The Wake

Wild rice is a sacred plant to the Ojibwe in Minnesota. Some say prophecies told the Ojibwe to move westward, leading them here to the sustenance of wild rice. Others will tell you a man named Nanaboozhoo failed to bring home a deer for dinner one night; but later followed a duck to a lake full of wild rice, giving him food when there was nothing else to eat. As Winona LaDuke, Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) member, has written, “We have always cared for the wild rice, as it is one of the greatest gifts given to our community.” But many Ojibwe are concerned wild rice research done at the University of Minnesota will tamper with their culture and even infringe upon sovereign treaty rights.This story begins nearly 200 years ago. But we’ll start in 1990, when …

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Birthright Israel sends Jewish young adults, ages 18 through 26, to experience Israel at a cost perfect for college students. Free. As a Jewish student, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity of a 10-day trip this past January. I found all it took to apply was a few minutes on Birthright’s website and a $250 deposit, refundable upon successful completion of the program. Before leaving, I read through an itinerary of lectures and guest speakers. My time studying journalism at the “U” has given me a sixth sense for propaganda. Despite my cynicism, the series of lectures struck me as an open discussion of ideas following a presentation of facts meant to stimulate independent thought. While there, we spent part of our time touring northern Israel. The north is the greatest …

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Hey Lonely. Tired of drinking yourself to sleep, alone in your studio apartment? Buck up already and ask that girl out from your psych lecture. Oh, I get it - you don’t have a car and can’t take her anywhere. Well, I’m here to save your ass with some ammo for your arsenal of love: obscure facts about the University! For practical purposes, let’s refer to the date as “her” because, let’s face it - most girls have better things to do than memorize worthless tidbits about campus. Unless they’re tour guides or something. Here’s the plan: take her on a quiet stroll around campus, blind her with a fog of wisdom and ride off arm-in-arm into the sunset (or pluggin’ her digits into your phone under ‘Sweetheart’). Say you start on the East Bank. …

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As any student can tell, the University of Minnesota is an active campus full of student events, construction projects and technical research. With budget cuts every year it’s hard to imagine the University being able to function properly. But outside sources are always eager to lend a hand. Although invisible to some, corporate businesses have a large impact at the University and their influence can come in many forms. A Texas Instrument math building or a Coca-Cola student center might be possible in the future. But corporate authority is still restricted by University policy and only allowed to come as contracts, donations or sponsorships. Of the many affiliations the University has with corporations, the contract with the Coca-Cola Company effects students the most and is the most visible. In 1996 the …

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Jeff Siple, 20, needed to replace his U Card twice in little more than a year and a half as a student at the University of Minnesota. The first time the U Card Office replaced the card for free, which was only a year after receiving his first card; the horizontal stripes showed normal “wear and tear.” The second time his card quit working, the ‘U’ wasn’t so generous about the vertical wear stripes. It turns out his U Card rubbed against the raised numbers on the credit card in his wallet. Like thousands every year, Siple had to pay a fee to have his card replaced.“I guess I can see why they made me pay for it, but $15 still seems pretty ridiculous,” Siple said.It’s only a rectangular piece of plastic, but every student …

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In the height of the McCarthy era, beat poet Allen Ginsberg asked, “America, why are your libraries full of tears?” It was intended to be a metaphor for American history books lining library shelves. However, Ginsberg probably couldn’t foresee what his metaphor would mean 50 years later.Since the USA Patriot Act was passed in October 2001, librarians across the country haven’t been telling people to stay quiet with the snap of a ruler. They’ve become one of the country’s most outspoken critics of the act.“Libraries don’t try to stand in the way of law enforcement,” said Eric Celeste, Associate University Librarian for Information Technology. “But I think, personally, and in our organizations like the American Library Association (ALA), we vigorously oppose laws like the Patriot Act, which we think interfere with the kind of free-flow …

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The first Greek organization appeared on campus in 1874, and since then, 38 different fraternities and sororities have settled at the University of Minnesota to invite more into their fold. Today, roughly 1,500 students are members of the Greek community. This might not be significant compared to the 49,400 students who were enrolled at the University last semester, but it does show many people are interested in the Greek community. What are the reasons for people participating in this system? Is there something in particular they are looking for? Anyone can go to the nearest BLOCKBUSTER, rent Animal House or Old School and see what Greek activities are like, right? For some Greeks, the social draw of parties and new friends is exactly what they are looking for. Others look more toward networking and professional …

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Dear SHADEy,
My girlfriend is on the pill but still gets anxious when I cum. What can I do?
Frustrated in FridleyThis question was sent to “Ask SHADEy,” a column found on the Sexual Health Disease and Education (SHADE)’s Web site. SHADE is a student organization at the university that promotes student sexual heath by answering difficult questions and handing out free condoms in residence halls and Greek houses. They also work out of their mobile unit, the notorious “Shaggin’ Wagon.”Sexually active college students risk contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and many other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like herpes, genital warts, chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to a survey conducted by the Center for AIDS Intervention Research.The study concentrates on a college student’s perception of risk for getting HIV. Students often overestimate the risk …

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Long before the sun rises, before the coffee brews in the Courtside Deli, vacuum cleaners hum and Recreation Center staff mill about the empty gym, preparing for another day.While many students are putting the finishing touches on term papers or cramming for tests, several University of Minnesota students and staff gather in the Rec Center lobby, eager to get at the gym equipment. When front-desk attendant Hanna Loberg unlocks the doors at 5:45 a.m., the early birds file in and begin their morning workouts.Rosalyn Washington arrived at the Rec Center about 5:30 a.m. She waited in the lobby, stretching and preparing for her workout. A university employee and master’s degree student, Washington said she starts every weekday at the Rec Center, a schedule she has followed for five years.“In the evening I’m tired,” she …

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Some were supportive, some were appalled but most passersby in front of the Coffman Memorial Union bookstore just stared as they passed an assortment of plastic fetuses, one inch in length, sprawled on a table amongst pro-life/anti-abortion literature as a part of Students for Family Values (SFV) table.SFV President Martin Andrade and three other members of the self-proclaimed non-partisan conservative group set up their pro-life table near the escalator outside the bookstore for about three hours on Nov. 21. The group says it decided to hand out the plastic fetuses to draw attention to their table and to the issues surrounding abortion.“There is the abstract concept that some people have that, ‘well maybe its alive, but you can’t really see it,’” Andrade said, “but when you see that this is how big it is and …

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Every Monday night, men line up outside the Simpson United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. They wrap around the building, one by one, waiting for the weekly lottery. This isn’t the kind of lottery you see on TV with multi-million dollar prizes and oversized checks. This is a lottery sponsored by a coalition of homeless shelters including St. Stephen’s Shelter, Simpson Housing Services and Our Saviour’s Housing. The prize they offer is a 28-night stay in one of the three shelters. On a Monday night in November, 60 men lined up, all hoping for a bed. Only 24 beds were available. Allysen Hoberg, a former University of Minnesota student, is the director of St. Stephen’s Shelter. She said the lottery was once held nightly at St. Stephen’s. However, last May it …

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On November 20, a Thursday night when many college kids were out drinking at the local bars, studying for a test or hanging out with friends, Habitat for Humanity members spent their night sitting on cardboard boxes outside the St. Paul Capitol. Group members participated in “Night Without a Home” in conjunction with Hamline University. By sleeping outside like the homeless, the group hoped to raise awareness on their struggle, shatter stereotypes, and “challenge Minnesota’s legislators and governor to reverse the most harmful cuts made to homeless programs in the 2003 session,” said PR Director Stacy Buehner. The group listened to speakers who worked with shelters to help house homeless in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and speakers who were once homeless and staying in shelters. These two viewpoints gave a broad understanding of what homelessness …

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Least likely phrase heard coming from Tim Pawlenty’s office:
“Man, I gots to be fiscally conservative!”Least likely thing heard in a National Enquirer meeting:
Wait a second – why are we calling him ‘Jacko’?Best way to start a post-winter break conversation:
“OK, so I was at Senor Frogs, right?”Dinkytown establishment most likely to be haunted by the pissed-off ghost of Bob Dylan:
Bobby Z’sLeast popular American value: ABSTINENCELeast popular winter vacation spot: IRAQBest career move for Tom Cruise after The Last Samurai?
Playing the title role in feature film, Chairman MaoBest name for a Christmas tree: PineyLast thing Dinkytown needs more of: Hair salons.
Honorable mention: Asian-food restaurantsBest replacement mascot if Goldy Gopher dies in a freak accident:
Michael MooreBest fictitious drink special:
Four-4-ones!

Several University of Minnesota students marched with tens of thousands of activists in Washington Saturday against the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq.“Students realize that the war is destructive to them in every way possible,” said Caneisha Mills, a Howard University student who helped organize the event.Mills said that money spent on Iraq should instead go to keep rising college tuition rates down, fund health care, create jobs and promote child care.Police estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 students, veterans, youth and seniors attended the event, organized by Act Now to Stop War and End Racism and United for Peace and Justice, anti-war coalitions. Organizers said as many as 100,000 showed up.Josh Beck-Esmay, a University junior, rode a bus chartered by the Anti-War Committee to the protest. He said he feels that American foreign policy aims …

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The University of Minnesota is playing favorites instead of sharing its wealth with folks at the bottom, said some Twin Cities students in late October.The accusation comes as the school absorbs a 15% cut to its overall budget. Now it plans to find almost $319 million in revenues and cuts in the next biennium to balance its ledgers.“I don’t believe that we can balance this budget unless everybody pulls on the oar,” said University President Robert Bruininks to a group of students.Student tuitions and fees are expected to go up by more than $139 million in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, almost half of all system’s cuts, according to a report issued to the Board of Regents in October.Other sacrifices will come from faculty and staff, institutional revenues and program expenses, the report said.With this …

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