March 2012 Archives

The Minnesota Gophers lost to Stanford in the NIT Championship Thursday Night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Stanford won the contest 75-51. This win is Stanford's first NIT Title since 1991 according to The New York Times.

For the Gophers, it is a second place finish in the second biggest college basketball tournament during the month of March besides the NCAA Tournament. The team made it to the finals as the 6th seed, according to the Minnesota Daily.

According to The New York Times, freshmen Chasson Randle scored 15 points for the Stanford Cardinals and his teammate sophomore Aaron Bright added 13 more points from the bench.

Bright was named the tournament's most valuable player, according to The New York Times.

Minnesota ends the season with a 23-15 record after winning last six of their last seven games to make an impressive run at the N.I.T. title.

Human Rights Watch says in a news report titled I Had to Run Away that many women in Afghanistan have been imprisoned for 'moral crimes.'

These crimes also include running away from home and sex outside of marriage.

According to Kenneth Roth, the group's executive director, in an article for Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the woman or girl is running away from domestic violence or forced marriage.

According to Al Jazeera, the report states that 400 women and girls need to be freed. The report also criticizes the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, saying that they have failed to execute the obligations in accordance with international human rights law.

In the report, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, even if a women is raped, she is punished instead of the suspect.

"Afghanistan is the only Islamic government in the world that specifically criminalised running away," said Heather Barr, an Afghanistan researcher at the New York-based organization, in an Al Jazeera article.

Newt Gingrich plans to cut one third of his full-time staff and replace his campaign manager.

Gingrich also will not travel as much to the remaining states for primaries. His focus will now be on videos and social media to attract voters on the internet.

According to the Seattle Times, he has only won two state contests and is in third place for delegates.

Also according to the Seattle Times, he previously had a $16.5 million Super Pac from Sheldon Adelson and his family that is now gone. Adelson doesn't plan on giving any more.

It is tough to say which of his opponents will benefit from his downsizing. According to The Wall Street Journal, polls showed he would take five to seven percent in Wisconsin even though his wife was born there and one of his daughters lives there. Wisconsin votes on April 3. Also according to The Wall Street Journal, the polls in Pennsylvania show him taking six percent and eight percent support in the April 24 vote.

Gingrich plans to stay in the race until the Republican National Convention.

"Romney has to earn this," said Gingrich in a Wall Street Journal article. "It's not going to be given to him."

According to a study released by the Chronicle of Higher Education about one in every five Division I basketball teams have seen a 20 percent decrease in attendance over the past four years.

The Minnesota Gophers', according to the Minnesota Daily, fans filled Williams Arena in 2010-2011 enough to rank 24th nationally for Gophers basketball.

From 2008-2010, according to the Minnesota Daily, Minnesota was ranked 23rd.

According to Gary Bowman in the Minnesota Daily, the athletics spokesman, attendance numbers have improved since Orlando Tubby Smith has been here.

According to the Minnesota Daily, the Gophers' average 13,241 fans per home game. This ranked seventh in the Big Ten this season. Last season the team averaged 13,453, which also ranked seventh.

Prior to the acquisition of Smith, the Gophers averaged fewer then 11,000 fans per game during the 2006-2007 season.

Out of all of the conferences in Division I basketball, the Big Ten has led for the past 35 years.

On Monday the votes were counted and graduate workers at the University of Minnesota have rejected the union.

According to the Pioneer Press, this is the fourth time since 1990 that graduate students voted down a union.

Of the 4,400 eligible graduate student workers to vote, only 68 percent cast votes in the election, according to the Minnesota Daily.

According to the Minnesota Daily, about 62 percent of the voters decided against forming the union.

The most recent election to form a union in 2005, received 58 percent of the voters voting against the construction of a union, according to the Pioneer Press.

Also according to the Pioneer Press, $13,300 is the average pay at the University of Minnesota. This amount is above the average at Big 10 universities.

Nate Condon, a sophomore forward, is a member of the third line on the Minnesota Golden Gophers Hockey team with Captain Taylor Matson.

He is the third Wisconsin native in school history on the team after Phil Kessel (2005-06) and Sam Lofquist (2008-09) according to The Central Wisconsin Hub.

Condon has 10 goals and 26 points this season for the MacNaughton Cup Champion Gophers. He is tied for first in the WCHA with five points on the penalty kill during the season.

Being from Wisconsin, he says that is by far the biggest game for him.

"The biggest game of the (regular) season for me is playing against Wisconsin," said Condon in The Central Wisconsin Hub article. "I grew up watching them and there's eight to 10 guys I played with growing up that are on their team. It always feels a little bit better when I come back to Wausau knowing that we beat (Wisconsin) so I don't have to listen to everyone around town talk about how we lost to the Badgers."

Condon joined the Gophers Hockey team after two years in the United States Hockey League with the Fargo Force. On the Force he played in 150 games over the two year stint in the league. Last year, as a freshmen he had 17 points in 35 games with the Gophers.

Condon and the Gophers will play in the Frozen Four on April 5 and if they win they will play for the National Championship on April 7.

Adelitas Way is a band that was made in Las Vegas, Nevada by Rick DeJesus.

DeJesus grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which had a huge impact on his music career. His two brother went to prison.

"It makes me tough-skinned," says DeJesus in a USA Today article. "I was from a place where everybody tried to shut you out and things were hard. So coming into the music industry, getting turned down sometimes and working hard didn't seem as bad as ending up selling drugs."

He then moved from Philadelphia to Las Vegas for VH1's 2005 reality show Strip Search. The show gave him good experience as a front man. In Las Vegas he started making the group Adelitas Way starting with drummer Trevor Stafford.

"I probably gave out 10,000 demos," DeJesus said in a USA Today article. "I used to sit in my house all day and burn discs, hand them to anybody who walked by me. Some people would throw them in the trash, and other people would use them as coasters, but I worked really hard to get Las Vegas to pay attention."

The band also includes bassist Derek Johnston and guitarists Keith Wallen and Robert Zakaryan.

Adelitas Way's top songs include Sick, Invincible and The Collapse.

The band's name references the Adelita Bar in Tijuana, Mexico. According to USA Today the website says it is where "the beer is cold and cheap and there are plenty of available women."

Adelitas Way will be playing in the Avalanche Tour with Shinedown. The tour starts Tuesday in Anaheim, California and goes through late April.

Kaitlyn Richardson is a difference maker for Golden Gopher Softball.

She currently sits tied for first in the Big Ten Conference with home runs and runs batted in. She also has a .420 batting average which is tied for sixth in the conference.

Last weekend she was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week batting 6-for-12 in five games, scored six runs, had four runs batted in and two home runs.

The Gophers also had success like Richardson over the weekend with a record of 4-1. Overall the Gophers are 14-4.

This year Richardson has made the transition from second base to the corner of third base.

"She took the extra time to learn the position," said Assistant Coach Jessica Merchant in a Minnesota Daily article. "She's more confident now. Things happen naturally now that maybe in the fall it took her a second [because] she had to think about [things] instead of just reacting."

Richardson has only committed one error at the new position.

She is from Phoenix where she played softball at Sandra Day O'Connor High School. There she was a two-time all-state selection and all-region selection three times.

Richardson was also recruited by other schools that included Stanford and Alabama.

"I think [she] wasn't afraid to go somewhere different and help build a program," said Head Coach Jessica Allister in a Minnesota Daily Article.

Manohar Aich won the Mr. Universe Competition in 1952, a year after he took second place in the competition and just recently celebrated his 100th birthday in Kolkata, India.

He was born in the town of Comilla in Bengal and has had to overcome many obstacles to achieve success.

Aich, who is 4 foot 11 inches tall, started weight training after he joined the Royal Air Force under India's British colonial rulers in 1942. A few years later, he was put into jail for protesting against colonial oppression. His stint in jail was when he truly started training hard.

"In jail I used to practice on my own, without any equipment, sometimes for 12 hours in a day," said Aich in a Huffington Post Article.

Because of this he was given a special diet to help build his stamina while in the jail. Aich attributes his health to a simple diet of milk, fruits, vegetables, rice, lentils and fish. Also he doesn't smoke and he has never touched alcohol.

In 1947, India received its independence which led to his release from jail. But all was not well, Aich and his wife struggled with poverty. It was harder for him to practice his weight training habits and therefore did odd jobs to make a little more money on the side.

He won the "Mr. Hercules" contest in 1950 and because of this he had goals of achieving Mr. Universe.

Currently Aich helps his sons run a gym and fitness center where he also guides juveniles in body building.

Perseverance has been key for his success.

"I never allow any sort of tension to grip me. I had to struggle to earn money since my young days, but whatever the situation, I remained happy," Aich said in a Huffington Post Article.

An Addison woman is in contention to make the U.S. Wrestling team for the upcoming Olympics.

Veronica Carlson, age 21, is a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. There she is preparing for a chance to achieve one of the four spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

Carlson wrestles in the 138.75-pound weight class and has always wanted to be an Olympian.

"It's been my goal since I started wrestling that I would make an Olympic team," Carlson said in an article with the Daily Herald of Illinois. "It just seemed like to dream of anything less would have been robbing myself of a chance to be the very best I could be."

On April 21 and 22 in Iowa City, Carlson will have to outlast the 15 other women in her weight class at the U.S. Olympic Trials to gain a spot on the Olympic team.

She started wrestling in seventh grade and in high school she was the only female on the 40 to 50 member squad. As a junior, she served as team captain with two other males.

Carlson moved to Michigan her senior year of high school to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University and attend Marquette Senior High School. There she started her intensive training that gave her a preview of what it would be like in Colorado now.

She is the future of this sport which became an Olympic sport in 2004.

"I had to earn my place as a competitor and be on my best behavior, only because I'm not so much a pioneer in the sport, but I feel like I wanted to set a good example for anyone who wants to be a wrestler who's female," Carlson said in a Daily Herald Article. "What I want to do is become that role model that other people are going to look up to."

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team is heading back to the WCHA (Western College Hockey Association) Final Five for the first time in three years, according to the Minnesota Daily.

Minnesota is currently awaiting the winner of the Thursday game between North Dakota and St. Cloud.

The Gophers bested Alaska Anchorage in a three game series with back-to-back wins to clinch a spot at this year's tournament which is held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Saturday's second game of the series didn't come easy for the Gophers as they were down 3-1 in the second period.

Zach Budish scored to make it 3-2 and then Nick Bjugstad scored to even up the game on the power play .

In the third period Erik Haula scored back-to-back goals in an 18 second span to give the Gophers a 5-3 lead.

According to SB Nation, Haula has five goals in the last three games.

From there Minnesota kept its foot on the gas pedal, winning the game 7-3.

Head Coach Don Lucia is proud of his team and feels last year prepared this team for their success.

"It's been a climb," Lucia said in an article for the Minnesota Daily. "There's been some frustration, but a year ago at this time... I said I don't think we are that far away. I don't know if everyone believed me at that time ... but this began a year ago."

First lady, Michelle Obama will be in Minnesota on Friday March 16 for two reasons.

She will be meeting with National Guard families and local community leaders to work with military families, according to The Star Tribune.

She is going in support of her Joining Forces Community Challenge.

According to The Star Tribune, it is "an effort to recognize citizens and community groups that have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of military families and veterans."

According to AP, military families and participants that take part in the Defending the Blue Line program will meet with her at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

After meeting with National Guard families, Mrs. Obama will raise money for her husband's presidential campaign. The fundraiser will be held at the Walker Art Center according to Minnesota Public Radio.

According to The Star Tribune, she is speaking at the Democratic National Committee fundraising event. Donors are asked to donate between $250 and $10,000 to attend the fundraiser.

An American Soldier is accused of killing 16 Afghans on Sunday.

These 16 Afghans included men, women and children.

According to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a CNN article, the army soldier could face the death penalty for this multiple house shooting.

Because of this shooting there are fears that this could reignite anger that led to deadly riots after U.S. troops burned Qurans, according to CNN.

The soldier has not been identified at this moment, but according to General John Allen, the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, in an interview with CNN, the suspect had previously served three tours of duty in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the soldier may be from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

This base is one of the largest on the West Coast that has more than 60,000 military and civilian personnel. Many of the troops at Lewis-McChord end up in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The reason why the soldier's background with Lewis-McChord is important is because according to The Los Angeles Times, it is one of the most troubled bases in the U.S. Army.

At the base 12 suicides have been reported along with an Iraq War Veteran that shot and killed a park ranger earlier this year.

The "Kony 2012" video went live on March 5 and because of the video there have been many repercussions around the world in response.

According to Time, the 30-minute documentary about the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony has been viewed more than 100 millions times in just under a week. This video has become the most viral video in history. The video has been translated and subtitle versions are available in Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese.

The reason the video went viral so quickly is largely based on Invisible Children's strong base of followers on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. The organization also had social media in mind when they made the video.

Even though the video has reached a huge amount of viewers there has been a lot of criticism about the organization. Kony's victims especially like the video but some believe it is too little, too late.

"What is this going to help? Kony cut off my arm, will the video bring it back? Where were these groups when we were being killed by Kony?" said Angella Atim, referring to Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony in an Sky News article.

According to Sky News, Ugandan forces drove LRA fighters out of the country in 2006. Now they are currently in South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they continue to be a problem.

The film and the organization is also being criticized for the use of the funds raised. According to Sky News, 70 percent or more by some accounts are being used for salaries, travel expenses, and filmmaking over charitable work.

Because of the criticism on the film's methods and messages the organization Invisible Children planned to release a new video today in response according to National Post.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Invisible Children spoke about the criticism.

"There's nothing to hide -- Invisible Children has been transparent since 2004 when we started," said Ben Keesey, the group's chief executive, in an interview Sunday night on "CNN Newsroom." "That's our intention and we want to show that this campaign is part of a model and strategy that's comprehensive."

A jury convicted a Roseville man of nine counts including second-degree murder in a Dinkytown hit-and-run on Tuesday March 6.
Timothy Bakdash, 29, was found guilty of a Dinkytown hit-and-run from April 15, 2011.
This hit-and-run led to University of Minnesota student Ben Van Handel's death.
Along with second-degree murder he was convicted with assault in the second degree and criminal vehicular operation. The criminal vehicular operation was associated with the injuries to Sarah Bagley and Katelynn Hanson.
According to the Minnesota Daily, the jury found Bakdash acted with intent but not premeditation thus leading to the acquittal of his first-degree murder charges.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in the Minnesota Daily article that premeditation requires for you to stop and make a plan of action.
The judge hasn't specified a sentencing date yet but according to the Minnesota Daily it could be expected within four weeks.
According to the Pioneer Press, Bakdash could spend 25 years in prison for his crimes.
The defendant testified that he went to the Library Bar in Dinkytown on April 15, 2011 with a friend and on his way to his car at the end of the night a man challenged him to a fight and slapped him on both cheeks. Bakdash then left the parking lot in his car with his friend when they spotted the man who slapped him on a sidewalk on Fifth Street Southeast.
Bakdash then drove down the sidewalk in an attempt to scare the man. The man jumped out of the way of the oncoming car, but as he accelerated down the sidewalk he hit Bagley and Hanson who were both seniors at the University of Minnesota. After that he hit Van Handel who was walking with a woman on the sidewalk.
According to the Pioneer Press, Bakdash has had a history of substance abuse and treatment dating back to age 11.
Overall Steve Van Handel, Ben's father, believes the jury made the right decision.
"He's going to spend a good amount of time in jail," he said in a Pioneer Press article. "He did a wrong act and he's going to be punished."