This past March, local designers Tim and Thom Navarro, together with Jim and Katy Vereide, opened “You and Me,” a clothing and jewelry store. Tim and Thom design and make the clothing, and Katy makes jewelry to go with it. The store is very welcoming and Tim and Thom instantly make you feel at home. Most recently, the Navarro brothers have been working on their fall designs. After talking with them for a few minutes it’s easy to see that they have a strong passion for what they’re doing.

The Wake: What got you interested in designing clothes?
Tim & Thom: Our grandpa was a tailor. We’re the youngest ones in the family so we always had to tailor [hand-me-down] clothes to fit us.

W: What are your fall designs like?
T&T: We’re doing more of a fall and winter idea. Using more dense materials and playing around with things. We like more practical clothing.

W: Do you have any upcoming projects?
T&T: We’re doing a lot of custom work, that eats up most of our time. We’re probably going to have a trunk show when our line is complete.

W: What styles do you personally like to wear?
T&T: When we’re working, whatever is most comfortable. We like vests and slacks. That’s most comfortable for us on a regular basis. It’s a nice look for any occasion.

W: What’s your inspiration for your designs?
T&T: Music and environment. We ride bikes a lot and we’re very active so we try to make clothes that are appropriate for people [who are] part of active things. We make normal-wear, not high fashion clothes.

W: Do you think Minneapolis has a unique style?
T&T: Minneapolis culture is relaxed and laid back. I think it’s a huge melting pot and people dress based on their personality, it’s eclectic. It hasn’t refined it’s style yet.

W: What styles do you not like for fall?
T&T: It’s hard to say. I don’t know until I see it. Fashion rules, like don’t wear white shoes after labor day, are getting debunked. People bring out winter clothes too soon. Something we really like though is scarves.

W: What makes your designs special?
T&T: The lines we create are simplified and really detailed. They’re all about cut, colors, and the finished product. We don’t use crazy patterns. What’s nice is we make clothes for more generic body types, not just for size two models.

W: How long have you been designing?
T&T: Officially since 2004. Unofficially since we were young. We would make our friends’ Halloween costumes, then we realized we could actually make money doing it.

W: Are there any designers you look up to?
T&T: Classic American Sportswear designers. I love that esthetic. We’re more inspired by local designers.

You can find their store, You and Me, at 2114B Lyndale Ave S, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/shopyouandme

People in Minnesota love watching sports, whether it’s basketball or hockey. When we think of sports, we normally imagine guys running onto a field or a court to play and give their all to win. Sports are mostly thought of as challenging, rough and made for physically and mentally tough people. So who are we most likely to think of as the most physically tough people in our society? Most of use would probably think of men first. Now you’re thinking, where am I going with this? People around the world, just like Minnesotans, tend to forget that women play sports as well and even be better than men.

People in Minnesota seem unhappy with how the sports teams in the state have been losing game after game and failing to win a championship or even anything close to that in the past few years. But Minnesotans are forgetting about one certain team, a team regularly overlooked, solely because it’s women’s team. Yes, I’m talking about the Minnesota Lynx, the number 1 team in the WNBA.

“What?!” “Were number 1?” “I thought we were on a lockout?” “We have a women’s pro basketball team?” These are just some of the reactions I got when I told some of my friends at the U that the Lynx are currently favored to win the championship this year. It seems to me that women in this country are always looked down on physically, particularly in sports.

Let me give a brief history of the Minnesota Lynx for those, which I know are many, who don’t know much about the current team. The Lynx are led by the U’s own Lindsey Whalen (Point Guard), along with Rookie of the Year winner, Maya Moore (Forward), and leading scorer (16.2 points per game) shooting guard Seimone Augustus. The Lynx had the best bench in the WNBA all last season, led by guards Monica Wright and Candice Wiggins. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was awarded the Coach of the Year Award for guiding the Lynx to best record in franchise history and in the WNBA Season. Their record (27-7) gave the Lynx home court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. After eliminating the San Antonio Silver Stars in three games and sweeping two-time champion Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury, the Minnesota Lynx will take on All-Star Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream in the 2011 WNBA Finals. The Dream, who got swept (0-3) in last year’s WNBA Finals to the favored Seattle Storm, are looking for redemption. The Dream has caused upsets to make the Finals by defeating the number one (Indiana Fever) and two (Connecticut Sun) seeds in the Eastern Conference. Home court advantage seems not important to the Dream. By the looks of it, the Dream seems to be the toughest team the Lynx will face in the playoffs even though the Lynx won both games against the Dream in the regular season. The Dream have won two of three road games in the playoffs, therefore we, the fans of Minnesota, must make sure we show our support for the Lynx and show the Dream what home court advantage truly means.

When we think of Minnesota basketball, we see Kevin Love and the Timberwolves, but right now, especially because the NBA Lockout still hasn’t been settled (*sigh*), we should remember that Minnesota basketball is also played by the Minnesota Lynx, a pro basketball women’s team in the women’s version of the NBA, for those who don’t know. The Lynx currently hold the best season record in the WNBA and are the number one seed in the playoffs. Minnesota’s hopes and dreams of winning one of the few championships since 1992 lies in their hands (or paws, really). Our Lynx are the best and they’ve got the record to prove it, but still they’ll have to show it again in the playoffs. With the opportunity the Lynx have been given with their talented roster, this is the biggest chance for Minnesota to show everyone that Minnesota can win championships too.

Let’s take a few minutes to look back in the grand history of Minnesota sports. Minnesota in the 1950’s was the most popular basketball location in the United States, and ever since the departure of George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers, the state of Minnesota hasn’t been able to get even a taste of basketball glory. Furthermore, outside of basketball, the state of Minnesota hasn’t won a championship since the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991. Yes, major sports in Minnesota, from basketball, football, baseball and hockey, haven’t been so successful. There were some good times in some of these Minnesota teams, but as of late, all the recent attempts for a championship have ended badly.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been free-falling in the NBA standings since the departure of Kevin Garnett, who failed to bring a championship to Minnesota after 11 seasons. The Minnesota Twins, who back in 1991 won the World Series, currently are the second worst team in pro baseball and is the worst team in the AL (American League). The Minnesota Vikings have had an inconsistent team since head coach Bud Grant led the Vikings to a Super Bowl win in 1969 and then departed the team in 1983. The 11 year old Minnesota Wild team have yet to win a Stanley Cup, although there were signs of a run in 2008 when the Wild won the Division title, but were quickly ousted in the first round of the playoffs and ever since haven’t been able to win 40 games or more in a single season. Our very own Golden Gophers have been unsuccessful in basketball and football in the past years and even if our hockey team has won the NCAA Championship in 2003, the Gophers haven’t made it back to the finals since 2003.

The Minnesota crowd, in championship poverty, have been cheering and praying that the Wolves would win the NBA Championship in the Garnett era, that the Vikings would win the Super Bowl, that the Twins would win the World Series, or that the Wild would win the Stanley Cup, but none of these male teams have been able to bring championship glory to the state of Minnesota in 20 years. If you would tell a fellow Minnesotan on the street right now that the women would be the one to bring a first championship in 20 years to the state, that person wouldn’t believe it, but they should believe it now. The Minnesota Lynx are on the hunt and are inching closer and closer to that coveted championship. We need to believe (I believe) they can accomplish the task ahead that they will win the WNBA championship, but they need our support and most of all we should not forget that the state of Minnesota has a team to be proud of, the Minnesota Lynx. Don’t forget that name.

It’s almost the end of the school year and we at The Wake can’t wait to exchange those dungeon-esque classrooms for sunny sidewalks and lakeside parks, but do you know what you’re doing this summer? If you aren’t that one friend who has a never-ending supply awesome activity ideas, you may end up doing the same things you did during the school year: go to the bars, eat at Mesa, watch the new episode of [insert new summer TV series], go to a theme party where only half of the people are dressed up, go to the bars. Don’t let that happen. Then you’ll be one of those people who doesn’t have anything cool to say come Fall when the teacher or your school-only friend asks, “What did you do this summer?” And that’s almost as bad as people who brag on and on about their mission trips.

To make sure you’re not that guy, we have compiled some of the best events and activities to take part in throughout the Twin Cities this summer. So whether you’re from out of town and need some local insight or you’re in a fight with “awesome activity idea” friend, read up and do something exciting this summer!

DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS

Honestly ask yourself this question: when was the last time you came out of a movie satisfied? I’m sure that you chuckled a little at Your Highness and Hanna was “intense,” but do you really feel you got your $10 worth? Now, I love movies way more than next person and let me tell you this—there is a better way, but it’s only available for a limited time.

The key is drive-in movie theaters! (Yes, they still exist!) And they need you as much as you need them. They provide multiple, newly released movies for less than the price of one at your local AMC. More than that, you get to bring in whatever food you want (grilling, anyone?), watch a movie under the stars, and cozy up to your significant other with as many blankets as you want.

Best Drive-Ins:

Vali-Hi Drive-In, Lake Elmo

(3 movies, $8 per person)

Cottage View Drive-In, Cottage Grove

(2 movies, $8 per person)

MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM

The University of Minnesota is full of surprises. It’s so gigantic that you can’t possibly know all it has to offer, even after four years. One of the facets of this institution that you should not overlook is the Arboretum.

Located west of Minneapolis in suburban Chaska, this 1,000 acre expanse is everything you could ask for in a perfect picnic location. The different areas vary from woodlands to wetlands to prairie, and with 12.5 miles of trails it would take you an entire day to see it all. Even if it takes you longer than that, who cares? It’s COMPLETELY FREE to U of M students. Try to smell every type of flower, play frisbee in a meadow, race the 10-year-olds there on a field trip through the labyrinth—whatever! Just promise me you won’t take the option of driving through the wildlife. Leave your car in the parking lot. Get your feet dirty.

For more info:

www.arboretum.umn.edu

U of M Students: FREE

Non-Members: $9

Every 3rd Thursday after 4:30 pm:

FREE to everyone

SEA SALT EATERY

Located within the picturesque Minnehaha Park, and conveniently next to a waterfall, the Sea Salt Eatery is the summertime restaurant. I say this because it is not your typical outdoor cafe. Yes, you sometimes have to wait a while to order your food. Yes, it is more expensive than McDonald’s (but from what I’ve heard it’s pretty cheap for people who actually make a decent wage). But none of that matters because it’s summer and it’s nice out and you’re craving fresh seafood. Or at least you better be, because this place has the best. Their menu has everything from catfish po’ boys to clam fries to marlin tacos. So grab a locally-brewed beer or some Sebastian Joe’s ice cream and get in line (Yes! You CAN have dessert before dinner!).

Good to know:

Open April to October

Daily Specials @

www.seasalteatery.wordpress.com

Don’t bring your impatient friend

MOVIES & MUSIC AT LORING PARK

Monday night movies & music at Loring Park has been a staple of summer tradition for years (and provided my first viewing of Cool Hand Luke!), which made their 2010 hiatus crushing for the thousands that flocked to the park, picnic blankets in hand, to dance like crazy and then lay in the grass for a classic film. Fortunately, The Walker and 89.3 The Current are bringing back the event for summer 2011, and will be bringing in live bands and screening films each Monday night in August. Though there has been no word yet as to the lineup or even the theme (which will be announced in May), The Walker has stated that on August 22 they will host a one-night affair that will feature a silent movie accompanied by a live band, harking back to the event’s 1973 roots.

There were a lot of reasons to support Surly Brewing in their bid to build a new $20 million brewery and pub. Advocates emphasized the proposed complex’s ability to create jobs (in the form of construction jobs and permanent jobs once the complex is constructed) and its ability to draw in tourism. Some felt the increase in prominence would increase Surly’s brand recognition and serve as a model for other companies. All valid and excellent reasons to get behind Surly in their legal fight, which ended April 7 when an amendment passed that will allow breweries to have a taproom on the premises (so long that those companies brew less than 250,000 barrels per year: a measure tacked on so the amendment will not be exploited by the Millers and the Budweisers of the world).

For those of you who are unaware of what has transpired, here’s a recap: small local brew favorite Surly wanted to grow up and build a Target Field of beer, so to speak. The new brewery/restaurant would do all sorts of wonderful things: draw tourists, create jobs, and keep our thirst adequately quenched. The one catch was that by selling their beer on the premises Surly would disrupt the three-tier system of beer distribution (comprised of producers like Surly, distributors, and retailers like bars and liquor stores) already in place, or so the MLBA (Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association) claimed. The MLBA claimed that the proposed complex would give Surly a competitive advantage. If major producers followed suit, then the system would really be on its way to hell in a handbasket. Although the MLBA still opposed the bill, an agreement was made that allowed for construction of the complex (which will lead to taphouses in breweries at more than just Surly) without damaging the three-tiered system.

Despite all this technical speak, there is only one real reason why so many people supported Surly: we love beer. This isn’t shocking news, but its curious that we use the supplemental justifications of job-creation and tourist-attraction, when all we are really saying is “This should be allowed because Surly is awesome and getting a pint at the brewery would be awesome.” Now, I realize that kind of language would be out of place, possibly counterproductive, on the Senate or House floor. Even though the complex will require no state funding, for the government to amend state law genuine political results are necessary. Still, it seems important that we realize our own motives. It’s not as if liking the Surly bill for beer’s sake is so bad. Let’s face it, Minneapolis and St. Paul are beer cities. Summit and Grain Belt are brewed locally, and with a variety of good Wisconsin brews crossing the river it’s safe to say that this is one of the most beer friendly cities in the nation. Hopefully the new legislature will inspire all brewers, from the micro-brewers to you home brewers out there, to take the next step up and make our beer culture even better.

 

A slew of complaints has recently arisen among members of the music scene regarding a new music venue in Minneapolis called The Vault, run by Plymouth Congregational Church. Previous owners of a now defunct Buffalo, MN venue, also called The Vault, are extremely displeased and find the church’s neglect to find a new name incredibly disrespectful. Many devoted fans of the Buffalo location left hate-driven comments on the wall of their Facebook fan page with the intent to force the music program to change their name.

As a former attendee of shows that were held at the venue, I initially sided with the Buffalo location’s reason for being displeased. The Buffalo location was a home to many show-goers of all ages and musical interests. They provided a place for bands to establish themselves and earn a name in the Minnesota music scene. It was also a place where friends were made and kids could listen to their favorite genres of music at a reasonable price.

With the appearance of the new venue, many fans of the Buffalo location felt as if the church was trying to replace the memorable nights that were spent there. Instead of respectfully addressing their issues with the name choice, the fans and owners of the venue lashed out on a juvenile website for the public to see. It was entirely unprofessional and demeaning, but the fans and owners of the Buffalo location began to back down within a few days, sweeping the issue under the rug completely.

According to the director of the Minneapolis Vault, the new venue is confused by the scandal they have unintentionally created in the music scene. The name “The Vault” was selected as a result of a contest that the directors held to choose a name for the conjoined venue and coffeehouse in the basement of the Plymouth Congregational Church. Their space is also much different from the old Buffalo Vault, though both venues have the same drive to support the local music scene; created in an effort to provide a place for kids interested in music to go and enjoy themselves, Their only mission is to provide a “safe, Christian atmosphere where youth can hang out and listen to music” as stated by the director of the venue and also the Reverend of the church, Paula Northwood.

Although there are some obvious similarities between the two venues, there are also some glaring differences. The Minneapolis location is a Christian venue designed for an intimate, musical youth group evening that they hold once a month. It is held in the Plymouth Congregational Church in the Twin Cities. The Buffalo location was not a Christian venue, and held activities much more frequently, and is nearly an hour away from the church in a small, suburban area.

Unfortunately for the Buffalo location, the name of the venue was not copyrighted, leaving the name up for grabs. While the name may hold a bit of a bitter taste in some people’s mouths, but it is a place for kids to hear music, and a place for bands to play, which was the purpose of the former Buffalo location, and purportedly the purpose of any venue. This “scandal” will unquestionably be replaced by something even more juvenile. But instead of contributing to the fire, we should embrace this stride towards Minnesota’s ever-growing music scene by accepting what this new venue has to offer and casting harbored resentments over the name aside.

Did you know that there is a giant river that runs through Minneapolis? Truly! It’s called the Mississippi!

Ok, ok. I know that you know what the Mississippi river is—most of you probably see it every day! But do you see it as an integral part of life in Minneapolis? Do you interact with it in some form every day? Have you ever waded through a heated pool on the bank while looking out onto the beautiful skyline of our city?

Probably not, but all that is about to change.

On February 10, a winner was announced in the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, an arduous contest involvlans to redesign the way we as a ing pcity, community, and individuals connect with the Mississippi. The area up for redevelopment starts at the Stone Arch Bridge and extends 5.4 miles north to the city limits. The competition, sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, outlined these three ideas that our city needs to actively pursue:

- Establish parks as the economic engine for development along the river.

- Knit communities on both sides of the riverfront to and across the river.

- Re-focus Minneapolis and the region toward of the three great rivers of the world.

Design professionals from around the world were invited to submit requests to vie for the job of plan master. Of the 55 teams from five continents that entered, the judging panel selected four teams which showed extreme promise.

These four teams, from Berkeley, Boston, New York City, and Beijing, were each given $30,000 and a little over two months to devise their plans. While that may seem like a lot of money to finance three plans that won’t ever be implemented, that money included travel expenses for the teams to visit Minnesota and learn about the river and the community. Also, these plans needed to be developed as if they were already given the job—each a comprehensive design factoring in a healthy ecosystem, surrounding neighborhoods, short-term and long-term cost, transportation, recreation, the connection of parks to the river, use of existing infrastructure, and community engagement, among many other things. The almost insane amount of work that each team put into their design could easily be seen on their sunken faces when they presented them to the public on January 27 at the Walker Art Center.

Yet, looking past the bags under their eyes, one could see sparks. The proposals were grand, innovative, and exciting, even to people who normally couldn’t care less about nature. The ideas amongst the teams ranged from floating swimming pools, to a light sculpture along the banks, to winding walkways above street level, to a man-made, 60-foot waterfall in a new park on the upper riverfront. Needless to say, I preferred the one with the giant waterfall. In the end, the panel of esteemed judges chose the group from Berkeley: TLS/KVA (or as I like to call them, “Not the Waterfall Team”).

TLS/KVA is comprised of three main parts: Tom Leader Studio, a landscape architecture group from Berkeley; Kennedy & Violich Architecture Ltd., a Boston design firm focused on environmental needs; and 14 supporting firms (nine based in Minnesota).

Their plan, titled RiverFIRST, focuses on four themes: Water, Health, Mobility, and Green Economy. Facets of their plan addressing these themes include natural landscape design, urban agriculture, sustainable public transportation, new bike/ski trails along the river, and clean technology. One of the more interesting parts of the plan described floating islands made up of recycled water bottles which will provide seven acres of protected habitat for migrating birds and endangered wildlife. The entire proposal, including a video showing animations and stills of what the riverfront will look like when the project is finished, is available on the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition website.

At this point you probably want to ask questions like:

1) Where is the money for this coming from?

2) When is this going to start/finish?

3) Why is this even happening?

4) Why should I care?

I’ll happily answer all of these.

1) The competition was financed with funds from the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund. The sources of funding for the actual implementation and construction phase have not been established yet, but the most probable include metropolitan regional park funds, Legacy Amendment parks and trails funds, State bonds, watershed district funds, and private sector partnerships.

2) This is taken straight from the official TLS/KVA proposal: “The RIVERFIRST Park proposal is visionary and practical in the 4-5 year time frame and impactful in the 40 year frame of 2050.” This statement is all sorts of vague, from the boastful words to the inclusion of “impactful” which isn’t technically a real word. From their pitch at the Walker Art Center and information from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, it seems that key elements will be built and started within a relatively short time frame while the larger projects, such as wetland development and new housing, will be fully functional around 2050. That’s still speculation though, as the only established date so far is June 2011 when the Park Board will officially announce the next steps of the project.

3) Because the upper riverfront is in dire need of revitalization. Have you ever walked north along the Mississippi past Plymouth Avenue? Better yet, have you ever walked around the Mills District? You know, the picturesque area by the Guthrie Theater, the Mill City Museum, Gold Medal Park, and Mill Ruins Park? Well that place looked horrible 30 years ago. There was no way you were going to bring your sweetheart on a romantic picnic over there. But this city took action to transform it. Now it is an environmentally friendly place of business, arts, and recreation. That is what will be happening, albeit on a larger scale, to 5.4 miles of the river and surrounding city to the north.

4) BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT YOU TECH-ADDICT. NOW STOP GOING ON THE INTERNET SO MUCH AND GO ENJOY NATURE…unless you’re reading this online. Hm. Well, you should finish this article AND THEN GO ROMP AROUND IN THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RIVER OR SOMETHING.

While this whole “river revitalization” thing sounds super neat and all that, it is a lot more complex than building a couple jungle gyms next to the Mississippi. Despite all the progress I’ve witnessed so far, I’m still not sure if this will end up being a revolutionary endeavor or just another failed idealist concept. I hope for the former.

According to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this year the University of Minnesota has 4,665 enrolled international students in total, which places the U at 16th for largest number of international students enrolled at the university. Number one on the list is the University of Southern California, which has 7,897 international students.

Based on the report, China is the leading country of origin for international students studying at the University of Minnesota. There were 1,699 Chinese students at the U of M in 2010, and this figure does not include students from Hong Kong and Taiwan. India and South Korea are close behind in representation at the U.

International Student and Scholar Service (ISSS), is an office dedicated to serving all the international students and scholars at the University of Minnesota, helping them to transition to American culture, achieve academic goals, and get involved in university communities.

Facing the pressure of serving such a large number of international students and scholars, Kay Thomas, a director at ISSS, said that they are up to the challenge, and feel confident that the office will become a home for all the international students and scholars at the University of Minnesota.

When it comes to the challenges ISSS faced in 2010, Thomas said that it was the financial crisis that impacted them the most, keeping them from hiring new people. “However, we have already resolved this problem in another way, which proves to be a win-win,” she said in the interview, “we go hand in hand with Comparative and International Development Education (CIDE) program. The related major international graduate students can do consulting and administration work in ISSS. This on one hand relieves the pressure we face to hire new staff, and on the other hand, provides some international graduates valuable experience in consulting, administration and other fields. Some students are also able to volunteer for ISSS and earn credits in their courses.”

In addition, ISSS provides many interesting and meaningful activities for international students and scholars to get them involved in university communities, such as the “Small World Coffee Hour” and buddy program, as well as workshops where international students can gain practical work experience. In the “Small World Coffee Hour” and International Buddy Program, international students can make friends with each other, find their “fellow-townsman,” and learn American custom and culture.

ISSS also provides workshops for international students to gain valuable work experience. Different from CIDE program, this workshop offers Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). These two training programs provide work authorizations, which allow students to work in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study before the degree is completed. Students who finish the application and meet the requirements can get trained for free and work for ISSS. As Thomas said, these programs are essential for students, especially international students, who have no related work experience and want to find a job after graduation.

In order to better serve prospective international students, ISSS has a special team called International Ambassadors Program. It is aimed at assisting prospective international students in application, program introduction, living and studying. Ambassadors post their blogs bi-weekly and answer questions at any time for prospective international students around the world. Ambassadors usually hold bi-weekly meeting in their tenure to talk about how to better serve prospective international students.

Serving international students and scholars is the main purpose of ISSS, and ISSS plays its part as a bridge connecting international students and scholars in the world to the University of Minnesota. When asked about plans and expectations for 2011, Thomas “hopes it would be successful for ISSS to expand their programs, including short-term programs as well as cross-culture communities.” She also expects that ISSS will receive sufficient financial support to enlarge their office space. Hopefully these hopes are realized and the University of Minnesota continues to attract, and provide a community for, students from around the globe.

Do you realize what year it is? It is 2011, which means we have less than two years until the world ends. You would think that the signs of the end of time wouldn’t start until around September 2012 or so, but here we are in January 2011 and some very obvious signs are making headlines. Everyone has heard about the 5,000 dead birds in Alabama, the 2 million dead fish in Maryland, and how Sarah Palin is making a run for president in 2012. But all of these events seem distant from Minnesota. Though worrisome, it is difficult to relate to such happenings when we live in a secluded northern state. Fortunately, or actually, unfortunately for you, there have also been many recent local events pointing to doomsday.

Two such indications have been talked about quite a lot, but are at first glance the least obvious signs of the end-time. I’m talking about Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann running for president (though hopefully not on the same ticket). There have always been crazy people running for president (and governor: Fancy Ray I’m looking at you), but the fact that the public takes these particular candidates seriously can point to nothing short of the deterioration of society.

Tim Pawlenty has openly made up “facts,” one of many instances being in an Op-Ed article for the Wall Street Journal back in early December, which was proved rife with fabrications by PolitiFact. Unfortunately people don’t seem to care about that sort of thing. During his recent appearance on “The View,” audience members thought he seemed like a really nice guy, some even stating, “He’s got my vote,” according to a report by the Star Tribune.

Then there is Michelle Bachmann, the subject of countless “Top 10 Craziest Quotes” lists, of which my favorite is this 2009 classic: “I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I’m not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it’s an interesting coincidence.” There is so much wrong with that quote that I don’t even need to comment on it. So we have a liar and an insane person vying for the head of one of the most powerful countries in the world. And you doubted the 2012 theory.

Then there was the December 12 Metrodome collapse. Though it had been 24 years since any major damage to the roof has been reported and no similar collapse has occurred in its existence, people seem relatively calm about the whole predicament. The people in charge come up with how much it will cost to repair, plans start forming, and everyone forgets all about it. People are forgetting that in every end-of-the-world scenario landmark sports stadiums are always the first to go. Think about this—the Metrodome’s roof is 10 acres in area, according to the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission website, and snow took it down. Only weather nearing apocalypse-status could produce that kind of snowfall, and you can bet a year from now that Metrodome will be out of commission once again.

Popular 2012 predictions tend to include drastic changes in weather patterns that cause the oceans to encroach onto continents, or Texas-sized meteors crashing into Earth. The signs as of this moment, however, point towards a mutant takeover, the first appearance of which is scheduled for summer 2011, thanks to a November sewage spill into Lake Minnetonka.

According to Fox 9 News, in early November an estimated 150,000 gallons of raw sewage leaked into one of Minnesota’s most popular lakes. With the clean-up crew unable to extract it and the lake freezing over in December, that toxic sludge is now undoubtedly transforming the once docile lake creatures into disgusting, flesh-eating monsters. Come the beginning of swimsuit season, Lake Minnetonka is going to look like 2010’s 3D horror Pirahna.

Not going anywhere near the lake this year? You’re still in danger, and from something much more frightening than disfigured bass, as the Minnesota ban on new nuclear power plants is on its way to being repealed. With new nuclear power comes nuclear waste, and with nuclear waste comes human exposure and mutation. With all things considered, those mutations will lead to beings more akin to Sloth from The Goonies rather than the X-Men, obviously with a taste for human flesh.

There is always good news and bad news. This time, the bad news is that 23 months from now we’ll all be dead. The good news is that you now know and have 23 months left to complete your bucket list and party as much as you possibly can. Go!

While we can all rest assured that the hopelessly corrupt US Congress may still be the place where DREAMs go to die, there still seems to remain some semblance of responsibility—13 Senate Republicans rejected their party’s radical position and voted in favor of US ratification of the New START treaty with the Russian Federation. New START will limit each country to 1,550 strategic warheads, down from the current ceiling of 2,200, as soon as the two houses in the Federal Assembly of Russia—whose support was contingent upon US approval—vote the treaty into immediate effect sometime in late January or early February.

The treaty goes a step further than the Moscow Treaty of 2002, which lowered the total number of U.S. warheads from about 11,000 to today’s level of about 5,000. That treaty built off 1991’s START I, which lowered the number of warheads between Russia and the U.S. from about 50,000 to 20,000—about 10k each.

For the sake of partisan venting, it should be noted that when compared to Bush Jr. and Sr.’s treaties, the efforts spent by Senate Republicans and the goons at the Heritage Foundation to derail this modest treaty is empirical proof that “the opposition” will oppose anything with so much as Obama’s fingerprints—even if that means rejecting military consensus or their own precedent.

But now that the deal is sealed, it begs the question, what will happen to these discounted weapons of mass destruction? Back to where they came from, of course. Not anytime soon, mind you—sure, they’ll take out the batteries—but these newly discarded weapons will probably wait in storage for many years to come, until we’ve finished cleaning up after the cold war arms race.

There haven’t been any new nuclear weapons built since 1989. Since then, American production facilities have been tasked with various research and design projects, or in the case of the Pantex plant in Amarillo, Texas, disassembly. Since the early 90s, the Pantex plant has been tasked with piece-by-piece disarmament in their many concrete bunkers; removing explosives and their highly enriched uranium metal components from strategic and tactical nuclear missiles. The radioactive warhead components are reduced to metal shavings which are then melted and filtered into highly enriched uranium (HEU) after contaminants are chemically removed; the HEU is converted to a gaseous state and cut with low enriched uranium to make a blended low-enriched uranium that is burned as fuel for civil nuclear reactors—mostly those belonging to massive federal utility corporation Tennessee Valley Authority. Now, some bombs use plutonium instead of HEU so until a US nuclear reactor can process its mixed oxide fuel, those will continue to be packaged into lead containers and buried on site.

After the reactor is spent it gets shuffled in with the other 70,000 tons of radioactive waste that the US government isn’t sure what to do with; perhaps it will even end up at Minnesota’s own Prairie Island or Monticello nuclear generating plants—two of the 120 or so temporary domestic storage facilities.

In Russia, they’ve been converting their stockpile to fuel under the Megatons to Megawatts program for years. In fact, nearly half of all the electricity currently generated by US nuclear power comes from uranium that was once part of a Soviet warhead. Back in 1991, with Soviet implosion eminent, the rival countries struck a deal—partially because Russia was broke, partially because the US has never had consistent access to uranium—in which a branch of the Department of Energy (currently the privatized USEC) called U.S. Enrichment Corporation that would, “at very modest cost to the U.S. taxpayer,” essentially buy Soviet warheads in the form of a bulk uranium purchase.

Normally, an American utility company would buy natural uranium from a mining company in “yellowcake” form, and then hand it off to an enrichment company like USEC, paying them to create what will ultimately feed their reactors; under Megatons to Megawatts, USEC acts as only a middleman. In the 1993 agreement USEC paid Tekhsnabeksport (TENEX), the executive agent for Russia, $12 billion for a 20 year supply of HEU blended down in Russia and shipped to Kentucky. Local nuclear reactors then pay USEC for the fuel as if it were their own “yellowcake” uranium which had been enriched. The most recent calculations from US Council on Foreign Relations indicate that the deal has provided US reactors with wildly subsidized fuel—Russia is receiving approximately $72 per kilogram while the estimated 2011 uranium prices place it at an actual value of nearly $175; this is precisely why Russia has no plans to renew this contract when it expires in 2013.

Regardless, Megatons to Megawatts is widely considered a success story in non-proliferation, claiming the disarmament of 20,000 nuclear weapons while laying the critical legal groundwork for efforts to come. Just this January 11, it was confirmed by Moscow and Washington that “Agreement 123” has now come into effect, allowing US companies to sell nuclear materials like reactors and spent fuel rods back to Russia.

Much of the controversy surrounding nuclear power as a viable alternative energy is that uranium, like oil, is finite. Current uranium demands are double the current supply, in part because all the good uranium deposits have been used up. While traditional reserves dwindle, demand is set to explode; China’s new imports alone will gobble up a third of the current market and uranium prices will dramatically rise accordingly. Whether now, or when this price jump occurs, Russia will undoubtedly continue some sort of bombs to fuel exchange—either at much higher prices directly with US utility companies or foreign reactors that can process downblended plutonium, or with the Russia’s own recently opened nuclear fuel bank in Siberia. From the bank, a country with a clean proliferation slate can purchase low-enriched uranium for civilian reactor use. When faced with non-nuclear weapon states with civil nuclear reactors dependent on global uranium reserves for basic electricity, sitting on a nuclear stockpile leftover from the 20^th century may hold resoundingly profitable implications, establishing a whole new dimension of the “military industrial complex.”

Tuesday, Nov. 2 was one of those patriotic voting days. Good citizens and members of communities all across the nation took time out of their day to complete their highest civic duty. It wasn’t hard to spot folks wearing their red “I Voted” stickers proudly on Election Day, and even into the next week. The day consistently manifests patriotism and allows citizens to actuate their role in a democratic system. However, alleged voter vouching fraud may have tainted this year’s gubernatorial elections.

Members of the U of M student group Students Organizing for America (SOFA) are facing criminal investigation and potential felony charges in the aftermath of November’s civic holiday. The controversy is centered on illegal voter vouching at University Lutheran Church just off Washington Avenue. Third party vouching is a way of registering on Election Day without proper ID or a bill with one’s current name and address on it. Someone registered at the same precinct must sign an oath claiming that they know that the individual is a resident of the precinct.

Allegedly, several members of SOFA were congregating outside of University Lutheran and pairing up vouchers and individuals that needed to be vouched for. It is unclear whether or not the pairs knew each other; if they did not know each other and the voucher signed the oath, he or she would be in violation of Minnesota state law and face felony charges. Eventually a judge approached a woman from the group and confronted her about the person she was vouching for. The woman said she did not know the individual and was merely doing what SOFA instructed her to do. When attempting to vouch for an unregistered woman, another SOFA member could not give the woman’s correct address and was told by the judge that he would not be allowed to vouch for her. The SOFA member then got into a shouting match with the judge and was literally dragged off the premises. SOFA president Jeb Saelens was present when these events took place but was asked to leave because the state’s 15-person vouching limit had been reached for the day. Saelens declined to comment for the article.

SOFA is a registered University of Minnesota student group that supports the Democratic Party and is “committed to continuing President Obama’s grassroots efforts.” The organization is dedicated to promoting voter education and increasing youth voter turnout rates. The U of M group is merely a branch of the much larger tree, Organizing for America (OFA). OFA was created by Obama just three days into his first term as president. The organization is also dedicated to propelling aspects of Obama’s agenda such as the reformation of the healthcare system and the 2009 stimulus package.

Minnesota is one of only states to allow vouching as a means of on-site registration. The concept is controversial because critics argue that the inevitable chaos at voting sites may foster illegal vouching, as may have been the case at University Lutheran. Supporters argue that vouching is a feasible way to justly increase voter turnout rates. Vouching is perhaps one of the reasons that Minnesota consistently ranks among the top states in voter turnout rates. In 2008, 78 percent of eligible Minnesotans turned out to vote in the presidential election. This was the highest voter turnout among all states.

The supposed vouching fraud incidents of Nov. 2 seem to have been overlooked by the news media. The Minnesota Daily reported on the incident but thus far Fox News is the only major mass media organization to have covered the events. The Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and other Minnesota news sources all have omitted the events from their daily coverage.

As of right now the cases are under further investigation. A report has been submitted to the Hennepin County’s attorney’s office and the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office but Chief Deputy County Attorney Pat Diamond has yet to speak out regarding the report. Only time will tell if the claims have credibility or if the controversy is directed at just, law-abiding citizens.