Christian faith being bastardized

The late beloved Willie Martin was proud to say Sunday was "the Lord's day." So store was closed. He of course was the 'Willie" of Willie's Super Valu. Years pass and fewer people are familiar. 

Willie was a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran. That's the synod that considers the Pope to be the antichrist. Kind of a risky attitude to have, wouldn't you say? I know this was a fact as of a few years ago. I wonder if they've moderated, considering that churches are getting more challenged in keeping their flock. Just like colleges? Well we are certainly feeling the stresses here in Morris. 

Seems like the old mainstream Christian churches - you might say "middle of the road" - are feeling the pinch. It might be top-of-mind here in Morris because of what's going on with First Lutheran and Federated. Well of course they're pairing - arguably quite odd when you consider they are from different denominations. 

Shall I say "irregular?" How about "weird?" 

I don't know how Willie's old Wisconsin Synod church is doing. Didn't Michele Bachmann have to leave the Wisconsin Synod because of the Pope thing? I'm not sure our Assumption Church feels threatened by that. And then we have the old "Missouri Synod." But the most committed Christian churches now are the ones that put on the most "conservative" front. Very zealous, you might say. 

It's nice being zealous up to a point. It's the political aspect of all that zeal that really concerns me. What exactly was wrong with First Lutheran and Federated in their heyday? They were easy-going and did not want to shake things up or rattle cages. If you had some "radical" ideas yourself, that was your business. You were entitled to that. But the churches themselves had a temperate and restrained approach to things. 

You could say the same thing about "conservatives" of a past time. Even though conservatives had their ideals much like today, they wanted life to proceed on an even keel for everyone. No uncomfortable boat-rocking. They felt relaxed in this attitude even when they weren't getting their way all the time. But today the conservative people are defined by a certain stripe - they insist that they always get their way and they try trampling on everyone who gets in their way. 

This drive of theirs has become intertwined with how they define their Christian faith. It is not my Christian faith. I'll still try to call myself a Christian because I believe that at its core, it is a gentle and forgiving faith. 

If any of the people at the super-conservative churches of Stevens County would just visit First Lutheran or Federated for a typical service, how could they object to anything? There is nothing but a gentle and loving attitude coming from these places. But many people insist on being "hardcore" instead. 

Can they please tell us where this is leading us? We have the crusader Donald Trump leading his masses of zealots who proclaim Christianity. I do not wish to have anything to do with them. I could remain as a member of First Lutheran for what that's worth, and the worth appears to have imploded. First Lutheran has gotten diminished so far it cannot stand on its own. 

So we have to blend in with the Methodists? Nothing against the Methodists. I really haven't dived in to look into that denomination. Yes I could do that. But I did not like getting forced into this partnership with the Methodists. Remember Rev. Jerry Hankins at Federated? Federated seemed totally viable in those days. First Lutheran stayed on its feet. 

Then the unraveling set in, coincidentally or not in conjunction with the rise of Trump and MAGA in symbolizing so much of American Christianity. Such absolute fools, such lemmings. To consider DJT as "God's chosen instrument," this man who has been found responsible in a legitimate legal proceeding for sexual assault. Judge Lewis Kaplan out East determined that DJT's misbehavior could be equated with rape. 

Conservatives normally don't like accused people "getting off on technicalities." They're fine with Trump catching a break because of a technicality. Because to them Trump can do no wrong. They can picture Trump walking hand-in-hand with Jesus. 

This is grotesque

I have warned my Apostolic friends on Sunday morning, "beware false prophets." (We get together at the Willie's Cafe, 7 a.m.) 

The people who I try to advise are such smart people. It's hard for me to wrap my arms around. The many conservative or so-called "strict" churches of Stevens County have people who wouldn't consider for a moment voting for a Democrat. 

For years we had Collin Peterson as congressman here. The new reality set in with his image torn down, while he himself suddenly tried to campaign like he wasn't even a Democrat. It didn't help he was "caught" having posed for a picture with Nancy Pelosi, shoulder-to-shoulder with both sporting a pleasant smile. It was curtains for ol' Collin. 

Now we have Michelle Fischbach who wouldn't disagree with Donald Trump on any little thing. This is cult-like devotion. 

Eric Trump has said of his family "we're saving Christianity, we're saving God." 

"No Kings?" We're not even talking a "king" here, certainly not a mortal king. He has become like a deity sent by our Lord, a Jesus-like figure although I personally think Jesus would be revulsed by Trump. Well that's my opinion. The people of all the super-conservative churches of Stevens County would pile on versus me for saying that. 

Would they say to my face that I'm going to hell? Well I have no church now. Maybe my odds of salvation are diminished. 

I can't for the life of me imagine God looking down from the heavens and "rooting" for Trump. 

Trump is threatening grocery stores that might want to give discounts to EBT card holders at the present time. Is this a meaningful threat? The punishment would be for such stores to lose their standing for processing EBT cards. But as I asked in a comment to Yahoo! News, what if it's the only grocery store in a small town? Where would people go? Why increase the suffering of so many people? Isn't this obviously non-Christ-like? 

You can point out things like this but you cannot persuade the Trump people. Jay Thomas of WDAY Radio-Fargo won't budge, ever. He commented a few days ago on the people who were criticizing Trump's big new ballroom addition to the White House. Thomas said the people airing this criticism were only doing so because they "don't like" Trump. I hear such statements and I have to work to stay calm. 

Trump critics are never allowed to feel like they might have a rational thought. The opposite is in fact true. 

The critics of Trump are in fact wholly dispassionate and rational. But I guess Jay Thomas knows who his audience is. He seeks to keep doing well professionally. Dispense with logic. 

We persevere. Jesus said "love your enemies AND pray for those who persecute you." I think Willie Martin went along with that.

 

Addendum: Can't you all just see that Trump has been a flim-flam man all along? Why so Pollyannish?

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com 

A question designed to foment something

I remember the letter to the editor in the Morris paper, "Who would Jesus vote for?" I'm sure Jim Morrison would smile if reminded of this. 

The letter by itself was unremarkable. We are used to hearing religious zealots out and about blending religion and politics. And such a blending we've had over the last several years. There are middle-age people who have been bombarded by so much of the Trump phenomenon, they might think such an obsession or distraction has been the norm from way back. Well I'm age 70 and I can demur. 

If you're my age you can remember Jimmy Carter against Gerald Ford. A downright amicable relationship between the two! Shall I consider that exemplary? And Carter was the one who was associated with religion. He put that forth as part of his image. But wait, he was a Democrat! You might feel profoundly puzzled. 

As part of Trump's arsenal of attack strategies, he paints himself and his party as the total banner carrier for Christianity. And you know how he is inclined to diss the opposing side. Look up the opposite of "amicable." He described the chairman of the Federal Reserve as a "numbskull." 

Trying to tamp down Trump-ism is like pulling teeth. I actually had a tooth pulled recently. I hadn't been to the dentist in over four years. I must have gotten out of the habit due to covid. 

The polls say that Trump's support is slipping some. He should have been impeached by now. There have already been two tries at impeaching him. The only hope for the forces for good here, is for the Republican Party behind closed doors to reach a consensus on how Trump could take down the whole party. But I'm not sure that's close to happening. 

There is no hope for our congressperson out here in western Minnesota, Michelle Fischbach. Are you on her email communications list? I would faint if there's ever a hint of criticism in there about Trump. It's quite the opposite right up to the present. 

So "who would Jesus vote for?" The interesting thing about this letter is that it "begat" so many other letters in the following weeks. People were much more inclined to use the letters to the editor in the paper in a previous time. Well, more limited communications options I guess. It sure is different now. 

 

Quiet on the letters front 

There is an easy way to illustrate how different it is now. And that is: the meeting of our school board where 100 members of the public were reported present. A good source among the Apostolic guys at Caribou Coffee Sunday mornings (7 a.m.) modified the figure up to 125. Seemed to know what he was talking about. Is it possible that any of the Apostolics ever vote for a Democrat? That's a rhetorical question if there ever was one. 

All you fools who continually talk up Trump should try to equate what all is going on with the Holy Bible. To reconcile it. Isn't this such a ridiculous notion, that we can forego the whole exercise? 

The Morris school board was cutting staff positions, actually quite soon after we passed a referendum, because referendums always pass here in Motown. Well, the margin was closer this time. "It was the city that passed it," one of my Apostolic friends noted. Yes, the city as opposed to the country. But we're all really "country" out here. 

The public turnout of 125 for the school board meeting suggests at very least some restlessness. We can fill in the blank: some dissatisfaction. Hell hath no fury like school parents scorned, you might say. 

So hockey has to pay its own way now? Well that's OK because these people can come up with the money? Well I suppose they can. You've heard of the "broken window" principle in economics? Yes it's possible for a particular group to come up with the money but this is money that would have been spent in other ways. Every action has a reaction like with the rug pulled out from under food stamp recipients. 

Would Jesus approve of this? Would Jesus approve of Donald Trump at all? Are you willing to argue "yes" with all that's going on? So then is it time for all people of good conscience to discard the Christian faith, to maybe even criticize it sharply? The Christian faith was an essential element for Trump getting elected twice. It would not have happened without Jesus. But would Jesus approve of Trump and MAGA? Would He want to see more compassion and gentleness? 

I watched the Morris paper in the weeks following the big school board meeting. I assure you that in a past time we would have seen several letters, even a flood maybe. But, there were zero. Compare that to the numerous letters that followed "who would Jesus vote for?"

Let's see, what are some other examples of "floods" of letters to the editor in the Morris paper? Well surely the "cemetery chimes!" City authorities should have swept in on that matter much faster. Gay rights became a flashpoint. Gay rights made its contributions to the rise of Trump because of the backlash against it in the romanticized American "heartland." We're sparsely populated and we get inspired by country music. I recently read that the "country club Republicans" of old have had to step aside for the "country music Republicans." I don't think that's funny. 

At DeToy's Restaurant this morning I heard some typical music fare from the radio, lyrics starting out "She don't drink whiskey but I do." I complimented my server on the song's motif - perfect fit for out here. 

 

Let's consider UMN-Morris 

As for something that has not been a perfect fit - quite the opposite - we have our U of M-Morris. Sad but true: the values over the long course of time have been incongruent. I'm sure that's why there is no Homecoming parade anymore. Something about having a "queen" who was a biological male. 

I covered the Homecoming parade for a long time when it was a pleasant little event if not huge. My first memory is of the Cougar mascot being in the lead vehicle. 

A bunch of conservative kids on campus launched a backlash against the whole progressive thing with a publication that only set back conservatism or libertarian-ism. By attacking so many progressive things, the publication simply became a reminder of the popular image of UMM. Alas, the publication was an unspeakable abomination from the standpoint of sheer taste. And as such it was another example of terrible PR for the campus. 

I really think the new chancellor will do whatever it takes to fix UMM's problems. He'll step on toes if he has to. We're in an "emergency" transition from one chancellor to another. The top U administration saw a fire that needed to be put out here. Kudos to my brethren in "the press." Lest anyone was asleep at the wheel for noticing UMM's travail, well the Star Tribune sure came forward and handled that. Big headline type lest there be any doubt. 

Ah, shades of the Washington Post with Watergate! All that unraveled in my most formative years. I can't let go of the influence. I grew up when we had to condemn the Vietnam war and get our troops out. It didn't happen on a swift timetable of course. But those of us in the press kept our eyes on the prize. Along the way we faced brickbats for "lack of objectivity." And finally we just didn't care anymore. 

I have never been one to run "objectivity" up a flagpole. People like me dissed John Wayne. Wayne was nothing more than a movie industry professional. And within his craft he was close to being the best. That did not give him the basis for trying to influence politics. He even made a jingoistic movie abut the Vietnam war, "The Green Berets," which got zero stars from Roger Ebert.

 

Hot off the press

Hey, I saw the new Morris paper at the Willie's Cafe just now. So the city manager is out and we have the former guy Blaine Hill donning his cape to come back and get things back to normal? It makes me wonder if maybe Pastor Todd Mattson could put on his cape and come back to First Lutheran Church for a year maybe. 

Is First Lutheran doomed? I would say yes. Certainly it's time for some Latin words to be spoken over what remains there. Very sad. 

 

Citing Brad Pitt? 

I shared some more thoughts about the UMM thing in an email to a friend Sunday:

 

Re. the whole Janet Ericksen thing, I'm reminded of a Brad Pitt line from "Moneyball": "This isn't a discussion." In other words, when Cunningham laid out what Erickson was supposed to do, Cunningham wasn't interested in Ericksen's opinion. The problem with Ericksen is that she was so used to being considered special because of her academic standing, she had a hard time taking orders. So at a certain point I think Cunningham "snapped" and decided "you're done." That was it. Ericksen should have realized that whatever she was being asked to do, these things were decided on as being prudent for the U's future, like it or not. UMM is not a charity for certain people to keep their jobs which I'm sure have fantastic pay and benefits. Cunningham might say that these decisions have to be made for us to hope that UMM can survive. If Erickson had just gone ahead and done it, she'd finish out her career and be in the pantheon of past UMM chancellors, a special circle. She has lost that now. She's just a footnote in UMM history. I think she'll regret that now. It will be interesting to see if Rodriguez just "quietly" starts work here. That's what I predict. No sounding of the trumpets to welcome him.

- BW

Heartbreaking end for 2025 volleyball

Is it late fall or early winter? There is a dreary atmosphere with a chilly temp, occasional raindrops and overcast skies. Something else that's dreary: reporting on high school volleyball. I awoke this morning with hopes of good news regarding our Tigers of volleyball. Our stock was high. We were aiming for the title in 3AA-North. 

My goodness, we owned the top seed and had a win skein of four going. I was actually surprised our season won-lost was not better. So the Tigers had shown vulnerabilities. While I hoped for a win, I was not really surprised to see we were defeated by New London-Spicer. The Wildcats had the second seed. 

Mention "New London-Spicer" in girls athletics and it brings respect always. In basketball especially the Wildcats have been a perennial power. And of course, there's often a carryover from basketball to volleyball. Look at Minnewaska Area: fourth in state hoops last year and undefeated until Thursday this fall. 

Until Thursday? Say it isn't so! The Lakers were defeated by Albany. We sure had been anticipating seeing those Lakers in state. We can never assume anything. The great ESPN commentator Chris Berman is known for saying "that's why they play the game." 

The heartbreak among the MACA fans today (Halloween!) is probably made worse by how close the match was. Let's report the scores from this sub-section finals match played at Willmar's Big Red gym. The MACA scores are first here: 23-25, 28-26, 16-25, 25-11 and 14-16. 

Look at the shift in momentum between games 3 and 4. And the fourth game saw the Tigers come on so strong. So the heartbreak must have been enormous when the pendulum went the other way for the deciding fifth game. It's impossible to predict these things. 

The Wildcats had been picking up steam heading into this match. While the Tigers had a four-match win streak going, NL-Spicer had put six consecutive wins together. Sometimes I get confused by the sub-section and section terminology. The sub-section finals are the same as the section semi-finals. That means that just one match remains in section and it's for the title. And, the state berth. 

The Wildcats go on to face Jackson County Central from out of the South. The two teams will battle at 5 p.m. Saturday at Southwest State of Marshall. NL-Spicer now owns a 16-10 record. The JCC Huskies upset the top seed in the South. 

The Wildcats had a mixed record in five-game matches going into Thursday. Early in the season they were positively snakebit. They dropped a five-set affair to our Tigers on August 28. The Wildcats' fortunes improved at the start of this month. And on Thursday when it counted most, NL-Spicer surely bore down in the deciding fifth game. 

I feel bad for two of the MACA players who I happen to know: Morgan Harstad and Addie Cihak. This pair presented height as an attribute. Morgan carries on this tradition from her sister Kaylee.

 

What a Game 5!

Fans were surely on edge of seats in the fifth game on Thursday. The Tigers led 14-13 and were one point away from finishing off the Wildcats. A Mylie Fehr tip put us in this position. After a timeout, NL-Spicer rolled together three points. A Katelyn Delzer kill sealed the deal. I can just imagine the heartbreak for the orange and black. 

The Wildcats have a state track record that would appear to take no back seat to basketball. They made state last season. And, in 2009, 1998, 1995 and 1993. Indeed this year's Wildcats are showing their mettle in overcoming the loss of key seniors on last year's team. 

The final record of our Tigers is 14-10. I'm not sure our coach is really the best. 

 

Wouldn't you know?

The West Central Tribune is back at it with "stats not available" for MACA. I am tired of expressing anger over that. What slipshod work by the Willmar newspaper. Remember it is owned by Forum Communications which failed in its ownership of our Morris paper. 

 

Here's a segue

Speaking of the Morris paper, I finally went to the library last night to see the article I'd been advised about, focusing on the UMM discomfort of late. I really wasn't expecting to learn much of a revelatory nature. The article quoted our outgoing chancellor and the U of M president. They were together for a meeting here. 

I couldn't help but think it was depressing to even see a photo of Ericksen. A question was asked of the U president Cunningham: was Ericksen asked to resign? Cunningham would not answer. So it's pretty obvious what the background is: We are being reminded that UMM is just a division of the U of M and that the latter can involve itself here as much as it wants. 

The U or the "main U" is obviously not trusting UMM to supply its own guidance now. There is no pretense as with a "search committee" for a new chancellor. That would be giving UMM too much of a sense of self-guidance. And after the recent sensational and hugely negative article in the Star Tribune about UMM, the Twin Cities people are overseeing us quite directly. 

I remember when Ericksen was inaugurated here amid the usual fanfare, flattery and you know what I mean. We were all led to think she was this brilliant leader for us. We were supposed to assume it. In Morris the "party line" thinking is hard to resist. But alas, now we have the U president being asked if Ericksen was forced to resign and there's a non-answer. 

At the same time, Cunningham is wise enough to know she shouldn't come down real hard on Ericksen. Erickson is lucky really because she keeps her teaching position with the pay and perks that are commensurate. She may have been "fired" but there won't be any holes in her shoes. 

I remember when all the headlines said Steve Sviggum had "resigned." I know people who took that at face value. Hey, Sviggum only resigned as vice chair of the Regents, he'd still be on the Regents. People in education rarely get fired lock, stock and barrel. Those of us in the real world can face a stiffer fate. 

So, now that the Twin Cities administration is really in the driver's seat, whither UMM? Now I'll speculate. Cunningham named the successor to Ericksen immediately. This fellow will take over pretty soon. I think he and Cunningham are both responding to a firm mandate now, if not from the Regents then from the legislature. Maybe the legislature sees a five-alarm fire here. 

Hey, don't scold me for saying that. I think the new guy has instructions to fine-tooth-comb through everything at UMM. No regard for personalities or networks of people who have grown close. Maybe UMM had a problem with the latter. And I sure am familiar with how such insidious things can develop. The new guy won't hesitate to cut anyone or anything that stands in the way of UMM fulfilling a mission that would satisfy the state. The state rules. Don't you think that's the way it should be? 

My goal is for UMM to someday have a Homecoming parade again.

I'll be attending the UMM Cougar volleyball match tonight (Friday, Halloween). Do you suppose we'll see costumes among the fans? It starts at 7 p.m.

   

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com 

Volleyball success in sub-section semis

On to the sub-section championship match! The MACA Tigers rolled forward with their success over the ACGC Falcons. Fans at Tiger Center enjoyed this 3-1 triumph by the top-seeded Tigers. Our record now is 14-9. 

And what lies ahead is the challenge against New London-Spicer. At stake will be the sub-section title as the teams take to the court at Willmar's Big Red gym. Match time is 7 p.m. Thursday. Might we see some Halloween costumes in the crowd? 

ACGC closed out its 2025 season with a 12-13 mark. 

The West Central Tribune has "stats not available" for MACA. That is so unfortunate. MACA teams so often play opponents that are in the newspaper's coverage territory. And so often we see the "stats not available" blunt statement. But they do report the details for the ACGC Falcons. So I'll go over these with you. I enjoy following high school athletics - always have. 

Kenlie Blom looks like a top player with the Falcons. She sent four serving aces at the Tigers. Avery Bierwerth had one ace. Bierwerth is the setting specialist for ACGC. She performed 30 set assists in the losing effort. Julia Rosenquist had one assist. 

Kenlie Blom

Blom is clearly at the fore in hitting with her 14 kills. Oh look there's another Blom in the ACGC attack and her name is very similar to her teammate's. A journalist like me has to be careful. So let's distinguish Kelsie from Kenlie! I wonder if they are twins. Kelsie pounded down eight kills. Ruby Klinger had seven, Makenna Skindelien five, and Haley Johnson three. 

In ace blocks it was Johnson at the top of the list with four. Three other Falcons had impact here: Skindelien 3, Klinger 2 and Kelsie Blom 1. 

Bierwerth and Kenlie Blom co-led in digs with 21. Then we see Kelsie Blom 19, Rosenquist 15, Sophia Iverson 11, Taylor Frericks 6 and Klinger 6. 

The game scores were as follows, MACA numbers first: 25-23, 17-25, 25-20 and 25-18. Now go get 'em on Thursday, Tigers!

 

Berlynn Green

Minnewaska 3, 

Sauk Centre 0

The 'Waska Lakers have historically struggled against Sauk Centre. This season brought a most pleasing turnaround. The Lakers downed the Streeters in both regular season matches and prevailed again Tuesday in the sub-section semi-finals. We're talking 6AA. Maybe there's a re-match of MACA and 'Waska lying ahead. What anticipation there would be for that. 

Our Tigers are the only team to have pushed 'Waska to a full five-game match! Now the Lakers are focused on the sub-section title match which will have them facing Albany, the #2 seed. Match-time is 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Cloud Apollo. 

'Waska volleyball has never before made state. My, look at the Lakers' overall season record now: 27-0! There is no other undefeated team in Minnesota. The Lakers need not look upon Sauk Centre as a nemesis anymore. The Lakers owned the Streeters this season. Fans watched the minimum three games as 'Waska prevailed on Tuesday. The scores: 25-21, 25-22 and 25-20. Sauk Centre was seeded fourth. 

Turning to the stats, Brooklyn Noyes and Eliana Marthaler each sent two serve aces over the net. Piper Barsness had one ace serve. Haillie Schulz was at it with her setting specialty as she performed 38 assists. In kills we see Mya VanLuik with special impact as this Laker produced 15. Berlynn Green had eight and she was followed by Avery Lewison 7, Emma Hellermann 6, Taylor Schulz 5, Haillie Schulz 3 and Marthaler 1. 

VanLuik got into the zone with her hitting at a key juncture, when 'Waska trailed by three points. Mya put together four consecutive kills to wrest momentum back. 

Here are the Lakers who performed ace blocks: Lewison 2, Green 1, H. Schulz 1, Hellermann 1/2 and VanLuik 1/2. Turning to digs we can report Emma Poegel 21, Green 20, Piper Barsness 19, H. Schulz 15, Marthaler 8 and T. Schulz 6. 

The Sauk Centre kill leader was Elly Herickhoff with 14. Sauk's top assist producer was Lindyn Anderson with 16. Herickhoff had three ace blocks. Nora Thieschafer led in digs with 19.

 

Thumbs-up or thumbs-down?

Are people in 'Waska holding their breath over the upcoming school referendum? Well it's in the hands of the 'Waska voters and I don't live there. But I'm always skeptical of school referendums. We all may be seeing considerable inflation again soon. Looks like the "Fed" will lower interest rates again. And look out for the tariffs. 

Many Americans will not mind paying more for everything because of the tariffs. Those people support Trump and everything he wants to do. Oh, they'll also support Trump in his harassment of the Federal Reserve board of governors. Whatever Trump wants, his supporters will be clearly behind him from their church pews on Sunday. Whatever he wants. 

Get ready for considerably more inflation. Trump just blames it on Biden or the Democrats or both. Well, go ahead and support him if you want. I cannot argue with such devout Christians, I guess. And just look at our congressperson Michelle Fischbach. Totally behind Trump on everything, blaming the Democrats for everything. That's bad. 

Such a simple world view. It relaxes the brain I guess.

 

Ella Johnson

Remember the UMM Cougars

It's great entertainment here in Morris: the UMM Cougar volleyball team! Many of us might overlook it. We have a fresh win to report on. Not only that, this win pushed the Cougars' record over .500 to 11-10. We're 5-4 in the UMAC. 

The Cougars disposed of North Central in a sweep. Scores were 25-16, 25-14 and 25-21. This success was in the big city of Minneapolis. It came on Saturday. North Central University is known as the "Rams." There was a fan turnout of 110 at Clark-Danielson gymnasium. 

Mary Cate Ziembiec was our leader in kills with eleven. Ella Johnson was tops in aces with five. The blocking department had  Ziembic and Braxtyn Meyer co-leading with three. Clara Holden led in assists with ten. And in digs, Lexi Coon had main impact with eleven. 

This Friday is Senior Day for the Cougars at UMM. The Oct. 31 matchup will be versus Martin Luther. Match-time is 7 p.m. Here's a "plug" for Cougar volleyball as great entertainment. I have been to three matches and have seen no admission charged. 

Hey, isn't October 31 Halloween! Maybe put on a costume for the occasion.

 

(photo by B.W.)

More on UMN-Morris turmoil

The volleyball enjoyment might be seen as a nice little "release" to get away from the wave of anxiety. I mean, "Everyone knows something big is coming and it will be bad." That's to quote a quite respected faculty source. 

You can't blame UMM employees for watching their backs right now. 

Having had the chance to reflect a little more, I'm theorizing: I think the outgoing chancellor might have made the mistake of thinking she could assert UMM's "autonomy" to a degree. There were communications between here and the big bad "main campus." Oh, I was told long ago to never say "main campus." The time for levity is passed. 

The Twin Cities campus which is surely the hub has the right to assert itself here to whatever degree it wants. And now it surely looks like the top officials will see that certain things get done or adjusted here. And they won't tolerate any UMM-based official second-guessing anything. So the problems or issues must be serious. 

Did Ericksen think she could get by asserting herself for UMM's interests? In one sense, it's laudable, "sticking up for your own." And that might work if the matters at hand were not urgent. And let me add this by way of historical perspective: I think there has always been tension in how UMM ought to relate to the Twin Cities administration. Is our campus to be seen as having a quite distinct identity? To what extent should we pump the "Morris" part of our name? And to what extent should "University of Minnesota" predominate? The recent events suggested strongly that the latter prevails. 

The top administration does not even trust us to select our next chancellor! The top administration is saying "don't bother, we'll handle things." 

Like it or not, there may be some tough pills to swallow. In the meantime, let's gather at the P.E. Center for more exciting volleyball! I have been to three matches myself. See you there! I'm at an age now where I have to show special care walking down the bleachers at the P.E. Center. Will the bleachers never be open on both sides again? Oh, the memories of big high school tournament games where the whole place was packed or nearly so! Sometimes it overwhelmed me. I'd think "don't the kids who play the games think maybe we're getting a little carried away?"

 

It's Wednesday so it was "biscuits and gravy" day for breakfast at DeToy's Restaurant in Morris! They also had quite the turkey dinner special for lunch! 

 

 - Brian Wiliams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Tigers sweep to start 3AA play

We're off and running in the post-season for fall sports. An adrenalin rush for a great many of us. Our MACA Tigers are seeded first and so hopes are high. The team lived up to that status Friday night here at Tiger Center. The Tigers swept Montevideo. Monte was at the bottom of the heap. 
So now it's on to the next round of play which is presented on Tuesday. Tiger Center will be the site again. Match-time is 7 p.m. for the Tigers vs. the Falcons of ACGC. 
The overall MACA won-lost actually isn't as good as what I would expect. We're 13-9. We can put those numbers aside for the post-season anyway. 
We would not be the No. 1 seed if we were in the same sub-section as Minnewaska Area. The 'Waska Lakers have yet to lose a match! But the Tigers have shown potential to seriously challenge the Lakers. We're the only team to have taken the Lakers to the full five games! Without a doubt there is potential for an upset. Maybe I wouldn't put my money on the Tigers. But there is potential. I personally know two of the team members. 
The Tigers swept Monte Friday by these scores: 25-19, 25-14 and 25-20. What does the West Central Tribune report about this match? It has the scores. It's always nice to get more than that. The WC Trib gives stat details about the Montevideo Thunder Hawk players. As for MACA, the WC Trib has "stats not available." 
Over a period of many years I was able to blog with a fair amount of details about MACA teams. Not only was info available from the WC Tribune, there was the very nice service provided by Brett Miller of kmrs-kkok. All of that is gone now. I lack access to timely info about the MACA volleyball team. 
At least I can report on the Monte T-Hawks from Friday. I enjoy staying connected to high school sports. It's sad that I cannot report on my friends with the MACA volleyball team. Is it asking too much? 

Taryn Stenson

Taryn Stenson had six serving aces for Monte against the Tigers. Janie Miller had three and Reagyn Glady two. Miller put up nine set assists and Stenson had four. Then we see these T-Hawks each with one: Jillian Magnuson, Anika Brown, Ellie Steinbach, Jenna Schultz and Cali Janke. 
On to hitting: Here we see Magnuson clearly standing out with 15 kills. Megan Koosmann had three and Glady two. Miller performed two ace blocks while Magnuson and Schultz each had one. The digs list: Glady 20, Olivia Sachs 19, Anika Arends 12, Magnuson 6 and Payton Howell 5. 
Is the kmrs-kkok site helping us out this morning? As I complete this first draft of the post, the answer is "no." Brett Miller is gone but we have DeeDee there.
 
Minnewaska 3, St. Cloud Cathedral 0
No surprise here: The high-flying Lakers of Minnewaska dominated St. Cloud Cathedral to begin what they hope is a quite extended run. Fans at Minnewaska enjoyed seeing their team take care of business by these scores: 25-14, 25-21 and 25-20. The Lakers now sport a 27-0 record! Fabulous. 
All this excitement comes as the 'Waska school district readies for another referendum for $. 
I am happy for the Lakers, football too. But I do not root for the referendum. No prediction here. But I will say this to the "vote no" crowd: Even if your side wins, expect the other side to scheme by lobbying the state so the system changes and these things don't have to go to a vote anymore. Hell, they'll just bypass public sentiment. Anything to just get the money! I think y'all know how it is. 
School districts will never claim they have enough money. Here in Morris, it seems automatic for referendums to pass - it has been that way for years. I'm age 70 and I remember when the situation was the complete opposite: the 1960s. 

Let's do a deep dive on 'Waska. So we see Eliana Marthaler and Emma Poegel each with three serving aces. Piper Barsness had two while Berlynn Green and Hallie Schulz each had one. 

It was Schulz propelling the Lakers in the setting department with 33 assists. She was complemented by Barsness 2, Green 1, Marthaler 1 and Poegel 1. 
Avery Lewison and Mya VanLuik supplied prime fuel in hitting, each with nine kills. Here's the rest of the list: Green 7, Taylor Schulz 6, H. Schulz 4, Marthaler 2 and Emma Hellermann 2. 
In blocking we see Lewison, Hellermann and VanLuik each with an ace block, and Green with 1/2. The four leaders in digs: Poegel 17, Marthaler 10, Green 9 and Barsness 8. 
A final reminder to the referendum skeptics in Minnewaska: You may win this time, but watch out for certain "tricks" that might be played down the road. Do schools ever have enough money? I think it's especially hard for the Minnewaska school to get true community support because the school does not represent a community, it represents a lake! And I heard long ago that lakeshore property owners get screwed in matters like this. Also remember: "Figures lie and liars figure."

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com 

Miracle of high school sports "on the screen"

The high school football playoffs did not exist when I was a young person. We had a coach who I interviewed in his retirement years. This was Stan Kent. He did not believe in the football playoffs. He said the teams should just play for their conference title. Sufficient incentive. 

Also, he pointed out that nearly all teams would lose their last game of the season. Such is the nature with playoffs. A loss at the end is kind of a downer. Well that's what our MACA Tigers experienced on Tuesday night. 

People during the day must have figured it was going to be a downer night for football. I mean with the weather. Of course the temps are cooling off now. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the cotton pickin' wind. It can be a scourge on the prairie. 

I considered walking over to the field for at least a part of the game. But I was too much of a softie. Or, getting older makes me more reluctant to walk or ride bike. I do walk for recreational purposes. Somehow I feel the enthusiasm for that. Walking to town feels like more of a chore. 

Of course we have YouTube for high school sports. Talk about something that didn't exist when I was a young person! Try explaining YouTube to someone from my young years and it would come off like something out of the "Jetsons." Even after YouTube was created, we could not have imagined how far it was going to go. Live telecasts of local high school sports. 

Not only that, it has gotten so sophisticated, just like the regular TV coverage. It will only get better. We see the score at the bottom of the screen. The announcers are pretty sharp. And with time we'll take it for granted. 

There is a novelty aspect to all the new stuff we discover on this thing called the Internet. One by one these things become developed and then you know what? They become old hat. The novelty fades. We'll start becoming picky about how the telecast is handled. The advances are so steady, we hardly recognize them as advances. 

Looks like the high schools are getting $ from sponsorships of the telecasts. We'll get ads and "plugs" just like the big boys do. A polished telecast is no longer the province of Division I or pro football. It's everywhere. High schools can "ape" how the established sports systems have been functioning for a long time. Just like ESPN? 

ESPN has been taking slings and arrows for being "woke." All around us we sense this political schism. I remember when ESPN itself was a tremendous novelty! All sports all the time. I'm 70 years old and so I'm aware of the long breadth of media history, e.g. being able to watch live Atlanta Braves baseball on TV in the mid-1970s! Believe it or not, fans could be awestruck. I'm serious. 

Prior to those days, we'd see an occasional Twins road game on TV, very often without even the benefit of the center field camera position, and it would be sponsored in yawning fashion by "Midwest Federal."

Harold W. Greenwood

They ran the same commercials all game - yawn again. And there sat their patriarchal spokesman, Harold W. Greenwood! He would honor various people for helping build community. 

And then in the end, wasn't old Harold convicted of a serious crime or two? I thought he had such a bland persona, frankly dim-witted. 

Cable TV was going to come along to revolutionize sports media. And that was surely not the end of it. Through each stage of media evolution, for example Web 1.0, we as a society might have felt we had reached the apex. I caught myself thinking that a few times. You've heard the old phrase "you ain't seen nuthin' yet." 

These thoughts cross my mind as I recall last night and the opportunity to watch the live telecast of Tiger football on YouTube. High School sports available to watch just like the old days of Gophers and Vikings. Well, probably provides competition for the big boys. 

 

One and done 

The football playoffs did not last long for our Tigers this year. Where was our regular quarterback? I did not watch the whole game so I probably missed the explanation. Ozzy Jerome hurt? So common in football. Whenever I hear of a high school football injury, my first thought is to hope the injury does not have long-lasting effects. 

The fans can assume sometimes that when a player is "activated" again, he can spring right back is if nothing happened. The player himself would want to look "game" about his return. This would follow the old "manly" model for being tough. Sports is not equated with manliness anymore. Girls and women went from being discriminated against in sports to where today, they actually have it better than men. 

Women's sports is totally established and respected now, but there's no football or wrestling with their downsides for health of the participants. Football is self-evident and with wrestling it's unreasonable weight loss - always bothered me greatly. 

I think wrestling grew as the alternative to basketball mainly because it was a cheap sport to offer. Wrestling became a haven for a lot of the "troubled" young men frankly. Another haven for such boys was in "industrial arts" classes. And what the heck happened to industrial arts in high schools? When I was in high school, industrial arts was a whole sub-culture: boys wearing denim jackets and pants and with thumbtacks on the bottom of their cowboy boots. We had to admire their sheer talent with making things. I wonder what has taken over now in the absence of the sub-culture. My how times change. 

The Tigers lost to Thief River Falls last night 21-7 at Big Cat field. Must have been kind of a dreary night for fans. My, what a long trip home in the night for the Thief River Falls fans. Too long IMHO. 

I hear Hancock won, that's nice. Minnewaska won big. The Minnewaska school district is getting ready for the big referendum. It takes a lot for me to endorse a school referendum. I just don't trust most of the people promoting these things. Give schools more $ and the teachers will just end up demanding more. So I would vote "no." I hope that is the outcome at 'Waska.

 

More on our UMN-Morris

Last week gave us more drama than we'd care to handle, regarding our "jewel in the crown" UMM. Forget the jewel, we ought to just think survival now. I'm not sure we'll survive. Below is an email I shared with my fellow UMN-Morris benefactor Jim Morrison of the high-profile Morrison family. Would he listen to me? Well I give money and so anyone ought to.

 

Jim - Weird week last week for people associated with UMM. Seems there's no way to spin things in a positive way. All of sudden Janet is simply out as chancellor. I assume this was announced as a resignation because it wouldn't be cool to announce it as a firing. But I sure heard from a good source that it was a firing. I'm taking this as fact.

On Sunday morning [name withheld] said the following to me at Caribou Coffee: "We all know something big is coming, and it's not good."

So the story is this: Cunningham told Janet about cuts that will have to be made and Janet responded "No, I can't do that." Maybe Janet's intent was to just "protest" a little or to hesitate, but you know how it is when you get marching orders. So then maybe Cunningham started breathing fire and said "well, you're dismissed."

Janet had a good gig: chancellor of a college within the prestigious U of M. Even if she was being asked to do some uncomfortable things, I wouldn't think she'd want to walk away from that. Well, the cuts will be made one way or the other, so what difference does it make if Janet announces them? So Janet is leaving in middle of school year with no explanation of reasons for this irregularity. If it was health or family reasons, that could have been reported. I have actually lost some respect for Janet.

Looks to me like the new guy is going to move in here without any of the usual pomp or fanfare. He'll just move into an office and go to work. That's what it sounds like.

People at the Twin Cities offices were flummoxed I'm sure by the recent Star Trib article on UMM with such a large headline and blunt language. It was embarrassing for them. What happens in Morris reflects on the Twin Cities campus. Morris has lost a lot of its pretense for being such an elite place. Maybe that's all gone now. Hey, no "search" for the new chancellor? Well no. Isn't that interesting.

If you have any information that is more positive than what I am typing here, please communicate to me. But I'm afraid my sources are pretty good.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly74@yahoo.com 

Out of the blue, chancellor leaving

Maybe we're looking at fallout from the recent unflattering article re. UMM in the Star Tribune. 

Unflattering? It was rather like a bomb dropped here. I wonder what Steve Sviggum thought upon seeing this article. Maybe vindicated some? He's the former legislative big shot who was on the Board of Regents. I used to be awed by the Regents but I'm not any more. Sort of a ceremonial group charged with puffing up the U of M all the time and trying to get as much $ out of state coffers as possible. But I'm not sure these guys are as good at that as Mark Yudof. 

They come and they go, these U of M administrators. And now we're saying goodbye quite abruptly to our UMM chancellor. Shall I say "UMN-Morris?" As a matter of policy I'm not sure "UMM" is still acceptable. 

I got word from a friend yesterday morning on the chancellor's planned departure. I guess one should never be surprised. Remember when Joan Gabel became U of M President? You might have forgotten about her already. I personally attended public functions "welcoming" her. When Cunningham came along I sought no such involvement. 

I attended a reception for Gabel in winter when I rode bike out to the campus because I don't have a parking permit. I'm sure I could have assumed that campus security would not be checking the lots that day. But I hate to assume. How embarrassing if I were to get a ticket. I'm at an age now where I should not consider riding bike in winter. 

Do not dismiss me as "negative," because I do support events on campus. I've been to three volleyball matches of late, plus the jazz concert. Right now the HFA "recital hall" is apparently not in use because of the floor "buckling." Jazz was at Edson which you should know was the home for for all music and theater events in UMM's earliest years. If there's a problem with "acoustics" there I sure don't notice it. 

The jazz director commented favorably on Edson right during the concert. Why not? The Morrisons poured money into refurbishing the place, right? It is most pleasant and accommodating. However, I do not know the distinction between Edson Auditorium and the "Morrison Performing Arts Center." I'm not refined enough to understand. 

 

The big news 

Boy, I sure am beating around the bush here, as the purpose today is to make note of the chancellor's announcement of departure. Later in the day yesterday, someone with UMM delivered the standard official announcement that was dripping with "company line" language. It's to be expected. As an old Watergate era journalist I'm quick to recognize such releases for what they are. OK what's the real story? 

Is "hell coming to breakfast" because of the Star Tribune bomb that got dropped on the institution? Because the article wasn't just embarrassing for UMM, it made top U of M administrators squirm I'm sure. We can't get out of this one by pointing fingers at the Star Tribune. Thank goodness for some media institutions that still have some balls. 

 

Remember Ralph, Martha

I am attached to UMN-Morris because of the family fund that I established for music. The whole purpose is to keep the memory of my parents alive. I'm on my own to form opinions of the place outside of that. For example, the opinion that we should not be like U-Crookston and openly have music ensembles billed as "campus/community." Hey, we're not Crookston or at least we didn't used to be. 

Music comes at us openly with the "COMMuniversity" term. It's ugly. Not sure I can get myself to attend a concert that is billed this way. The jazz concert was NOT billed this way, so maybe that was a deciding factor for me attending. I was most pleased with the concert. 

We all had time to reflect on the chancellor news last night (Wednesday) as many of us followed the MACA Tigers in their MEA week game. Another milepost on the calendar: "MEA weekend." I walked to the game and stayed a while. A friend informed me this morning we won.10-3. Hooray! My friend said "New London-Spicer was on the one, ready to score at the end of the game, but the runningback fumbled into the end zone for a touchback."

There are no game details in the West Central Tribune coverage this morning. That is surprising because NL-Spicer would normally be a priority for them. I would have expected a West Central Trib article full of details on the NL-Spicer players but with "stats not available" for Morris. How can the paper keep doing that to us? Well, Forum Communications failed in its try to own the Morris newspaper. Remember that? 

 

Pondering UMN-Morris

People are wondering what's up with the UMM change. I'll quote two friends by name here because their thoughts are totally reasonable. 

From Warrenn Anderson: "I will be most interested to hear 'the rest of the story' on the Janet Ericksen matter. Why is Rodriguez scheduled to have the job through 2028?" 

From Del Sarlette: "2 questions I was curious about as well. Her departure in the middle of the school year is highly unusual. And it sounds like her replacement isn’t “interim” (?).

 

Michael Rodriguez

We're curious

Aren't we always supposed to assume an "interim" replacement? Not sure we'll ever hear more background about it all. I'm waiting anxiously to see how well UMM retains its students from one semester to the next. Will this Rodriguez fellow get a full-fledged "inauguration?" Or is there no time for such frivolity now?

Here's from the email I sent to Warrenn yesterday: 

 

NEWS FLASH THIS MORNING: Janet Schrunk Ericksen is leaving in December! OK what might this mean? Remember how UMM got raked over the coals in the Star Tribune? Maybe Ericksen senses that something bad is on the horizon for UMM. She's "getting out of Dodge?" She had it pretty good here as the chancellor of a college in the prestigious U of M. Does it get any better than that?

But here's the deal: I just read an article yesterday on Yahoo! News about how Trump and Stephen Miller and others are REALLY going to start cracking down on "woke" tendencies of colleges/universities. Regarding this, I fear UMM might still be a sitting duck, even with our Native American policy. I keep asking if the policy is based on a "treaty" and I can't get anyone to say "yes." So I'm assuming it is not. Whether or not it is a "good thing" is entirely beside the point. Trump and Stephen Miller are on the way, it looks like. The problem might be at central administration with the U of M because they certainly would not want Morris to drag them down. Would they really mount a "fight" against Trump? This is the question they might have to answer. It is hard to resist self-preservation.

 

Busy day for communicating yesterday. Here's from an email I sent to Del:

 

I think the Star Tribune article on Morris was like a bomb dropped on the whole U. Huge headline containing such sharp words. After the article Janet fumbled along trying to claim the numbers are getting better. This just made me want to ask: why did the dip happen in such an extreme way? Someone's big foul-up? Well, you know how it is, the buck stops at the top. 

UMM went through such uncomfortable times with the political stuff, the gay rights and then the right wing kids creating such an unpleasant atmosphere. Well, the top adm. probably felt "that's your problem, Janet, it's your responsibility to do something about it. Whatever it takes." 

And like I wrote on my blogs: Students need to be told they are "not here to push political causes. They are here to take their studies seriously in preparation for the rest of their lives." You cannot tolerate the group called "gay devil worshipers." That story got into the Twin Cities media. It's not funny now. 

The lack of a Homecoming parade is significant. Not that it has to be super fancy. The problem now is this schism between campus and community which has grown worse. So Janet needed to be told, "do something about it." And as far as the "Northstar" publication was concerned, Jacqueline Johnson was wrong in citing "the First Amendment." Those kids had their own attorneys outside of UMM, as I discovered. UMM should not have been forced to allow the distribution of that paper on campus using campus newsstands. It wasn't just "conservative," it was tasteless. 

Bring back the Homecoming coronation on proper terms and enforce those terms. "You have to show who's boss." I know UMM does not like to restrain the students - my mother told me that - but there's a time when things have to change. UMM was "cute" with some of its characteristics in the past, but now it needs to roll its sleeves up. 

The very existence of UMM is probably threatened by what's going on in Washington D.C.

When I think of it, Janet was a little confrontational in her response to Steve Sviggum. I remember her saying in effect "our students would be shocked that you think that." It's like she was taking sides and you don't want to take sides against a Regent who had quite the legislative resume. 

UMM has always been able to push a lot of people around right here. But there comes a time for humility, a trait that has not often been exhibited in the rarefied air of UMM.

I walked to Tiger game. 0-0 at halftime, boring. Didn't stay long. Wore winter coat for first time this season. It was a "damp" cold.

- BW

 

I sent not one but two emails to Del. Inquiring minds want to know I guess. So here's from the other missive I sent to him:

  

Del - What? No "nationwide search" for a successor? Sounds like just the standard bumping someone upstairs. What might this mean? Is UMM set to just sleep-walk for a time until something drastic happens? Last year there were rumors of lots of students not coming back for the second semester. We'll have to see this year. If the central administration is scared of what Trump/Miller might do, they might come down hard on UMM. 

Central adm. isn't real fond of the "coordinate campuses" anyway, or so I've heard like from that "Peach" writer a couple years ago. Central adm. is not going to let UMM be a hindrance to the system, that's for sure. We haven't let go of "DEI," have we? What about the "women's studies" major? The guy on that podcast talked about our "grievance majors" taking over. Trump and Miller have NO TIME for that stuff. Our best hope might be that we're so small and remote out here, not worth the trouble. "Indians lining up on the hill." 

 

Janet Schrunk Ericksen

Del responded and began with a quote from one of my emails:  

"Students need to be told they are 'not here to push political causes.' " That’s like telling a dog not to bark. That’s what college kids do, they feel it’s their right or responsibility.

I really wonder why Janet chose the timing for her departure – between school years is always the norm. Maybe health reasons? “I’m quitting for health reasons – I’m sick of this job.” 

I’m sure the pressures are immense, I know I couldn’t handle it.

  

Another milepost

Well, maybe we can all relax over Thanksgiving. Is "Black Friday" dying out? I sense that more and more businesses are using Black Friday as an excuse to set up a four-day weekend. We could have predicted this. 

Final note: I will never forget how UMM singers performed my father's "UMM Hymn" for Janet's inauguration. Thanks Yulene.

 

Just before I published this blog post, I got word thanks to Erin C. at UMM that Lucy Imholte has passed away. RIP Lucy. 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com