November 2, 2010

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ELECTIONDAY 2010

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING page 4

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAR IN SHAPE FOR WINTER page 3

OPEN FORUM DISCUSSES NON-ACADEMIC CUTS page 6

INTERVIEW: ‘COMMUNITY’ COMPOSER GORANSSON page 12

FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS ONE OF BEST RPGs page 13

A COMEDY CLUB ON CAMPUS FEATURES UCB page 14

WOMEN’S HOCKEY FALLS TO No. 1 BADGERS page 17

THE DREADED TWO-PARTY SYSTEM page 5

FORENSICS TEAM LOOKS TOWARD NATIONALS page 3

LEEP RAISES $ TO COMPETE IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS page 6

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN MMA FIGHTER page 15

COOK’S 58 SAVES KEEP MEN’S HOCKEY ALIVE page 15

VOLLEYBALL DROPS MUST-WIN vs. SWMS IN 5 page 16

WOMEN’S SOCCER HEADS TO NSIC TOURNEY page 16

Page 2 • Reporter Advertisement Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • Page 3

VOTE TODAY!!!!You have clear choices.

Candidate Positions on Higher Education:

Mark Dayton (DFL): Opposes cuts to higher education. Supports a bonding bill to fund the 16 MnSCU projects vetoed by Governor Tim Pawlenty last session (including the planning funds for the MSU-Mankato Clinical Science Building). Would raise the income tax for individuals who earn over $130,000 and joint filers earning over $150,000 to reduce the $5.7 billion state budget shortfall.

Tom Horner (Independence Candidate): Opposes cuts to higher education. Supports a bonding bill to fund the 16 MnSCU projects vetoed by Governor Tim Pawlenty last session (including the planning funds for the MSU-Mankato Clinical Science Building). Supports extending the sales tax to clothing and some services and dropping the sales tax rate to reduce the $5.7 billion budget shortfall.

Tom Emmer (Republican): His budget plan calls for a $417 million cut to the higher education funding base. He voted against the bonding bill that included funding of higher education building projects. He would cut taxes for businesses by $686 million, which would increase the budget shortfall. He would solve the $5.7 billion budget shortfall through deep cuts to state programs (including the cuts to higher education).

How to vote:

• Youmustbeatleast18yearsoldtovote.• YoumusthavelivedinMinnesotafor20days.• YoucanregisteratthepollsonElectionDay.Fordetailsonvariousforms

of allowable identification, visit the Secretary of State’s web page at: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=1624

• Tofindoutwheretovote,visitthe“PollFinder”attheSecretaryofState’sweb page at: http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/. Just type in your address, and it will tell you where to vote.

PaidforbytheInterFacultyOrganization,490ConcordiaAvenue,St.Paul,MN55103.Roger Severens Treasurer.

Page 2 • Reporter Advertisement Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • Page 3

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submitted photoThe MSU Speech and Debate team has students with a wide variety of experience that keeps the group going strong.

Preparing for the worstWinter brings dangerous driving conditions,

requires more vehicle maintenance

As the weather starts to change to cole and ice, many risks follow when driving.

The best way to keep out of danger while driving is to be sure not to do anything fast, according to Craig Evers, a professor in the department of auto and manufacturing engineering tech.

“If you are an aggressive driver, you may find yourself in an accident,” said Evers.

Beware of black ice, especially over bridges, Evers said.

“If the weather gets bad, act like you have an egg on the sole of your shoe. Go gently on the break and gas,”

Evers said. It is also important to do

simple maintenance work on vehicles before the cold weather arrives. There are many pieces to the engine that must be kept in good condition around winter, such as the alternator and battery. Matt Ballman, an Advanced Auto Parts employee, said it is important to test them prior to the weather changing.

Checking the pipes in the engine is essential, because if they are spongy, hard, cracked or have holes, then they may leak and need to be replaced, said Evers. Be sure to keep up with the coolant because if it gets too cold or weak then the engine can go,

he added. Drivers should not

neglect the coolant and they should be aware of the coolant freeze point, which is commonly negative 32, said Charlie Keech, assistant manager at Jiffy Lube.

Having new wiper blades is necessary for every car before the first heavy snow fall.

“In the winter you use the washer fluid a lot,” Evers said, “which makes it important to always keep it full, along with the rest of the fluids.

“Getting all of the fluids on a car checked is something to do before the weather gets cold,” Keech

Tips to avoid winter car accidentsREPORTER STAFF

- Have enough space between your car and the other cars, and be sure to hit the brake earlier. Braking distance gets a lot longer when the road is frozen and driving too close will increase the risk of crash. If you are driving at a high speed, it can even end up in a rollover accident.

- Know how to use the engine brake (shifting into a lower gear) instead of pedal break when needed. The pedal brake can be slippery on frozen roads if your car doesn’t have anti-lock brakes.

- Maintain the air pressure in the tires. With all the temperature changes, be sure to check it frequently. This can help you keep traction on the road.

- Do not drive in severe weather conditions. If you have to drive, follow the path of the car in front of you because it’s a proven way to stay safe.

- Keep your eyes on the road surface. During winter, the road gets rough and hard to distinguish if it’s safe. Careful observation will help avoid accidents or having wheels running idle.

ANNE LEMEREstaff writer

Group places second and third overall in recent competitionsSpeech and debate team isn’t all talk

The Minnesota State Mankato Speech and Debate team is one of the oldest collegiate forensics teams in the country and has a long history of talented students.

This year is no different. In October alone, team

members competed and placed in four different tournaments. Standing up to much larger teams, the MSU group placed second overall at the South Dakota State University tournament the first weekend in October and third at the Bob Robertz Invitational held at Gustavus Adolphus College on Oct. 17, along with its individual students placing in categories.

The team also had students

place at Mid-American Forensics League Tournaments held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Oct. 23 and 24.

Leah White is the head coach of the forensics team. She said the team’s success this year is consistent with other years. She also said she is especially happy with the number of new faces on the team.

“We have a lot of new students on the team, which is exciting,” White said.

Senior Ariel Klugman is not one of those newcomers; she has been on the team since 2007, when assistant coach James Dimock convinced her to join. This year, she placed in several

categories in all three October tournaments. At the Bob Robertz Invitational, she took first place in the duo interpretation category with teammate Skylar Carlson, second place in Extemporaneous Speaking and fourth place in Communication Analysis, along with taking third place in the Individual Sweepstakes. Klugman and Carlson also took fifth place in the duo category at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater tournament, and Klugman took fifth in After Dinner Speaking and sixth in Communication Analysis. Klugman is just one of the many talented students on the team; many of her teammates also

GRACE WEBBstaff writer

Winter / page 7

Talk / page 7

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • Page 5

Centennial Student Union Room 293, Mankato, MN 56001 • (507) 389-1776

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Voiceswww.msureporter.com

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

compiled by Katie Erickson

Are you going to vote? Do you think it is important?

“Yes I will. Yes, I think it is important because you can’t

complain about something you don’t participate in, so it gives me the right to complain after.”

Cal BoettCher • Sr • ManageMent

“Nope. I do believe it is important because if I’m not

doing it someone else has to.”

“I might vote; if I have time. It could be important

if people have different issues and they are trying

to find someone that is able to do something about the

issues.”

aliSha Phandanouvong • Sr • SoC. Work

MattheW MaleCha • Jr • SoC. Work

“Yes, and yes because it’s your duty as an American citizen and you shouldn’t take our freedom

for granted. So you should vote.”

danielle karner • Sr • ManageMent

It is now a faux pas to be concerned in our age group. Politically active and opinionated people are the crazies by our standards. The more uninformed the better (misinformed a close second.)

Affluence and detachment have turned our attentions on the bubbles of our own existences. Yes, in the day of 24-hour world surveillance we seem even more self-centered. This spells an ugly future for a nation caught in hard times, the building blocks to the world we live in being formed on days such as today.

Politics aren’t for everyone. It isn’t possible nor necessary for us to read each bill or know the life story of everyone written on the ballot. But it’s unfortunate how that very word — politics — is the conversational equivalent of Ambien.

People our age seem to think politics have nothing to do with their lives, that the work of elected officials has no real or quantifiable impact on what we do every day. People equate politics with the boring musings of 60-year-old white guys who bicker and toss buzzwords back and forth until it’s time to go home to their luxurious penthouses or miles of untouched acreage.

And while much of this may very well be true, the problem comes when young people are turned off to even having opinions anymore, to express their values and what they believe in, even if it’s with the people closest to them. The day that we’re unable or unwilling to even recognize our beliefs, to question them and measure them, is a sad day indeed.

We could talk about how we got to this point, how years

and years of political and social stalemate have produced a generation fed up with the whole system. We could pour a lot of time into discussing where other countries are in comparison to our own, where their governance has led them and the rights that they enjoy because of it, but it means nothing if we choose not to care.

This is our own fault, too. We’re growing up in a world tending to our specific needs. Our most immediate and consuming worries revolve around paper due dates, boyfriends not returning our calls, shitty jobs, etc., and we refuse to recognize it. I’m not trying to give the “fight for what you have because it could all go away soon” speech, I’m saying we’re spoiled, privileged, selfish, material-driven whiners who don’t care only because we can and things will stay the same.

Well I don’t want things to stay the same. Like others, I want things to get better, and to continue to get better. I believe that living with opinions is the only way to live.

If you must, write down what’s important to you. Make a list. And don’t make them political talking points and pressure issues (i.e. abortion, war, religion). How about electricity? How about getting from one place to another, or public transportation? How about your family? I guarantee whatever you put down will link somehow to this nation’s policies and is ripe for conversation and, indeed, opinion.

The person who doesn’t know what he/she values in life is a lost person. So figure it out. Form an opinion. Disagree with your friend when he says he doesn’t like paying extra taxes for Target Field. Make an effort to actually know what politicians are doing with your country, whether or not they’ll fund your school; whether or not they’ll put your job or the job of a loved one at risk; whether or not they’ll send you to war; whether or not they’ll give you, your brother or your friend equal rights.

And vote. And when that’s done, think some more, talk some more.

The valueless generation

Jake Bohrod

iT’S eLeCTiOn

dAY GO VOTe!Find your polling place at

maps.google.com/voteBring identification and a billing statement for

proof of address or have a roommate vouch for you. it’s important. it’s our fu-

ture. it’s your future.

ediTORiAL:

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • Page 5

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The dreaded two-party system

It’s time for Minnesota State Mankato students to head to the polls and cast their votes for this year’s election candidates. Usually, there are two main candidates — Republican and Democrat. Sometimes, an Independent or two sneaks in (such as gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner). Before students vote, it’s important to know how candidates stand on state-changing issues. Now it would be impossible to profile every single candidate and how he or she views every single issue, so this article will focus just on political parties as a whole and how they stand on…

Taxes: Democrats traditionally favor more taxes, but usually they try to focus tax raises on wealthier citizens. They push what is called a “progressive tax,” that is, taxing wealthier citizens a higher percentage. They also encourage complete tax exemptions for people at a certain poverty level, they don’t like sales tax and they favor tax cuts for small businesses. Republicans, on the other hand, favor tax cuts across the board, saying it will boost economy to have more money being spent in the marketplace. They favor an equal-percentage tax, so no matter how much money one makes, one pays the same percent of his or her income. They also usually favor sales tax or other non-income forms of taxation.

Abortion: on the whole, Democrats greatly favor a woman’s right to choose. They don’t want any restrictions placed on abortions, and they advocate government aid to be available for women who can’t afford abortions

on their own. However, they are quick to insist they don’t think abortions are the best solution; instead, they encourage education at the high school level about safe sex and ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Republicans, on the whole, view abortion as murder. They instead advocate for adoptions. They usually want abortion to be illegal except perhaps in cases of rape or incest, and they don’t want it to be government-funded.

Green energy: Republicans are stepping on the green energy bandwagon, though more slowly than Democrats. They can be great advocates for nuclear power. They discourage capping business emissions or forcing people to be more environmentally aware. Democrats seem to be much more passionate about the environmental problems in the world. They greatly stress renewable energy with the hopes that government will fund and research wind power, solar power, etc. They also strongly encourage caps on power plant emissions, saying it will help save the environment and stop global warming (which Republicans really don’t put much stock in).

The Economy: Republicans are much more in favor of a free-market system where the government is not greatly involved with the economic sector. They would rather let businesses take control and regulate themselves. Because of this, Republicans don’t like heavy regulations on businesses, nor do they like government interference when it comes to hiring practices, minimum wage laws, etc. On the other side of the fence, Democrats are very much in favor of government involvement in

the marketplace. They like regulations on businesses and favor nationalization of many private sectors (such as the recent Health Care changeover). They encourage the government to invest in the marketplace, and they are very watchful of worker rights, especially unions. While Republicans aren’t against unions, they are certainly not as supportive of unions as Democrats.

The Military: Democrats are, overall, not too enraptured with the United States military. While they would never disassemble it completely, they usually feel too much budget money is spent on it, and they usually try to cut back funding there to put the money to use in entitlement programs such as Social Security. They are also strongly against weapons proliferation (stocking up on weapons) and would go so far as to get rid of nuclear weapons if other countries agreed to as well. Republicans view the military as extremely important and usually try to put as much funding into it as possible to make it as strong as possible. They subscribe more to the “carry a big stick” school of thought, so they are in favor of gathering lots of firepower to dissuade other countries from attacking.

These are only a few of the many issues in which political parties are involved. To learn more about other issues, such as crime, education, entitlements, health care, and more, it is best to visit the parties’ websites. Remember, when you vote, you’re deciding the future of your country. Don’t go in blind. Know the issues, know how they will affect us all. And then do the responsible thing and get out to the polls.

Democrats

Taxes: Favor taxing the rich, tax exemptions for people below a certain poverty level, favor tax cuts for small businesses

Abortion: Right to choose, no restrictions, encourage sexual education to prevent unwanted pregnancies

Green energy: Encourage caps on power plant emissions, want government to fund research on renewable energy

Economy: Favor government in-volvement in the marketplace, want regulations on businesses, nationalization of private sec-tors, watchful of worker rights

Military: Want to cut back funding and use elsewhere, against weapons prolifera-tion, would get rid of nuclear weapons if other countries did as well

Republicans

Taxes: Favor tax cuts across the board, all citizens pay the same percent of his or her income

Abortion: View abortion as murder, advocate for adoption, usually want abortion to be il-legal with the exception of rape or incest cases

Green energy: Advocate nuclear power, discourage capping busi-ness emissions, do not want to force people to be more environ-mentally aware

Economy: Favor free-market system, no heavy regulations on businesses, no government in-terference with minimum wage laws, hiring practices, etc.

Military: Very important, want to put as much funding as possible into it, favor gather-ing weapons to dissuade other countries from attacking

GRACE WEBBstaff writer

Page 6 • Reporter News Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • page 7

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Students speak up about the future of athletics

Minnesota State Mankato’s administration listened to student and faculty budget concerns Thursday.

President Richard Davenport and Vice President Rick Straka went over the proposed non-academic cuts before turning the floor over to audience questions and comments. According to Straka, the cuts are necessary because of a state budget gap of $5.8 to $7 billion.

Straka said even when Minnesota recovers from the recession, government spending will not return to pre-recession levels. He also said higher education will have to deal with being a second, or even a third, priority in terms of government assistance.

“We will take a backseat to K-12 [education] and health services,” Straka said.

Straka said the Minnesota

State Colleges and Universities System will lose $105 to $210 million for the next two years because of state budget problems, which, as a worst-case scenario, project a $9.8 million budget reduction for MSU.

Straka said small changes will have a big impact on MSU’s budget. Shifting tuition one percent up or down, for example, would result in a $700,000 change. Losing or gaining 100 full-time equivalent students would result in a $600,000 change.

“That’s why it’s so difficult,” Straka said.

He said it will be April or May before there is a clear indication of how much MSU will need to cut from the budget.

After the 30-minute presentation, various members of the audience voiced their concerns about the proposed cuts.

HEATHER MOELLERstaff writer

Administration talks non-academic cuts Graduate students host fundraiser for

LEEP bowlers, men’s basketball supports

Special Olympics or bust

A group of Minnesota State Mankato graduate students will hold a fundraising event for Leisure Education for Exceptional People (LEEP) in the Taylor Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Mankato LEEP will provide dinner, including pizza, sub sandwiches and drinks, to anyone who makes a $6 donation.

The graduate students are mostly part of the department of Human Performance and are working on fundraising for a service learning project to reach out to the community. Mankato LEEP has upcoming state finals for the Special Olympics bowling team. Graduate student Troy Blasius said he hopes to raise enough money to cover the cost for attending the finals. Blasius said the goal is to raise $1,500.

Many MSU athletic teams have made prize donations

for the fundraiser. Many local organizations such as HyVee, Cub Foods and Scheels All Sports have donated gift cards.

The men’s basketball team will participate directly in the event.

“We’ll get to play some basketball, shake some hands [and] some [players] will sign some autographs,” Blasius said.

People can also take pictures with Stomper and will have the chance to win prizes.

LEEP is a non-profit organization that provides recreational and leisure opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. It serves individuals with developmental disabilities over the age of four, but the agency’s largest population is adults. About 700 people in the greater Mankato area participate in LEEP programs throughout the year.

LEEP uses a variety of resources to keep the agency running smoothly. The United

Way is a great source of support, as are contributions from civic groups and individuals. LEEP program participants do pay a small fee to assist with some of the expenses for activities. LEEP also uses an average of 150 volunteers each year, which helps to reduce the cost of hiring professionals.

The Mankato Sertoma (an abbreviation for Service to Mankind) Club has supported LEEP from the very beginning. The Sertoma Club donated the building that houses LEEP in January 2007 and provides monetary support to assist with basic maintenance and utilities. In Mankato, Sertoma has been providing opportunities for people with disabilities since 1960.

People who want to make additional donations can contact executive director Becky Kunst at 507-387-5122.

YOONKI KIMstaff writer

Non-academic / page 7

Page 6 • Reporter News Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 News Reporter • page 7

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NON-ACADEMIC continued from 6

Sophie Kaeter, Nicole Bennett and Chelsea Chapman, members of MSU’s women’s swim team, spoke against the proposed elimination of men’s swimming.

Kaeter said the men’s team is integral to the swim lesson program MSU’s swim teams have provided the community with for two years. Kaeter said the teams use the money earned from the program to offset many of the teams’ expenses.

“How is the women’s team alone to be able to sustain and expand this revenue?” Kaeter said.

Bennett said losing the men’s team would possibly affect recruitment of students interested in MSU’s swim team. Bennett also said she personally would transfer to a different university if the men’s team was cut. About 23 other women on the team stood to show they too would transfer.

Chapman said MSU’s two swim teams are one cohesive unit. She also cited statistics that showed coed teams are more competitive than just a women’s team.

Men’s swim team member Matt Chida asked why the administration was cutting entire teams.

“Why not take a little from [all 22 teams] instead of everything from four?” Chida said.

Straka said the administration could not look into keeping the men’s swim team without seeing how it affects everything. Straka also said not making significant cuts to athletics would be unfair to the academic departments that are dealing with cuts already.

Bronson Myers, who spoke as a member of the Mankato Activist Collective, said MnSCU is a top-heavy system and asked what cuts to the system were being made.

Davenport said the central office of MnSCU was looking at a budget reduction of $4.3 to $5 million.

MSU music major Ben Wagner brought up his concern about the elimination of an orchestra conductor. Wagner said the size of MSU’s orchestra has grown since he’s been here. Without the conductor, he said MSU would be the only state university without an orchestra.

“That scares me,” Wagner said.

Straka said he appreciated hearing Wagner’s concern, even though the elimination of the orchestra conductor was part of the academic cuts rather than the non-academic cuts discussed Thursday. Straka said he appreciated the professionalism all the speakers showed.

“They were all good questions,” Straka said.

WINTER Shovels, blankets, energy bars and cat litter are suggested for emergency kits continued from 3

said.Keeping the gas tank away

from empty is a good idea, Evers said, because it can cause problems with starting the car.

Tire air pressure and tread are important to keep an eye on. The required air pressure can be found on the inside frame of the driver’s door, Evers said, and a gauge is needed to check the tire pressure as well, which is only a couple bucks at any gas station or auto parts store. Going into winter, tire tread depth should be a minimum of one-fourth to

get through the snow, Evers said.

Purchasing an emergency kit is suggested in the car should happen to veer off the road, leaving the driver trapped. A shovel, blanket and energy bars are just a few items that Evers recommends.

“You can get Wal-Mart’s cheapest kitty litter, to get traction [if you get stuck],” Evers said.

A good coat of wax will help to care for the body of a vehicle, Evers said, because snow and salt can cause rusting.

placed in these tournaments.Klugman said she is pleased

with how the team is doing so far this year.

“We are a small team this year with a lot of new members,” Klugman said. “I am happy with the team’s accomplishments and excited for the rest of the season.”

Klugman explained that forensics is a very individualized activity, where team members are able to choose what pieces they want and then go about preparing for them in whatever way works best for them personally. Members find pieces to perform that really move them, whether it’s about an issue that’s important to them or a piece of literature that’s especially inspiring. Klugman herself practices each of her pieces daily, and, since she has five pieces she’s working on, that adds up to an hour and a half to two hours every night.

Klugman said the team also has coaches and assistant coaches who help the members prepare, helping them to come up with ideas, understand the competition process and stay focused on their goals. Individual coaching sessions allow each student to meet with a coach to iron out performances.

“Our coaches are wonderful,” Klugman said.

Benjamin Walker is one of the MSU forensics team’s six graduate assistant coaches. He has been with MSU since last year and plans to stay until he finishes his Master’s Degree, after which he hopes to start coaching his own team. He said he views his job as a forensics coach as doing whatever his forensics team needs to succeed at their goals, whether they want to compete and place in tournaments or just have fun.

“Each student has unique needs, and as a coach you learn those needs after working with students for a period of time,” Walker explained. “The entire coaching staff tries to keep in mind that we aren’t simply coaching competitors; we are coaching students that have a variety of needs. Sometimes you just need to spend time eating lunch with students and help them decompress from their stressful lives.”

Walker said he believes the team has had an excellent start this season, mentioning how this year there are many newcomers to the forensics world who have been learning fast, and also how more seasoned competitors are still going strong.

“Our seniors have been pillars of strength for the team; they’ve led us into tournaments and really

helped the coaches bring along some of the younger competitors,” Walker said. “Our juniors and sophomores have really come into their own as speech competitors this year. As a coach, you always hope that your students progress, and this year’s juniors and sophomores haven’t let us down.”

Walker said that there will be three more important tournaments this semester — the L.E. Norton Invitational at Bradley University on Nov. 6 and 7, a tournament at Hastings College in Nebraska on Nov. 20 and 21, and a tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Stout on Dec. 3 and 4.

The MSU team won the Stout tournament last year, so Walker said they are hoping to retain the title. He said that these tournaments are important because judges from the national collegiate competitions will be there, so the team wants to make a good impression. MSU forensics performers are able to go to national tournaments if they place well enough in pre-national competitions.

“We are gaining national qualifications quickly, showing the strength of our team early on in the semester,” Walker said. “Even though we’ve had some success early on, we know it’s a long season. The Midwest is one of the most brutal areas to compete in the country. Early success is great, but we are in it for the long haul —we want to succeed at Nationals.”

Walker said an additional challenge for forensics students, besides competing against hundreds of other talented performers, is the rough travel schedule students have to work around. The team travels at least two times a month, and in April students can be gone for roughly two weeks for the National tournaments. While students decide which tournaments they want to attend, the traveling can get exhausting, especially with all the schoolwork students have to do. However, Walker is firm that the experience is worth it.

“The MSU Speech Team is a fantastic team to be a part of,” Walker said. “Our students and coaches are welcoming and fun to be around. The atmosphere is extremely supportive and friendly. We can help make speech team be whatever you want it to be: fun, educational, competitive, mix or all.”

Klugman agreed that all of the practice, travel and stress are definitely worthwhile.

“My team and the friends I have made [while] competing for MSU-Mankato make the activity worth the time,” she said.

TALK Coaches cater to each individual’s needs, team has three more tournaments this semester

continued from 3

page 8 • Reporter News Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Advertisement Reporter • Page 9

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010 A&E Reporter • Page 13

A&Ewww.msureporter.com

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wha

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iggi

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“Paranormal Activity 2”

MUSIC

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POL I TICS

VOTERS!

Composing for a ‘Community’DEAN GORDENstaff writer

‘FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS’

internet photoSince debuting last year, NBC’s “Community” has gained much atten-tion as the network’s poster-child for new programming.

internet photo

Community / page 13

Behind the scenes of the hit sitcom “Community,” Ludwig Goransson delicately works to infuse the show with his own creative touch. Goransson is a writer, but not of dialogue or storylines. He is also a performer, but has never acted in front of the show’s cameras.

Goransson is the show’s lead composer, a position that offers a unique and sophis-ticated outlet for his musical talent.

A native of Sweden, Goransson first came to the United States to attend a film-scoring course at USC. After graduating in 2008, Goransson began his career working with composer Theodore Shapiro on sev-eral films, including “Tropic Thunder” and “Marley and Me.” It was Goransson’s work in film that earned him a rec-

ommendation from Shapiro, which ultimately landed him his job on “Community.”

Life as a television com-poser demands a highly intuitive ear and a very broad knowledge of music. Gorans-son’s musical upbringing and education have helped the musician add emotional depth to “Community” and estab-lish the show’s fun-loving charm.

Goransson first found his passion for scoring in his teenage years.

“It was in high school when I saw ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ that I really dis-covered the power of music within film,” Goransson said.

Goransson’s musical ex-pertise is spread across many different genres and instru-ments. He plays everything himself when composing the score for “Community.”

“It was when I started writing classical music that I really began to open up my

mind,” he said.Recently, Goransson got

the opportunity to work with a 61-piece orchestra for an “Apollo 13”-themed episode of “Community.”

A typical work week for Goransson is filled with stiff deadlines and heavy hours in his studio. It begins with a meeting with the show’s directors and its creator Dan Harmon.

“We watch an episode and begin discussing the tone of the episode, where and what scenes need music and how it should come in and cut out of the episode,” said Goransson.

After meeting with the creative leads of “Communi-ty,” Goransson then travels to his studio to begin his work.

“I spend five days a week in the studio, sometimes 14 hours a day,” he said.

He typically has to pro-duce approximately 12

COMEDY CLUB

photo of christian hagenby abby holst

Page 14 Page 15

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 A&E Reporter • Page 13

$10 OffAny Piercing

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DAVID WEIstaff writer

COMMUNITY Although classical opened his mind, Goransson doesn’t limit himself to one type of music continued from 12

internet photoGoransson breaks the mold of classical composer.

Fallout / page 14

“New Vegas” shallow technically, deep fun

minutes of original sound for every episode.

“There are definitely hair-pulling moments, but I love doing what I do and the chal-lenge of the work,” Gorans-son said.

In developing the sound for “Community,” Goransson recalls the countless meet-ings and the process of bring-ing his own original sound to the program.

“There were lots of meet-ings. We weren’t sure what the show was going to be and it took a lot of discussion before we settled on how we were going to score the show. We’re now on episode 35, and I think the music has really taken on a life of its own,” said Goransson.

Additionally, Goransson has worked on a hip-hop side project with Donald Glover, the actor who plays Troy

Barnes on “Community.” Glover released his album “Culdesac” this past summer under his MC moniker Child-ish Gambino. Goransson helped the rapper produce and write the album.

“Donald is a talented guy. We work really well together. I’m always trying to take on new genres and loved getting a chance at hip-hop,” Gorans-son said.

Currently, Goransson is composing for a new show called “Happy Endings.” He has also started working on a solo album that will be released around Christmas. His music can be found on LudwigGoransson.com and the Childish Gambino album “Culdesac” can be down-loaded for free at culdesac-thealbum.com.

“Fallout 3” and “Fallout: New Vegas” are among the most expansive and best role-playing games created, featur-ing a unique blend of sci-fi, post-apocalyptic action and role-playing you just can’t find anywhere else. While “Fallout 3” was all about surviving dev-astation, “Fallout: New Vegas” is all about the desolation.

Developer Bethesda has improved upon the original se-ries. I got addicted to the new survival tactics and modding weapons. It’s like New Wave spin on the Wild West, full of chaotic fun.

The “Fallout” series takes place in an alternate post-apocalyptic future, where the 1950s Cold War never ended. The United States created bomb shelters called “vaults” to shelter some people from the imminent destruction. Then a full nuclear exchange devastated the planet.

The “Fallout” series takes place about 200 years after

that event. Radiation has the same stereotypical effect on living things: they’re ugly, glow green and grow to mon-strous sizes.

“Fallout: New Vegas,” takes place around Las Vegas. The city was never directly hit by a nuke, but it seems like every-thing around it was. The plot unravels slowly at first, while you level-up and scavenge for resources, but picks up pace after a few levels.

Despite previous rumors of there being several different character backgrounds, only one is provided. Your char-acter is a courier delivering a mysterious package before he or she is ambushed and left for dead. It seems like your char-acter suffers memory loss after that incident since there is virtually nothing that reveals your character’s past. In a way, it’s a rebirth of sorts.

The plot focuses on what your character was supposed to deliver and the balance of power between the factions of New Vegas. Eventually, your choices lead to many differing

endings affecting the entire area, for better or worse. It’s a living and dynamic world and you get the choice improve it or watch it burn.

The graphics are roughly on the same level as “Half-Life 2,” so they are a bit dated. The scenery, detail and effects are still great from afar. How-ever, I did notice a few minor graphical glitches, but they didn’t really affect gameplay. NPCs spawn out of nowhere, and some landforms also pop out of thin air, while others are just poorly designed.

The controls are pretty standard, but are missing a few advanced options and commands, such as the key for taking screenshots and the developer console.

The character creation sys-tem has also been improved. (However, it is not as good as the one from “Mass Effect 2.”) “Fallout: New Vegas” also fea-tures an improved and modi-fied character stats system, plus many more interesting perks and features.

Page 14 • Reporter A&E Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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FALLOUT Improvements on the last “Fallout” are there, but hard to spot continued from 13

Class clowns form clubABBY HOLSTstaff writerAs you journey around the

sandbox world, you can choose to ignore side quests or complete them. The side quests actively affect the main plot and you can fully experi-ence what effects it has on the world around you. You can also sign with one or more of the various factions competing for power in a given area.

“Fallout: New Vegas” im-proves upon its predecessor in many minor ways. The “Pip-Boy” and “VATS” targeting system make a comeback, with all the slo-mo bullet time cam action, but the game features a new weapon modification system and tool creation. When you find work benches or campfires, you can use them to make new tools, medicine and even cook. Also, a new hardcore mode that mimics real-life survival is available for pros.

You will spend most of your time, however, wandering the wastelands in the post-apocalyptic setting. The new “Fallout” series has a fairly unique travel system, allow-ing the player to save time by instantly traveling to a known location.

Although, one of the big disappointments was that “New Vegas” doesn’t have any vehicles, or at least drivable ones. You’ll see motorcycles that look good, but are just props. The fast travel system only works after you’ve been to town. It doesn’t even work if you have the directions or can see your destination.

The improvements made to the targeting system and game overall are very natural. But it’s still almost outwardly identical to its predecessor, since many of the improve-

ments are under-the-hood.I do wish that the modifica-

tion system could be more like something out of “Dead Ris-ing.” You can’t transfer mods from one weapon to another. The developers treat the player like a 5-year-old. Apparently, it’s hard to build a campfire for cooking and it’s hard to duct-tape binoculars to a gun for a scope.

And the weapons and dam-age system are a bit unbal-anced. The energy-based weapons in this game are severely underpowered.

These hiccups, along with the graphical disturbances and the occasional low framerate, make this game technically mediocre.

Despite its shortcom-ings, “Fallout: New Vegas” is definitely worth playing if you’ve got the time. It’s full of interesting details, quests and situations. It offers more freedom than most other RPGs like “Dragon Age” or “Mass Effect,” and more strategy than “GTA.” If you want to try a game in the “Fallout” series, start with this one.

Story: Deep plot, but unfolds slowly at first. It’s an active and dynamic world; a unique blend of action.

Graphics: Numerous glitches on high-res settings (for PC), but looks good over-all and doesn’t affect game-play.

Game play/mechanics: Improves on the original, add-ing new tactics and strategies. Uses the same controls. You can download developer tools to create mods, which most games don’t offer.

This is an underdog story. A story of a man and his dog,

and by dog I mean club: the Mav-erick Comedy Club.

It begins and ends with Chris-tian Hagen, the Minnesota State Mankato senior journalism and english major who started the club at the beginning of the year with high hopes of injecting higher doses of laughter into MSU’s halls.

“I was sick of coming to campus and seeing only one or two comedy shows a year,” Hagen said. “There was no place for stu-dents to perform, to get out there and try it.”

Hagen naturally had a tale to tell about how he got the idea.

“I met this guy at a bar over the summer, and it’s not as gay as it sounds…”

The guy being referred to is Andrey Belikov, a California comedian who was fed up with crowded L.A. comedy clubs and therefore started open mic rooms on his own campus where his fellow jokesters could meet and practice their acts with much easier access and less expense.

After a lot of lucky coincidenc-es, such as running into IMPACT that tried to get a similar club go-ing on campus last year, funding was allocated, an adviser selected (Diana Joseph of the English department) and Hagen’s comedic baby was born.

“IMPACT has been really sup-portive and helped us out a lot,” Hagen said. “We’re trying to give this school an identity.”

“One thing we want you to understand is it’s not just for per-

formers, it’s for fans,” Joshua Er-hardt, Hagen’s “horribly attractive sidekick” and club treasurer, said. “When I first came in, I hadn’t really done it before this either, but now that I’m more involved, I’m more interested.”

If you don’t want to perform, you can simply watch or take part in the ridiculous banter that is a sure thing at meetings.

“A comedy crowd has a unique atmosphere – you make friends and get to connect more with your audience,” Hagen said. “We’re a very supportive group.”

With eight to 10 steady thus far, the Maverick Comedy Club is eager and ready to grow.

“We’re trying to make this one of the biggest groups on campus,” Hagen said, “not necessarily in numbers, but in the amount of events and stuff we do.”

Group meetings are held at 8 p.m. Wednesdays in the CSU basement. Mondays are open mic nights.

“You will definitely not leave that place without laughing,” Erhardt said. “Or else you will be horribly offended.”

The third and possibly most thrilling wheel is the run of spe-cial events and guest comedians put on Monday nights at 9. They’re calling it the “Ridiculously Funny Comedy Series,” or RFCS.

The first event of RFCS, featur-ing comedian Mike Brody, was a success, with 84 MSU attendees as the final count. The night resulted in newfound fans.

“We’re not interested in big names but instead variety and who’s funny,” Hagen said. “We try not to focus on just one or two types of comedy.”

Hagen said Patton Oswalt was one of his favorite comedians of all time.

“The best comics are the ones you feel like you know,” Hagen said.

Likewise, Erhardt, a political science major, digs Lewis Black’s political humor and the one-liners of Mitch Hedburg.

“If you think about something that everybody enjoys…comedy is it,” Erhardt said. “Have you ever met a person who’s like ‘I fuckin’ hate laughing?’”

Exactly one of the reasons why they think having this club is so important.

“Let’s say something cliché, like, ‘In this economy, laughter is the best medicine,’” Erhardt said. “This is a health care program.”

“We’re good-humor ambassa-dors,” Hagen said, “a community of comedy.”

A big event coming up is the arrival of the Upright Citizens Brigade, one of biggest comedy groups in the world. It will make its way to our campus on Monday, Nov. 8 all the way from the Big Apple. The famous group has pro-duced success stories like Adam McKay, former head writer of Saturday Night Live and director of “Anchorman.”

After its performance that night, the group will be hosting a two-hour master class the next day at 10:30 a.m. Being that UCB is one of the most respected improv schools in the country, this is sure to be a worthwhile experience.

“It’s free comedy and you get to know people,” Hagen said. “Comedy is something that everyone can relate to. Anyone can join.”

Sportswww.msureporter.com

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wha

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Randy Moss Josh Hamilton hitting .125 in World Series

Non-Voters

A day in the life of an MMA fighterSports Editor Kyle Ratke is doing some stunt reporting, and chances are after two weeks, he’s going to regret it terribly

KYLE RATKEsports editor

Behind Cook’s 58 saves, MSU goes 1-0-1PAT DELANEYstaff writer

Men’s hockey

MSU 3UAA 2

MSU 2UAA 2

dan moen • msu reporterPhil Cook (in net) had back-to-back 29 save games over the weekend.

To be successful in the WCHA, you have to consistently get two points each weekend. After only recording one point in their first series, the Minnesota State Mankato men’s hockey pro-gram has rebounded to earn five points in their last four games.

The Mavericks made the long trip to Alaska-Anchorage over the weekend. The long plane ride and the different time zone didn’t hinder the Mavericks play on Fri-day, as they won 3-2. After being down 1-0 in the first period, the Mavericks offense came alive in the second.

Senior forward Andrew Sack-rison got the Mavericks started tying the game a little more than five minutes into the period. The Mavericks were then able to take its first lead when junior forward Mike Louwerse deked a Sea-wolve’s defensemen and found the back of the net.

The Mavericks got a power-play opportunity early in the third period and were able to forget about the early season struggles with the one-man advantage as sophomore forward Eli Zuck was able to deflect a Kurt Davis shot for the Maver-icks third and final goal.

Sophomore goaltender Phil Cook has taken the reigns in net for the Mavericks and responded with another solid performance. Cook had 29 saves and came through in the clutch late in the third period when UAA had a five-on-three power play. The big stops shorthanded helped clinch the Mavericks first road win of the season.

“They got one early on us but we battled back,” said Cook.

Cook would make another 29 saves in Saturday night’s game and the Mavericks would use a power-play goal again to help them cap off a successful week-end. After being down 2-1 in the third period, sophomore forward Eriah Hayes scored what would be the final goal of the weekend, securing three points for MSU.

The Mavericks had talked about the importance of capital-izing on their power-plays and were finally able to see results. The three points helped the Mav-ericks move up in the WCHA standings. At 2-2-2, MSU sits tied with Minnesota, who is the only other team to have played

Men’s puck / page 17

“What? Ratke is going to try to be an MMA fighter? This is the dumbest idea since the Vikings traded for Moss.”

Yep, that’s what you’re thinking. I know.

Two weeks ago, a friend of mine and mix martial arts fighter Cory Anderson (the in-shape guy laughing at me

to the left) had a proposition for me via

Facebook.

“Why don’t you practice and work out with me over the next few weeks and you can tell people about your experience and what MMA is actually like.”

Um, well, here’s the thing. I am 5’9 and weigh in at 160. And trust me, not more than 10 percent of that is muscle. Not the most ideal candidate for an MMA fighter.

Then I thought about it again. This could make for an awesome story, open some eyes to the world of MMA (including mine), all while breaking down my body and ego. Sounds like a win-win, right?

Cory and I agreed that I would train with him for two weeks. We would work out four days a week, including doing three hours of boxing, Tae-Bo or some other crazy class where people will look at me funny twice a week.

I had just one concern about all of this and I asked Cory, “Is there any chance of me being hurt

badly? I will workout with you guys, but I am not sure if I am up to really fight anyone.”

“No man, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” Cory said. “Oh, shoot. I forgot to tell you. Don’t forget to buy a cup (not to drink out of) and a mouthguard. Just in case, ya know?”

After I screamed in my head and I cringed at the thought of some 210-pound dude crush-ing my ribs in, I agreed again. I couldn’t look like a little baby.

So here we are. Monday was our first official day. Here’s the rundown:

Cory and I start at 4 p.m. We planned on working on our shoul-ders and doing some conditioning upstairs.

We started out with the lat pull. Cory did four reps of eight of right around 200 pounds. I did four reps of eight at 125, 110 and 95 (twice)

MMA / page 17dan moen

Page 16 • Reporter Sports Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Sports Reporter • Page 17

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Do or die for Mavericks

Women’s Soccer

LEE HANDELstaff writer

Tensions were running high at The Pitch last weekend when the Minnesota State Mankato women’s soccer team played host to Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State in a pair of nail-biters.

The Mavericks prevailed 3-2 in overtime over UMD, maintain-ing their perfect record at home in NSIC play. The emotional victory set up a pivotal matchup against Bemidji on Sunday afternoon as the two squads battled for the third seed and home-field advantage in the first round of this weekend’s NSIC tournament. In a low scoring affair, the Beavers shut down the Mavericks’ offen-sive attack for the 1-0 win.

On Saturday forward Brittany Henry continued her impressive sophomore season early in the contest, taking a Laura Leber pass and driving the ball high into the back of the net. The score put Henry in double-digits for goals, giving her a team-leading 10 on the year.

UMD knotted things up at one a piece later in the first half on a shot that glanced off the hand of freshman Maverick goalkeeper Brittany Cygan and into the net, capping the first-half scoring. Scoring opportunities were at a premium in the opening half, as the Mavericks outshot the Bull-dogs 5-3.

Emotions were high in the second half, especially after senior forward Laura Leber scored goal number 40 of her illustrious Mav-erick career to give the home team a 2-1 lead.

UMD scored just before the end of regulation and sent the game into overtime, 2-2.

Though both teams had their chances in overtime, the Mav-

ericks finally capitalized after 116 minutes of giving it all they had on the field. After earning a free kick on a Bulldog foul,

the Mavericks chose sophomore defender Cassie Weik to take the kick. She found Dooher for the game-winner, which sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

“I was so nervous,” Weik said. “Luckily I was able to kick a great ball right to Dooher’s head. [Coach McGahey] knows that I have confidence in myself to make that type of kick, so he and the rest of my teammates have confidence in me.”

The Mavericks were charged up heading into Sunday’s game as seniors Leber, Ann Kincaid, Emily Petrovich and Jessie Audas were all honored before the Senior Dday game.

“I’ve been here for other Se-nior Days, but when it’s actually your turn, reality really starts to set in that it’s almost over,” said Leber.

The offense that had been so clutch the day before disappeared for the Mavericks on Halloween, even though the home team con-trolled play the majority of both halves.

But MSU simply could not get one to go its way in the 1-0 heartbreaker.

Although the loss dropped the Mavericks to fourth place in the final regular season NSIC standings, they will still host fifth-seeded St. Cloud State in the first round of the NSIC tournament tomorrow at The Pitch. The Mav-ericks already beat the Huskies 1-0 in Mankato earlier this season.

“We believe we are the best team in the conference and can make it to the end of the tourna-ment,” said Weik.

NSIC TOURNEYSt. Cloud StateWhen: 2 p.m. Wed.

Where: The Pitch - Mankato

MSU falls to SMSU in fiveVolleyball

TIGE HUTCHESONstaff writer

In the end, Minnesota State Mankato’s solid defense just couldn’t contain No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State’s stellar offense. The Mavericks dropped a 3-2 nail-biter to the visiting SMSU Mustangs on Saturday.

Southwest came out of the gate strong. Led by AVCA Na-tional Player of the Week Devin Diedrich, who ended with a game-high 24 kills, the Mustangs stole the first two sets 25-21 and 25-18, and put MSU on the brink of being swept early on.

“We made a couple of mis-takes, and we have a tendency of, after making a few mistakes, making more,” said MSU senior Amanda Thompson.

But the Mavericks regained their composure during the break. Led by Thompson’s defense, MSU fought their way back in, winning the next two sets 25-20 and 25-23.

“Our main goal was to shut down their middles, and we knew that they would really push their middles, so that was our main concern,” said Thompson, who finished with a game-high six blocks and seven kills.

“We shut down their outside, we shut down one of their main middles, we just couldn’t shut down one of them [Diedrich],” said MSU’s defensive specialist Samantha Dale, who racked up a game-high 31 digs.

Minnesota State’s head coach Dennis Amundson used what appeared to be a defensive lineup for most of the game, keeping two defensive specialists, Dale and Alli Rice, on the court for most of the game. Rice picked up nine digs on Saturday, marking her return from having to sit out with illness.

“I think coach knew that we needed to put out our best diggers,” said Dale “Anyone out there is capable of digging, but me and Rice enjoy playing together, so against one of the top offensive teams in the nation Rice and I were pumped to go out there and dig everything and give it all we’ve got.”

But added defense and home-court advantage weren’t enough

to propel the Mavericks to vic-tory. After working so hard to claw their way back into it, MSU dropped the win-all fifth set 15-9 and sent the fifth-ranked Mus-tangs home with a 3-2 win.

“To be honest, I think they just wanted it more than we did. You could see it in their eyes that they were just going after it,” said Thompson.

“I think we just need to learn how to want it more,” Dale agreed “We need to bring out the ‘grr’. We need to bring out the ‘this is our gym’ mindset. We know that we can beat anybody, we just need to bring out that drive.”

The Mavericks will have plenty of chances to find their desire over the next week. The Mavericks hit the road for a three-game road trip against con-ference bottom-feeders Minne-sota-Crookston (0-15), Northern State (6-10) and the University of Mary (1-15). After dropping to seventh-place in the regional standings, there’s no reason the Mavericks can’t sweep their road trip and return to Mankato three games richer and seal a winning record within the NSIC.

UP NEXTMinnesota-CrookstonWhen: 7 p.m. Tuedsday

Where: Crookston, Minn.

Page 16 • Reporter Sports Tuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Sports Reporter • Page 17

six conference games thus far.The Mavericks admittingly

were a little worn out by the amount of traveling over the weekend, making it that much more satisfying to have success.

“We battled hard all week-end,” said Hayes. “I think it showed a little bit that we were on the road and we traveled quite a bit that we didn’t play our best hockey, but it was great to come away with three points.”

The road trip will continue throughout November as MSU will not play at home again until Dec. 3. However, a trip to Nebraska-Omaha should be more manageable for the Mavericks this weekend.

This many road games this early in the season is out of the ordinary for MSU, but it is a great opportunity for the team to come together in the first half of the season. All the time together should build chemistry and could benefit them moving forward.

“I think this road trip is going to build a lot of character for our team,” said Hayes. “Throughout this next month we’re gonna come a lot closer. I think it’s gonna be a good thing for us.”

MEN’S PUCK continued from 15No. 1 Badgers net Mavericks

Women’s hockey

MSU 2UW 3

MSU 1UW 6

LEE HANDELstaff writer

Even though the odds were completely stacked against them when they faced off the top team in the country, the Min-nesota State Mankato women’s hockey team fought hard against the heavily-favored University of Wisconsin in Madison over the weekend. Despite their best efforts, the Mavericks fell to the Badgers 3-2 on Friday and 6-1 on Saturday.

The Mavericks entered the weekend series with more con-fidence than usual before their matchup against the Badgers, as MSU defeated mighty UW 3-2 in the Kohl Center last season for the program’s first victory ever against the Badgers. That result may have hurt the Mav-ericks’ chances of catching the Badgers off-guard in this series.

The top team in the nation came out clicking early on Friday, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead on the Mavericks in the first period. For the second weekend in a row, the Mav-ericks had to deal with two talented sisters, as junior Brooke Ammerman and her freshman sister Brittany scored the first two goals of the game for the Badgers.

The Mavericks went into the

locker room after one period down 2-0 after being outshot 23-3 and could have mailed it in from there on out.

They did not. Junior forward Emmi Lei-

nonen lifted the Mavs’ spirits just 30 seconds into the second period, scoring her second goal of the season. She was assisted by sophomore blue-liner Emilia Andersson.

After the elder Ammerman sister scored again for a 3-1 UW lead in the second period, the Mavericks answered the bell again early in the third period. This time it was rookie sensation Kathleen Rogan who stepped up, tallying her team-leading fifth goal of the season on another pass from Andersson to put the game back within reach.

Rogan’s strong start has been a pleasant surprise for the Mavericks.

“I’ve just been working really hard,” said Rogan. “But most of it has just been being in the right place at the right time.”

The Mavericks went toe-to-toe with the Badgers for the rest of the game, but fell short 3-2 in the end. Like so many times last

season, junior goaltender Alli Altmann kept the Mavericks in the game with 38 saves as the puck spent most of its time on the Mavericks’ side of the ice.

After the tight game Friday, the Mavericks ran out of gas on Saturday in the third period, as Wisconsin’s high-powered offense was too much for the underdogs to handle. MSU hung with the Badgers through two periods, trailing 2-1 heading into the second intermission. Then the Badgers iced the series sweep and remained undefeated on the season with four third-period goals.

“[WCHA play] was different for us at first, but now I think we are getting more comfort-able,” Rogan said.

The young team has had its hands full right away, facing three of the best teams in the nation in the first month of the season.

“It showed us that we can beat these teams if we consis-tently play the way we know we are capable of,” said Rogan.

The schedule gets a little easier for MSU (2-5-1, 1-5-0-0 WCHA) starting this weekend, with two home games against rival St. Cloud State this Friday and Saturday at All Seasons Arena.

pounds, all while trying to hide the amount I was lifting from the body builders inside. Seriously, I feel like an infant compared to those guys. Props to them.

We then did these crazy lifts with the dumbbells. Not sure if there is an actual name for the lifts, but I am pretty sure I looked like a third-base coach waving a runner into home.

I promise you I won’t be able to lift my arms throughout the week.

A friend of mine came up to me out of nowhere and goes, “Ratke, what the hell are you doing in here?” as if I was a perverted old man sneaking a peak in the women’s bathroom.

I feel out of place.After finishing our lifts, we

headed upstairs for conditioning, which consisted of Cory and I alternating from sprinting a lap to this weird “I’m going to bike with my hands” machine. I can’t explain. Google it. There has to be an image for it.

Cory looked at me after the hour-long workout and said, “Hey man, sorry about the short work-out. We’ll go longer next time.”

Ha, short workout? What am I getting myself into.

Check back Thursday and I’ll have the full report about boxing practice. Don’t worry, I bought my cup.

MMA continued from 15

Page 18 • Reporter Advertisement Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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