’re not going to do anything with this, call 311.’”

Prospect Park resident Mary Britton said she hesitates to call the police because of the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) use of force. 

“What changes have taken place where I can feel like I’m not putting somebody’s life in danger when I don’t know what they’re doing?” Britton said.

Torborg said MPD has credibility issues and referenced the death of Justine Damond in 2017 as unacceptable behavior the department is seeking to correct. According to Torborg, notable changes to MPD include the hiring of Police Chief Brian O’Hara in 2022, a whole new command staff and a stricter policy on body cameras. 

“The sanctity of life is clearly our number one priority now on calls,” Torborg said. “We do our best and that’s emphasized.”

Valhalla Clinic/Behavioral Health Group 

Regional Director of Behavioral Health Group Debbie Gray said the clinic now offers free Narcan and walk-in appointments with their care physicians. Gray added the clinic is re-branding from Valhalla Clinic to Behavioral Health Group. 

Prospect Park resident Kate Needleman said she is concerned about security in the residential neighborhood where the clinic operates. Resident Kari Simonson added Needleman’s property is next to a vacant lot near the clinic and gets littered with used needles. 

“So will you then provide security? Will you branch out into the neighborhood to kind of become a better neighbor?” Needleman said. 

Gray said they have security guards on site but since they do not own the building, she is not sure they can make the area safer. Gray encouraged the community to share ideas with her about how to help them feel safer. 

“The biggest thing too is people need help and I think if they feel cared for, hopefully some of that behavior will get better,” Gray said “But in reality, probably, it is hard.” 

University of Minnesota students attended the University’s largest job fair, held at Huntington Bank Stadium and the McNamara Alumni Center, on Monday to network with companies and explore different career options. 

Various employers set up booths across both venues, providing students with brochures, business cards and free merchandise. The Minnesota Alumni Association had two photographers on site to provide free professional headshots. 

There will also be a virtual job fair held on Feb. 28 through the Handshake website, a resource connecting students with employers, alumni and their school’s career center for information about jobs and careers. 

Yasmiin Abdinur, a second-year sociology of law, criminology and justice major, said she thinks the job fair has a variety of jobs that cater to students’ job and career interests. 

“It was very easy to speak to [employers],” Abdinur said. “They understood that we’re students and they gave us grace if we stuttered.” 

Abdinur said she attended the fair with her friends to get a feel for what to expect heading into the working world. 

“I had my elevator pitch prepared, however, I wasn’t really looking for an internship this year,” Abdinur said. “I’m browsing for next year, so I didn’t have my resume.” 

Brittany Maloney, a program assistant for St. Paul Public Schools, represented the school district at the fair. She said she encourages students to find a common connection with the school district that applies to their major. 

Maloney said an example is a student majoring in biology who may find a job in the school district through leading science-related activities, and many students can apply their major to a position within education. 

“I’m just looking for people who are interested and passionate with working with kids,” Maloney said. “When I bring people onto the team, I want that person to feel comfortable, safe, welcomed and feel that this is where they’re meant to be.” 

Sara Nagel Newberg, executive director of the Career Services Administration, which represents all the schools in the University system, said the administration invites employers to the job fair based on where past students have ended up and their career interests. 

This information is tracked through students’ activity on Handshake. 

“We don’t know specifically from majors what a student is interested in,” Newberg said. “A student could be majoring in communications but wants to work in sales, so the Handshake data is really important because it helps us know what directions people are taking.” 

Newberg said although this University-wide job fair has been around for over 20 years, she wants it to supplement other fairs put on by individual colleges at the University. 

“We don’t want a lot of employers in a niche area that’s already got a strong fair,” Newberg said. “We’re trying to make sure we’re offering things that aren’t already offered.” 

Fatuma Aidid, a first-year student who is undecided about a major, said companies offered many job opportunities, which allowed her to learn more about different career paths. 

She added she is worried about regretting her career choice having not yet declared a major.

“I’m interested in computer science, but I haven’t looked into it yet,” Aidid said. “There’s one [company] I looked into, but they needed people with more experience.” 

While some companies have different expectations about the types of experiences they want future employees to have, Maloney said St. Paul Public Schools do not factor in majors when considering potential job candidates. 

The only requirement to apply for a position within St. Paul Public Schools is to have 600 hours of childcare experience, according to Maloney. 

“We’re opening up more doors and avenues of letting people know, ‘Oh, you don’t have this or that [experience]? Maybe you have this instead,’” Maloney said. 

Ariana Yasmin, a second-year student studying psychology, came to the job fair to find a variety of opportunities to broaden her experience beyond her usual jobs working at two autism therapy centers. 

“I found eight employers that I was really interested in and that really helped me to cater my resume towards those employers,” Yasmin said. 

Yasmin added she was nervous about talking to employers despite having prepared for the job fair by printing out copies of her resume and researching companies beforehand. 

“I hope to continue on my path and get to positions that are higher than the ones I’m in now,” Yasmin said. 

Newberg said she encourages students to explore all parts of the fair, which is why employers are not grouped together but instead are spread apart across both venues. 

“They’ll miss things if they go to one clump [of employers] and then don’t see the whole thing,” Newberg said. “We think we’re better serving students by having it all integrated.” 

Minneapolis and St. Paul are melting pots of cultures from around the world and are renowned for having a wide variety of restaurants serving international cuisines, including authentic Palestinian dishes.

Eating at Palestinian-owned restaurants goes beyond a simple dining experience. It represents solidarity between families who have been uprooted from their country of origin.

“Many Palestinian businesses around the Twin Cities root back to families who have been displaced from their homeland,” said Omar Aly, social media and marketing chair for Students for Justice in Palestine. “It makes supporting Palestinian restaurants an action within itself rather than just your average food run.”

Wally’s Falafel and Hummus

Located in the heart of Dinkytown, Wally’s offers a variety of dishes made with falafel, shawarma, lamb and kabob. The setting is complemented by Palestinian fixtures and imagery of the region, serving as a testament to the region’s culture.

Owner Wally Sakallah said when people see the atmosphere of the restaurant, they get curious and ask questions, further learning about the rich Palestinian history and society.

“The restaurant is a way to explain what I like and something to represent where I’m from. The food, the environment, the decorations, even the tables,” Sakallah said. “Every table represents a city in Palestine.” 

Mim’s Cafe

Near the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, Mim’s provides a combination of Mediterranean and Palestinian cuisines. From flavorful shawarma to delicious kebabs, Mim’s menu offers an assortment of foods inspired by family traditions passed down throughout generations.

Owner Mahmoud Shahin was only a month old when his family fled the West Bank of Palestine in fear of the massacre and torturing of Palestinian civilians following the wars in 1948.

“Our neighbors and community of customers from the University of Minnesota have continued to support us and have expressed their horror and concern for Palestinians,” Shahin said. 

Shish

Found on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Shish is renowned for its creative take on Palestinian food. From breakfast to dinner, each dish draws from Palestinian ancestry. Classic dishes such as lamb, falafel and chicken shawarma are offered alongside options such as curry and shakshuka. Shish is a location to take in the vivid tastes of Palestine in a traditionally decorated setting.

Holy Land Restaurant and Grocery

Featured on the TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” this restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis offers an array of traditional Palestinian dishes from homemade hummus to smoky baba ganoush. Using fresh, natural ingredients along with wood-fire grills and clay ovens, each item stays true to the customary techniques of Palestinian cooking. The restaurant also features a quaint ambience including vibrant wall paintings and lively background music.

Zait and Za’atar

Taking its name from two essential elements of Palestinian cooking — olive oil (zait) and thyme (zaatar) — this market and deli serves a menu full of homemade traditional dishes. High-quality ingredients are used to make meals such as the traditional musakhan, a roasted chicken with rice and tahini sauce. Guests can also enjoy salads, soups and sandwiches at this restaurant found near Macalester College in St. Paul.

Palestinian-owned eateries in the Twin Cities honor Palestine’s rich culinary and historical traditions. These restaurants are important for the preservation of Palestinian culture and enhancing the Minnesota culinary scene for future generations.