Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily midday digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.
Eat Street Eating Update
Bebe Zito's Gabriella Grant-Spangler and Ben Spangler rang in 2023 with a bang, announcing the latest concept for Eat Street Crossing at midnight on New Year's Eve. Get ready for Ouro Pizzaria, a Brazilian pizza joint with non-traditional toppings, light salads, and a bunch of Brazilian street food. "Ouro Pizzaria better articulates how Brazilians feel—what it means to be Brazilian," Gabriella said in a December 30 press release. Her mom is from Brazil, and the Bebe Zito creative director says she's excited to bring bright, colorful vibes, some vintage flair, and a dash of “ouro”—that's gold in Portuguese—to the forthcoming food hall at Nicollet and 28th. "Being Brazilian is a different way of thinking and a unique and lively approach to life." This is the latest ESC announcement, following Ramen Shoten in October; the space is expected to open in early 2023.
U of M Duluth is Top Producer of Native Doctors in the U.S.
Don’t be so quick to pat Minnesota on the back though, because that “high” number is woefully low: five Indigenous students enrolled in this year’s incoming class at Duluth. But why are so few Native people seeking careers in medicine? The Sahan Journal tries to figure things out in this great piece in which a physician and a handful of students reflect on why they chose to study medicine. Turns out all three were motivated by racist hospital experiences and getting better access to services in rural areas. Still, they have found racism and overall ignorance in the field to be isolating. “It’s very hard for an Indigenous person to go through an academic setting,” explains student ZhaaZhaa Greensky. “Our perspective isn’t inherently valued the same way as the mainstream.” While all med schools have a long way to go, the article does point out what Duluth is doing right, which includes requiring eight hours of instruction on treating Native Americans, being a-okay with professionals having traditional face tattoos, and having sacred items like artwork and herbs available for use in the student lounge.
Did Mohammed Pics Get Prof Canned?
Not to dwell on 2022, but it was apparently an eventful fall semester at Hamline University. After students spoke out against an art history professor who showed slides of the Prophet Mohammed in class, the school declined to renew the teacher’s contract. (Many Muslims, if you don't know, consider any depiction of Mohammed to be forbidden.) The professor pointed out that the slides, which were part of a course of medieval and Renaissance painting, were contextualized with an advance lecture and students were given advance warning so they could choose not view the image. Free expression group PEN America called the decision “one of the most egregious violations of academic freedom in recent memory,” while Hamline’s Dean of Students called the display “undeniably inconsiderate, disrespectful and Islamophobic.”
Don't Drive on the Creek
Earlier this fall, as a drought reduced Minnehaha Creek to a de facto dirt road, you could conceivably drive your large SUV between its banks. But that was a rare, fleeting moment in creative, probably illegal creek use. Just ask the yahoo whose mammoth Chevy Tahoe cracked through the ice over the holiday weekend. Little is known about the vehicle, which appears to have been abandoned in the middle of the precariously frozen stream. It does have Minnesota plates, suggesting that alcohol may have sabotaged a seasoned winter driver. Happy New Year! Gonna be a great 2023.
