College News Network

By: Branden Largent

An unknown driver hit a University of Minnesota student and fled the scene.

Arianna Verette suffered minor injuries after rolling over the hood of a car which hit her as she was crossing the intersection of University Avenue and Washington Avenue Wednesday morning.

Verette said the car drove away at first, but came back. The driver got out of his car and apologized to Verette, giving her $100 before leaving again.

"I was kind of freaking out, because I've never gotten hit by a car before," she said.  

Veretter refused an ambulance at first, but decided to go to the East Bank Fairview hospital where they confirmed she didn't have a concussion. She did suffer a severe knee sprain.

"Im still kind of pissed about it," said Verette, who is considering contacting a lawyer if the suspect is ever found.

Verette couldn't describe the driver or the car, except that it was a dark, four-door sedan.

Minneapolis police confiscated the $100 as evidence.

The traffic unit will reevaluate the case. But since Verette didn't get a suspect description or license plate number the police are awaiting information or leads before they can continue the investigation, Minneapolis police Sgt. Steve McCarty said.

By: Aaron DuBois

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn, encouraged citizens Friday to voice their support in maintaining lower student loan rates.

Ellison said he would co-sponser a bill that would prevent an increase in student loan interest rates. The current Stafford loan rate is at 3.4 percent and will rise to 6.8 percent if the bill expires in July.

Ellison, whose district encompasses the University of Minnesota, said the bill would fulfill the President&undefined;s request from his State of the Union Address to keep college affordable.

"I definetly stood up and clapped hard during that part," Ellison said during a conference call.

Numbers released by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education show that the cost of attending a Minnesota public four-year institution is $18,454, slightly higher than the national average at $18,205. According to Ellison the current average Minnesota student loan debt is $29,000.

"In the last few decades America has somehow decided that a college education is more of a private investment than a social good," he said.

Ellison believes that if the cost of college goes up in the U.S., its global competitiveness will decline as well as individual achievement and income.

The Shared Leadership Volunteer Committee is collaborating with Sustainable Futures to collect empty beer, spirit and wine bottles for recycling and repurposing. Sustainable Futures is a charity organization based in Boise that serves the social, economic and environmental needs of the community. Glass bottles are recycled and repurposed into usable products that can be sold [...]

By: Matt Herbert

As Asian carp and zebra mussels force native species out of their habitats across Minnesota, University of Minnesota professor Peter Sorensen hopes to bring a research center to campus to gain a better understanding of invasive species.

The center's objectives would revolve around developing new deterrent, control and eradication techniques, as well as work with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and others in the state to combat the invasive species.

An invasive species is defined as an alien, non-native species whose introduction most likely causes economic and environmental damages or harm to human health.

Evidence of Asian carp has turned up in water samples in the St. Croix River. Asian carp are river dwelling fish, not lake dwelling.

Sorensen Asian carp, as well as other invasive species such as zebra mussels and common carp, are major threats to Minnesota waters and wildlife.

A major part of the proposed research at the center would go toward these species to better understand them, Sorenson said.

"No one's really taken a hard look at this and no one's really focused on how carp behave,"Sorenson told a legislative committee Thursday. "It's important we find solutions to control these species so natural species are protected for future generations."

The budget for the proposed research center would include a $2 million startup cost and $2 million operations cost per year for eight years.

Sorensen proposed his plan for a research center to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, a group that is in charge of making annual recommendations to the state Legislature on appropriations from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

However, the council excluded the research center from heritage funding. Sorensen said there is a chance the center will come up in a bill at another time during the session.

In the committee meeting, Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, expressed optimism for the project.

"I certainly hope this group and the Legislature can find a way to make this work," McNamara said.

Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, is supportive of the project, but has concerns over funding.

"Invasive species are a problem for Minnesota," Higgins said in an email. "I think the proposed research center is a good idea, though I am unsure of how we are going to fund the project."

Much of the research that would take place at the University would involve investigating the behavior of many invasive fish species and developing repellents for Asian and common carp.

The proposed research center would be located on the St. Paul campus within the College of Food Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences. It would provide research opportunities for up to seven graduate students as well as many undergraduates students.

Sorensen said that the U.S. has a different mindset compared to other countries around the world battling invasive species.

Countries like Australia and New Zealand use genetic engineering and disease research to combat invasive species. In the U.S., where the problem is much more recent, temporary methods like physical barriers and poisons have been used, Sorenson said.

"It would be great for the country. Our country needs to make an example and this [research center] could make Minnesota a leader in research on invasive species," Sorenson said.

The Hawkeyes allowed the Cornhuskers to shoot 53.6 percent from the floor in the second half and make nine of their last 11 shots.

The City Council will vote on the red-light cameras ordinance for the third and final time on Feb. 21.

Iowa policymakers agree with President Obama that making higher education affordable is important, but leaders have stopped short of promising to halt tuition increases.

Nine heifer development clinics are being held to restock Iowa's beef supply.

A $55,000 grant will go toward the creation of a shuttle program between Mason City and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. The service is scheduled to begin on Feb. 1.

A bill in the Iowa Legislature would mandate stricter voter-identification rules, but some Iowa lawmakers and interest groups have questioned whether it's necessary.

With a new online system scheduled to be implemented later this year or early next year, UI officials are looking to make the class drop procedure easier.

Your daily diversion, with horoscopes, The Ledge, and Sudoku...

Brandon Richardson said he'd take an assist over a jump shot any day following Nebraska's 79-73 defeat of Iowa.

An offseason concussion forced Grant Gambrall up a weight class, where the returning all-American has struggled.

After a successful trip to Evanston, Iowa will try to defeat Notre Dame for the second time in as many months.

The Razorback Invitational won't yield team scores, but strong individual performances could push several Hawkeyes into the NCAA Indoor meet.

The Hawkeyes are going to compete with some of the nation's best.

The women's gymnastics team is set to compete against Iowa State tonight, but the gymnasts have a bigger picture in mind.

The Hawkeyes will face Illinois-Chicago without at least one of their 2011 NCAA qualifiers.

Benjamin Evans and Chris Steinke weigh in.

We have always found Scott to be dedicated, knowledgeable, compassionate, fair-minded, and effective in his work.

Holocaust scholars have forgotten about the Rromani, allowing history to repeat itself.

Two downtown restaurants were silent Thursday afternoon, except for the buzz of televisions playing "A Memorial for Joe."

For nearly a week, eager customers flocked to the newly opened Jersey Mike's Sub Shop, as the shop offered sandwiches for a $1 donation to the Four Diamonds Fund, the organization that benefits from the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

The way Nike Chairman and Founder Phil Knight sees it, Joe Paterno's been a hero to him for 12 years.

Unlike many of the speakers at "A Memorial for Joe," Jeff Bast never had a personal relationship with Joe Paterno.

As Sue Paterno entered the Bryce Jordan Center Thursday, more than 10,000 people rose to their feet and broke into a round of applause. The crowd, who was there to honor her late husband Joe, continued to stand as Sue hugged every member of her family. When Sue noticed her image displayed on the screens behind her, she buried her face in her hands.

The applause for Jay Paterno started before he spoke a word. When Joe Paterno's son reached the podium, he received a standing ovation from the audience of the Bryce Jordan Center.

About 12,000 mourners packed the Bryce Jordan Center for "A Memorial for Joe," but with a campus of more than 40,000 students, not all were able to watch or attend the memorial.

Just because the vote has been cast doesn’t mean the debate is over. On Tuesday, the University Faculty Senate...

Some in Waring Commons stood around TVs and sat on benches with their eyes glued to the footage. In the Sparks Building, students and faculty dropped whatever they were doing at 2 p.m. and came together to turn their eyes toward a screen.

The Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows Program bears the family name of Joe Paterno -- not because he was a great football coach, but because he was a man who committed himself to academics, College of the Liberal Arts Dean Susan Welch said.

In the few moments of silence found at "A Memorial For Joe" Thursday afternoon, only the sound of sniffles and the slight rustle of tissues carried across the Bryce Jordan Center.

A former board member of The Second Mile has filed a lawsuit against the charity, according to a civil...

The second oldest THON event was held Thursday night to honor those involved with Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

One of the biggest threats in our nation’s history to both free speech and, in fact, our free society, was shelved last Friday after massive protests across the Internet, including a 24-hour shutdown of Wikipedia and Reddit. The Stop Online Privacy Act was an overreaching piece of legislation that would have resulted in preemptive action being taken toward websites that could have resulted in the shutting off of many high-traffic websites such as Facebook and YouTube. Protests against this bill were a refreshing act of citizens rising up to protect their right to free speech and personal property.

rideShare was created as a trial service in fall 2010 at three universities across the nation.

Steve ruins a joke

Part-time employment increases through MU’s CASH Program

We’re very opinionated about proposals this issue, but unlike the library fee proposal, we’re not at all happy about this one, and you shouldn’t be either.

A search committee narrowed the list down to five prospective candidates.

The suspect was arrested in Stephens Lake Park.

1. Police find marijuana after driver fails to signal

An MU freshman was arrested early Monday on multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated.

A collection of top stories from student newspapers across the country.

The organization will have about $8,000 extra in their budget next year to spend on services and activities.

The proposed fee would cover the costs of increased hours.

An estimated 820 students show up on Saturdays.

In a few weeks, our university library will present a proposal for a student fee to the Missouri Students Association. MSA needs to approve it, and our entire university needs to learn from it and copy it.

Surveys and focus groups will begin to be conducted starting Feb. 6.

The new bill would make texting and driving illegal for all drivers.

Necessary expansion may require its 70,000 daily motorists to pay a toll

On January 11, 2012, MU students, faculty and staff received an email containing Executive Order No. 38. What the hell was this about? Did it ban the Add Sheet guys from campus? Can you be expelled for starting rumors about celebrity visits to MU now? Unfortunately, especially regarding the latter, no.

The Missouri Students Association is calling on students to sign an online petition, send letters to legislators and tweet about the proposed cuts for higher education.

Pam Henrickon was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon last August.

Daniel Stribling says strong voices are needed in Washington and Jefferson City.

Levi Cooper, the No. 9-ranked heavyweight in the nation, had every reason to feel cocky heading into his match against OU redshirt freshman Kyle Colling. He was on a roll and had just beat the No. 1 heavyweight in the nation a week prior. Colling was about to get a signature win of his own, though.

One TEDxOU speaker plans to leave a lasting impression on his audience with not only his words but his movements. Modern dance professor Austin Hartel plans to share a philosophy he teaches to his dance students that applies both to their studies and their lives, he said.

The TEDxOU conference today in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium will feature 14 speakers from diverse backgrounds lecturing some of OU’s brightest students, said event organizers.

Tears came down Abby Skinner’s face as she cradled her friend’s newborn child in a hospital room only steps away from where she had received her diagnosis hours before. All the 19-year-old environmental sustainability sophomore could think about was the possibility that she would never be able to have her own children.

After spending two-and-a-half months living homeless while studying abroad in Bordeaux, France, Beth Forsythe realized the OU study abroad program might need a little help. When she returned to the U.S., the letters senior began working with OU Education Abroad Director Alice Kloker to fill the gaps in the program that had led to her predicament.

Elsbeth Dowd, anthropology graduate student, received a grant from her peers that made it possible to gather more information about a native Oklahoma tribe known as the Caddo. Dowd used a $595 research grant from the Graduate Student Senate to carbon date a piece of charcoal from an archeological dig known as the Cook site.

Today the Kansas track and field team will host the annual Jayhawk Classic at Anshutz Sports Pavilion, two weeks after defeating Missouri at the dual meet in Columbia. It’s the ideal chance to shake off the last bit of rust that may remain before traveling to New York City for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, a meet that will test them against the best competition in the nation, including the nation’s top 5 ranked teams in the most recent track and field coach’s poll.

The Jayhawks women’s team had an excellent performance against Missouri and will look to produce a strong performance at home after a couple weeks of training and getting back to school for the new semester. The Jayhawk Classic isn’t a major meet on the Kansas track and field calendar, but the women’s team will want to keep the momentum of their 106-75 victory over Missouri rolling into the much bigger meet next weekend in New York.

Two awards honoring Kansas women’s track athletes highlighted the off week. Junior Andrea Geubelle was announced as the Big 12 track and field athlete of the week last week and Senior Rebeka Stowe was recognized with the Marlene Mawson award.

The men’s team will look to produce a solid performance to build from while preparing for the New Balance Invitational. Coach Stanley Redwine said he hoped that with the week off, the team could shake off some rust and come back fresh in today’s meet. He also mentioned that there were some improvements to be made before the Jayhawk Classic, which was understandable considering the Kansas men’s team lost to Missouri on total points scored 92-85. Today they can make those improvements on their home track.

The action begins this morning at 11 with the pentathlon; the track events begin at 3 and will extend throughout the day, ending with the 1600 meter relays at 10.

Oklahoma’s track and field teams will travel to Fayetteville this weekend for the Razorback Invitational. The Sooners will face off against a bevy of highly ranked teams, including host school Arkansas’ top-ranked men’s and third-ranked women’s teams.

Freshmen Erica Brewer and Rebecca Clark are opposites in their approaches to gymnastics. Brewer is powerful and aggressive, and Clark is graceful and exact in all her movements, OU coach KJ Kindler said. But opposites seem to attract in their case.

he No. 25-ranked OU women’s tennis team will face its first road test this weekend when it competes for a spot at the 2012 USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships starting at noon Friday at UCLA Tennis Center in Los Angeles. The Sooners will be facing off against St. Mary’sand either Utah or No. 4-ranked UCLA as part of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which is held at 15 different campuses across the country.

Our View: Oklahoma women have more cervical cancer cases but get tested less. Don’t forget to get tested every two years. When we heard about the Housing Center Student Association fundraiser for the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, we decided to look into Oklahoma’s cervical cancer and testing rates. The numbers are not encouraging.

One of the biggest questions for OU women’s hoops going into the highly-touted match-up against No. 1 Baylor was could the Sooner centers stop All-American Brittney Griner. Limited to just five points in the first half, OU’s defense looked like it had an answer for the 6-foot-8 shooting nemesis. Just not for the rest of the Baylor offense.

A new Spanish restaurant is open in Norman, part of a growing trend of Hispanic-influenced food. Trés Taqueria y Cantina opened its doors for business on Main Street in late December and is trying to separate itself from the Tex-Mex scene in Norman by blending cuisine from Spain, New Mexico and South America.

The University of Dayton women's basketball team continues Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend in a familiar setting: on the road. The game against George Washington University in Washington D.C., at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, will be the Flyers' seventh true road game and the 13th it has played away from home, including games at neutral locations. Thus far, Dayton has compiled an 8-4 record...

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently dubbed University of Dayton vice president of enrollment management Sundar Kumarasamy as "one of the admissions profession's most daring innovators." Since Kumarasamy was hired in 2007, applications have increased by almost 4,000. Kumarasamy also hired 160over90, a branding agency based in Philadelphia, to help implement marketing strategies...

The University of Dayton women's club volleyball team is the No. 1 team in the nation after their top-five finish last April at the Collegiate Club Volleyball National Tournament in Houston. The National Club Volleyball Federation ranked Dayton No. 1 in its Mizuno women's rankings on Jan. 17. With six seniors on the team this year, senior middle blocker and team president Calli Roberts said...

More than 40 national theologians and Catholic leaders, including five University of Dayton religious studies professors, released a letter last week to Catholic GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. The letter, published on the Faith in Public Life website on Jan. 19, asked the candidates to "stop perpetuating ugly racial stereotypes on the campaign trail."...