The Volante March 20

Gladue and Schulte New SGA Elects, Appoints New Executive Staff

Marissa Brunkhorst

Marissa.Brunkhorst@coyotes.usd.edu

Ethan Gladue and Jillian Schulte are the Student Government Association’s (SGA) next President and Vice President.

The pair were elected after a technology error that caused around 160 votes not to be counted, according to the Election Steering Committee. This caused a re-issue of ballots via email by ESC to those affected by the error.

After those votes were counted, in total, Gladue and Schulte won the election by 2 votes above Libby Brust and Waverly Patterson. At tonight’s weekly SGA meeting, the pair were sworn in along with their appointees for executive positions. All appointments were approved.

2024-2025 SGA Executive Positions

Director of Operations- Keegan Baker

Director of Communications- Kaity Gellerman

Director of Finance- Anton Pratsenko

President Pro-Tempore Election- Max Mickelson

Marissa Brunkhorst| The Volante

President and Vice President Ethan Gladue and Jillian Schulte are sworn in by former president Caleb Swanson.

New Senators are sworn in by new President Ethan Gladue.

Vermillion Commission

Carter.Linke

Carter.Linke@coyotes.usd.edu

Vermillion’s Human Relation Commission is seeking a student appointee for the upcoming school year.

The Human Relations Commission was established six years ago, focusing on preventing discrimination and advocating for Vermillion residents who have experienced discrimination.

The commission works alongside the Vermillion City Council to settle cases where residents may have experienced discrimination related to housing and employment.

Commission member Mike Phelan believes the commission can be most effective with more visibility.

“The more that people are aware of this, hopefully this will prevent discrimination in the first place,” Phelan said.

Since the commission’s founding, students in Vermillion have remained a priority for the body. Six seats compose the commission, with one being reserved to a student attending the university for one-year terms.

“Students are a huge part of our community here. Since our founding, we wanted to make sure we had student representation,”

Phelan said.

Students at USD come from many different backgrounds and may not be aware of their rights regarding housing or employment discrimination. According to Phelan, the commission works to fill those gaps.

Although the commission focuses on the prevention of discrimination, the commission also aims to celebrate diversity in the community.

Recently, the commission has worked with the Cultural Wellness Coalition and the Tiospaye Student Council to promote their events within the Vermillion area.

“We want to have a presence this summer as students come back to town, to let them know we are a sounding board for any complaints you might have.”

The Human Relations Commission meets every first Thursday at 5:30 in City Hall. Meetings are open to the public, with time allotted for public comment.

The current student representative term ends in May, and interested students can apply to fill the position by visiting the City Council website.

Jozie Kumm | The Volante

Vermillion City Hall Building

Chamber Singers go on Spring Break Tour

Marissa Brunkhorst Marissa.Brunkhorst@coyotes.usd.edu

Spring Break can take both students and their activities across the country and the world. It’s no different for the USD Chamber Singers, who spent their week-long vacation on tour.

This year, the Chamber Singers tour took them across the Midwest, from Excelsior Minnesota, all the way to Saint Louis, Missouri, with performances in between at various small and large cities. All concerts were held in different churches across all denominations.

The choir is an auditioned based group that is open to all majors, not exclusively fine arts. The group spends the academic year preparing for this tour along with their other concerts. The tour program is two-hours long, featuring various pieces of music that showcased different genres.

Performing the long program and maintaining the best vocal performance isn’t easy, according to Chamber member Anna McAuliffe.

“You definitely have to learn how to

Stella Lewis

Stella.Lewis@coyotes.usd.edu

take care of your voice, it’s also a matter of relying on your fellow choir members,” McAuliffe said.

The group prioritized their health on the trip by taking Vitamin-C and carrying cough drops to maintain their voice. McAuliffe said the brain power of memorizing the music can also take a toll on your energy, as the group has their music entirely memorized prior to the tour.

For most of the cities that the choir traveled to, the members of the choir were housed by parishioners of the churches that they performed at. They would perform their two-hour concert in one location and head off to the next one on a bus. When they weren’t traveling or performing, they were given a little bit of down time to explore the cities they stayed in.

“I think every place has its own charm, but St. Louis was my personal favorite,” said Chamber member Maleah Wright.

Some of the sites the group visited were the Gateway Arch as well as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. Saint Louis’s perfor-

Submitted | The Volante

mance was a stand-out for McCauliffe. The group performed for a previous USD Chamber Singers alumnus who directs music at the church they performed at.

“It was great to hear the parishioners talk about how much they enjoyed our performance even more because we had that personal connection,” she said.

Wright said every performance was better than the previous as the trip went on.

“We poured our heart and soul into these performances and our audiences were super receptive and gracious.” Wright said.

The group also performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as one of their stops. McAuliffe, who is from a nearby town, said she was glad to bring awareness to USD’s Fine Arts programs.

“I didn’t know that USD existed when I was growing up, I think it’s really good for us to get out there and show people they can do this after high school and don’t need to study music to do it,” McAuliffe said.

The Chamber Singers continue to prepare for their last few concerts of the semester. Their performances are available to view on their Facebook page.

Submitted | The Volante

Chamber Singers Performing at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines Iowa

Mission Statement

The Volante covers issues relevant and interesting to USD students. Faculty, staff and community members are welcome readers, but the newspaper is written and presented for a diverse community of students from the students’ point of view. The paper should provide a variety of information, entertainment and educational opportunities for the readers. The Volante encourages everyone to write letters to the editor.

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Our Staff

Editor-In-Chief

Charles Streeter

Managing Editor

Juliana Oltmanns

News Editor

Marissa Brunkhorst

Assistant News Editor

Jacob Peirce

Verve Editor

Nathan DeGreef

Sports Editor

Trevan Rychlik

Opinion Editor

Charles Streeter

Social Media Manager

Sydney Kolln

Lead Designer

Juliana Oltmanns

Sports Designer

Tavin Carncross

Advertising Manager

Ella Delperdang

Ast Advertising Manager

Madeline Knau

Contact Us

The Volante welcomes letters to the editor in regards to campus, local, state and national issues. Letters will be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows. Please limit letters to 300 words or fewer. The Volante reserves the right to hold letters for publication in a later issue.

Submissions must include the author’s name, address, telephone number, year in school and major or job title.

Letters must be exclusively for The Volante. We will not publish anonymous letters.

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The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.

Pursuing Doctorate of Education

What Women Inspired You?

The women that inspired me are my mother, Eileen Millen, Dr Vassa Grichko, and Professor Aimee Sorensen My mother has always been someone I look up to Her drive, her passion, and her determination in anything she puts her mind is an inspiration Dr Grichko is an assistant professor in the Educational Leadership Division, who demonstrates extraordinary expertise, integrity, passion and commitment I am inspired to develop and exemplify these qualities and skills as an educator Dr Aimee Sorenson is a Lecturer in Communication Studies

What Activities Are You Involved In?

I am an executive member for the Graduate and Professional Student Association, which is the only graduate student organization on campus that caters to the needs of graduate students This makes an influential impact on campus as we are able to pull graduate students together to network, make friends, and learn with each other. Alongside that, we are spreading awareness to the graduate student population about the resources that are available to them, as well as the support that is present to help the along their journey

How Do You Make An Impact On The Community?

Based on my roles on campus, I make an impact in several ways As an executive member for the only graduate student organization on campus, I can be the voice of other graduate students Alongside this, as the only international student amongst the executive team I can share the experience of this specific group, to ensure our perspectives are also considered Most importantly, I am friend to my peers, that encourages, listens, and provides advice

What Are Your Plans After College?

After graduating, my goal is move into a faculty role at a higher education institution

What Is Your Major?

I am majoring in photography and my interest in photography sparked during my undergraduate studies in cinema Ever since I decided to pursue photography as my graduate major, John Banasiak, the photography professor at USD, was at the top of my list of professors I wanted to work with Having the opportunity to learn from him at USD has been an incredibly fulfilling experience for me

What Activities Are You Involved In?

I’m currently working at the University Art Galleries at USD, where I assist students in installing their shows and curating exhibition displays as part of my job In addition, I am a member of AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) at USD and I am giving a demonstration on Adobe Premiere Pro for undergraduate students

What Women Inspired You?

Growing up, my grandmother was always the role model I looked to for guidance and inspiration Despite growing up in difficult circumstances, my grandmother was a resilient and wise woman who always motivated her daughters and grandchildren to pursue education and chase their aspirations She wanted them to be strong and driven women who could shape a brighter future for women everywhere

What are your plans after college?

Teaching and sharing knowledge are incredibly important to me, and my goal is to become a professor of photography at the university level I hope to empower and mentor students towards their aspirations in the world of art Moreover, my passion for creating art knows no bounds, and I like to continuously produce works of art that will inspire the emerging artists of tomorrow

Mariana Astete

Shirin Jafarizadeh

Photography Major

Shanice Merlene

Women’s Basketball’s Team to Play in WNIT

Trevan Rychlik

Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu

The South Dakota men’s and women’s basketball teams headed to Sioux Falls on March 8-12 to compete in the Summit League Basketball Championships.

The South Dakota men’s team was the No. 9 seed in the tournament and faced off against the No. 8 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles on March 8 at 7 p.m.

The game was close in the first half as neither team could pull away from the other with the largest lead being eight points.

South Dakota’s junior guard Paul Bruns pulled the Coyotes closer to the Golden Eagles with a buzzer beating half court shot to end the first half with the Golden Eagles leading 28-25.

South Dakota junior guard Kaleb Stewart hit two free throws to tie the game at 42 with 12:12 left in the second half.

Oral Roberts went on a huge run from there getting their team to an 18 point lead with 1:06 left in the game.

The Golden Eagles ended up defeating the Coyotes 77-62. Stewart and Bruns both scored in double figures along with seniors Bostyn Holt and Lahat Thioune.

Oral Roberts’ senior guard Issac McBride scored 23 points with seven assists and graduate guard Kareem Thompson scored 12 points and 10 rebounds picking up the double-double.

The Coyotes finished the season 12-20 and 5-11 in conference.

The South Dakota women’s team was the No. 4 seed and faced off on March 10 at 12:30 against the No. 5 St. Thomas Tommies.

The Coyotes took a big lead early going up 11-0 with 4:37 left in the first quarter.

The Tommies leading scorer sophomore guard Amber Scalia and the Coyotes’ freshman guard Olivia Kieffer collided on the court in the first quarter and both players went to the locker room.

Kieffer came back for South Dakota in the second quarter as the Coyotes led at the half 24-15.

Scalia came back in the second half for the Tommies and led St. Thomas came back into the game scoring 22 points, but it was not enough as the Coyotes won 70-57.

South Dakota was led by junior guard Grace Larkins with a season high 29 points.

The Coyotes went to face off next against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, the No. 1 seed in the semifinals on March

11 at 12:30.

South Dakota trailed by 10 points before sophomore forward Carley Duffney hit a three to end the first half with South Dakota State leading 37-30.

Larkins hit a jumper to take the Jackrabbits lead down to 66-61 with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter.

The Jackrabbits closed the game out winning 76-63. Senior guard Nicole Avila-Ambrose scored a season high 16 points for South Dakota.

Junior guard Paige Meyers scored 20 points along with seven assists and six steals, while sophomore forward Brooklyn Meyers scored 21 points for the Jackrabbits.

Following their loss to the Jackrabbits, the Coyotes were selected to play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) as an at-large bid finishing the season 21-12 and 9-7 in conference play.

The Coyotes will face UC Riverside in the first round of the tournament playing at home in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m. The UC Riverside Highlanders finished the season 18-13. The winner will advance to take on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in round two on March 23-26.

Sydney Kolln | The Volante (Right) After their second round loss to in-state rival South Dakota State, the women’s basketball team was selected to play in the WNIT against UC Riverside. This game will take place March 22 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center at 7 p.m. The winner will play against Northern Arizona in round two.

Track and Field Teams Finish Second in Preseason

Trevan Rychlik Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu

The South Dakota men’s and women’s track & field teams have been selected to finish second in the outdoor track and field preseason rankings.

South Dakota is of a men’s indoor championship and the women’s team finishing in second place.

The South Dakota men’s team finished with a score of 30, receiving one first place vote. They finished behind North Dakota State (NDSU), who recieved a score of 35 and five of the seven first place votes.

The men’s athletes to watch for from South Dakota are sophomore hurdler Mikael Grace and freshman jumper Carsen Staehr.

Grace placed fifth last year in the 110-meter hurdles at the Summit League Outdoor Championships.

Staehr placed second in the triple jump at the Summit League Indoor Championships on his way to being named the Indoor Newcomer of the Championships.

The South Dakota women’s team finished with a score of 43, receiving two first place votes. They ranked second behind NDSU who earned 48 points and six first place votes.

The women’s athletes to watch for South Dakota are freshman distance runner Alexis Pagel and junior thrower Delaney Smith.

Pagel finished fourth in the Summit League Indoor Championships in the 800-meter run.

Smith finished as an all-Summit thrower in 2023. Smith took a redshirt in the indoor season for South Dakota.

The Coyotes have first team All-America fifth-year senior pole vaulter Marshall Faurot back after he finished eighth in the NCAA National Championships with a jump of 5.40 meters. Faurot was the first South Dakota athlete to make first team since 2021.

Second team All-America junior pole vaulter Marleen Mulla is also coming back from the NCAA Championships where she tied for 11 place with a vault of 4.30 meters.

Ranking behind NDSU and South Dakota on the men’s side are South Dakota State, North Dakota, St. Thomas, Kansas City and Oral Roberts in order.

On the women’s side, North Dakota State was selected to finish first. The Bison were followed by South Dakota, North Dakota, South Dakot State, Kansas City, St. Thomas, Omaha and Oral Roberts, respectively.

File | The Volante

Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams are projected to finish second in the outdoor track and field season. In the indoor season, the men’s team finished first and the women’s team finished in second place.

Vermillion Tanagers Win Girls State Championship

Trevan Rychlik

Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu

The South Dakota High School boys and girls basketball State Championships have finished with six different winners in the state tournaments.

The classes were separated into 73 boys and 71 girls B teams, with 65 A teams and 19 AA teams for both boys and girls.

Teams in class A and B are sorted into eight regions. Two teams from each region compete in the SoDak 16. Teams are ranked and played according to ranking in the SoDak 16 with the eight winning teams making it to the state tournament. In class AA the top 16 ranked teams make the SoDak 16 automatically.

The girls state basketball tournament took place from March 7-9. Class B girls played at Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City. Class A girls played at the Dakota Bank Center in Brookings. Class AA girls played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.

The boys state tournament took place from March 1416. Class B boys played at the Barnett Center in Aberdeen. Class A boys played at tge Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City. Class AA boys played at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

In girls class B, No. 3 seed the Centerville Tornadoes won over the No. 1 Arlington Cardinals in the championship match 62-44. The Tornadoes won their first title after finishing runner-up in 2006.

The No. 4 Ethan Rustlers took third place in the tournament, winning over the No. 7 Lyman Raiders 67-42 in the third place game.

The No. 5 Wall Lady Eagles took fifth place over the No. 2 Harding County Ranchers in the consolation championship 60-51.

In the seventh place match the No. 8 James Valley Christian Lady Vikings defeated the No. 6 Warner Monarchs 5650.

In girls class A, the No. 4 Vermillion Tanagers defeated the No. 6 Tea Area Lady Titans 60-54 in the championship game. The Tanagers won their second title after winning in 2007.

The No. 1 Sisseton Redmen claimed third place over the No. 2 Sioux Falls Christian Chargers 68-52.

Winning the consolation championship was the No. 3 Flandreau Fliers over the No. 5 Mahpíya Lúta Red Cloud 56-41.

The No. 8 Mount Vernon/Plankinton Titans defeated the No. 7 Hanson Beaverettes 60-49.

In girls class AA, the No. 1 O’Gorman Lady Knights

won over the No. 3 Brandon Valley Lynx 55-42. The Lady Knights finishing the season 24-0 winning their fourth title overall and second in the last three years.

The No. 4 Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers defeated the No. 7 Harrisburg Tigers 44-40 in the third place game.

The No. 5 Pierre T.F. Riggs Governors beat the No. 2 Mitchell Kernels 48-47 in the consolation championship.

In the seventh place game the No. 6 Spearfish Spartans beat the No. 8 Rapid City Stevens Raiders 59-50.

In boys class B, the No. 5 Howard Tigers defeated the No. 2 De Smet Bulldogs. The Tigers won their second title and their first since 1964 when their was only a two class system in South Dakota. The Bulldogs streak of three straight titles ends after the 60-55 loss.

The No. 3 Castlewood Warriors beat the No. 1 White River Tigers 74-54 in the third place game.

In the consolation championship the No. 4 Wessington Springs Spartans defeated the No. 7 Gregory Gorillas 55-51.

In the seventh place game the No. 8 Viborg-Hurley Cougars defeated the No. 6 Leola/Frederick Area Titans 84-75.

In boys class A, the No. 2 Hamlin Chargers beat the No. 1

Sioux Falls Christian Chargers 53-50. The Chargers won their third title and first since 1983. The Chargers finish runner-up for the second year in a row.

The No. 5 Dakota Valley Panthers defeated the No. 6 Rapid City Christian 78-73 in the third place match.

In the consolation championship the No. 3 Sioux Valley Cossacks beat the No. 4 Pine Ridge Thorpes 69-51.

In the seventh place match the No. 7 Groton Area Tigers defeated the No. 8 Vermillion Tanagers 67-49.

In boys class AA, the No. 1 Mitchell Kernels defeated the No. 3 Brandon Valley Lynx 46-45. The Kernels won their 15 total title after finishing runner-up last year.

The No. 2 Harrisburg Tigers beat the No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington Warriors in the third place match 50-48.

In the consolation championship No. 8 Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers defeated No. 7 Watertown Arrows 60-58.

The No. 6 Huron Tigers beat No. 4 Sioux Falls Roosevelt Rough Riders in the seventh place match 63-58.

Editor-In-Chief: Why You Should Travel

Charles Streeter is a USD senior majoring in Political Science and Psychology.

I’m writing this opinion piece from the old Incan capital of Cusco, Peru. This spring break, I traveled to South America as part of a mission trip with USD’s Newman Center. We stayed at the base of Peru’s tallest mountain and the fourth highest mountain in the Andes, Huascarán.

Not only were there incredible views, but I found the people to be incredibly hospitable. Many of these people live in houses with dirt floors with no access to clean water, and we helped with work at a cemetery, delivered groceries to widows and visit schoolchildren. The experience made me incredibly thankful to have grown up in the United States.

Afterward, I traveled to Machu Picchu. I was already in Peru, so I might as well visit. For those of you who have vaguely heard of Machu Picchu, it is an old Incan ruin on the top of a mountain. Complete with terraces for growing crops and canals for water, it was a city of nobility.

When Francisco Pizarro landed in 1532 to conquer

the Incan Empire, they abandoned the city and destroyed all entrances, thus being left untouched for nearly 300 years. In 1911, professor, explorer and future United States senator named Hiram Bingham became the first person to popularize and study the ruins. Since then, the site has been visited by millions of tourists.

The ruins did not disappoint. Over 70% of the ruins are original and have not been restored, and the complexity of every aspect of the city demonstrated the Inca’s propensity for careful engineering. I would highly recommend visiting if you have the opportunity.

Some of you may think, “I’d love to travel, but I’m broke and in college.” Now, if you want to stay on the Amalfi Coast of Italy or Monaco, that probably won’t happen without significant bankrolling. However, if you aren’t set on a five-star resort, you can probably make it happen.

For example, you can travel solely within the United States, and we have some of the world’s best sites only

a day away. There are often cheap flights on Frontier, Spirit or Allegiant that are affordable if you can pack into a backpack. They fly into Sioux Falls or Omaha, and go to destinations like Arizona, Nevada or Florida.

Airlines also offer deals to foreign destinations, and websites like Google Flights can help you find affordable flights.

Lastly, airlines offer credit cards where dollars spent can be redeemed as airline miles. This isn’t an invitation to recklessly spend money, but if we have to spend

money, we might as well get something in return.

Traveling isn’t only about looking at sights, but meeting people with different life experiences. I’ve met many amazing locals, and other tourists from countries like Canada, Germany, Brazil and China.

You’re only young once, seeing places helps broaden our views on the world, and allows us to meet new people. If you have the opportunity to go somewhere new, just say yes.

Down

1. What the bridge to the Land of the Dead is made out of in Disney’s movie Coco

3. Usually purple flower with a strong floral scent

5. Female Character in F. Scott Fitzgeralds’ The Great Gatsby

7. “Tiptoe Through the ______” - Tiny Tim

9. Flower with the same name as the colored part of the eye

Across

2. In Greek Mythology, Apollo created this flower in remembrance of a Spartan prince

4. Part of the title of this 1989 movie starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts and more

6. Has a funnel-like shape of petals, typically yellow

8. Commonly yellow, shrub-like plant

10. Flower with the same name as a stringed instrument

The Volante accepts original comic submissions. To submit a comic, email Nathan.DeGreef@coyotes.usd.edu

OVERHEARDS

Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week. Context is for suckers.

“I could never tell any secrets here.”

-

The Freedom Forum

“Chris Brown was exactly what I wanted in a husband when I was younger, minus the whole Rihanna thing.”

-MUC

“I can’t believe that Issac Bruns is here.”

-Downtown Vermillion

“Varsity Pub cures all of my mental health issues.”

- Coyote Village

When and Wear: Charlies Book Store & Fan Shop

Nathan DeGreef Nathan.DeGreef@coyotes.usd.edu

Charlie’s is a staple on campus for Coyote gear, but not many know about the inner workings of the university’s bookstore and fan shop.

Before the Muenster University Center became home to what is now Charlies Store in 2019, the university’s main bookstore was a Barnes & Noble.

“I started in communications and doing all the stuff for admissions, communications, print,” said Manager of University Retail Operations, Brittany Sage. “And then marketing took over (the bookstore) and then I became part of marketing. So I took it on and here I am, still here.”

Perhaps one of the most important things about an on-campus merchandise store is the designs and overall appeal of the apparel being sold. Charlie’s clothing is designed via the designers and

creative services of the USD marketing department.

“USD is unique in that we have our own marketing department, where we have our designers and creative services,” Said Sage. “So if we have vendors that don’t design, then we lean on our team, otherwise our vendors send us their designs and we pick and choose what we like.”

While the shop tries to cater to the students of USD, some students have opposing opinions about the appeal of the apparel.

“It could be better, I think they do a lot of the same things over. They need to have less t-shirts and cuter stuff for tailgates, like jean jackets,” said freshman Yadhira Gonzalez. “A lot of their clothes are behind the trends.”

Other students like Junior Cassidy Davis finds the merchandise to be attractive because it is unique and trendy.

A common criticism of the store is the price of the garments. According to Sage, all items are pre ticked and pre priced, meaning the prices usually go up when items are logoed due to royalties.

“The store is definitely a little spendy but at the same time they are mainly selling merch so it does make sense,” Said sophomore Brodie Hartz.

Another student, junior Emma Henrich, while enjoying most of what the brick and mortar store has to offer, wishes that they would include more apparel with the vintage Charlie Coyote, saying it is adorable and offers more than the coyote paw print or USD logo.

“My grandma was the very first women’s coach at USD and so I’ve been slowly getting all her things. There’s some really, really fun designs,” said Sage. “I think we’d love to do some throwback type designs and look through some old yearbooks. I get a ton of

ideas from what people are wearing, that I know isn’t from our store, that I know is older.”

Whether one hates the color or loves it. Sage’s main objective is to

get people in red. While the store may have its flaws, Charlies aims to create a convenient and unique experience for USD students, faculty, guests and more.

Dune Pt 2: The Return of the Space Epic

Quinn Gienapp Quinn.Gienapp@coyotes.usd.edu

The sci-fi genre is a type of movie that has consistently seen success ever since its explosion in popularity in the 1960s and 70s. In recent years, however, these types of movies have had a string of troubled releases that cast a shadow on the genre. Mainly these consisted of the new Star Wars that while financially successful, were also critically maligned for their poor character and world writing. In 2021 the release of Dune succeeded in many ways where Star Wars failed. The film was praised for its excellent performances, grand scope, and faithful adaptation of the famous novel and I am happy to report Dune Part Two continues this trend of quality.

Dune Part Two’s plot continues immediately where the first movie

left off so anyone interested in this film must have watched the first one beforehand. The film follows Paul Atredias (Timothee Chalamet) as he attempts to rally the help of the native Fremen on the planet Arrakis in the hopes of getting revenge against house Atreides. The story follows a familiar “destroy the evil empire plot line” with a lot of the trademarks of such a story such as bringing rebels together and political intrigue. This familiarity is not negative as the story does a lot to deliver unique moments alongside the usual story beats. Throughout the film, I was swept up by the amount of history for the world and the characters that are presented. The writing does a fantastic job of compelling me to pick up the original novel just so I can learn more about its world.

My only major complaint with this movie is I felt its length and

pacing were not as solid as the first film. The first movie had a slower pace which built up to very climactic moments in the film. There is a very important moment towards the end of the first film that does a great job of setting up the ending. Its sequel has a lot more of these types of moments that lessened the emotional weight of these scenes since there were so many like it. While this more bombastic form of pacing serves to add to its epic proportions it left me feeling slightly less invested compared to its previous installment

Overall, Dune Part Two is a breath of fresh air for sci-fi movies. It’s also refreshing to see a story that trusts its audience to be willingly invested in the extensive lore that is presented. For those of you looking for an intense political/ war drama you absolutely can’t go wrong with this sci-fi spectacle.

Nathan DeGreef | The Volante

Student Written One-Act Plays Showing This Weekend

Sydney Kolln Sydney.Kolln@coyotes.usd.edu

USD’s Theatre Department is hosting their annual Ron L. Moyer One-Act Play Festival. The one-act plays that are performed this year are Unfortunately, Unbearably, Undeniably Scottish by Johanna Ziegler, The Inexplicable Chaos Factor of Mia Gregory by Emily Hageman, Best Friends 4 Ever by Em De Zafra and Kiddo by Johanna Ziegler.

Grace Engstrom, who is a sophomore musical theatre major, is performing for her first time in one acts. She plays Tara in Best Friends 4 Ever.

“I have loved getting to be a part of this show as we have a really amazing mostly female team,” Engstrom said. “With an amazing female playwright, director, assistant director, stage manager and three female cast, it’s been really amazing.”

Mackenzie Layson is also a sophomore musical theatre major who is experiencing a first with one-acts as well. The difference between her and Engstrom is that Layson is directing her first college show, that being Best Friends 4 Ever.

“The biggest difference between directing a high school show and a college show is that the actors are professional in a college environment,” Layson said. “Both directing and performing are about creating art and bringing something to life. The main difference is

Photos by | Raimondo Genna

that as a director I am creating the vision, but as a performer I become the vision.”

Junior musical theatre major Jackson Graham plays Duncan in Unfortunately, Unbearably, Undeniably Scottish. For him, the difficult part has been learning the script and figuring out how to somehow do a quick change into a kilt.

“This is my second time performing in one-acts and it’s been a great experience,” Graham said. “We’ve had a lot of fun putting together this show and can’t wait for people to see it.”

This year three out of the four one-acts were written by students and all of them are directed by either undergraduate or graduate students.

“Students should come see the oneacts because it is truly a student-centered festival,” Engstrom said. “All the designs and stage management is done by students. The festival also showcases not only theatre majors, but also many non-theatre majors on stage which is really special. It truly is inspiring to see how hard each and every one of these students have worked.”

One-acts take place in the Arena Theatre from Mar. 22-24. USD students can get a free ticket with their student ID. Tickets for the public range from $10 to $15.

(Left to Right) Eliz Wiggins, Rachel Maggert, and Kaden Hopkins rehearse for their one-act Kiddo

Em De Zafra rehearsing for her role in the one-act play titled Mia Gregory