Basketball struggles to get on track due to COVID-19

February 24, 2021 Matthew Drewry Leave a comment

This basketball season has been unlike any before it. After March cancellations due to COVID-19, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced a modified schedule in November. In this season, Winona State University basketball teams are struggling to compete, facing frequent COVID cancellations.

The Warriors prepare for a rebound from a Duluth free throw. Matt Drewry

The Winona State University women’s team has played four of eight scheduled contests, falling to 0-4 after a 81-79 loss against Augustana University Saturday 26th, before cancellation of Sunday’s game due to COVID. Winona State men’s basketball beat Augustana Saturday 87-82 and lost a rematch Sunday 63-73 to a 3-2 record, playing five of eight games so far.

Both Winona State basketball teams faced University of Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 2 before a positive COVID test within the Winona program ended the series. The Warriors resumed last season’s schedule against the Duluth Bulldogs, with the men’s matchup in Duluth’s Romano Gymnasium and the women facing off in Winona State’s McCown Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs handily beat both Warriors teams. Men’s basketball lost 59-81, while the women’s team fell 47-68.

Center Ava Sergio shoots against the Duluth defense.
Matt Drewry

Winona State women’s basketball coach Scott Ballard said the team faced an old opponent with a new playstyle.

“We’re basically running a new offense and a new defense from last year and It just takes time and reps to become consistent, Ballard said. “When you play a team the quality of Duluth, they will expose your inefficiencies or inconsistencies.

After the initial matchup, a positive test in the Winona sidelined both teams before their rematch, for the following two weeks, this meant cancelling contests against Southwest Minnesota State University and the men’s game against the University of Sioux Falls.

Precautions for this season included back to back games against a single opponent per week and mandatory cancellations and quarantines, following NCAA Sports Science Institute guidelines for COVID safety. The Warriors compete in McCown Gymnasium with only players and media present.

Second-year point guard Bill Flowers described the new environment COVID brings to the court.

“Being in silence, it’s very weird.” Flowers said. “It’s like actually playing a five on five in, like, an empty gym.”

The Warriors’ Women’s bench watches the game against Duluth. Matt Drewry

Athletes also face stringent COVID restrictions off the court.

Ballard said those restrictions include COVID testing three times a week in addition to testing on game day.

Flowers said the whole team faces restrictions beyond cancellation of games.

“If you did not test positive, we are allowed to have the coaches setup an individual workout,” Flowers said. “But each player has to be at their own separate basket, like at least 20 feet away,”

Ballard said quarantining challenges the whole team in unique ways.

“Our goal is to get better every week.” Ballard said. “Well, how difficult is it to get better every week when you have to stop and pause for two weeks and then restart again? You have to backtrack and review and relearn some things.”

The Winona State Warriors women’s basketball team huddles during a team timeout. Matthew Drewry

Ballard described the frustration players face against the invisible opponent of COVID, including the toll on their mental health.

“The mental health and mindset of our players going through this is my biggest concern because even those who have had a positive test at sometime in the last six weeks, none of them had symptoms,” Ballard said. “Everybody feels great. They feel normal. They just have a test that says positive on it. It’s really difficult for athletes and competitors to handle.”

Flowers said the experience has brought the team together.

“It changed my opinion on how close a group of teammates and a group of players should be,” Flowers said.

Flowers also said this has changed his perspective on the season.

“We’re not guaranteed to have a season. We’re not guaranteed to even play basketball or make it to the championship or anything,” Flowers said. “But one thing is guaranteed: we’ll have one another’s backs and be together and just make the most [of this] opportunity.”

Animals, Family, Life, Local, News, Pets, Resources, Winona

WAHS Providing Free Pet Supplies

Gallery February 11, 2021 Greg Off Leave a comment

With a return to work looming for many new pet owners, the Winona Area Humane Society is doing everything they can to ensure newly adopted pets get to stay in their forever homes including support for pet owners such as free kennels, food, treats and other pet supplies.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut down many facets of people’s everyday lives, people searched for something to fill their free time. For some it was day trading, for others it was trying to bake the best loaf of sourdough, and for others it was adopting a pet.

Humane Society Facilities Manager Susie Marshall said, “We had up to twelve dogs at once when we typically have five.”

“They all come in from Arkansas or Texas since Winona doesn’t have a stray problem.”

Marshall said in her ten years of experience it was extremely rare to house more than five dogs. The WAHS typically houses 50 cats at any given time, and saw that number drop as low as 19 during the peak of their pandemic adoption boom in summer of 2020.

“We previously were going to the Walmart distribution center in Tomah every quarter to six months to stock up on food for our animals, now we go every two months.” Marshall added.

The WAHS is offering free food, treats, leashes, cat litter and litter boxes to any owner who needs it and will give enough to stock for the entire winter, assuming they have the stock on hand. They offer contact-free pickup and will load a cart of whatever amenities are needed and will try to keep the same brand across all items, just call in advance and leave a voicemail.

Supplies offered to pet owners by the WAHS.

Marshall predicts an influx of returned pets when normalcy returns. “I see people return dogs even when they are home,” Marshall said. “People aren’t as disciplined as they need to be kennel training, because ‘he looks so sad’ but then they come home to destroyed furniture.”

Some ways for owners to help the transitions for their pet is to not get to work super early, and conversely, coming straight home after, and if possible, during lunch.

Marshall said she swears by the phrase, “a tired dog is a good dog, a rested dog misbehaves” and walks her own dog for three miles every day regardless of the weather.

Winona State alumna Pam Leber, who now resides in Palatine, Illinois, with her husband, Mark, and daughter, Michala, adopted a dog during the pandemic after many phone calls, e-mails and google searches.

Michala, who recently graduated from DePaul University, was adamant having a dog would help with her anxiety, especially during quarantine.

“Michala had been asking since third grade, she did a presentation for us, but my husband didn’t want a dog because he’s allergic, so the dog needed to be hypoallergenic and it’s a lot of work and responsibility.” Pam Leber said. “But he really began to see being home during the pandemic how it affected her, and he started to get soft.”

It didn’t take much more convincing before the family drove to an Amish farm near LaPorte, Indiana, to look at a litter of five puppies, and after a short getting-to-know-you period with the dogs, one that had lurked in the back worked his way to Michala’s side, emblazoned with the name tag “Rebel.”

“Our last name spelled backwards; we took that as a sign” Pam Leber said.

With Michala still searching for post-graduation employment, the costs of supplies for newly renamed Bentley are split between her and her parents, who were fortunate enough to receive a hand-me-down cage and bed from a family friend.

A run to the pet store can sometimes cost more than $100. Pam Leber said she recognizes how hard the situation can become.

“We got a dog when I was 13 and we had to give it back because we were too scared at the time, now looking back, that would be heartbreaking,” Pam Leber said. “You’ve given this dog a warm place and a loving home, do you want to give that up? Do you have a friend or family member it can stay with?”

Susie Marshall is a former dog trainer and willing to answer all questions as well as share training tips via her email wa****@hb**.com. The Winona Area Humane Society can be reached via voicemail at 507-452-3135.

A dog recently adopted from the Winona Area Humane Society

A cat recently adopted from the Winona Area Humane Society

Campus, College, Sorority, Winona State University

Sorority adapts to COVID-19

Video February 11, 2021 Christopher Edwards Leave a comment

This year has been difficult no matter a student’s year here at Winona State University because it’s been filled with uncertainties and adaptations.

As a first-year college student, one of the biggest concerns is trying to make new friends and making the university feel like home, which is where campus involvement comes in to play.

Before COVID-19 it was easy to go to campus events hosted by many different organizations. Now, it’s nearly impossible.

The Phi Theta Chi sorority knows this all too well.

Entering her first year at WSU, Nicole Banicki didn’t really know what to expect as COVID was in full swing.

She decided to join Phi Theta Chi in hopes of making connections with people at WSU.

Phi Theta Chi is a sisterhood that holds fundraising and social events throughout the school year according to their website.

This allowed her to immerse herself into the university, as well as make friends “It’s hard to make friends right now, because there’s no social events” Banicki, said.

Photo submitted by Nicole Banicki of her posing outdoors.

COVID has also been difficult for older students like senior Skylar Smiley.

Smiley has been in Phi Theta Chi for three years and holds four positions within the sorority which involves event planning.

One of the events she organizes is Rush Week which is where she tries to recruit new members to the sorority.

This is important for Phi Theta Chi because it’s a smaller sorority that typically has “13 to 15 members but this year, they dropped to 11” Smiley, said.

Photo submitted by Skylar Smiley of her wearing a Phi Theta Chi T-shirt.

Instead of doing it in person Smiley shifted Rush Week to online by hosting multiple different nights between January 19-29 some of the nights included creating your own birth chart and distanced gaming.

Aside from Rush Week, Smiley has had difficulty trying to adjust with other events such as tabling and fundraising.

Smiley stated, “without tabling, it’s just been really weird to have to do the events without like physically being there.”

A fundraising event they can’t do is their annual bake sale, where they sell baked goods on campus.

COVID makes bake sells impossible.

They have turned to alternative ways to raise money. Phi Theta Chi is not a nationally recognized sorority, so they raise their money locally.

One alternative is virtual raffles where Phi Theta Chi used social media to raise money.

All-in-all Smiley said last semester they were able to host a couple in person events such as a chalking event to counter-protest the Warriors for Life chalk display on campus.

Smiley also said the transition was difficult at first. Now with dedication from all the women they are still about to keep that sisterhood connection Through virtual games such as Among Us, virtual meetings, etc.

Since joining Phi Theta Chi, Banicki said the social aspect of the sorority has “made life happier”.

Even though she prefers to face to face interaction, she feels that communicating online has been helpful because time isn’t wasted going back and forth places.

Banicki and Smiley said they are now ready and feel safe to return to limited on campus events and are excited for what the future on-campus holds.

Smiley said, “As long as COVID numbers are down, and we do everything on campus, the way that campus asks us to, they would be comfortable having some in person (events)”.

Here is a link to Phi Theta Chi’s website

https://phi-theta-chi.wixsite.com/alphachapter

Campus, College, Digital Life and Learning, Higher Education, Winona

Are Education Students Prepared to Student Teach?

February 11, 2021 Kelli Jo Knobloch Leave a comment

With COVID-19 putting a strain on in-person classes, a lot of students are suffering when it comes to learning. One such group is students who are studying to become the next generation’s teachers.

College students in the Elementary and Early Education department at Winona State University are having to do supplemental work instead of being in the classroom and working with children.

According to Daniel Kirk, Dean of the WSU College of Education, 516 students are enrolled in the Elementary and Early Education department.

Those 516 students are missing out on vital time of working in person with children, and many within the next few semesters will start their actual semester of student teaching.

Dr. Mary Anderson, a professor in the Elementary and Early Education department, said she is optimistic for her students to begin student teaching.

Dr. Mary Anderson professor of the Elementary and Early Education Department, submitted

“I think they are going to be well prepared with their content,” Anderson said. “What I can’t replicate is the actual child or group of children.”

Dr. Anderson said while students are not able to work in the field, they are doing well with online learning.

“With the work students did last semester and are continuing to do this semester, I have not seen any signs of their academic work lacking at all,” Anderson said. “In fact, I might make a case that they might even be a little bit stronger.”

Payton Portugue an early education major for three semesters will begin student teaching this fall. Portugue selecting a school where she will student teach in the fall.

Payton Portugue major of Elementary and Early Education Department

The education department offers a variety of classes to prepare students for teaching and working with children in a classroom environment.

Since COVID-19 started, these students have not been able to get into any of the local classrooms to work with kids.

“COVID-19 has severely cut down the time we get to spend working with kids in a classroom and building those classroom management skills,” Portugue said.

Portugue said instead of field experience, Winona State University has provided alternative methods like observational videos.

“I feel like I’ll never be one hundred percent prepared,” Portugue said. “I think that Winona has provided me with a lot of different skills and opportunities, so I think I’ll fit in pretty well.”

Hannah Seifert, an education major for three semesters at WSU delayed her field experience after studying abroad for a semester.

“I’ve been able to take all my classes,” Siefert said. “I haven’t been able to do any of the field experience which is a challenge.”

Siefert described the requirements all education students need in order to begin student teaching.

“Minnesota requires 100 hours of field experience in order to student teach, where 50 of those hours can be supplemental,” Siefert said.

Siefert is optimistic to begin student teaching even though she never had field experience due to COVID-19.

“I think by the time I’m done with student teaching I’ll be prepared since we’re learning all the material now,” Siefert said. “I’m hoping by next spring I’ll be able to student teach in person.”

Business, Chef, Cooking, creative, Food, Uncategorized

Cooking Up A Career

May 11, 2020 Buck Wallert Leave a comment

Byron Franz, also known as Chef B, has been cooking since he was 13 years old, and since he can remember, he has always loved doing so.

10 years later, his passion for food is still there, and with the help of his mentor, celebrity chef DeMarco Cavil, Franz is starting to see a lot of opportunity in the cooking industry.

Chef DeMarco Cavil, who has cooked for the likes of Magic Johnson, Dwayne Wade and Bill Clinton, has trusted Franz to be his guest chef on multiple occasions.

“He will message me whenever he needs me, and I’ll go up there (Twin Cities) to help him out. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m going into when I go up there,” Franz said. “As summer progresses, he’s talked about us feeding the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota United Men’s Soccer team.”

Chef DeMarco will secure a gig and message Franz to meet him at the address.

“He will bring all the food there, and I will help him finish it off and do any of the last steps,” Franz said. “When we do these gigs, we try to have 75 percent of the food done, so that when we show up to these people’s homes, we are only spending 45 minutes to an hour there at the max.”

With a rate of $125 per plate, Franz dishes up an appetizer, entrée and a dessert. But for first time customers, Franz lets them eat for free.

“It’s more of a way to get myself out there, and if I can do that, I think it goes a long way to show them that I actually care about my work.”

Franz has delivered his creations and hosted meals at his house in an effort to get clients hooked on his product. This way when he opens up shop, he can get returning customers right away.

He is able to make money now from donations and tips, while also getting paid when he helps Chef DeMarco.

In an effort to get his name known, Franz has been messaging many celebrities and athletes to try and set up dates to cook for them. To his surprise, a few responded, such as Naz Reid of the Timberwolves, and Mr. Hotspot, a Hip-Hop artist.

“When I messaged them, I didn’t expect them to actually look at their DMs because a lot of them will have their DMs still go through their general and have hundreds of messages from their fans,” Franz said. “When they do respond back, it’s kind of a weird feeling, like these famous people are noticing your work, and they want you to come down and cook for them.”

Franz is hoping to have menu put together in the coming weeks so he can start taking orders from clients.

He usually cooks in themes for the week. If customers like what they see, they can order from his Facebook page, or text him directly.

This week’s theme was chicken and waffles.

Earlier this week, he made waffle cones filled with mac n’ cheese and chicken.

The meal he cooked in this picture is waffle tacos with a mac n’ cheese base, filled with deep fried chicken and drizzled with a sweet honey barbecue sauce. He then toped it off with bacon bits and chives for the garnish.

Franz journey as a chef started when he was 13 years old, cooking for his parents, grandparents and friends. Right away, he knew this is what he loved to do.

From there he started volunteering at his church and cooking for his youth group, before getting his first job as a kitchen aid at the Good Samaritan Nursing home when he was 15.

He worked at the Good Samaritan all through high school before having to leave for college where he would chase his music dreams in Kansas. Eventually releasing an electronic album titled ‘The Journey’ on iTunes, ultimately putting his cooking career to the side.

Things did not feel right for Franz, and after a few years away, he return home. And in 2018, he got his old job back at the Good Samaritan.

This time, as the head cook.

“The nursing home was the perfect spot for me,” Franz said. “I got to cook for a large crowd, and it taught me food cost and food waste. I learned a lot of what I know from there.”

Franz eventually moved on from the nursing home and took two jobs as a cook at a bar and grill called Duffy’s and a bar and grill called The Den.

After only a few months of working, Franz received a promotion at The Den and decided to work there full time.

The Den is where Franz found his love for cooking again.

He decided to take a step away from music, and apply for culinary school at South Central in Mankato, MN.

Here is where he met Chef DeMarco and took his cooking to the next level.

Franz became known locally for some of the meals he prepared like the one below.

But, it was his noodle cup creation, inspired by Trendy Chef, that really gained him a following.

“After I made my first noodle cup, I’ve taken the idea of being this out of the box chef, and just come up with weird creations. It’s given me lots of attention on my social media, I have people in my DMs saying, ‘I wish you were in Atlanta, I wish you were in Texas, or New York.’ Or they will message me saying ‘what’s it going to take to get you out here.’ So, the hard work is definitely paying off, and it’s showing.”

“It’s hard sometimes though, I just won’t know what to make,” Franz said. “I go to these celebrity chef profiles and gather ideas from them, and just combine them all in one dish.”

Franz does take pride in the look of his meals, but he prefers the taste to be what he is known for.

“Our professors told us, ‘you can have a plate that looks like a million-dollar plate, but it might not even taste good,’” Franz said. “’But you can have some food that looks like a disaster and be one of the better things you’ve tasted.’”

Experimenting with different combinations, not everything turns out well for Franz. So, he throws it away, and try’s and try’s again.

“I’ve always told myself, ‘you’re the chef, you’re allowed to do whatever you want in the kitchen,’” Franz said. “I want to be different, and that forces me to step outside of the box. That’s the kind of chef I aspire to be, a chef that isn’t afraid to mix flavors that don’t normally go with each other.”

Franz’s wants to be based out of Minnesota, but the ultimate goal is to travel with athletes and families as their personal chef. He also mentioned a dream of becoming the Minnesota Timberwolves chef if traveling doesn’t work.

He is waiting for the corona virus to pass to get his first gig alone, but says as long as he is confident, he is sure he will kill it. And from there, word of mouth will do its thing to keep the customers coming.

“This first opportunity under my brand is the biggest thing that’s going to happen in my life and is going to be the thing that changes my life,” Franz said.

With his logo selected, business cards made, and t shirts being sent out. Franz, or more famously known as Chef B, is fully branded and ready to get his business running.

Here is a link to his Facebook page where you can book meals, see his past creations and read reviews from his customers.

https://www.facebook.com/chefbdog96

Community

Mississippi Thunder Speedway Prepares For A Season Of Unknowns

April 29, 2020 Mitchell Breuer Leave a comment

Friday, April 24 was supposed to be the season-opening race for Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

Wisconsin’s state-at-home-order extended to May 26, there is the uncertainty of when racing at the track will return.

Fans in the stands watch as cars race around Mississippi Thunder Speedway. When those fans will be able to return to the track remains a mystery, as stay-home-orders stay in effect. Photo was contributed by Tyrone Lingenfelter/Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

According to the track’s promoter, Tyrone Lingenfelter, Mississippi Thunder Speedway officials have been in constant contact with state and health officials to figure out a possible return date.

“We’ve been in contact with the State Of Wisconsin trying to see if there’s alternative ways that we can still have events, probably with no fans, just drivers and pit crews, and try to broadcast our races on Pay-Per-View for our fans at home who’ll still be watching until the stay at home order’s been completely lifted and we can get back to normal,” Lingenfelter said. “It’s definitely, I guess the craziest start to a year, or most unknown start to a year we’ve ever had.”

The positive for Mississippi Thunder Sunday according to Lingenfelter is the track is not in full desperation mode.

“I would say on a scale of one to 10, right now, we’re on a six of trying to really push things to get going,” Lingenfelter said. “We’re not pushing it too because we’re trying rebel against stuff. We’re just more so pushing because we’re trying to just get our business going and make sure that the people that do sponsor our racetracks, the fans that do have rental stuff with us, rental booths and different things like that; they can be able to enjoy that stuff, and safely enjoy that stuff.”

The track has been sure to keep their fans informed as possible. continued

This has been done through Facebook, where Lingenfelter will go on and live stream himself giving the latest update and answering questions during the recording coming in from fans of the track.

“I feel like when you can go out there and you can do question and answer and stuff like that where they feel, I guess like they’re more involved, it’s more personal,” Lingenfelter said. “Especially when you do the videos. When you actually see the physical reaction, I feel like you see the emotion maybe of a response, it makes it feel more personal.”

While the track continues to try to get racing back, local drivers have been finding different ways of hitting the tracks.

Winona native, Jake Timm has gone virtual, competing in races on iRacing, an online racing simulator.

This has become a popular service with racecar drivers across the world. Professional racing leagues such as NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula One, have started running sanctioned races on the service while their seasons have been suspended.

This has caused a debate between many in the community arguing if the simulation is a video game or a good platform to gain experience for real-life situations.

“I think there’s definitely some positive things that come out of it that you can maybe learn from it,” Timm said. “More so, it’s just fun and helps with the itch a little bit. And it’s just a way to kind of get together and still keep racing in a way.”

Timm has not spent all of his time staring at screen. He is still working to make sure when the season starts, he will be ready. continued

“We’ve been spending a lot of hours in the shop,” Timm said. “Getting the cars ready and we’re making sure the truck and trailers clean and organized and ready to go, and then watching racing videos. Just doing as much as I can to stay focused and learn.”

The sooner racing returns, the better for Timm and others in the sport, especially when dealing with sponsorships.

Timm noted the less races run, the less money for teams, that desperately rely on sponsorship funds to compete, will make. A longer delay, could be detrimental to racing organizations.

“That’s definitely something that I think we all need to think about is if we don’t race, or if maybe we only get half the season in,” Timm said. “How’s that going to work with the sponsors, not only for race cars, but racetracks and everyone involved? This sport is very dependent on sponsorship. Hopefully we can get started soon.”

Film, Football, Journalism, Minnesota Vikings, Off campus, Podcast, Side Hustle, sports, technology, Uncategorized, voice, Winona, Winona State University, YouTube

Side Hustle- Sports Podcasting

April 29, 2020 Buck Wallert Leave a comment

Having the same conversation over and over can be tiresome, especially when you’re talking in circles.

One of the most common debates in sports is, “Moss is better than Rice,” or vice versa, and it usually gets nowhere.

That’s why in 2014, Garret Greenlee created a Twitter and YouTube channel where he could prove his sports-related thoughts through facts.

“I got sick of having the same conversation with people like, ‘man this guy’s good, or this guy’s good,’” Greenlee said. “I just created an account and thought whatever happens, happens.”

The accounts grew rapidly.

After four years, Greenlee’s Best NFL Matchups had more than 20,000 followers on Twitter.

Only problem was, he had no idea what email he used when he made the account.

“I was following people way too fast, so Twitter thought I was a spam account,” Greenlee said. “They sent an email to the account I had with it, but I had no idea what that email was, and I lost the account forever.”

Greenlee had to start all over.

Lucky for him, he had a couple friends with similar accounts, and they gave him a shout out to help build his new channel, Football Analysis.

“I only have 1,500 subscribers on YouTube right now. Not ‘only,’ like I’m grateful for them, but I want to get to the point where I’m at 30, 40, 50, 100 thousand subscribers and do a giveaway once a month of a signed whatever,” Greenlee said. “I do appreciate the support, but I want to get to a point where I can use this as a side income just for talking about what I love, which is football.”

How does Greenlee make money with these videos?

“You have to have 1,000 subscribers,” Greenlee said. “But within the past year, you also have to have four thousand watch hours of your content. So that took a little bit to build up.”

Four thousand hours may seem like a lot, but with browse features, you can reach more people than just your subscribers, which happened to Greenlee a few times.

“I have a couple with 30 thousand, 20 thousand views and that really gets a lot of the hours at almost the snap of your fingers,” Greenlee said. “So, in reality you could have one video that has 60 or 100 thousand views, and you get your four thousand hours, then the rest of your videos combined could have only 500 views.”

Since the interview, Greenlee has reached the 2,000-subscriber mark with his new account.

The content is starting to pay off.

He explains this in the video.

Andy Carlson, a Winona State graduate and creator of the Purple FTW! podcast, said a Vikings vs Ravens blizzard game in 2013 sparked his interest in talking sports.

Carlson looks at all the players on the Vikings roster and analyzes the national media coverage of the Vikings, while adding his own twist of humor for his 23,000 subscribers.

“There will always be a market for fan content,” Carlson said. “People want niched down perspective over national media jabronis.”

Here is a clip from a recent video.

With this being his side job, Carlson said he always finds the motivation to release numerous videos a day.

“The viewers who continue to make us part of their day (motivates me),” Carlson said. “If we can be a nice little five minute break from life and give some info and some entertainment. Worth it.”

Carlson offers monthly memberships for $4.99 and $24.99 on his YouTube channel that offers extra benefits such as one-on-one chats and free merchandise.

Teespring has teamed up with Carlson and Purple FTW! to sell this merchandise that includes t-shirts, mugs and stickers.

Purple FTW! merchandise for sale on Teespring.

“It’s a very decent side hustle,” Carlson said. “Merch is fun, and everything helps keep the production lights on.”

With the quarantine giving people more free time than ever, podcasts and YouTube may be a good pass time to listen to, or maybe even try.

Football Analysis Link

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjoHPnySKcDbxzaF2R8YM2Q

Purple FTW! Link

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Xt29Fi1ES6C1fEtWFUFIw

art, music

Musicians face the music with COVID-19 crisis

April 22, 2020 Crystal Flintrop Leave a comment

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states are under quarantine or a stay-at-home order. This has caused most public events to be canceled.

Only essential personnel, including emergency workers and grocers, are able to work.

What about musicians that relied on public events to support themselves?

How are small bands trying to maintain or grow their public audience while respecting orders to stay isolated?

Two years ago, In Brooklyn, New York, twins Talor and Jordan Steinberg started their band, The Moon City Masters.

Talor Steinberg, a vocalist and electric guitarist, talked about what they are doing to keep their music alive.

“Our band is in that stage where we’re trying to get as many people to see us as we can,” Steinberg said.

They’ve taken their artistry to social media. One of the most successful uses of social media has been on Tik Tok, a video-sharing app which launched in 2016 in China.

The brothers posted a video on Christmas doing a cover of “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin on Tik Tok and got around 30,000 followers in a week.

“It is honestly the best thing for our band,” Steinberg said. “We have 70 thousand followers. If all of them look up our music, that would be life-changing. We get a couple of thousand streams a week because of Tik Tok and it doesn’t result in any money, but we still get to have our Moon City Masters passion.”

According to Steinberg, because of the income he gets from teaching guitar lessons, he was able to pay rent and still “be comfortable.”

The brothers did a livestream on Instagram and Tik Tok at the beginning of April and have plans to do it every month for the foreseeable future.

“The cool thing is we got to play for people all over the country,” Steinberg said. “We get a lot of requests to play in Florida and all over the Midwest that we would need to make more money to do so and it was just cool to play for them because I don’t know when we’d get to do it in person.”

Steinberg said he read comments from fans in Russia and Ukraine.

1,099 miles away, in Winona, Minnesota, a small-town band is dealing with similar things.

Spencer Klausing, Tyler Steinley and Jackson Nielsen of Afflatus discussed how Minnesota’s stay-at-home order has affected them.

Photo submitted by Afflatus of the members performing.

“All our shows have been cancelled and we haven’t been practicing keeping distance from each other,” Steinley, the drummer, said. “It’s come to a standstill for the most part.”

According to Steinley, the group isn’t livestreaming on social media but, they have “talked about it, but nothing yet.”

“I play in three groups and we were all getting prepared for a busy festival season of playing shows outdoors for huge crowds. Summer is my favorite time of year and I just love playing outdoor gigs,” Nielson, the bass guitarist, said. “All we can do is make the best out of a bad situation. Hopefully, we can get a tour going in the fall and play out a little bit.”

The members of Afflatus admitted they don’t make money from playing as it is more for the sake of performing right now.

Steinley gave advice to other bands. “Do what you want during this time. It’s the perfect opportunity to focus on creativity and being productive,” Steinley said. “Also the perfect time to rest and take a break from everything if that’s what you feel like that’s what you need.”

Campus, College, Community, Journalism, Local, Uncategorized

New Winona apartments to upstage other housing options

April 21, 2020 Hannah Hippensteel Leave a comment

The residential scene in Winona caters to different groups of people, predominantly college students from August to May.

A new downtown apartment complex called Main Square Winona is aiming to be the updated hub for business professionals and the wealthy in town.

From a third-floor balcony, a view of Winona’s downtown amenities can be seen.

According to Tom Hoseck, Main Square Winona’s lead property manager, the complex will have two primary buildings: the Landmark on Main and 5th Streets and the Cornerstone, which is on Main and 4th.

While Landmark is housing with one, two- and three-bedroom units, Cornerstone also has space for retail offices.

Amenities like a fitness center, rooftop terraces and meeting room will be shared between residents, Hoseck said.

Speaking about the draw for living at Main Square, Hoseck mentioned proximity.

“Living here gives people everything they could need within walking distance,” Hoseck said. “Plus, we’ll be adding conveniences for residents like an orthodontist, hair salon and a walk-in clinic. We want people who live here to feel like they never have to leave.”

A complex marketed as luxury must live up to that in rental prices.

An average one-bedroom rental in the Landmark building runs $1,300 per month For the Cornerstone building, a one-bedroom suite begins at $875 a month.

In a city that’s predominantly college students, how do these rates stack up to dorms?

And would the apartments appeal to college students?

According to Paula Scheevel, Winona State University’s director of housing and residence life, the dorms are a better price.

Unlike the price of the new apartment complexes, the rates of dorms were decided by the original cost to build and maintain the dorm.

In WSU’s Quad, which is a building made up of four separate other dorms, an average room is $2,800 for the academic year.

While college students pay off all charges in chunks, the average rent would come out to $350, per the housing and residence life yearly budget.

They also have stipulations through the MinnState system that all dorms must be built to withstand 100 years of residents and be paid off in 20 years.

Because Scheevel has been in her position for 16 years, she also has data on retention rate in the dorms.

“Thirty percent of people who live in res halls are returners, and that adds up to about one third of the overall student population,” Scheevel said.

She expounded on why she thought the university had those numbers.

“It’s ultimately about the value of the dollar. Our convenient location, dining plan and community in res life makes it a top choice.”

In terms of how the dorms stack up to the new apartments, Scheevel said she didn’t think Main Square Winona aimed to be for college living.

Paula Scheevel posing in her office space for housing and residence life — Paula Scheevel, director of housing and residence life, stands in her domain in Kryzsko Commons where students can apply to live on campus and inquire about other aspects of campus life.

“To my knowledge, the complexes are geared toward those who are well-off and looking for housing not directed at college students,” Scheevel said.

To live in the Cornerstone, which is the cheaper of the two luxury complexes, for one school year, it would be a 150 percent increase over residence halls at the university.

And that’s just an average dorm room cost.

By comparing the cost of Main Square Winona to the most upscale dorms on campus, Kirkland-Haake, an average room in the four-person complex is $3,650.

Calculated out, monthly rent from a dorm to this luxury complex would increase by 91 percent.

Depending on where you live, you get what you pay for.

Question is, who’s willing to pay that much?

basketball, cotter, Uncategorized

Restoring Culture at Cotter

April 15, 2020 Buck Wallert Leave a comment

The game clock dwindles down to the final seconds as the players shake each other’s hands.

Adding the polite comment of, “good game” or, “way to shoot the rock.”

The buzzer sounds.

It’s 95-42.

The Winona Cotter boys’ basketball team has been eliminated, ending their season with a record of 2 wins, 24 losses.

For many, this would seem like a season to forget.

For the Ramblers, they have a lot to be proud of.

This was the first year for Cotter head coach TJ Lowe.

Lowe, a former college athlete and skills trainer, has worked with players on reaching goals, but has never had a whole team to lead.

“I did a lot of individual work with people,” Lowe said. “Like somebody that’s Division-II and they want to get to a better school, or even Division-I.”

Lowe started with the boy’s freshmen team at Winona Cotter during the 2015/16 season before working his way up to Junior Varsity.

Coach Lowe drawing up a game plan for the Ramblers.

There he coached for two years before a job promotion pulled him away.

After a year away from the teams, Lowe found a way to clear his schedule, and according to him, was asked back by “popular demand.”

Coming into the 2019-20 season, the Cotter boys’ basketball program had not had a winning record in their division for the past ten years (MNBasketballHub.) Coach Lowe wasn’t sure what he was getting when he held the first practice last fall.

“They were freshmen when I was still there, so one or maybe two kids would come up for a half in a tournament and I’d let them play a couple minutes,” Lowe said. “Other than that, I knew nothing about my team.”

The team rostered only three seniors, two of those injured, and a bunch of juniors and sophomores who hadn’t seen solid minutes at the varsity level.

Worse, the team had become used to losing. The narrative surrounding the Cotter boy’s basketball program had dropped significantly since their championship runs of the 1980s.

Coach Lowe said he believes he can reinstate the powerhouse narrative of Cotter basketball. He knows it’s going to be one step at a time.

“I think a lot of kids don’t get to their full potential because the mental side of it is holding them back,” Lowe said. “All year I said, ‘we have to come together as a team first, we can’t bicker.’”

Being able to play as a team helped the Ramblers secure two victories on the season, but there were many more successes being made throughout the year.

After the first couple losses, Coach Lowe rallied his team , and promised improvement.

“First they came in hanging their heads, and I said, ‘Hey, this is just the beginning. We are going to put time in the gym, and we are going to get better,’” Lowe said. “We have to believe that we are going to do that, we have to take these steps. Next thing you know, people are starting to shoot better, we had multiple people in the top 100 of Minnesota basketball, in all divisions.”

Seeing the ball go through the hoop is definitely a confidence booster, but Lowe said he knew that was the beginning.

“The next hump was knowing what it was like to maintain a lead or be able to stay in the game,” Lowe said. “We did get the one win against Coulee-Christian, but that is the one we were expecting to win.”

Thinking of the progress as a step by step solution sounds like a simple task. It is not.

“You have to go through the trials and tribulations. Otherwise you have no idea what you are doing out there,” Lowe said. “They could have easily just said, ‘this blows, I don’t want to be here.’ But man, they just kept with it and I was very proud of them.”

Having a good relationship with the players is a must for Lowe. With team and individual meetings, he has a chance to talk with each player and know what’s going on.

Ryan Todd has been around the Cotter boys’ basketball program for a few years as the junior varsity coach and has noticed the changing narrative of the varsity program.

“It’s not so much winning and losing games,” Todd said. “Seeing their skills improve, and getting comfortable on the floor I think helps them buy in. It’s night and day how much better we are from the first practice.”

Watching the final game of the season, the progress and effort can be seen by anyone in the crowd.

Down 43-4 to start the game, frustration was running high as, “oh my god, we’re bad,” was muttered on the bench during a stretch of turnovers by one of the players.

Coach Lowe called a timeout and brought his team back together.

The ensuing five minutes was like watching a completely different team.

Plays were being executed, shots were falling, defensive stops were being made, and next thing they knew, they went on a 14-4 run against the number one team in the section.

Coach Lowe called another time out and brought his players in.

From the huddle you could hear Coach Lowe yelling, “this is how it is, this is how it could be!”

The game did end 95-42, but the second half was much closer than the first.

“It’s amazing how far we came, especially in a section like ours. It was so easy to give up, but we kept stepping forward,” Lowe said. “They made such a big jump this year, it was amazing, I’m very happy.”

Links

https://www.mnbasketballhub.com/standings/show/5372012?subseason=651301

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