EDITORIAL: Mavs make Mankato proud

The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·3 min read

Apr. 10—Thumbs up to the Minnesota State University men's hockey team on their historic post-season run.

The team earned their first NCAA Division I tournament win in Colorado and defeated Minnesota for the regional championship, earning them their first trip in program history to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four, which this year is in Pittsburgh.

While their loss to St. Cloud State in the final minute of their semifinal game Thursday was heartbreaking for fans and players alike, the team's success has drawn a lot of support from not just hockey fans but the community as a whole.

Adding to the disappointment of Thursday's loss was Friday's announcement of college hockey's most coveted individual awards, the Hobey Baker (best player) and Mike Richter (best goaltender). MSU's Dryden McKay was a finalist for both and won neither.

Loyola stays put

Thumbs up to Loyola Catholic School officials and supporters for moving quickly to maintain their campus on Good Counsel Hill.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame announced recently they were selling the sprawling Good Counsel property to shed the cost and responsibility of maintaining the property and to raise funds to care for their elderly nuns.

Loyola officials this week announced a purchase agreement with SSND to buy its school campus and sports fields on the hill.

News of the Good Counsel sale was a blow to many in and around Mankato who have enjoyed the sprawling, scenic property and all that the nuns housed there brought to the community. But SSND's decision, while undoubtedly painful, is understandable.

So it is good news that Loyola, with a 100-year history in the community, will continue to operate and grow at its campus.

Targeting the divide

Thumbs up to Target's announcement this week that it will sharply increase its spending with Black-owned suppliers over the next few years.

The Minneapolis-based retail giant announced plans to spend more $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025. Target did not specify how much it now spends with such suppliers.

Target is not alone in such plans. More than 20 companies, including Gap and Macy's, are part of a nationwide campaign called 15 Percent Pledge, which aims to have companies commit to at least 15% of their products on their shelves to Black-owned businesses — in line with the U.S. Black population. Target's commitment is not part of that campaign.

The American economy is the largest and most powerful in the world, but it has long been structured to exclude the nation's non-Caucasians. These initiatives won't immediately cure that, but they are a necessary step.

Beyond the classroom

Thumbs up to the partnership between Minnesota State University students and the Greater Mankato Area United Way.

MSU business students created their own company, True North, to sell products with the profits going to the United Way.

MSU's Integrated Business Experience class built True North from the ground up, coming up with an idea, partnering with the United Way, creating a business plan, applying for a loan from United Prairie Bank and overcoming challenges with logos and shipping costs.

The students will be selling their beach towels, beach tote bags, can coolers, mesh hats and water bottles during mall hours this weekend as well as April 30-May 2 at the pop-up kiosk outside JCPenney, H&M and Bath & Body.

Shopping at the kiosk would be a way for the public to both support the students' hard work as well as the United Way and all the good that the nonprofit does.