MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

Pioneer Press Metro Player of the Year

Senior Maxie Rosenbloom who helped lead his St. Paul Johnson team to the Class AAA State High School title this past weekend was just named the Pioneer Press' Player of the Year. Rosenbloom also lists St. Thomas as one of his college favorites -

Favorite class: Business management

GPA: 3.9, ranks No. 21 in his senior class

College choices: St. Thomas, Bemidji State, Minnesota, Missouri-Kansas City

College major: Business administration

It appears Rosenbloom has accepted a scholarship to Bemidji State.

[Willy Wonka]

Sounds like Olaf and Hamline will both be visiting Greece in May, though they'll do so one week apart. Is anyone else taking a team trip this summer?

[TearDrop]

Sounds like Olaf and Hamline will both be visiting Greece in May, though they'll do so one week apart. Is anyone else taking a team trip this summer?

I believe that St Johns is heading somewhere. Not 100% sure but I think the destination is Italy.

[columbianmaffia]

who let the dogs out...oh man what a humdinger...anyone up for some MC Hammer...im going to start bringing a whoopy cushion with me everywhere i go and sit on it everytime i sit down

[Titan Q]

Macalester recruiting commitment...

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/1375/Wilbraham-Monson-Duo-off-the-Board.php

[TearDrop]

Macalester recruiting commitment...

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/1375/Wilbraham-Monson-Duo-off-the-Board.php

Sounds like a decent pick up for Mac but maybe they should have gotten the other guy 

[Titan Q]

Macalester recruit...

http://www.cslinsider.com/news/wasikcommitstoplayhoopsatmacalestercollege.aspx?SportId=35

[sumander]

The finalist have been named for the Head Coaching position at Moorhead State. Included in the list is Staples native and former Iowa assistant Chad Walthall. Walthall was the head coach at Loras, when the J's bumped them from the playoffs in an OT thriller in 2007.

[Buddo]

Moorhead is a tough gig.

[sumander]

Moorhead is a tough gig.

My alma mater! Yes, the glory days (?) of Dragon athletics are a distant memory. Lack of funding and a lack of commitment from the corner office make it a tough sell. The coaches at the University have not done themselves any favors either (see Damon Tameo)!

In a three horse town they are a distant third to the Bison and Cobbers.

[Willy Wonka]

Anyone else see the Strib story about "blackface" at Bethel yet? Here it is, for those who haven't.

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/93353234.html?page=1&c=y

At the risk of opening a can of worms...this particular case seems VERY flimsy to me. I mean, if a white student is dressing up for a skit to win a campus-sponsored event...and he's impersonating a rapper...who's black...with dreads...who sags his pants so low they often fall down...what is he actually doing wrong if he paints his face to mimic one part of that entire look?

To flip the script, would a black student who painted his face and dressed up as, say, Pee Wee Herman get the same backlash? I would expect hilarity to ensue, not some major scandal. But that's what I'd expect if a GACer had performed as a "blackface" Lil Wayne too, I suppose.

I guess the bottom line is, I don't get it. Is the face paint the issue here? Or is the fact a white student is perpetuating negative stereotypes about the black community the real problem (in which case your real beef should probably be with Weezy)? That's not a rhetorical question, Woodcock. I simply don't see how this particular instance can be equated — in any way, shape or form — to the over-the-top KKK/noose incident that took place at Hamline in 2007 and/or lead to a total overhaul of Bethel's education system, as the one freshman is apparently demanding.

In fact, I would LOVE to see a Bethel rep issue a statement that says this whole situation has been blown out of proportion and it will be handled in-house. While we clearly aren't where we need to be in terms of racial equality in this country, this particular episode shouldn't be treated like WW3. Unfortunately, an incident where even one person cries foul for racial reasons, however weak the connection might be, now leads to major headlines.

As an aside, just think what would have happened if this Bethel kid would have REALLY gone over the top with his impersonation and kissed a "blackface" dude dressed as Birdman. Then all sorts of activists would be up in arms right now 

[Gregory Sager]

To flip the script, would a black student who painted his face and dressed up as, say, Pee Wee Herman get the same backlash? I would expect hilarity to ensue, not some major scandal. But that's what I'd expect if a GACer had performed as a "blackface" Lil Wayne too, I suppose.

It's not the same thing at all, WW. White people have never been racially subjugated in this country, and whiteface has never been used as a widespread, culturally-encouraged means to lampoon or demean white people.

I guess the bottom line is, I don't get it. Is the face paint the issue here? Or is the fact a white student is perpetuating negative stereotypes about the black community the real problem (in which case your real beef should probably be with Weezy)? That's not a rhetorical question, Woodcock. I simply don't see how this particular instance can be equated — in any way, shape or form — to the over-the-top KKK/noose incident that took place at Hamline in 2007 and/or lead to a total overhaul of Bethel's education system, as the one freshman is apparently demanding.

Google the words "minstrel show," WW, and do some reading. Minstrel shows were a huge aspect of American entertainment and a key component of vaudeville. From the end of the Civil War to World War II, minstrelsy was a common and culturally-widespread means of making fun of black people in the United States -- and black people had absolutely no way to either protest this insult or to develop their own form of reverse racial humor to counteract it. Minstrelsy -- and the character forms adapted from it by black actors who needed the work, which produced the likes of Stepin Fetchit and Amos 'n' Andy -- perpetuated the cultural image of black Americans as lazy, ignorant, feet-shuffling, slow-thinking, easily-frightened vagabonds whose lives revolved around eating watermelon, dancing, and avoiding hard work. When a white person dons blackface, he is evoking the minstrel stereotypes of pickaninnies, bucks, and mammies who look like Aunt Jemima -- even if the white person is doing it in ignorance. In that sense, it's no different than a white person donning a white sheet with a hood -- it's the seemingly-benign side of the same coin.

Blackface is a historically-predicated insult. It directly evokes an era and a mindset of black inferiority and racial subjugation. It's a slap in the face of a black person. There's no excuse for it whatsoever. And, yes, that includes white ignorance.

In fact, I would LOVE to see a Bethel rep issue a statement that says this whole situation has been blown out of proportion and it will be handled in-house. While we clearly aren't where we need to be in terms of racial equality in this country, this particular episode shouldn't be treated like WW3. Unfortunately, an incident where even one person cries foul for racial reasons, however weak the connection might be, now leads to major headlines.

The point is that it's not a "weak connection." Blackface is a serious racial insult. As I said, it's of a piece with nooses and Klan hoods. It evokes the Jim Crow era in which white society held down blacks and made fun of them with vicious stereotypes that were used as widespread and culturally accepted forms of entertainment.

Bethel appears to be handling it in the right way -- as a teaching moment for a lily-white campus that has a 93% Caucasian student population, with black students making up little more than half of that seven percent minority. There's clearly a need at Bethel for more exposure to American racial history and to the reality of modern-day American diversity. We don't live in a country that's 93% white and mostly upper-middle-class and suburban, where the only exposure you're going to have to black people is via hip-hop music and watching basketball or football games on TV.

[Willy Wonka]

To flip the script, would a black student who painted his face and dressed up as, say, Pee Wee Herman get the same backlash? I would expect hilarity to ensue, not some major scandal. But that's what I'd expect if a GACer had performed as a "blackface" Lil Wayne too, I suppose.

It's not the same thing at all, WW. White people have never been racially subjugated in this country, and whiteface has never been used as a widespread, culturally-encouraged means to lampoon or demean white people.

I guess the bottom line is, I don't get it. Is the face paint the issue here? Or is the fact a white student is perpetuating negative stereotypes about the black community the real problem (in which case your real beef should probably be with Weezy)? That's not a rhetorical question, Woodcock. I simply don't see how this particular instance can be equated — in any way, shape or form — to the over-the-top KKK/noose incident that took place at Hamline in 2007 and/or lead to a total overhaul of Bethel's education system, as the one freshman is apparently demanding.

Google the words "minstrel show," WW, and do some reading. Minstrel shows were a huge aspect of American entertainment and a key component of vaudeville. From the end of the Civil War to World War II, minstrelsy was a common and culturally-widespread means of making fun of black people in the United States -- and black people had absolutely no way to either protest this insult or to develop their own form of reverse racial humor to counteract it. Minstrelsy -- and the character forms adapted from it by black actors who needed the work, which produced the likes of Stepin Fetchit and Amos 'n' Andy -- perpetuated the cultural image of black Americans as lazy, ignorant, feet-shuffling, slow-thinking, easily-frightened vagabonds whose lives revolved around eating watermelon, dancing, and avoiding hard work. When a white person dons blackface, he is evoking the minstrel stereotypes of pickaninnies, bucks, and mammies who look like Aunt Jemima -- even if the white person is doing it in ignorance. In that sense, it's no different than a white person donning a white sheet with a hood -- it's the seemingly-benign side of the same coin.

Blackface is a historically-predicated insult. It directly evokes an era and a mindset of black inferiority and racial subjugation. It's a slap in the face of a black person. There's no excuse for it whatsoever. And, yes, that includes white ignorance.

In fact, I would LOVE to see a Bethel rep issue a statement that says this whole situation has been blown out of proportion and it will be handled in-house. While we clearly aren't where we need to be in terms of racial equality in this country, this particular episode shouldn't be treated like WW3. Unfortunately, an incident where even one person cries foul for racial reasons, however weak the connection might be, now leads to major headlines.

The point is that it's not a "weak connection." Blackface is a serious racial insult. As I said, it's of a piece with nooses and Klan hoods. It evokes the Jim Crow era in which white society held down blacks and made fun of them with vicious stereotypes that were used as widespread and culturally accepted forms of entertainment.

Bethel appears to be handling it in the right way -- as a teaching moment for a lily-white campus that has a 93% Caucasian student population, with black students making up little more than half of that seven percent minority. There's clearly a need at Bethel for more exposure to American racial history and to the reality of modern-day American diversity. We don't live in a country that's 93% white and mostly upper-middle-class and suburban, where the only exposure you're going to have to black people is via hip-hop music and watching basketball or football games on TV.

Thanks for the history lesson. I actually studied history in college and still read civil war stuff for fun, but I've never heard any of that before. Definitely paints things in a different light.

I had never even heard of "blackface" at all until about 3ish years ago when some Colorado College hockey players got in trouble for something similar to what just took place at Bethel.

[Drake Palmer]

To flip the script, would a black student who painted his face and dressed up as, say, Pee Wee Herman get the same backlash? I would expect hilarity to ensue, not some major scandal. But that's what I'd expect if a GACer had performed as a "blackface" Lil Wayne too, I suppose.

It's not the same thing at all, WW. White people have never been racially subjugated in this country, and whiteface has never been used as a widespread, culturally-encouraged means to lampoon or demean white people.

I guess the bottom line is, I don't get it. Is the face paint the issue here? Or is the fact a white student is perpetuating negative stereotypes about the black community the real problem (in which case your real beef should probably be with Weezy)? That's not a rhetorical question, Woodcock. I simply don't see how this particular instance can be equated — in any way, shape or form — to the over-the-top KKK/noose incident that took place at Hamline in 2007 and/or lead to a total overhaul of Bethel's education system, as the one freshman is apparently demanding.

Google the words "minstrel show," WW, and do some reading. Minstrel shows were a huge aspect of American entertainment and a key component of vaudeville. From the end of the Civil War to World War II, minstrelsy was a common and culturally-widespread means of making fun of black people in the United States -- and black people had absolutely no way to either protest this insult or to develop their own form of reverse racial humor to counteract it. Minstrelsy -- and the character forms adapted from it by black actors who needed the work, which produced the likes of Stepin Fetchit and Amos 'n' Andy -- perpetuated the cultural image of black Americans as lazy, ignorant, feet-shuffling, slow-thinking, easily-frightened vagabonds whose lives revolved around eating watermelon, dancing, and avoiding hard work. When a white person dons blackface, he is evoking the minstrel stereotypes of pickaninnies, bucks, and mammies who look like Aunt Jemima -- even if the white person is doing it in ignorance. In that sense, it's no different than a white person donning a white sheet with a hood -- it's the seemingly-benign side of the same coin.

Blackface is a historically-predicated insult. It directly evokes an era and a mindset of black inferiority and racial subjugation. It's a slap in the face of a black person. There's no excuse for it whatsoever. And, yes, that includes white ignorance.

In fact, I would LOVE to see a Bethel rep issue a statement that says this whole situation has been blown out of proportion and it will be handled in-house. While we clearly aren't where we need to be in terms of racial equality in this country, this particular episode shouldn't be treated like WW3. Unfortunately, an incident where even one person cries foul for racial reasons, however weak the connection might be, now leads to major headlines.

The point is that it's not a "weak connection." Blackface is a serious racial insult. As I said, it's of a piece with nooses and Klan hoods. It evokes the Jim Crow era in which white society held down blacks and made fun of them with vicious stereotypes that were used as widespread and culturally accepted forms of entertainment.

Bethel appears to be handling it in the right way -- as a teaching moment for a lily-white campus that has a 93% Caucasian student population, with black students making up little more than half of that seven percent minority. There's clearly a need at Bethel for more exposure to American racial history and to the reality of modern-day American diversity. We don't live in a country that's 93% white and mostly upper-middle-class and suburban, where the only exposure you're going to have to black people is via hip-hop music and watching basketball or football games on TV.

Thanks for the history lesson. I actually studied history in college and still read civil war stuff for fun, but I've never heard any of that before. Definitely paints things in a different light.

I had never even heard of "blackface" at all until about 3ish years ago when some Colorado College hockey players got in trouble for something similar to what just took place at Bethel.

Well handled Sensei.

Nice, mature response Willy.  Seriously.

If you're interested, here are a couple of thought provoking items for your reading & viewing.  About 10 years ago Spike Lee did a controversial movie titled "Bamboozled".  I'm pretty sure you can rent it on DVD.  The movie is also used in Media Studies classes on many college campuses to discuss racism and portrayal of various ethnic groups.  Might be something Bethel should look into.

The other item I'd point out is probably too far left of the political dial for you but if you're bored this summer, you could check out a copy from the library.  Welcome to the Terrordome An interesting read by David Zirin.  I've not heard him speak, but I understand Zirin lectured at Macalester in the last couple of years.

***
In other news, I understand that 2G Parker Hines from Minnehaha Academy will be playing up River Road at Augsburg College next fall.  He could be a nice addition for the Dawgs.

[Gregory Sager]

Well handled Sensei.

Thanks, DP.

Nice, mature response Willy.  Seriously.

Agreed. Kudos, WW.

If you're interested, here are a couple of thought provoking items for your reading & viewing.  About 10 years ago Spike Lee did a controversial movie titled "Bamboozled".  I'm pretty sure you can rent it on DVD.  The movie is also used in Media Studies classes on many college campuses to discuss racism and portrayal of various ethnic groups.  Might be something Bethel should look into.

Bamboozled, like all of Lee's films, is worth watching. And, like his other films, it's by turns brilliant, ham-handed, and ultimately uneven. The plot itself is hardly original -- it's basically The Producers meets Network -- but the idea of updating the minstrel-show tradition as a vehicle to critique hip-hop culture, network television, and the economic forces behind both is a masterstroke on Lee's part. It's not great satire, but as is typical of a Spike Lee joint it's a movie that makes you think.