Minnewaska takes 3AA-North crown

Lakers 42, Wildcats 36

Offensive rebounding isn't the prettiest phase of basketball but it sure helps lead to winning. The Minnewaska Area girls showed a healthy dose of that Thursday. They turned up the pressure too with defense. The team in fact has an array of weapons, and these they showed in defeating the No. 1 seed. 'Waska was No. 2. 

This outcome did not surprise me. Remember the total dominance that 'Waska showed in their first game against our MACA Tigers? Last night (Thursday) the Lakers needed all their strong suits against New London-Spicer. NL-Spicer had advanced by beating our Tigers. 

Fans could expect a real battle when the Lakers and Wildcats took to the court Thursday night at SSU of Marshall. The venue there is called the "R/A Facility." Not the most catchy name. 

Remember when so many sub-section games were played here in Morris at the UMM P.E. Center? Man, I remember the congestion of people and cars so often. It could be a madhouse. I'm not sure UMM administration would welcome such a scene again: too much wear and tear on campus assets. There was a time when I don't think that was so much of a worry. Times change. 

The Lakers and Wildcats met in the Section 3AA-North finals. How could the Lakers have only been seeded second? By beating NL-Spicer Thursday, the 'Waska crew sports a 26-3 record! The score was 42-36. Back on Dec. 10 it was the Wildcats having the upper hand over the Lakers 57-54 at New London. 

The 'Waska style of play reminds me a lot of the old Hancock Owls, just with the intensity. An opponent who isn't prepared for that can be shellacked. MACA knows that full well. I strongly hope our MACA girls program can upgrade a few notches before next season. 

I just noticed where the West Central Tribune writer misspoke on something. And actually this is easy to do. It might be better to just talk about "section" all the way and discard the "sub-section" terminology. The WC Trib coverage refers to "Section 3AA North semi-finals." Looks like what they meant was "Section 3AA-North finals." Remember that the sub-section championship games are the same as saying "section semi-finals." 

So 'Waska and NL-Spicer played for the sub-section title, and now the Lakers will play the South Sub-Section winner which is Fairmont. That game for the section title and state berth will be on Thursday, March 6, again at SSU. Game-time is 5 p.m. 

Fairmont like Waska had the No. 2 in sub-section. And like 'Waska they beat the No. 1 seed which in their case was Jackson County Central. But Fairmont had a much easier time of it than 'Waska. Fairmont dominated JCC 78-46. 

NL-Spicer had some trouble handling the ball in the first half versus 'Waska: 13 turnovers. That's what the 'Waska defense can do to you. The game was basically a stalemate halfway through: score of 19-18 with NL-Spicer leading. The Lakers came at the Wildcats with a full-court press. 

The Wildcats couldn't rely on their long-range shooting. Maybe this made the difference in the game: just one of seven in 3's for the game, the make by Taylor Munsch. 

'Waska snared eleven 'O' boards in the first half. For the game they were 15 for 55 in field goal shooting. The game continued to have a close complexion. 

A very key basket down the stretch was made by Laker Lauryn Ankeny. It was a '3'. Ankeny can seem all over the court at times. She has a gift for getting steals. Her point total was 14. She had five steals and blocked two shots. Sydney Dahl edged out Ankeny for team-best in scoring: 15 points. 

'Waska was six of eleven in freethrows. The Lakers outscored the Wildcats 24-17 in the second half. Now it's on to seek the full section title! I'm sure a considerable number of Laker fans will make the trip to Marshall. 

I do kind of miss the days when so many of these games were in Morris at UMM. Fans seated "up to the rafters" sometimes! Loud pep bands! Mercy. Remember when the Hancock and Wheaton girls packed the place? 

Here's the 'Waska scoring list from Thursday: Dahl 15, Ankeny 14, Olivia Danielson 4, Alia Randt 3, Megan Thorfinnson 3, Jayda Kolstoe 2 and Addy Kath 1. Ankeny made two 3's followed by Dahl and Randt each with one. Kath and Thorfinnson topped rebounds with six and three respectively. Thorfinnson and Kolstoe each had an assist. 

Ankeny topped steals as she so often does, with five. Randt had three steals. Ankeny had two shot blocks while these teammates each had one: Kath, Randt, Dahl and Danielson. 

The top NL-Spicer scorer was Ava Carlson with 17 points. Piper Barney was an effective rebounder with her 11. Ayla Caskey dished out four assists. Caskey and Munsch each had two two steals. Korbin Tanner blocked a shot. 

Now it's time for our basketball in these parts to show we're superior to southern Minnesota! I would bet on a Laker victory.

Yours truly has family connections to Glenwood.

Sydney Dahl's scoring milestone

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

NL-Spicer stops Tigers in 3AA-North

MACA had the awesome task of taking to the basketball court Tuesday to face powerhouse New London-Spicer. I suppose Tiger fans' hopes could not have been high. Just being realistic. And indeed the MACA girls were stopped in their second-round game.

Striving to be glass half-full, I'll note we were fortunate getting to this game. The Tigers won in the opening round over Montevideo. You might call that a mild upset. Consider that we had lost to the Teagan Epema-led Thunder Hawks 49-27 on Dec. 10. So, great satisfaction to be taken in the turnaround. 

My post about the Monte game is on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." I invite you to read with this link.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/02/maca-girls-turn-tables-on-montevideo.html 

 

The story Tuesday was almost certainly going to be different. I have been writing about high school sports for a long time, and certainly NL-Spicer coach Mike Dreier has stood out for a long time. The Wildcats are the top seed this year. 

I'm looking at a photo caption on the West Central Tribune site, and it identifies an eighth grade forward with the Wildcats. Eighth grade! Well, I'm happy for this talented young athlete, Korbin Tanner. 

I remember a time in Tiger athletics when only upperclassmen were even allowed to play varsity. That was one of several problems we had in that era. It's not good to bring it up but I couldn't help thinking about it when noticing the NL-Spicer eighth grader. 

These kids can contribute immediately and their development is enhanced greatly by being promoted early. There was a time in the Morris school's background when I understood all this but our administration did not. Obviously very strange. 

But now let's plunge into the present where we see the MACA season end with this 72-27 loss to Dreier and the Wildcats. This is Section 3AA-North action. Dreier had 16 players total get onto the court for game action. We were the No. 5 seed. NL-Spicer? Well they're No. 1. Next they'll play No. 2. That would be Minnewaska and in my opinion, the Lakers could give NL-Spicer a game. The action is now at Southwest State University. 

The Wildcats and Lakers will battle on Thursday. NL-Spicer brings a 27-1 record into the game. The MACA administration should take a good look at how Dreier does things IMHO. Then again I would have said that many years ago. Sometimes I speak up and I get into trouble, I mean really serious trouble. 

The Tigers trailed at halftime 45-14. The West Central Tribune notes that the Big Red gym in Willmar was "packed." Well, no suspense for those fans. 

The final MACA won-lost mark is 10-18. 

Minnewaska advanced Tuesday with a 59-32 win over No. 3 KMS. 

 

Eighth grader shines

The Wildcats' Korbin Tanner didn't just play, she gave special spark in the first half. My, she put in 19 points over the first 18 minutes. And for the night she led her team in scoring with 21 points. That's a career-best for her. And think of the long varsity road ahead of her. 

Dakota Rich made her return from injury in this game. She experienced a left shoulder injury on February 11. Rich is a senior guard. Sporting a shoulder brace, this Wildcat scored six points on two 3-pointers. 

The Wildcats cruised in second half play, outscoring the Tigers 27-13. 

The MACA offense was led by Addison Cihak with ten points. She made our only 3-pointer. She was joined in the scoring list by Mylie Fehr 7, Chloe Fehr 4, Samantha Konz 4 and Leah Berlinger 2. The WC Tribune had no other stat details for the Tigers but we can be thankful for the point totals because we very often do not get even that. 

Well, we get the full stat review for NL-Spicer. So after Korbin Tanner and her 21 points we see the following: Ava Carlson 16, Ayla Caskey 11, Dakota Rich 6, Roxanne Klein 4, Ezri Boelter 3, Kyla Vick 3, Jadyn Proehl 2, Sydney Thorstad 2, Aly Wendlandt 2, Brooke Barney 1 and Piper Barney 1. 

Rich with her two 3-pointers was followed by the following with one each: Caskey, Carlson, Boelter and Vick. Carlson topped rebounds with her seven. In assists we see Caskey leading the way with six. Caskey also led in steals with seven. Klein blocked two shots.

Minnewaska 59, KMS 32

How competitive can the 'Waska Lakers be against New London-Spicer? Knowledgeable fans might suggest "very." I personally think a win could be in the cards. What awesome defense that team plays. It is applied man-to-man. 

'Waska has the No. 2 seed and they defeated the No. 3, KMS, applying no small of that vaunted defense. The game site was the same as for MACA vs. NL-S: the Big Red gym. The Lakers were swarming and achieved 26 steals. Wow! KMS did jump out to a 7-2 lead. Their fortunes sank in the face of 'Waska's pressure. "Suffocating" is how the WC Trib described it. So 'Waska went on a 16-0 run. 

The halftime score was 24-13. 'Waska owns a 25-3 record now. 

The Lakers plunged into second half play with a 13-2 run. 

I normally look for Lauryn Ankeny to lead in steals but on this night the leaders were Addy Kath and Megan Thorfinnson with ten and five respectively. Ankeny was the top Laker in scoring: 16 points. Kath put in 12 points and Thorfinnson ten. Then we see Olivia Danielson 8, Sydney Dahl 8, Jayda Kolstoe 3 and Kendall Danielson 2. 

In 3-pointers we saw Kath making two and Ankeny, Dahl and Thorfinnson one each. Kath and Ankeny led in rebounds with nine and seven respectively. Ankeny was sharp with her passing: four assists. Ankeny blocked two shots. KMS was led in scoring by Madelynn Luft, 15 points.

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

Foreboding times for Morris campus

First, "the eyes have it"

Yours truly will have to rest his eyes at some point to see if that helps. Helps with my eyesight which has been declining. I practice long-form journalism online which is increasingly unusual to see. So many paragraphs piled one on top of the other. It was once very acceptable and common. 

 

It's too quiet

Change is a constant. And with that, let us take a look at our institution of higher learning here in Morris. I'll quote again a fellow I heard one morning in the restaurant: "I don't see UMM students around any more. They used to be all over the place." 

Not only were students plentiful, they had such an energetic and carefree approach to life. Today with the cost of education being what it is, I imagine they have to prove to themselves every day that the commitment is worth it. 

Do the kids still get dragged through bottom-level general ed classes like "sociology 101?" Back when I was young, I think the profs themselves would sort of laugh about such stuff. Nothing is worthy of being laughed at today, not with the cost of higher ed. "Sociology 101" had better yield some valuable , measurable results. Well good luck with that. 

"Sociology 101" was always taught by profs with a left wing political orientation. Which is bad? I never liked what I considered to be "paternalistic liberalism" that was sort of fab in the 1970s. 

Today? I couldn't be more disturbed by what hovers over us in the form of Trump. We will learn the hard way that while Republicans can often make very good arguments based on principle - and are a force for minimalizing largesse in government = they cannot govern. They cannot bear the main mantle of power. Again I'll quote my college friend Brad from the Iron Range: "Republicans don't care about people." 

So right now we get the news of one of those town halls where people are showing up to vent about the consequences of all the government cuts being applied in slash-and-burn fashion by DOGE. To express worry about this sinister-seeming Elon Musk of the Nazi salute. And don't tell me that it isn't meant to at least mimic the autocratic threat of the 1930s. 

People vent at the town halls, yes. It can be forceful and dramatic. So much of government on the chopping block now. Many people losing their jobs because of all this, and do you really believe they all had little or no purpose? I would hope that nearly all of them had a useful purpose. 

People cry out in the town halls and through their online platforms. And this morning I read how a Republican lawmaker responded to these folks. So utterly predictable: "God has a plan for you." Reminds of when there's a mass shooting somewhere and Republicans trot out the "thoughts and prayers" line. 

Some of this can be amusing at first. But the "burn everything down" approach begins to look really scary as it develops momentum. 

 

At inflection point?

This is critical

And heaven help us here in our little Morris if we had lost UMM - I mean lost UMM overnight - if a Federal judge had not rescued us by contradicting a Trump executive order. An order to wipe out all "DEI." 

That's literally what it was. I mean for virtually all schools. And don't we have about the most pro-DEI school in the country here with UMM? 

Imagine the scramble here, or actually at the Twin Cities campus, to try to adjust in the face of what DJT attempted to foist on us. I learned of the judge's intervention on Saturday. And what if that judge had not acted? What if the ruling had fallen into the lap of Judge Cannon or others like her? And that may be coming as MAGA stretches its legs and enjoys the power and privilege of government. 

It's not even a conundrum. Because a conundrum involves mystery. 

Could the Feds pull the plug on a whole lot of Federal $ for Minnesota if we insisted that UMM continue as it now exists? Well, I'm sure the central U administration would have to be sensitive about this because there's $ at stake. 

People's personal opinions of Trump would not matter. He is consolidating power behind his regime each passing day. Tariffs? Deportations? Perhaps taking over the Federal Reserve to hijack interest rates (lower). So then we'll get significantly more inflation? Until what? Do you even want to think about it? 

Maybe the health of our UMM will become a minor concern. Maybe we won't even care if the campus becomes abandoned and sits there like the Appleton prison. I think there's an ever-increasing likelihood of this. 

If you object to all that is happening, you must ask how we came to elect our current congressperson. She seems most well-established in the position. And she is 100 percent up-front pro-Trump and MAGA. If this is what y'all want, well fine, go ahead and talk it up. 

 

Looking for facts

Regarding UMM, I heard in just the past few days from a well-placed source that the chancellor answers to the head of the Crookston campus. I heard strange news reports a while back that pointed to this but then I thought it was overblown. I guess it was not overblown. The Crookston head is obviously going to put the interests of her own campus over ours. 

And what does this mean? When central U administration thinks it's fine for Crookston to have oversight over Morris? It means something. Everything means something.

  

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

Sword of Damocles lifted from over UMM

Do the hints of spring improve your outlook on life right now? If you're Catholic you are getting ready to mourn. Pope Francis who I admire very much may well be headed to his demise. 

I have a staunchly Republican friend who grew up in a Catholic family, and this friend has not been very charitable with his thoughts about Pope Francis. That is how strong the lust for devotion to Donald Trump is. It overcomes one's home base of religious devotion. 

And there has been a spiritual dimension to the MAGA loyalists. I have found this scary but I am unable to do anything about it. In referring to my old friend I probably should use the past tense. As in, I HAD a friend. It is the reality that is upon us. 

And so now on this Sunday of late winter or early spring, we observe how it took a Federal judge to lift the sword of Damocles that was hovering over our UMN-Morris for several days. What would we do without such judges? Not that we can always count on judges, heavens. And if we cannot, what happens when the dike suddenly breaks? 

As may have already happened: Judge Cannon in Florida made the ruling to toss the "docs" case on specious grounds. Oh, Merrick Garland doesn't know the law? Well of course he does. He actually had a longstanding reputation as a conservative which is why Barack Obama thought Garland would fly as a Supreme Court nominee. Mitch McConnell said no. 

And now we hear our God from on high - i.e. Donald Trump - making disparaging comments about McConnell. DJT questions whether McConnell ever really had polio as a child. So McConnell made it up? Has DJT ever engaged in prevarication? 

I have told my friends "beware false prophets." Mostly it falls on deaf ears. I cannot explain it. Shall I even try? 

MAGA people would not even read what I have to write today. And if they were forced to, they would issue a stream of ad hominem attacks. They'd use the kind of words that would get you sent to the principal's office in school, or at least that would have been the case when I was in school. They listen to nobody but their MAGA opinion leaders. Like from "talk radio." That endless droning-on of such godawful political rhetoric. 

It is Sunday and I shall try to hold my head high, if you do not mind. I will attend the church that is arguably the most "liberal" in Stevens County. That would be First Lutheran in Morris, now without a pastor just like the other ELCA "liberal" church of Faith Lutheran. What is to become of us?

 

Whither UMM?

To what degree do we depend on UMM for our vitality? Can Morris still be described as a "company town" based on UMM? Or has this shifted to Superior/Westmor? It would be nice to have the best of both worlds of course. 

But UMM slipped a few notches as a result of DJT chasing off the foreign students. Michael Lackey will be happy to tell you about the consequences of this. He will readily inform you that the foreign students were UMM's "cash cow." 

UMM has at least survived. But in the past week, an absolute sword of Damocles emerged for UMM. It doesn't get more stressful than this: DJT issuing an "executive order" to ban all "DEI." 

Yesterday (Saturday) I finally caught the news flash that a Federal judge stepped in to address this abomination. And no, I am not a fan of all things DEI, to be sure. But DJT's pronouncement was on the face of it totally flawed because of its vagueness. How would college education even begin to sort out how to respond to this? 

"DEI" on all sorts of levels - some obvious and some far less so - has spring up at all institutions in our age of diversity-consciousness. It is clear that DJT wishes to abandon all of that. Or let me put it in different terms. I think this gets to the heart of the matter: DJT wants to wipe out all publicly-funded education.  

Make no mistake, he wants all of that gone. He sets the tone from the top of the government. And that is nothing to shake a stick at. Well-known people one by one have been complying and capitulating to Trump because quite simply they have to. They have to, in order to take care of their own interests. To look out for themselves which is an irresistible human impulse. So ABC News disgorges $15 million to DJT. No rational basis for doing that. But people feel immense pressure. 

And don't tell me the top administration of our U of M are not incredibly nervous about the precedent that was set by our president seeking to wipe out DEI, even if a judge issued a temporary reprieve. Next time it could be a judge like Judge Cannon. Look out for the Federalist Society judges. They could well have allowed DJT to march forward. 

With what consequences for our U of M-Morris? Our U of M-Morris which was once held up as "the jewel in the crown?" Right now our campus sits here as a possible hindrance to the interests of the whole U system. And that is because, quite obviously, we have allowed DEI to virtually take over our campus purpose. The institution is unapologetic. The web searches related to our campus make it wholly clear. 

So my God, what if we had not gotten the reprieve from the judge over the weekend? Seriously, might the U have had to consider closing our campus down, I mean immediately? Within 24 hours? Try to immediately remove all evidence of our offending DEI commitment? Take down signs, clean up the language on the web? 

To be replaced by what? Maybe with nothing in the short term. So our campus would be sitting there like the Appleton prison I guess. I have read that the toilets have to keep getting flushed there.

Remember the rumors early in covid about how the Appleton prison was going to be transformed into this big regional covid treatment center? Boy, that sure got erased. 

Godspeed Pope Francis, but it would seem he will soon meet his Lord God.

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

Ultimatum from the top on "DEI"

Right here at our University of Minnesota-Morris

I'm innocently scanning headlines this morning and not looking for any excuse to project dismay about something. Well it's pretty hard in the age of Trump. We wanted this. We have elected a congressperson who throws herself into Trump's arms in a figurative way of speaking. 

Michelle Fischbach made sure we all new that Biden "was found in possession of classified documents." Sounds just as scandalous as "Hillary's emails." Whatever became of that? Turned into a whisper? Maybe not even that. But it helped get DJT elected the first time with the help of the mountain of hard-edged "conservative media," the likes of which we were protected from in the days of the Fairness Doctrine. 

It was easy to criticize the Fairness Doctrine in theory. Today we have to ask "what hath God wrought" with the likes of the raft of conservative talk hosts. The heroes of these people have really truly seized the reins of government power now. They are no longer an amusement. And they really truly are coming after "DEI" and everything that smacks of it. 

Looks like the Stephen Miller types are absolutely not going to back down. I wrote recently about what the anti-DEI thing could portend for our UMN-Morris campus. It's awfully soon to be writing about it again. But my, look at the headlines on this Thursday morning. Thursday at the end of our godawful cold spell. The turnaround starts on Friday, looks like. 

Will the more moderate temperatures put me in a more favorable, more optimistic mood? So I don't come off as, well, curmudgeonly? 

Maybe I do not in theory like a lot of what makes up "DEI." But we in the Morris area have to look out for our parochial interests. Read economic interests. Colleges have been thought of as enormous economic drivers for their communities. 

Yes our Morris campus has shrunken in some ways. Can't deny it, can we? I just finished putting up a post expressing dismay at what is happening to our UMM music department. Can't put lipstick on this: in order to survive, UMM music ensembles must now include community people with the standard students. Of course I object to that. I mean I object on principle. And when I write things I am usually doing so with an interest in principle. 

Then again we must try to take care of our interests here in Morris which may not seem easy because of our remote location. Maybe we're so remote, the top Federal authorities will not notice us? Seriously, I wonder if that is what is in the cards to give us hope. I do not know if our free tuition for Native Americans is based on a real actual "treaty." Or is it just some long-ago law or "policy." 

Stephen Miller

If it's law or policy, I fail to see how this would pass muster with the Stephen Miller types. I'd eat my hat if it did. And beyond that, the conservative-infused Supreme Court made a ruling to ban "affirmative action." 

Now, college people are of course very clever souls and they can "tweak" things to keep everything according to Hoyle. But man I have to wonder on this Thursday morning of the arctic blast of 2025, because look at the news coming our way. DJT and his whole "movement" if you want to call it that isn't fooling around. Their rhetoric has consequences, or it sure looks that way. 

The headline in "USA Today": "Trump gave schools two weeks to ban DEI." 

"Ominous" is how the USA Today article described the four-page letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education - doesn't DJT want that eliminated? - to campuses and states across the country. The directive from on high is sweeping to say the least. It "applies to nearly every aspect of educational life," the article stated. 

No wiggle room, not even for clever attorneys, of which I'm sure our U of M has several? The panic and confusion has even spread to K-12 administrators. 

 

The pecking order

One question that I have: Does UMM really have to answer to Federal authorities so much? Or is UMM more bound by State of Minnesota guidelines? Republicans like to trumpet the de-centralizing of power, don't they? Historically they have. 

I don't know what kind of umbrella of protection that UMM can get from the state in our blue state (for now) of Minnesota. And remember, if we allow Republicans to take over as seems quite possible, we'll say goodbye to the "Pornhub" website. That is happening in Republican-led states. And Republicans never look at Pornhub, right? Would be immoral? 

But they elected DJT who paid off a top porn star to try to silence her after a tryst. These things get complicated and confusing. 

Confusing even at our local level where of course we have Republicans as our representatives in St. Paul. These are steadfast Republicans, this pair whose names are Torrey Westrom and Paul Anderson. They wouldn't give an inch, would they? They're in line with Fischbach for sure, right? 

Torrey Westrom

But wait a minute, Westrom and Anderson have appeared quite on board with UMM's DEI commitment. Like even as cheerleaders holding pom-poms. We are so human an animal. 

Psst, don't tell anyone but we have a "multi-ethnic building" on our campus. It's a part of the U of M's 2023 capital request, so we are hardly soft-pedaling this place. Realistically it's a small building that could just as well be abandoned. Whatever goes on there, assuming it would even be allowed to continue, could be shifted elsewhere on campus and I'm sure such space exists. 

But I'm just an objective outsider. Now people have to nudge me so I can see the party line. Remember, colleges are major economic drivers of their communities. The U of M says the multi-ethnic building needs "essential updates." Well, whatever they say I guess. 

The building was the original home to the music department, and all concerts were held at Edson. Actually I thought that arrangement was very nice. 

Here's from UMM's website: "Rep. Paul Anderson and Sen. Torrey Westrom have introduced bills in the Minnesota House and Senate to provide state bonding to improve accessibility and upgrade life safety and building systems in the building." 

The project would have an elevator installed. 

The U of M is powerful, we all know that. But there's a new sheriff in town with the Federal government too. We have the Stephen Miller influence. You think it's all a bluff? That's always a possibility. But on this Thursday morning in our Flyoverland, well I think it's "ominous." 

I'm sure the elevator will be expensive. And I'm sure this building is not even needed. And how can we count on a continued demand for it, in light of the big push to stamp DEI right out of existence? 

Paul Anderson

Have Westrom and Anderson even paused for a moment to realize they are bucking their Republican party in a major way? I mean by supporting clear and obvious DEI? 

And whither UMM as a whole in light of how the winds are blowing?

Here's from the UMM website:

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Intercultural Programs, which includes the Multi-Ethnic Student Program, LGBTQIA2S+ Programs, Gateway Scholars Program, and the International Student Program, supports events, programs, and partnerships that:

• Strengthen relationships, intercultural competence, and global citizenship
• Promote a diverse, inclusive, and just community
• Advance the engagement and success of students from traditionally underserved backgrounds in the U.S. and international students from around the world.

 (End of quoted material)

 

Now what?

Should we all do a Hail Mary here in Morris now? Whistling past the graveyard? Make no mistake, the campus is a beautiful little collection of buildings. But could it ever come up with a new purpose? Steve Sviggum has warned us. Perhaps we ignore his warning at our peril.

UMM is stressed at present. What if it cannot survive in its current form? Remember a truism often voiced about Donald Trump, that he "destroys everything that he touches." I will repeat what Michael Lackey has told me, that Trump "chased away the foreign students and they were our cash cow."

  

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

Boys' win over BOLD is 7th straight

I almost missed checking on the Monday boys basketball game for MACA. One should never assume anything. I had thought that Presidents Day would be free of games. But no, the Tigers were most certainly in action and it was a fine contest. Fans at Tiger Center enjoyed seeing this 73-57 win by coach Jacob Torgerson's crew. 

The success was over BOLD. The success helped us put aside thoughts about the impending cold weather? At least I think so. The win was the seventh straight for the streaking Tigers. So we vaulted up to a 17-6 overall record and 8-3 in conference. BOLD was left at 14-9. 

The West Central Tribune article gets right into who stood out for BOLD. It is so sad we have to endure this. The Tigers used to get a fair amount of attention in the Willmar paper. And when that failed, we often could consume Brett Miller's writing on the radio station website. 

So much has just disappeared. I hope that does not reflect the general trend of the community. Things don't appear to be going well for UMM. 

Online we can see that three BOLD players scored in double figures. Fine and dandy I guess. Just did a quick check of the Maxpreps site for MACA because I want to leave no stone unturned. 

MACA coaches started the season posting game stats there but then they aborted that, unfortunately. Mark Torgerson was good at using that resource, and it gave me abundant, excellent opportunity to provide some thorough summaries of Tiger basketball. No dice now. I'd like to suggest it but I don't think anyone would listen to me. 

That's unfortunate because I'm certainly showing more effort on this Wednesday morning than the radio station. The radio station only reports "scores." Brett is gone but we always have DeeDee.

On this Wednesday morning in the midst of our arctic blast I can report that Will Penkert scored 16 points for the visitor. Jack Gross had a total of 14 and Hudson Vosika scored 13. 

The Tigers led at halftime 36-24. Four other players scored for BOLD: Owen Baumgartner 6, Tyler Ruschen 3, John Morse 3 and Daylen Weber 2. Vosika made three 3-pointers while Gross and Morse each made one. Penkert topped rebounds with five. Gross topped assists with four and Vosika had two steals. 

The WC Trib has "stats not available" for MACA. Hmmm, why are they "not available?" I tried checking Maxpreps and I don't know where else to look. 

Too bad the newspaper site is worse than hopeless. The paper must get complaints about that. When a game is played on Monday or Tuesday, look how long we have to wait to see coverage in the "paper" paper. The Morris librarian told me "I never see kids with the newspapers." We've had changing times. 

The boys' win streak has included the following defeated opponents: Melrose, KMS, West Central Area, 'Waska, Marshall, Redwood Valley and then BOLD. 

Looks like our scheduled Tuesday game versus Albany was postponed. The weather I presume. The Tigers are 9-1 in section, 8-3 in conference, 6-3 on the road, 1-1 neutral and 10-2 at the friendly home court. Look out Southwest State, here we come!

 

Girls: Minnewaska 69, Tigers 45

I felt like using the famous Keith Jackson quote "Whoa Nellie!" going into the Tuesday home game between the Tigers and Minnewaska Area. We might have expected the worst or something close to it. This was a re-match against Minnewaska Area. Word is, 'Waska has a much higher-paid athletic director than Morris. Actually 'Waska sort of "took away" our AD. 

Well, 'Waska plays like they have a well-compensated AD, that's for sure. I will not repeat the details of the first MACA vs. 'Waska game this season. Let's tuck that memory away. On Tuesday the picture was not so bleak. But we were defeated by the Lakers 69-45. This score might not look like much of an improvement over anything. But it was. 

We had 26 points at halftime. Crack open the champagne for that. 'Waska had 33 points halfway through. Our fortunes fell in second half play as the Lakers outscored us 36-19. 

Click on link below to read about the Tigers' 74-39 win over Lac qui Parle on Feb. 11. This post is on my companion blog site, "Morris of Course." Thanks for reading.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/02/maca-girls-carve-up-lac-qui-parle-valley.html 

 

It has been my pleasure to report regularly about 'Waska this season. I have family connections to Glenwood. Their success Tuesday assured them of at least a tie for the WCC title. They are 11-1 in conference and 23-3 overall. 

Lots of talent on the court for Minnewaska on Tuesday: five individuals in double figures. The WC Trib article had four but I see five in the boxscore. Here they are: Sydney Dahl 15, Addy Kath 13, Olivia Danielson 11, Megan Thorfinnson 10 and Jayda Kolstoe 10. This group was joined in the scoring column by Lauryn Ankeny 8 and Berlynn Green 2. 

Ankeny and Thorfinnson each made two 3-pointers. Kath topped rebounds with 12. Danielson with her four assists led there. You can usually find Ankeny at the top with steals and on this night she had five. Kath blocked two shots. 

The WC Trib has "stats not available" for MACA. I can't do anything about it, sorry. 

I can report that MACA is seeded No. 5 for Section 3AA-North and has to travel for first-round play. They visit Montevideo, home of the Thunder Hawks, for a Friday matchup set to start at 7 p.m. Monte is seeded fourth. Looks like we have a chance to win this game. 

Would you believe 'Waska is only seeded No. 2? The No. 1 seed must be awesome.

 

Sorry, but. . .

Seriously, I am almost offended as I check the SCT website. I should check from time to time just in case they change their sports approach. Well of course they have not. Is it unreasonable to be upset? I think not. Egad, Cougar stuff just dominates. And all that Cougar material is easily accessible from UMM's own website - it fact it is presented in superior fashion there. 

But the Tigers? I keep thinking that one of these days we'll see a change. Or not. You'd think that "Cougars" were the only sports teams here. And I cannot help but feel offended, seriously. It's such a naked statement that "you'll have to buy the paper product." Yes, next Tuesday.

 

Jim Greenwaldt

My first memory about Jim Greenwaldt is about him being so good bringing me 'C' team basketball info when I was at the paper, many moons ago of course. 

I remember typing 'C' team articles that I thought were actually better than what I was able to type re. varsity. Seems to me the varsity was not doing well then, so the 'C' team actually helped make up for it. The 'C' team level seemed to be blessed with better numbers, and that is always a big plus! 

I remember working with Greenwaldt on "Close-Up" trips too. My eyesight was much better back in those days.

  

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

In Morris we "follow the leaders"

I would say there has been one prevailing standard in place through Morris history, a standard for feeling comfortable here. You "go along to get along." 

Put your finger up in the wind. It is all that has ever really mattered. When it comes time for someone of influence to move along, we have to wait for the right people to coalesce and make clear it's the right move. Don't ever dare to suggest anything prematurely. And don't ever dare to be like the boy who says the emperor has no clothes. You know what's good for you, don't you? 

I have observed some past controversies in Morris. You should never state an opinion if it might run counter to what certain big shots are saying or thinking. The time might come when it's OK. Just don't assert yourself prior to that. Here's the deal: you will find that people will not only disagree with you, they will attack you personally. They will make all sorts of suggestions about how you're lacking in intelligence. They will be clannish, looking to make sure that there's an envelope of the right people around them. 

The people enforcing the party line use nasty language. They can act like junior high male bullies. I have a long background of experience in Morris. I observed the very persistent controversy over the "cemetery chimes," to name one example. 

I have to stress it's just one example, lest people say to me "is that all you've got?" 

For a time the sympathizers with the chimes thought there was some sort of religious criterion to be weighed. People then were much more inclined to write letters to the editor than today. So we got the following: are opponents of the chimes "atheists?" You see, the chimes were playing "hymns." 

One letter writer talked about her "favorite hymns" which prompted my back shop joking with Jim Morrison at the newspaper. "Favorite hymns?" We laughed. Jim and I have been rather on the agnostic end of things. Actually that's a lie: Jim is a self-admitted non-believer whereas yours truly is at least trying to make good with his faith. 

Jim and I laughed because, far from having "favorite hymns," we would find them to be indistinguishable from each other! I remember when Good Shepherd Church got formed as a rebellious act, they reportedly wanted to stick with the old "green" hymnal. These days my eyesight is so bad I wouldn't flip open a hymnal at all, even if I could tell the color. I look for a slide projector image with nice big words up on a screen. 

I digress here which I confess I do more often. 

 

A long slog

On the cemetery chimes, of course the controversy was allowed to go on for way too long. Was the city responsible for that misjudgment? I might bring up Jim Morrison again. He was on the cemetery board. Bless his heart, Jim looked at the issue in naked collars-cents terms, saying the chimes were donated, "didn't cost us anything." 

I say "bless his heart" but the tone of agreement comes only from my acknowledgment that Jim was being a chip off the old block. Watch every nickel that goes through your business. 

My father had the same mindset. A friend told me he was fascinated by how Dad could seemingly memorize every price in the grocery store. Bottom line: it was a legacy of the Great Depression. The Morrison family carried the weight of that too. My father was the youngest of five boys and graduated high school in 1934. 

Hey the cemetery chimes eventually disappeared. They had caused so much stress. For a time the "city fathers" of Morris as it were acted like maybe the chimes were OK, or at least tolerable. Ken Hudgson wrote a letter to the editor that scolded the critics of the chimes. 

I was surprised that the estimable Mr. (or Dr.) Hodgson could not be a little more sympathetic or empathetic. The cynical or realistic part of me wonders if he was just putting up a defense in line with what "community leaders" thought was appropriate at least for the time being. Sometimes these people seem to be saying in a subtle way "Brian, we understand where you're coming from, but. . ." 

OK, what comes after "but?" Hey I've got it: "Don't be so drastic." Well, don't be so drastic for now. But then the time eventually comes. 

The chimes just sort of disappeared. 

Our school district had an activities director in the late '80s who finally disappeared. The community was finally willing to live with that after a whole lot of dust had been kicked up. When it seemed the dust finally cleared, there was still a boat-rocking statement. It was a group of coaches. It's quaint to think back about how often I popped into the school for regular business but then on the way out I'd stop by Supt. Rettke's office and we'd talk "background." Man, that would never be countenanced today, not by the school administration! Mercy. 

I had to weigh if ol' Dennis was being sincere with everything he told me. Regarding the letter signed by several coaches, he referred to it as "that damn letter" and said he had told Mark Torgerson that it almost cost him the boys basketball coaching position. But of course he got it and after one very bumpy season, in which I believe he struggled because of the mess he inherited, I guess he turned out OK. I would have some mild reservations with that judgment. But he turned out better than the girls coach we hired in the mid-1980s. 

I'm sure the writers of the edgy letter to the editor wanted Mary Holmberg's signature. They would have had to seek it! So I wonder what she told them. Was the overall school staff still coalescing around the departed person? It appeared there were some holes in the dike. Anyway, life went on as it always does in Morris, once a certain power network decides it wants to be done with a particular matter. 

You have to "go along to get along." But I guess I have not honored that dictum. So once again I have fallen into choppy waters. Is it my nature to create problems for myself? What's the matter for contention now? Well I am greatly distressed by the decline of the UMM music department. 

The decline in and of itself is really just part of what's going on. In order to patch up the leaks, UMM is now inviting "community" to join in with the official groups/ensembles. U-Crookston has been doing this for a while but I always thought we were better than Crookston. Now we are not. 

I am informed that "symphonic winds" is literally dead. Gone. Now it's a group with "comm" in the name for "community." I raise inconvenient questions. Why are UMM music discipline assets being used to support groups that are partly "community" in composition? And why should my family fund which is named for my late parents be applied toward these things, when in fact many of the community people will be from families that are well-off financially? 

Those families could get out their checkbooks and I could step aside. My Social Security is not that great. I have bank CDs but you never know when interest rates will go back to near zero. Man, I have been shocked by low interest rates. And Donald Trump is very assertive saying that interest rates need to be pushed down again. 

 

A little relevance

I keep the family fund going because I want to stand for something positive in my otherwise non-descript (to say the least) retirement years. I do not even have a girlfriend with whom to share Valentine's Day. So I spend for the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund for UMM. 

A way for me to achieve reasonably high standing in Morris? Ask Sue Dieter if I have reasonably high standing, or if such a thing would ever be within reach for me. 

But I try. I now suffer the indignity of finding out that UMM music has declined so far, it can no longer have its own stand-alone groups with those special "UMM students." Students who come from all over. What would Jim Carlson say? 

I began discussions on having the Williams Fund shifted to benefit music at the Twin Cities U. I in fact got pretty deep into that with a contact person at the "main campus." Eventually I got word that UMM-centered interests wanted to speak with me. Well of course they did! 

I backed off, shut up because in Morris you have to "go along to get along." Vote Trump. Even though Trump got rid of the foreign students at UMM and these foreign students were our "cash cow." The esteemed Michael Lackey explained all this to me. 

Lackey also explained something else that I should have learned about long ago: the U of M really is special compared to the state universities. He said this is because of the U's research role. Lackey is the kind of guy who is always on the level with you. 

My late father should have explained the U's exclusivity to me long ago. He just never got around to it.

Why am I having to comment about this? The UMM band should be composed of UMM students with only an occasional "ringer."
 

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

Making note that it is Valentine's Day

Another bout of extreme weather we're having. More climate change? Extreme cold set to return on Saturday and to hang around a while longer? 

It is a challenge to keep your spirits up under these conditions. I live alone. The first part of winter wasn't so bad because we have Christmas. We actually had a trend of milder temps for a few days recently. The height of winter cannot be denied though. 

I'm writing this on Valentine's Day. In theory it would be nice to make an affectionate gesture toward someone. I recognize the appropriateness of it. But the person involved might take offense or think it's weird. Do not worry, I will not do it. Sorry I bothered you with that thought. 

Basketball ought to be made the primary sport in America. Weather does not affect it. The injuries can be handled mostly routinely, quite unlike football of course. I have sought to speak out against football, mostly in vain I guess. I was cheered last night amidst this cold snap to be able to watch the livestream of Iowa women's basketball. There was no obstruction on the screen so it was just like watching TV! 

Super evening because I could watch the Hawkeyes defeat Rutgers. Do you still remember when Rutgers women's basketball was the focus for a pretty big story? That was when the Don Imus morning simulcast got in trouble for what was suggested to be inappropriate comments. Dad and I enjoyed watching "Imus in the Morning." There was a fair amount of political satire. Oh and cultural satire which gets us to the Rutgers matter. 

The gimlet-eyed Mr. Imus launched into what I would call a parody of hip-hop culture. Such a thing would require his language crossing the line, shall we say. Hip-hop practitioners themselves do this, I'll inform those of you who might be a little Pollyannish. 

Don Imus

Mr. Imus was pretty spot-on with his sense of parody but the big problem was that his focus was on college female student-athletes. Overnight he was in big trouble. Advertisers disappeared. Dad and I would have to say goodbye to the show. He pleaded that his show was "comedy." IMHO his best defense would have been what I just observed here: "parody of hip-hop culture" 

But we're into race which naturally gets dicey. The holier-than-thou people lined up to be sure. The Rutgers women's basketball coach made a lengthy presentation on live TV. I can't blame her for having some strong feelings. Imus had committed a misjudgment. 

It's tough in the media to be totally sharp and sensitive all the time. 

I can't help but smile as I think of a couple of Imus' lines as he did the parody, and I smile not because I mean any disrespect to the players. How could anyone feel anything but respect for college student-athletes? The humor was directed at hip-hop culture. 

"Nappy-headed hoes." That did it.

You have surmised now that Rutgers had a large number of players of color on the court. Yes they did. 

We eventually got the "Morning Joe" program as the replacement for Don Imus. Imus at first landed on the RFD TV network for a morning show. Yes, seemed an odd paring. Dad and I still watched quite a bit but it didn't seem the same. I still remember the member of the Imus crew who did the impression of Ray Nagin! That has become an obscure name now. Nagin was the mayor of New Orleans. He had a voice that lent itself to some mimicking. 

Imus is deceased.

"Morning Joe" attracted quite a few fans because it seemed like something different. You could sit down with your coffee in the morning and digest some pretty involved political talk. It was a three-hour show. But did this show become a curse for America? I'm serious. Looking back I think the show provided a platform for Donald Trump's demagoguery. Extended clips from Trump rallies. Gullible people would buy into a lot of that. 

It is not a stretch to suggest that "Morning Joe" may have made the difference for Trump getting elected in 2016. Oh, he actually got three million fewer votes than the Democratic nominee. Why are we not all aghast in looking back on that? 

Forum Communications the newspaper company was such a candy-ass then, as they decided not to make an endorsement for president. It is normally a Republican-leaning company. Obviously they could see the threat to America that Trump represented. The Forum should have endorsed the Democrat. They were scared. Today Trump has more people scared than ever. This has gone on for how many years now? 

Lately he and his people have begun attacking the Lutheran Church. Is the whole Upper Midwest ready to jettison the Lutheran Church? The Upper Midwest is saturated with Trump voters. Inundated? I have lost some friends forever. We have a congressperson who is like a clone of Trump, would not question him on anything. 

All this has sunken into our culture in this part of Flyoverland. And we're right next to South Dakota which appears even worse. 

But are we ready to just walk away from the Lutheran Church which has been such a home base for so many of us? Scandinavians abandoning the Lutheran Church? Everything connected to Trump wins out in the end. Nothing stops him and MAGA. Nothing. I am but a grain of sand on a vast beach. 

I had better just forget about Valentine's Day. But I find a source of happiness with Iowa women's basketball winning last night. Unfortunately the Gophers got stopped by No. 9 Ohio State. Close game but no cigar.

 

Re. Valentine's Day, I had better start formulating some thoughts for next year. No matter what I attempt, I'd probably screw it up somehow.

 

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

How can we not worry about UMM?

UMM winter scene (B.W. photo)

The dominoes are falling. The new presidential administration is applying the wrecking ball. It is going far beyond talk. Nobody who is interested in job security for themselves is going to want to promote "DEI" now. Seems to me our UMM in Morris stands for nothing if not for DEI. I posted the following comment to a Yahoo! News article a few days ago:

 

Oh my goodness, I live in a small town with a branch of the state's University and we are absolutely defined by DEI. We stand for nothing if not for DEI. The institution is important to the welfare of the town. Should we panic now?

 

"MAP" responded:

"Yes."

 

I think we have always felt a little isolated and secure here in Morris. Like maybe we don't think the macro problems of the world would ever really affect us. And who would want to touch our "jewel in the crown" UMM? We're Morris. We're blessed. 

That may stay true up to a point. Up to when a line finally gets crossed. And of course UMM spokespeople would vent fury at the thoughts I am sharing here. I am not commenting directly on the merits of DEI. Although I might suggest it's a shaky foundation for counting on the institution's future. 

UMM had no problem with allowing the distribution of the far-right publication "Northstar" over an extended period of time. I definitely objected to that. I thought the publication was an abomination simply on the basis of journalism. And I would have found a responsible libertarian campus publication most interesting - a positive injection into the discourse. 

Thanks to "Northstar" we got to see a photo of the dead Trayvon Martin. What was the point? We got to see a full-page photo on Page 1 of a well-known feminist with a caption that poked fun at her appearance. How is this kind of commentary consistent in any way, shape or form with UMM's mission? And display stands were provided for this material on campus. 

The issue with the picture of the feminist was current at the time of a UMM graduation. I noticed the display stands for Northstar were empty, so I wonder if administration realized they just could not allow all the visitors on campus to see such a crass front page. 

Right now in winter of 2025, all the scary stuff from the political right wing has extended way beyond talk. Look at the headlines every day. Here's one this morning: "PBS caves to Trump, ousts staffers: 'We have closed our DEI office.' " 

People "cave" because they have to. ABC News did it. CBS is apparently doing it now. On advice from lawyers, people capitulate for the most disturbing outcomes. People caved to Hitler during his rise in Germany. And is our UMN-Morris isolated, sort of immune from the bigger picture? Up until this year I would have been inclined to say yes. 

"That's just the way it is" and "life will go on just fine." 

However, I don't think the situation was "just fine" for UMM in the first place. It's hard to get enrollment information that you can really count on. Are we relying on PSEO kids for a lot of it? High school students? Is this system being "milked." 

As Jim McRoberts once taught me, "figures lie and liars figure." OK that's a little hyperbolic because I don't wish to accuse anyone of lying. Our public school teachers union may make such public accusations about our school board - right there in the public print - but I'm hesitant to do so. Well it's crass. 

I'll just say we have to understand human nature, how it's human to pull all strings to advocate for an institution that you rely upon. 

We might wince when hearing the word "woke" again, but UMM is most certainly woke. 

Am I "woke?" Not sure that's the issue. The issue that I am seeking to present here is that the most extreme, intense right wing forces have totally won in America. We now see their wrecking ball on full display. Do you dispute me on this? 

So instead of being upset with what the Steve Sviggums of the world have to say about UMM, we must deal with reality. Reality is the only currency that matters now. The outside world is not willing to hear UMM's lecture about tolerance of so much any more. The outside world has decided that the Republican Party owns our congressional district now, this after years of having Collin Peterson as our representative. 

For whatever reason, things have changed. They have changed so much, my Lutheran church is in a synod that is under siege. It is under siege from at the top of America's power structure. The news articles of the past few days show that the newly-emboldened people mean business. 

I'd like to say some of it is bluster - blowing off steam or whatever. It clearly is not. Michael Flynn is going to work on the Lutheran church. Our congressperson Michelle Fischbach does not hesitate one speck associating herself completely with the Republican power brokers. Yes she is "all-in." 

And we used to vote Democratic here to a certain extent? Chuck Brown was our representative. Jay McNamar was the last gasp for the Democrats before the Republicans really arrived with their bulldozer, Jeff Backer. Wow! He didn't even choose to get a covid vaccination shot. Well that's what he told Marshall Hoffman of the radio station back when the station had a reliable news department. 

I'm sitting here feeling again like the only sane person in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" where everyone around me has gone mad. 

Has this whole devolved situation come about because of gay rights? Was that the catalyst? Don't let that issue destroy our whole quality of life. Gays can have their place in the world while at the same time being told to knock if off with so much gay activism. UMM was at fault with that, coming off as rather a flag-waver for gay activism. 

I thought UMM's purpose was to guide young people to their future through rigorous studies. Whither UMM in this "brave new world" defined by Donald Trump and the anti-DEI forces. 

Steve Sviggum

Look, I don't dislike Steve Sviggum. The late Merlin Beyer would probably say of the guy he was like "a bear with boxing gloves." 

UMM has absolutely waved the flag for "diversity." Me? I am much more inclined toward the "melting pot" philosophy for America. There is a schism there. Academic people once decided they didn't like the melting pot because it was dull for them. It merely suggests we should all blend together. How do you teach classes on that? 

"Diversity" is complicated, probably calls for programs like affirmative action. This is what the "Northstar" publication hated so much. These kids practically lost their minds. Campus decorum was shattered. I was disappointed that Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson even talked about the First Amendment. 

In the long run UMM will have to take care of its own interests, just like ABC News, CBS News and PBS. The people who challenged Hitler ended up being shot.

 

Further reading!

My Feb. 5 post on my "Morris of Course" blog site includes a photo of my late father directing a rehearsal of the UMM orchestra in the 1960-61 school year. Yes that was UMM's very first year. I invite you to read further reflections and observations by yours truly. Here's the link, oh and God bless.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/02/as-pk-i-look-back-on-u-of-m-morris.html

 

UMM scene in more pleasant time of year!

  

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