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Editorial Cartoon: Hillary’s foot-in-mouth comments

Image by Sam Fleming

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Piper Ritter and her pitching dynasty at Minnesota

Piper Ritter just finished her third season as the head coach of Minnesota and produced another elite pitcher, adding to her already extensive dynasty.

During her time coaching at Minnesota, Ritter has produced Sara Goenewegen, Sara Moulton, Brianna Hassett, Amber Fiser and Autumn Pease, five of the best pitchers in Gopher’s history.

Overall, Ritter’s pitchers have accumulated numerous accolades, including five All-American awards, three Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors and 17 no-hitters, according Gopher Sports.

The latest star hurler from Minnesota, Autumn Pease, put together an inspired 2023 season. Pease earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for her incredible 1.46 ERA and 273 strikeouts in just 215.1 innings pitched.

Not only did Pease dominate in college, she was drafted 10th overall in the 2023 Women’s Professional Fastpitch Draft. The Texas Smoke selected Pease and have utilized her more than any other pitcher in the league, with 48 innings pitched and just a 3.00 ERA.

Fiser has also gotten the opportunity to play, and succeed, in the WPF. Now a part of the SIS Vipers, Fiser has pitched 34 innings with an ERA of 3.63 and 27 strikeouts.

Ritter’s ability to manage the entire team while developing top-level pitchers has left an impression on her assistant head coach, Carly Wynn.

What makes her different, I think, stems from her also being a head coach,” Wynn said. “As a head coach, you have so many other office duties, triple what your assistants do, that often get you taken off of the field for practice.”

“She never has more than two pitchers in a bullpen at a time so she can individually reach them and give them the attention they need to get better. She takes video, shows them, talks mechanics when she needs to, strategy when she needs to and touches base with them often in one-on-one settings to ensure they are understanding the process and getting out of it what they need,” Wynn added. “I said it before and I’ll say it again, every pitcher should want to be a Gopher. Her success is proven.”

Ritter’s hands-on approach has helped develop relationships with her players and form a trusting bond. As a result, it opens the floor for direct communication between coaches and players about expectations and necessary improvements.

This trust then extends onto the field and into Ritter’s managerial strategies.

Ritter mentioned she has a set way of approaching hitters with some of her most talented arms. Her ideology: never back down from utilizing the strength of her pitchers.

“Hitting is hard, and if the pitcher’s strength [matches] the hitter’s strength, then we always work with the pitcher’s strengths,” Ritter said.

The approach adds additional belief in her bullpen and shows that, when they take the circle, Ritter will take their pitches over anything the hitter brings to the table.

Pease recalled how this strategy helped boost her confidence during games.

Coach Ritter helped me throughout my career [to] think deeper about softball, from the pitches that I should throw in a certain count to where the pitch should be thrown,” Pease said. “Coach Ritter is a hard coach, but it’s because she knows what all her players are capable of. There was never a day that I didn’t feel pushed out of my comfort zone in the bullpen.”

Pease understood the vision Ritter had for her and allowed Ritter to push her to become the best and not settle for anything less. Throughout her time at Minnesota, she witnessed how impactful Ritter is to every Gophers pitcher.

“I believe Coach Ritter has been so successful in producing pitching talent because she takes the time to get to know us as players and people. You feel cared about and have a trusting relationship with her,” Pease said. “She is there to push you to the point of breaking, but then help you if you fall. I think Coach Ritter is very good at identifying a pitcher’s weakness and then strengthening it from the ground up.”

Whether they are an All-American or a freshman, talented pitchers reach their full potential with Ritter because she pushes them all the same. Understanding everything about her players has helped Ritter form influential bonds, forming the foundation to building a decade-long dynasty of successful pitching.

Now that Pease is pitching in WPF, Minnesota will be looking to see which stud pitcher will be the next to add their name to the decorated list.

“We will have six pitchers and there will be a lot of competition,” Ritter said.

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UMN students respond to light rail safety

Many University of Minnesota students think safety on the Minneapolis-St. Paul light rail should be improved but are skeptical about effective methods to improve these conditions.

In January, the Metropolitan Council announced that crime had increased on buses and trains in 2021-2022 throughout the Twin Cities.

In March, Minnesota lawmakers proposed a bill called the Transit Service Intervention Project. The project would involve placing social workers on the light rail’s Green and Blue lines over the span of three months to provide mental health support as well as support for unhoused individuals.

The Metro Green Line runs right through the University with three stations that help students get around campus. Additionally, University students have access to more than two dozen bus routes through the U-Pass.

Students overall have had a “good” experience but know crime exists

Some students, like second-year Sydney Chen, take the light rail multiple times each week. Chen said she sometimes takes the train further into Minneapolis or St. Paul to go to the Asian markets in those areas.

Chen said her experience overall has been good on the light rail, but she continues to be cautious of her surroundings.

“If it’s like the middle of the day, it’s probably fine, but if it’s a little bit later, then I probably don’t want to take it,” Chen said.

First-year student Mick Fitzgibbons has also had good experiences with the light rail so far but does not take the light rail as often.

“It’s been fine.” Fitzgibbons said. “I mean, I’ve definitely seen a few characters on the light rail, but nothing where I felt ‘I’m in danger.’ Usually there’s a lot of students and there’s not really random people on the light rail,” Fitzgibbons said.

Second-year Mei Abraham only takes the light rail when the weather is too bad to walk to class but has heard about the safety and crime issues on the light rail, which she said makes her nervous to use it sometimes.

When Abraham does take the light rail, she takes the train in the early morning. The light rail stations and cars are more empty at the time, which is when she has to take the light rail to get to her first class of the day, according to Abraham. She said she feels more timid about being ont he light rail when there are less people.

The light rail is not the only way students get to class. Other students, such as first-year Shania Mendoza-Smith, take the public bus everyday to get to class.

“It’s been a pretty good experience overall,” Mendoza-Smith said. “It’s pretty convenient and affordable.”

Mendoza-Smith said she has not seen any conflicts on the bus but is aware they happen.

“So long as you keep to yourself, there’s usually not any conflicts,” Mendoza-Smith said.

Students are unsure if there is an effective solution

While students know there are issues with safety and crime on the light rail, many said they do not know what the city could do to resolve these issues.

Chen said she prefers having police officers on the light rail and their presence makes her feel better about taking it off campus, but she does not know if it is an effective solution.

“I don’t really know what all is practical,” Chen said. “It’s a city and there are just unsafe things everywhere.”

Other students, like Abraham, agree and do not really know what Metro Transit or city officials could do to improve conditions on the light rail.

“I feel like there’s not a lot that you can do,” Abraham said. “There’s just not a lot you can do when it comes to public transit.”

What Metro Transit is doing to stop crime

According to the Clery Act, all of the light rail stops on campus are under Metro Transit jurisdiction. The Clery Act requires the University to report and make information about crime on campus available.

Metro Transit wants to provide students and other riders with a comfortable ride on the light rail, Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III said.

“We have to provide a safe haven for them, a safe passage,” Morales said. “It should be a comfortable ride.”

One of the many ways Metro Transit is trying to improve safety on the light rail is by recruiting more police officers, according to Morales.

Morales said he has met with University of Minnesota Police Department Chief Matt Clark to communicate and coordinate safety measures with one another.

“The students utilize the system to go to sporting events, get off campus and enjoy town,” Morales said. “It’s just a matter of getting them to where they need to be in a safe manner.”

In addition, Metro Transit has been working to make resources and services available to those struggling with addiction or homelessness on the light rail, according to Morales.

“We can’t force anyone into services, but we are definitely making the resources available to them if needed,” Morales said.

Morales, who joined the Metro Transit Police Department as chief of police earlier this year, wants to have officers at the end of each light rail line to clear out the trains so maintenance can clean them. He said he also wants to have officers posted to check fairs before sending the train on its way.

“It’s something that we used to do that we moved away from with COVID and other things that took place,” Morales said.

In addition to these initiatives, Metro Transit began the Real Time Information Center, where staff monitor transit cameras at all times and can react to situations in real time.

There is also the Text For Safety program, which allows riders to text the number 612-900-0411 if they do not feel safe enough to call 911.

According to Morales, safety is in numbers, and the more people who utilize the light rail, the safer it can become. However, it is always good to be aware of your surroundings, Morales said.

“Regardless of where you go around the world, situational awareness is always important,” Morales said.

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Legislature elects UMN regents

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents gained three new members after the Minnesota Legislature elected candidates in a joint session on Monday night, giving the board a female majority.

New board members Robyn Gulley, Mary Turner and Penny Wheeler all received a majority of the votes. The Legislature also elected Regent Tadd Johnson, who currently sits on the board.

The Minnesota Legislature elects members of the 12-person board when a seat reaches the end of its six-year term. Regents Ken Powell, Steve Sviggum, Darrin Rosha and Johnson’s seats were up. Powell, Sviggum and Rosha will leave the board this month.

The selection process began in January when 12 candidates were recommended to the regent nomination joint committee by the Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC). All four of the new regents were nominated by the joint committee in February to move on to the joint legislative session.

Gulley will represent District 2 on the board, which was previously held by Sviggum. She currently serves on the West St. Paul City Council and co-chairs Local Progress Minnesota, an organization of elected officials throughout the state who share policy ideas and outcomes.

Turner was elected to the District 3 seat previously held by Rosha. She is the president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, is currently an ICU nurse at North Memorial Medical Center and
served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force in 2021.

Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, a member of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee, nominated William Humphries for the District 3 seat, but he did not receive enough votes. The RCAC recommended Humphries, a former University football player and current restaurant franchise owner, in January, but he was not nominated by the joint committee.

District 8 will continue to be represented by Johnson. He was appointed to the board by Gov. Tim Walz in 2022 after former regent David McMillan resigned from his position to become the interim chancellor of the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD).

Johnson served as the first senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations Relations at the University, was the director of the Tribal Sovereignty Institute at UMD and holds a law degree from the University’s Law School.

Wheeler will hold one of the four At-Large seats. Former board chair Ken Powell re-ran to maintain this position but did not receive recommendations from the RCAC or the joint committee. Wheeler was the first female CEO of Allina Health and received her bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University. She worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist with Women’s Health Consultants and at Abbott Northwestern Hospital for nearly 30 years.

O’Neill also nominated University Student Government President Flora Yang for the At-Large seat, but she did not receive enough votes. Yang received an RCAC recommendation in January but was not selected by the joint committee.

The new regents begin their terms this month and will play a role in selecting the University’s new interim president.

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Molina Acosta: Proposed trans refuge bill takes a stand

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill March 24 that would protect people from out of state — including patients, their families and medical practitioners — from legal consequences for traveling to Minnesota to receive gender-affirming care.

The bill, authored by Rep. Leigh Finke( DFL- St. Paul), the first transgender person elected to the Minnesota Legislature, seeks to enshrine into law an executive order signed by Gov. Tim Walz with the same aim: to prohibit Minnesota authorities from complying with court orders, extradition orders and other enforcement of other states’ laws against receiving gender-affirming care.

Under this law, an Iowa resident could come to Minnesota to undergo top surgery, for instance, without that patient or the surgeon performing the procedure running afoul of Iowa’s statewide ban on gender-affirming care.

The bill, known popularly as the “trans refuge” bill, is Minnesota’s defiant response to transphobic legislation across the country and a principled defense of health care access to all who need it.

As of March, 16 new anti-trans bills had been passed in 2023 alone. In comparison to the flood of so-called “bathroom bills” in the 2010s, bills in recent years have taken aim at the legality of gender-affirming care.

But make no mistake — bills aimed at banning transgender people from accessing bathrooms, sports teams and other spaces of public life continue to be introduced and passed across the United States.

Kat Rohn is the executive director of OutFront Minnesota, an organization that supported the policy’s passage in the House.

“Fundamentally,” she said, “the trans refuge bill is a response to what we’re seeing around the country where states all over, including our neighbors in Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota are introducing legislation seeking to ban gender-affirming care.”

Bills like these, in addition to others targeting trans people, have been introduced in 47 states. They follow a tidal wave of transphobic sentiment that has engulfed local, state and national politics.

Rohn said, if passed, this law would join similar trans refuge policies in three other states: California, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The laws in the latter two states are also abortion refuge laws, protecting people who seek care in Connecticut and Massachusetts in defiance of their home states’ abortion bans.

“The same folks are attacking abortion rights and trans rights together because they see it as part of the same issue,” Rohn said. “When we work together on these issues, we have an opportunity to counter that narrative and hopefully protect and expand access for people who need it.”

Minnesota stands out in its proximity to anti-trans states. Connecticut and Massachusetts are surrounded by liberal-leaning neighbors. Minnesota, though, is poised to follow California in becoming an anchor point where people from nearby prohibitive states can seek the care they need.

As bans against abortion, birth control, gender-affirming care and more continue to be introduced and passed, the path forward becomes more difficult. The conversations being had on these issues have become more alarmist and misleading.

Rohn said opponents of the House bill who spoke at the hearing presented arguments rife with misinformation.

“Trans people are a very small fraction of the overall population,” Rohn said. “Trans youth who are receiving gender-affirming care are doing so through well-tested, well-documented, well-structured, clearly developed medical plans that are built with families and medical providers together with the patients.”

Many parents of trans minors across the country have already expressed their desire to move after their home states passed laws banning their children from participating in team sports or receiving gender-affirming care. Many cite Minnesota as their destination or have already relocated here.

Over time, these bills may impact trends in higher education enrollment, as campuses are so often the first places young people move to after leaving home. Minnesota has tuition reciprocity agreements with several neighboring states, including North and South Dakota and Iowa, which have all passed bills outlawing gender-affirming care. If this bill does pass and makes Minnesota a trans refuge state, we may well see LGBTQ+ students from surrounding states and beyond seeking out the protections of life and health care in Minnesota, as well as their education.

OutFront Minnesota continues to push for bans on conversion therapy, more gender-neutral bathrooms in schools and expanded funding for HIV and AIDS prevention, among other policies. But Rohn feels good about the stand the state has taken by passing the trans refuge bill in the state’s House.

“Here in Minnesota, I think we are doing our part to try and speak strongly, both through policy but also just through community, through leadership, through our state, to say that this isn’t our values as a state,” she said.

Rohn expects Senate movement on the bill as early as next week and said Walz has already indicated he will sign Finke’s bill if it makes it to his desk.

Ultimately, Rohn said, this bill is the result of Minnesotan values and the conversations had among state residents, institutions and lawmakers.

“The focus and attention and attacks that are happening [against the trans] community are so disproportionate to the experience that we have, and so out of line with where I think most people’s values are around these issues,” she said.

Minnesota’s values set a clear standard: whatever other jurisdictions may decide, trans health care access is protected here. It’s an example other states would do well to follow.

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Holiday hassle: UMN students request more inclusive holiday observances

As winter break approaches, many University of Minnesota students are requesting days off from class for religious or cultural holiday observances.

In past years, winter break was called Christmas break due to the Christian holiday that falls within the time period. Many students do not celebrate Christmas or other holidays observed by the University though and have said they wish the University would provide similar accommodations for other holiday observances.

The University observes Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Memorial Day, which are usually celebrated either in the United States or within Christianity.

Most public schools and universities schedule the academic year around these primarily American and Christian holidays. St. Paul Public Schools has possible plans to schedule the 2023-24 school year around important Muslim and Jewish holidays to be more inclusive.

Alternative holiday celebrations
Many students and staff celebrate different holidays than those the University and other public schools observe.

“Every culture is different … the people that are part of the African Student Association, they don’t really celebrate the general American culture, they celebrate their own cultures,” Blen Haile, third-year undergraduate student and president of the African Student Association (ASA), said.

Not many students in ASA celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas in December, and alternatively, enjoy the opportunity of not having classes to spend time with their family, Haile said. For example, she celebrates Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7 instead.

Ahmed Shahkhan, a third-year student and member of the Muslim Students Association (MSA), said the two main Muslim holidays are and Ramadan and Eid.

“It’s 30 days of fasting, and on the last day we celebrate,” Shahkhan said. “That’s a really big holiday for us … those 30 days of fasting are special for us because that’s the most sacred month for Muslims.”

Ryan Alberts, a second-year student who is on the leadership council for Hillel, a campus Jewish organization, said the High Holy Holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are always in September or early October and require the day off from classes.

Hanukkah, another holiday that is widely celebrated by Jewish students, is on Dec. 18 this year, which is during finals week, Alberts said.

The University has a list of multi-religion holiday observances and religious observances count as legitimate absences. However, instructors have the right to request additional verification for student absences, according to the University’s Makeup Policy for legitimate absences.

Holiday absence requests
Students from different religious and cultural organizations on campus discussed their experiences requesting accommodations for holidays.

Haile said Meskel is a holiday celebrated in September by the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches that she often needs to request accommodation for.

“We fast for a month and then we go to church from Friday to Sunday, so usually I try to request the day off on Friday,” Haile said.

Haile said her professors are understanding with religious accomodations and she rarely encounters issues, however, she wishes the University would excuse students from completing assignments on their respective holidays.

“I feel like it’s not fair … when we ask for a day off for any personal reasons, I feel like they should excuse the student from doing the assignment,” Haile said.

Students can become overwhelmed with missing assignments and easily fall behind in coursework if not granted an excuse, Haile said.

Alberts said the University sent a draft email template that requires authorization from a staff member at Hillel, which can be utilized by students celebrating a Jewish religious holiday.

“It had to be sent from a staff member at Hillel or it needed their signature for it to count for an excused absence … that needs to change,” Alberts said. “It’s very easy to look up when Jewish holidays are to know that you’re going to have some students emailing you.”

The University did allow students observing Rosh Hashana in 2021 to send a note and receive an excused absence because the holiday coincided with the first day of classes. The University typically requires students attend their first classes each semester.

Shahkhan said the University provided MSA with a similar template, however, a staff signature is not required.

“They helped us with accommodations for all the general body members of the MSA,” Shahkhan said. “If you wanted an extension on a homework assignment or an exam, all you have to do is send an email and the professor has to say yes.”

Requests for additional holiday break days
Despite University accommodations, some students said they think the University should provide breaks for holidays other than the ones they currently observe, but others said they understand the difficulties the University faces when making these decisions.

Haile said she personally feels Ramadan and Eid should be considered a University-wide holiday.

“We have a large Muslim population here at the school … fasting all day and having to stay up all night, they’re not going to be able to focus on school as much,” Haile said. “Having a day off would be great, just like we have any days off to celebrate American culture.”

Alberts said although many Jewish holidays fall within the school year, he is not upset the University does not take days off for them.

“I think it is difficult as a university to balance the needs of all students,” Alberts said.

Alberts said he believes since Christianity is the dominant religion in the U.S., it should be given the priority for days off from classes. In Israel, since it is the Jewish state, they have days off for Jewish holidays, but students still celebrate other religions there as well, he said.

Accommodation moving forward
Haile said she thinks professors should receive more training regarding the importance of different cultural holidays, not just that they exist.

Alberts said he thinks a full training may be too much. He suggested professors receive an emailed list of holidays explaining the expectation to provide accommodations would be sufficient.

In response to the ongoing conversation surrounding religious accommodations, the Diversity Community of Practice (DCoP) was formed, which is a community of faculty and staff that meets monthly to effectively understand and implement equity and diversity strategies within the University.

In April 2022, the DCoP held a Diversity Data Deep Dive conference to discuss religious accommodations for students, which resulted in a draft accommodation guide for faculty and staff to use.

One example of accommodation in the draft guide is increased scheduling flexibility around Ramadan. The conference also discussed a trust-based system for holiday accommodation requests in contrast to the evidence-based system in the University’s Makeup Policy and many western systems of education.

The University also launched a task force in fall 2021 to assess the process of setting the academic calendar to ensure consideration of various religious observances and holidays, Office for Equity and Diversity Associate Vice President Tina Marisam said.

The task force includes faculty, staff and student membership as well as representation from the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Diversity & Equity, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President, Marisam said.

Marisam said the University is committed to providing an environment in which students can follow their religious beliefs and practices by providing “reasonable” accommodations to enable students to observe religious holidays without negatively affecting their education.

Reasonable accommodations could include an excused absence, an extension on an assignment or the rescheduling of an exam due to the observation of a religious holiday, she said. More information can be found in the Reasonable Accommodations for Religious Beliefs and Practices FAQ.

“We have a very big population at the University,” Shahkhan said. “It’s not like we’re very small and we have an impact on what happens around the University, so it’d be awesome if the University could be consistent with how it handles holidays.”

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Badroos: Legalizing marijuana

The fight for regulation is as close as it’s ever been when it comes to Mary Jane.

The 2022 election proved to be a critical heat check for the legalization of marijuana in Minnesota. Voters showed an increase in overall support for the recreational use of marijuana for those 21 years old and older, proving the turning point for the state could come as early as next year.

The annual Minnesota House of Representatives State Fair poll suggested 61% of registered voters favor the bill, an increase from last year’s 58% through the same poll.

While Minnesota has yet to fully legalize recreational marijuana, it has been partially decriminalized. The state also legalized some hemp-derived delta 8 THC edibles and beverages in July. However, we still have a ways to go.

Minnesota would become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana. Now that Gov. Tim Walz has been reelected and Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature, it seems like that goal is closer than ever.

The prohibition of recreational marijuana is an outdated formality. Its regulation would both sustain local businesses and protect consumers. Once the product is regulated, dispensaries will be able to safely distribute cannabis products and assure quality on a professional level. You will not have to rely on your roommate’s sketchy boyfriend anymore.

Steven Brown, the president of the Cannabis Association, talked about the process of regulating recreational use and what it means for small businesses.

“We want to see it done right. We also would like the H.R.600 to go through another draft because there are definitely holes in it. When legalization happens in most states, it’s still federally illegal, so you have to file a 280-E, which is a tax basis at the end of the year,” Brown said.

The nuances of drafting the necessary legalities for recreational adult use has a direct impact on smaller hemp shop establishments.

“You can’t write off your employees or overhead, all the money that’s generated is taxed at a high rate so most small businesses can’t survive. H.R.600 in reality does not support small businesses,” he said.

In regards to demand from clientele, Brown noted the recent legalization of THC edibles and beverages as a jumping off point for flower, the bud from the marijuana plant that is smoked, to be legalized as well.

“We can sell edibles and beverages now and our business has done well. Customers are receptive to it. I think it’s fantastic and there’s a lot of growth in the marketplace,” Brown said. He continued, saying “there’s a need for flowers, and what’s missing is the ability for people to have flower and vapes recreationally.”

The lack of movement on the bill has also made it so that Minnesota cannot reap the benefits of the hemp industry.

“In Minnesota, we’ve never been able to experience what other markets are experiencing; we’re hindered in so many different ways when it comes to the cannabis industry,” Brown said.

Brown is optimistic that recreational marijuana could be legalized on a federal level in the next few years.

“We’re probably two to three years out before the first legal dispensary will be open,” he said.

Given the health benefits that marijuana can provide to those with chronic pain, anxiety and PTSD, it is time for the law surrounding this forbidden plant to catch up with the times.

State legislators and government officials are certainly feeling the pressure on legalizing marijuana. With the recent surge of new voters in support of the movement, it might finally be time to end the stigma and welcome legalization.

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Ask Amber: Stress for the holiday season

Hi Amber,

Finals season is rapidly approaching, and I am not even remotely prepared for it — intellectually or emotionally. I have reached a point where I am entirely exhausted from thinking about anything to do with school and I’m just waiting for the holidays to come around so I can finally take a break.

Of course, this means I’ve lost motivation to finish up the semester, and now I’m stressed about these finals that I am not prepared for in the slightest. Part of me is upset that I can’t get over myself and just push through these last few weeks, but the rest of me does not care about how well I do during finals.

In addition, I’m starting a new job for holiday break, which is an added layer of stress on my already cramped schedule. It feels like as soon as I finish up on one obligation, another one jumps out demanding my attention and energy.

I just needed to vent some of this frustration out. How do I get through this season?

Thanks,
Merry Stressmas

 

Dear Merry Stressmas,

Your frustration about this time of year is justified. I have never known someone who, at this point in the semester, is still trucking along with the same amount of energy they had at the beginning of the year. It’s cold, it gets dark early and our brains are still in rest mode from Thanksgiving break.

What I can tell you right now is that, even though you say otherwise, you clearly do care about doing well on your finals. I don’t think they would be causing you as much trouble if you didn’t care about them at all. A loss in motivation to do your school work can be incredibly difficult to overcome, but I think it’s a good sign that you are trying anyway. If you can’t give 100% on every final, maybe you can give 75%, or even 50%. Any amount of effort is better than none. I encourage you to continue to try to push through the rest of this semester.

At the same time, I want to warn you to not overwork yourself. I’m the type of person who always seems to be tilting right on the verge of burnout, which is overall the most important thing to focus on avoiding. Remember to take some time every day for yourself and your well-being. Even if it’s just listening to your favorite song or having a phone call with a loved one, taking time to separate yourself from the cause of your stress can help you cope with it when you face it again.

There’s not really much advice I can give you about how to deal with your specific type of stress. I hope that you have a set support system that can help you cope with these few weeks, whether that be friends, family or even a counselor.

Best of luck,
Amber

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Ask Amber: My friends are ignoring me

Hi Amber,

I need some advice on friendships. A group of friends and I had a cabin trip around spring break. Afterwards, things changed: Some of my friends ghosted me or straight-up blocked me. For context, I don’t think I did anything wrong. If I did, it would’ve been mentioned or mutually discussed.

The old excuse of “I’m busy with xyz” started to mean “I’m too busy to hang out with you.” All my messages were left on read as well.

Recently, I found out a group of those old friends started hanging out more often, and even went on a cabin trip without me. So, I wasn’t included in anything for months. I also noticed that the two people I kept in touch with in that group were invited, yet I was excluded.

I’m starting to feel resentful of their behavior. I’m concerned about bringing any of this up, out of fear of causing conflict. From my perspective, I felt like I contributed positively to the group. I hosted gatherings, kept secrets, gave emotional support and made sure everyone felt safe and welcome. I tried my best to be supportive because I know what it’s like to be excluded. But, despite my best efforts, things became one-sided to the point where I decided that contacting these individuals would be futile, as I was either ghosted or blocked.

Part of me wants to find new friends that actually include me, support me and communicate with me. Logically, I know that these people weren’t meant to be my friends. However, the emotional part of me is grieving these friendships.

Amber, what can I do to find new friends? Are there ways to heal and move past this? Is it even worth my time to mention this to my old friends? What other pieces of advice can you offer me in navigating this difficult situation?

Thanks,
The Drifter

 

Dear the Drifter,

I’m sorry you are in this situation, and I want to emphasize what you’re feeling is valid. It can be painful to find out your old friends don’t want to maintain contact with you, especially when you feel like you’ve done nothing wrong.

It’s not fair for any friend to block or ignore you without explanation. That shows they don’t care about your well-being. If someone is neglecting you and your emotions, they are not worth your time or energy.

I think you have the right idea about pursuing new friendships. It’s obvious your old group of friends simply were not reciprocating your attempts to maintain a positive relationship. Leaving an old group of friends can be intimidating, but in this case, I think it’s necessary. If these old friends are making you feel unsupported and are ignoring you without explanation, then it’s time to drop them.

As for making new friends, I wish I could tell you a cut-and-dry method that will work every time, but reality doesn’t work like that. My best advice for this is to explore and engage with your own personal interests. Try out a school club or explore your neighborhood. I firmly believe the first step in developing new friendships is by first developing yourself as an individual. If you engage in the things that make you happy, you’re much more likely to find people with those same interests.

Best of luck,
Amber

 

Note: This submission has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

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Adwan: SCOTUS is killing women.

Editor’s note: This article discusses sexual assault. If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault, the Aurora Center’s 24-hour helpline can be reached at (612) 626-9111.

A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that federally protected a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion, according to a leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico on Monday. 

If these federal protections are struck down, abortion access would be determined on a state-by-state basis. While some states and territories, including Minnesota, would continue to protect abortion by law, 23 others are likely to ban abortion immediately and nine others are slated to impose restrictions.

The release of the 98-page document comes after months of right-wing states chipping away at abortion access, most notably with Texas’ move last May to ban abortions after about six weeks, before many women are aware they are even pregnant.

This decision also marks a concerning shift in American culture. Reproductive rights–soon to be no longer protected by court precedent–are a cornerstone of female liberation. Unintended pregnancy comes with a slew of negative consequences for women, including postpartum depression and lower levels of mental well-being and life satisfaction.

But there are also consequences in the abstract. Depriving women of autonomy over their reproductive careers (or lack thereof) is hateful, put simply. Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion indicates not only a blatant disregard but a disdain for women.

I am not concerned for myself. I am privileged to have had comprehensive sex-ed and access to contraceptives. I am lucky to live in Minnesota, a state that protects abortion by law. 

I am concerned for women in Michigan, in Texas and in the 30 other states and territories expected to either restrict or completely ban abortion when Roe is overturned. 

I am concerned for women living in contraceptive deserts, who don’t have the means to prevent pregnancy.

I am concerned for transgender and non-binary people who will also be adversely impacted by this decision.

I am terrified for women who will continue to get abortions, illegally and unsafely–with coathangers and catheters, or lye, or any other number of deadly implements or concoctions–the way women did before Roe.  

I am terrified for women who will be forced to carry their rapist’s children to term.

And I am disgusted by the emboldening of a fringe culture that treats women like incubators as opposed to people. And it is, indeed, fringe: 69% of Americans are against overturning Roe v. Wade, according to a CNN poll.

This decision displays hate on the part of the court, and will undoubtedly lead to the deaths of women because abortion will continue, just unsafely. 

Abortion rates are similar in countries where abortion is restricted and where it is legal, according to the Guttmacher Institute. What changes is not the frequency but the lethality of these procedures. When the United States legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, hospitilizations as a result of unsafe abortions effectively ceased. It follows that, sans Roe, we can expect this trend to reverse itself. 

If our judicial system actually cared about reducing abortion rates, they would fight to make contraceptives and comprehensive sex-ed more accessible. These are two policy changes that would address the root cause of abortion, as opposed to providing a mere bandaid solution. 

Instead, they have chosen to wage war against female bodies and autonomy, and in the process animate and embolden a loud-mouthed minority that refuses to view women as anything more complex than a potential vessel for a child.

Alito is declaring that the rights of women over their bodies are a matter of public opinion. 

For resources on taking action to protect abortion access in the United States, visit the Planned Parenthood website.

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