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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

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SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-RUN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1885

SDSU proposal of gender-neutral bathrooms

by Makenzie Huber - Managing Editor Multi-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms are a possibility on the South Dakota State campus.

A proposal was submitted to University housing and Residential Life this spring from the Honors Hall, suggesting two large women’s bathrooms be changed to gender-neutral. This would address a lack of male-designated bathrooms on the second and third floors of the residence hall.

University Housing and Residential Life staff members may start surveying the Honors Hall community and campus about the proposal as soon as October.

“I’m looking at the practicality

Student success model improves early retention rate PAT BOWDEN News Editor Enrollment data released Sept.

21 reveals that the South Dakota State University retention rate from freshman to sophomore year increased 3.6 percent.

The retention rate improved from 75 percent to 78.6 percent since 2013. This increase was the goal of the student success model, instigated to reduce the amount of students leaving SDSU without a degree.

The goal is to keep the freshman to sophomore retention rate at 80 percent as part of South Dakota State’s Impact 2018 strategic plan.

Although the freshman to sophomore retention rate just increased, SDSU officials are working to better understand dropout factors and ways to retain more students through an analytical program, called the Student Success Collaborative. Officials also plan to improve the sophomore to junior retention rate.

This model applies to all students who apply at SDSU. However, the school is also working to implement the Education Advisory Board program SSC. This program will combine all success and dropout factors from advisers and faculty into a unified system.

Currently, SDSU uses an EAB program called Foundation and the early alert system Starfish. These work as separate entities to flag those at risk of dropping out. The SSC will essentially combine these platforms this coming spring semester.

In turn, the SSC will better equip advisers to help students find their place on campus and get them in a major that fits them according to their skill sets, said Interim Provost Dennis Hedge.

“We’re in the process now of getting more analytical with that

[who is dropping out] … the Student Success Collaborative will primarily be utilized by advisers but will also allow us to take a deeper dive into data to look at students who are dropping out or falling behind in regards to completing a degree in a major,” Hedge said.

The program’s intent is to support the retention of students. This is also the goal of early integration, which has been important in long-term success for students completing their degrees at SDSU. “Freshman to sophomore year [retention rates] are sought out as a significant milestone to long-term academic success … retaining a student from freshman to sophomore year is huge,” Hedge said. “The longer a student stays on a college campus the more likely they are to graduate.”

This retention rate has been a key vision for the university officials when putting together this success model. But there are some issues related to drop out rates that are out of the university’s control said Michaela Willis, vice president of Student Affairs.

These reasons include a cultural reason, family member with an illness or mental health issue.

Willis does not believe any of these problems are unsolvable – in fact, she believes any student with any of these problems can be successful. “[These issues are], not to generalize it, any student in any of those categories can be successful,” Willis said.

Other potential issues that would be out of the university’s control include entering parenthood, losing a job or being a first-generation college student, according to Willis.

Continued to A6

of it — if there’s a practical need,” said Brian Dominguez, area coordinator for University Housing and Residential Life. The proposal will only move forward if people continually establish a need for the change at each stage of the process.

University officials aren’t making a political statement in this decision, Dominguez said. He’s yet to hear any social need for gender-neutral bathrooms in the hall.

Chris Hartzler, a hospitality management major and transgender male, said there’s no real way to gauge the social need of a gender-neutral bathroom.

Continued to A6

The Pride’s traditions encourage personal, professional growth ALLISON VINSON Reporter As the first chords of “Ring the Bells” resonates across the football stadium, the South Dakota State community becomes one.

Alumni, students and friends of the university stand together to cheer for SDSU. Everyone claps along to the same beat as The Pride of the Dakotas leads the way.

This tradition bonds each of these people together in these few seconds, and the song holds a special meaning for The Pride of the Dakotas members.

“No matter if the Jacks win or lose, the football players come to the end zone and face us as we play ‘Ring the Bells’ and ‘Yellow and Blue,’” said Anna Pickford, senior education major and piccolo player. “When we win, they smile and laugh, and when we lose, they take off their shoes and

helmets … you can tell they are very grateful for us, their school and the Pride.”

This year The Pride celebrated its 126th anniversary.

Kevin Kessler, music professor and director of The Pride, said what makes the marching band so special is the performance traditions.

“The fact that ‘Yellow and Blue’ (the school song) was written here on campus, and was written by a band director who was here 110 years ago ... that’s something that we’re very proud of, that’s a unique tradition that’s uniquely ours,” Kessler said.

Along with the school song, the Pride practices a swing step, a unique type of march where the feet step out of the traditional march. Additionally, another tradition is the set of drum cadences for all Pride events that identify them as the SDSU marching band, Kessler said.

“I was in the band as a stu-

dent,” Kessler said, “so there’s an extra added layer of importance to me that those things are maintained under my watch, and that the students come to understand the importance of those traditions and the importance of just being a member of the band.”

Student traditions help Pickford feel closer to her bandmates. One of the traditions that stands out the most to her is when any band member has a birthday. During practice, they have to stand on the podium, tell a joke and bring candy for the entire band.

“Most of my friends I’ve met in The Pride when I was a freshman, and we’ve been friends throughout, and we’re still friends to this day because of Pride,” Pickford said.

The traditions played a role in Pickford’s growth in more than one way.

Continued to A3

FILE PHOTO • The Collegian

The Pride leads the student walk to the student tailgating area and plays a few songs. The Pride also plays a halftime show at each home game.

A2

The Collegian • News

September 28, 2016

DAILY CRIME LOG 9.18.16 • 3:11 a.m. @ Hanson Lot. DUI, Speeding, Financial Responsibility.

9.19.16 • 2:22 a.m. @ West Hall.

Vandalism.

9.21.16 • 1 p.m. @ Hyde Lot. Motor Vehicle Theft.

9.23.16 • 5:30 p.m. @ Student Union. Petty Theft.

9.24.16 • 2:58 p.m. @ Binnewies Hall. Possession of Marijuana, Ingesting, Paraphernalia.

• 2:58 p.m. @ Binnewies Hall. Possession of Marijuana, Ingesting, Paraphernalia.

• 2:58 p.m. @ Binnewies Hall. Possession of Marijuana, Ingesting, Paraphernalia.

9.24.16 • 2:00 p.m. @ SE overflow. MV Burglary.

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Must have valid driver’s license. Vehicle will be provided. Route will be shared between two people. Must be able to lift 10 pounds. Pay is $10/hour.

sdsucollegian.com

Campus organizations combat campus sexual violence with Sexual Assault Awareness Week IAN LACK Reporter Organizations across campus are making it a mission to raise awareness about sexual assault.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Feminist Equality Movement and South Dakota State Human Resources will partner together for Sexual Assault Awareness Week Oct. 3 through Oct. 6. The organizations aim to raise awareness about the issue on campus and educate students about the resources available to them.

Jacob Gubbrud, vice president of programming for SigEp, said as a group of male leaders on campus, they want to raise awareness about how they can be the difference in stopping campus sexual assault.

“Our national fraternity started the Live Your Oath campaign to show that we can take an oath to start change on this,” Gubbrud said.

The Live Your Oath campaign is a national partnership between SigEp and the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority that began in 2015 to encourage members of the two organizations to understand consent and identify sexual assault to prevent it.

Gubbrud said the fraternity wants to break the stereotype that Greek Life is more responsible for sexual assaults than other on-campus organizations.

The fraternity has partnered with SDSU Human Resources and the Feminist Equality Movement (FEM) student organization for advice as well as program coordination.

Their goal is to raise $500 in donations for the Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter, which has housed victims of sexual assault.

The shelter provides a safe space, meals and counseling services for victims of domestic abuse.

Larson Manufacturing in Brookings has promised to match the fraternity’s collections up to the goal amount of $500.

The week begins Monday, Oct. 3 when the fraternity brothers will table in The Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. During this time, they will distribute pamphlets with information about sexual assault. They will also take donations for the Domestic Abuse Shelter in exchange for sunglasses, buttons and teal-colored ribbons.

On Tuesday, Oct. 4 the fraternity brothers ask students on campus to wear teal, the official color for sexual assault awareness. For this day, the brothers will be spotted on-campus wearing teal-colored t-shirts to raise awareness as well.

For 24 hours, the fraternity will also be seesawing on the west side of the Student Union outside of Einstein Bros. Bagels. This will begin Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. and continue to Thursday at 11 a.m. The fraternity plans on seesawing for 24 hours to engage students into asking questions and to demonstrate that sexual assault can happen at any time.

On Thursday night, Oct. 6, FEM is showing the film “The Hunting Ground,” a CNN documentary about campus sexual assault.

The fraternity will also be promoting the film throughout the week.

In raising awareness about this topic, the fraternity hopes to educate students about the common circumstances that involve campus sexual assault.

Title IX and Equal Opportunity Coordinator Michelle Johnson said she handles

topics relating to sexual assault on a daily basis.

“One of the misconceptions is that a lot of assaults occur from strangers,” Johnson said. “In reality, they most occur from people that are known to the victim and [that the victim] could recognize. The most common time for sexual assault on college campuses is within the first three months of the school year.”

Johnson said this trend is because assailants often target students who are still adjusting to the campus environment.

SDSU’s campus community saw six sexual assaults last year with students being alerted of these through the school’s timely warning email alert program. In each case, the victim was female and in five of the assaults, it was confirmed that she knew the suspect.

“This is something that needs more attention, not only across college campuses but for society as a whole,” said FEM member Annelieke Sinnema. “The case with Brock Turner, the Stanford rapist, just shows the need for more awareness. If the two bicyclists didn’t know about bystander intervention, it could have been very different.”

This year, there has been four reported sexual assaults so far.

“If someone is sexually assaulted, I would recommend that they please tell somebody.

Ideally, we would like them to talk to our office so we can help prevent a recurrence and help them work through it,” Johnson said.

“But if we don’t know, we can’t help anyone and the offender could hurt another person.

On average, a person who sexually assaults someone will do it eight more times before getting caught or stopped.”

Imagine a world without sexual violence...

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

Campus alerted of fourth sexual assault of the semester KATHERINE CLAYTON Editor-in-Chief The South Dakota State University community was alerted Monday, Sept. 26 of a fourth reported sexual assault.

A campus-wide email was sent to notify students that the assault took place at Binnewies Residence Hall on Sept. 21. This is the second timely warning distributed to the student body. The other two assaults were not deemed as threats to students.

The female victim reported the following day that she had been sexually assaulted at the residence hall.

The campus notification was a timely warning in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act. This act requires all colleges and universities in the United States to disclose information about crime on and around campus.

Timely warnings are sent to students after the event has already occurred. The warning also includes information about reporting a sexual assault and support available.

The Clery Act requires the university share information as soon as relevant information becomes available. UPD can be contacted by dialing 111 from a campus phone or 911 from a cell phone. The UPD non-emergency number is 688-5117.

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Female Equality Movement put a bullietin board up on Main Street in The Union last week and asked students to “imagine a world without sexual violence” and what they think would be different. FEM is also involved in Sexual Assault Awareness Week, which will take place Oct. 3 to Oct. 6.

LEXIE PRIEST • The Collegian

Creativity week highlights music, ideas, imagination PALAK BARMAIYA Reporter Band members of Johnson McKinney Quintet took the stage at jazz night hosted by the Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge Monday night.

This was the first in a weekly jazz series at the restaurant and was one of the first events for Brookings Creativity Week.

The band played tunes from the Great American Songbook, the Beatles and even surprised the audience with their original “Pleasant Pheasant.”

Jazz filled the restaurant with high spirits as the audience cheered for the band.

Originally part of Creativity Week, jazz night is a weekly event held at the restaurant from fall to spring. The Pheasant invites local bands to promote various genres of music such as bluegrass, jazz and folk.

According to Michael Johnson, manager of the Pheasant, such musical nights help promote local artists and their talent.

“The band has been playing for more than 15 years,” said Murph Monahan, a good friend of the band members and a Brookings community member.

Corliss Johnson, saxophonist, added that such nights are a good platform to perform and introduce jazz to the audience.

“Almost all the universities have jazz music and there are chances to perform, but they are shrinking,” he said.

For the third year, Creativity Week is promoting local artists and talents, inviting people across the community to attend. Last week, Brookings hosted authors at the South Dakota Festival Of Books and the local produce at the Harvest Festival.

Scott Meyer, one of the founders of Creativity Week, hopes the events introduce people to what is happening in Brookings and what the events have to offer the community.

He believes the event creates a common space where people are in one room with their ideas.

Creativity Week promotes any event hosted by the community, Meyer said. Locals can register for next year’s Creativity Week events online.

About 800 people attended Creativity Week events last year.

Events continue through Oct. 1. Events include: community.

1 MILLION CUPS Listen to big ideas or share your own. Enjoy free coffee and great conversations.

WHEN: 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 WHERE: South Dakota Children’s Museum ADMISSION: Free ZOODLES & HEALTHY BITES COOKING CLASS Learn and try out healthy food options.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept 29 WHERE: The Carrot Seed ADMISSION: Free ROUNDTABLE: PUTTING THE PUB IN PUBLIC SPACE Discuss and share your views on the role of public spaces.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept 29 WHERE: Wooden Legs ADMISSION: Free

TEDXBROOKINGS Great people. Great ideas.

Listen to speakers across various disciplines share their adventures through engaging presentations.

WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct 1 WHERE: Performing Arts Center ADMISSION: Tickets can be purchased at http:// www.tedxbrookings.com/ HARP PERFORMANCE BY BETTY BEER WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct 1 WHERE: The Carrot Seed ADMISSION: Free

For more information about the events, visit http:// www.thecreativecapital. org/.

September 28, 2016

Digging through Pugsley Hall history TAYLOR VOEGELE News Editor Pugsley Hall has been remodeled multiple times. With each renovation, a piece of history is left behind.

Hidden aspects of Pugsley have been covered up through various renovations, said Les Olive, director of campus planning.

“It reflects the change of use of the building,” Olive said.

The building is part of the original South Dakota State campus. It was initially the Student Union in the early 1940s and was named after Charles William Pugsley, South Dakota State’s eighth president.

Pugsley started at SDSU as the assistant secretary of agriculture and then served as president from 1923 until 1940. He served a 17year term, the second-longest term of any SDSU president.

The Student Union later became an academic building in the ‘70s when the current Union was built.

Throughout its history, the building has housed several departments, including theatre, music, agricultural communications, English, mass communication studies, public radio and television and early childhood development.

Pugsley’s first level features a preschool program and kindergarten classroom for the early childhood development department.

A playground was added to the school in 2009.

Pugsley currently houses the Communication Studies and Theatre Department, the Information Technologies Center and the Department of English’s offices and faculty.

“The first time I walked into Pugsley I thought I was in the wrong building. I am a speech comm. major and I saw a preschool as soon as I walked in,” said sophomore Christine Morgan.

The three-story brick structure was funded by student fees matched by the Federal Public Works Administration. As the Stu-

dent Union, it contained meeting rooms, dining halls, banquet halls, lounges and game rooms as well as the Bunny Ballroom.

The Bunny Ballroom was the original ballroom when Pugsley was still the Student Union. The ballroom functioned as a large event room, much like the Volstorff Ballroom is used today.

An image of Jack the Jackrabbit made from plaster was plastered onto the former ballroom wall. but people are not able to see the image because an acoustic ceiling covers it up.

The Jungle is another feature that remains as an invisible history from Pugsley’s time as the Student Union.

The Jungle was a hangout and cafeteria area for students. The area received its name from foliage painted on the walls. In the ‘90s, the Jungle was transformed into a practice area for the theatre students, though the décor mostly stayed.

The most noticeable aspect causing confusion for students is the misleading staircase. This was a result of a construction project when the area was remodeled for a public television program.

“I have circled around the building for an office, and sometimes I have to stop and ask for directions,” said Megan Caldwell, junior English major.

Pugsley was remodeled to acquire a conference space and while building the conference room, the floor stuck out over the staircase.

Since the wall was built too close to the room, they closed off the staircase.

According to Olive, the hidden features of Pugsley might see the light of day once again, depending on the needs of the departments in the building. He said in the next two to three years the building will have the chance to remodel again.

“Pugsley is a very substantially-built building, durably built and has proven to be reasonably flexible overtime,” Olive said.

sdsucollegian.com A3

The Collegian • News >> PRIDE Continued from A1 “I’m one of the section leaders for one of the Pride sections,” Pickford said. “And as a freshman I was very shy and quiet, but it really builds your leadership skills, communication skills, things like that.”

Brittany Fischer, senior global studies and sociology major, attributes her leadership skills to being a section leader for the color guard in The Pride.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot about leadership and speaking abilities … learning how to address issues in a positive way,” Fischer said.

Another student tradition for Pride members is to have a dress up day every game day.

Specific dress up days, according to Pickford, include dressing as a superhero and another where each section wore a different color.

“It just helps generate some fun,” Fischer said.

The opening fanfare The Pride plays during every home

football game at half time has been part of The Pride tradition for more than 30 years, Kessler said.

Students “come from all different colleges, all different majors,” Kessler said, “… even though we have this wide range of people and experiences, it’s fun to see them come together as one.”

Kessler’s favorite tradition of the Pride is the students.

“It really is the students we have,” Kessler said. “They’re a very special group of people.”

FILE PHOTO• The Collegian

Autumn Berseth, sophomore studio arts major, plays clarinet in The Pride. Before football games. The Pride plays a few songs at the student tailgate area and at the alumni tent.

State of South Dakota, SDSU react to healthcare change Katherine Clayton Editor-in-Chief Sanford made the announcement in August that the organization would no longer be part of the DAKOTACARE network as of Jan. 1, 2017.

State officials and state employees continue to react to this announcement and lack of information about what happens next.

According to Laurie Gill, commissioner for the Bureau for Human Resources, Sanford had been part of DAKOTACARE, an organization that provides health plans and services, for years.

“An important message to all those people that are state employees, which include the staff of SDSU, the important message to them is right now there are no immediate changes,” Gill said. “... People that are currently enrolled in the state of South Dakota Health Plan can keep using their current providers and all of the services they have been used to at this moment.”

Sanford will no longer be part of the network at the beginning of 2017.

Jesse Tischer, executive vice president of Sanford Health Network, said San-

SA approves of organization constitution TAYLOR VOEGELE News Editor The Barnyard Cadets constitution was approved in a unanimous vote at the Students’ Association meeting Monday, Sept. 26.

The organization’s members are involved with many student-based events across campus, including the game-day walk for football games and Hobo Day. In addition to approving the Cadets’ constitution, there were two first readings of bills.

This included Resolution 1603-R: 24-hour Briggs Library for Graduate Students and Amendment 16-01-A: Voting Amendment.

Adviser Michaela Willis announced that at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 there will be a celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and Medal of Honor Rededication. The event will be held at Medal of Honor Park located near Depuy Military Hall.

The next SA meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 3, in the Lewis and Clark room located on the Upper Level of the Student Union.

ford’s exit from the network was due to unequal representation of the two health systems.

Sanford had been part of DAKOTACARE for about 30 years prior to leaving the plan after Avera bought DAKOTACARE in 2015.

Tischer said Sanford and Avera underwent negotiations throughout the summer to try and maintain a balance of power in regard to health plan networks.

“The negotiation back and forth throughout the summer of 2016 ended essentially with Avera denying Sanford the same opportunity that they already have through the DAKOTACARE product,” Tischer said.

One of Sanford’s proposed solutions during the negotiations was to have Avera take part in the Sanford health plan to provide clients with variety of healthcare options, but this proposal was denied.

However, Tischer believes a solution will be available.

“Sanford and the state of South Dakota are actively working on a solution that members of the state’s insurance plan will have full access to Sanford health providers,” he said.

According to Gill, the Bureau for Hu-

man Resources is in discussion with other health systems and networks. As of right now, there are no immediate announcements.

The issue hits home at South Dakota State University where full-time faculty and staff have insurance through the state. Individuals employed by the university and other state-affiliated organizations will no longer be able to go to Sanford providers once the change takes effect.

Meredith Redlin, president of faculty senate and professor, said the faculty have received “so little information,” and that it has been hard for them to determine what the impact will be. Redlin and other employees are waiting to hear updates from Human Resources.

“There’s certainly extra services in Sioux Falls that a lot of people use I know, and many of those are Sanford provisions, but as far as what the ramifications will be, we just don’t know I’m afraid,” Redlin said.

When Redlin first heard the news of this change, she thought it was “odd,” because there was a “strong emphasis” on Sanford before they withdrew from the network.

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Faculty have approached her with this topic, but she thinks the conversation will begin once there is more information.

“I think people are waiting for more information and once they see those ramifications … then I’m sure we’ll hear and have a lot to say,” Redlin said. “But a lack of information makes it difficult to have a profitable discussion.”

She hopes that the all parties influenced by this change will be notified by October so they can make decisions regarding their insurance.

Other areas of campus have also had to react to this announcement.

According to Shawn Humboldt, assistant director of admissions and member of the professional staff advisory council, there hasn’t been discussion among the council members at this point.

Gill plans t okeed SD employees informed about the situation.

“The main thing is that we know the healthcare market in South Dakota is evolving quickly, and our South Dakota state employee health plan continues to work through those changes,” Gill said, “and we will keep our members informed at new information becomes available.”

Opinion

A4

sdsucollegian.com/category/opinion • twitter.com/sdsucollegian • September 28, 2016

JACKS REACT

Editorial

Issue: Honors Hall residents may get gender-neutral bathrooms if university officials see practicality and a need for the change.

We know gender-neutral bathrooms is a controversial topic. This is South Dakota, where loud opposition to the change echoes across the state. But this is an issue that must be addressed.

We, at The Collegian, believe gender-neutral bathrooms belong on the South Dakota State University campus.

A proposal was submitted to University Housing and Residential Life this spring, suggesting one women’s bathroom on each of the connected floors in Honors Residence Hall be changed to a gender-neutral bathroom. This idea was proposed to resolve a lack of bathroom space for males in the residence hall.

The female-to-male ratio in the hall fluctuates throughout the year based on room changes, but right now the lowest numbers of males on a floor add up to 12 male residents at the lowest count on one floor.

There are only three bathrooms for these 12 students to share.

Each stall in the Honors Hall is actually a one-person bathroom with a toilet and shower inside. The stalls aren’t the regular public-restroom-type stalls; they have fullframe doors with deadbolt locks on them to ensure privacy. Sinks and cubbies, to put residents’ shower supplies, are in a communal area in the actual public bathroom area.

This type of design is the same for the women’s bathrooms in the hall. But they have seven bathrooms. The women have one bathroom on the far side of the hall reserved for girls with three stalls.

They also have a four-stall bathroom in the middle of the floor.

This middle bathroom is the one that may become a gender-neutral bathroom if university officials find that it is a practical change and is needed on the floor.

Presented in this situation, we,

at The Collegian, think this change makes sense and solves the lack of bathrooms for the male population in Honors Hall. The only downfall to the proposal is that university officials will not take a political stance on the matter and will hide behind practicality rather than embracing their mission of inclusion at the university.

Arguments against gender-neutral bathrooms include a risk of sexual assault or peeping inside stalls, uncomfortableness for people being in the same environment as the opposite gender and potential for bathrooms to be dirtier because guys aren’t well-known for their cleanliness.

But a person with intentions of sexually assaulting another individual in the bathroom will not care if the sign on the door is male or female. Changing to a gender-neutral bathroom doesn’t change this person’s intentions.

In the case of Honors Hall, there’s not a chance for peeping in between the gaps of the stalls because there aren’t any stalls. The full-frame doors prevent any peeping and the deadbolt lock ensures security and privacy inside the bathrooms.

Students won’t be forced to use the gender-neutral bathroom. There will still be three women’s stalls and three men’s stalls on each floor if the student doesn’t feel comfortable sharing a bathroom with the opposite sex. But going to the bathroom isn’t sexual — it’s a natural process behind a closed door.

There’s plenty of resistance to gender-neutral bathrooms in South Dakota because of these arguments.

But there are safeguards against many of these arguments and worries in the case of Honors Hall. People should be open to other lifestyles and recognize that some students don’t feel comfortable choosing a men’s or women’s bathroom.

If this proposal does go through the university, we, at The Collegian, hope to see gender-neutral bathrooms across campus in time. This doesn’t just include residence halls where there’s probably a similar need for more bathroom space as in Honors, but other areas of campus as well.

Changing binary one-person bathrooms into gender-neutral bathrooms would make life much easier. Already, some people, especially women, will use a male-designated bathroom if the wait line is too long for the women’s bathroom. Switching the one-person, binary-designated bathrooms to gender-neutral, like the binary-labeled bathrooms in Morrill Hall near Doner Auditorium, will relieve those wait lines.

These changes also benefit families. If a father or mother needs to take their child to the bathroom but the bathroom designated for their gender isn’t available, a gender-neutral bathroom would take away that stress.

But behind the possibility of change and inclusion is how university officials aren’t making this change for the sake of inclusion, but for practicality’s sake. SDSU officials look like they’re addressing inclusion at SDSU, but they’re actually not.

Officials have to hide behind the logic and practicality of gender-neutral bathrooms because they can’t face confrontation against their actions on a political stance.

SDSU officials know they can’t afford to make such a political stance supporting gender-neutral bathrooms for the sake of inclusion in South Dakota.

No matter what decision is made though, it will be a political statement — there is no neutral stance on this issue.

“What’s your reaction to potentially getting a gender-neutral bathroom on campus?”

“There’s probably some people who don’t support it, but those people need to get it in their heads that this will eventually happen.”

CODY JACKSON

Graphic Design Freshman

“Gender-neutral bathrooms were coming in the future. SDSU being willing to do this is a good thing. It’s already happening in bigger cities.”

JOSH SLOCUM

Sports, Park and Recreation Management Sophomore

Stance:

This is absolutely practical, but SDSU officials cannot only address it as such. No matter how much officials deny it, this is a politically-charged issue.

The Collegian staff meets weekly and agrees on the issue of the editorial.

The editorial represents the opinion of The Collegian.

Columnist unravels first presidential debate of 2016 BENJAMIN HUMMEL Columnist Upon sitting down in the Honors Hall classroom to watch the first round of presidential debates, I had a few expectations.

I have paid close attention to the election.

I witnessed the rise and fall of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton’s inevitable victory.

I followed at first with amusement, and then shortly afterward with horror, the ascent of Donald J. Trump to GOP presidential candidacy.

I familiarized myself with the ethos of these two politically incendiary figures, so it was only natural that much of what happened Sept. 26 was of no surprise to me: Clinton won.

The debate started out civilly enough.

NBC’s Lester Holt was slated to be the moderator, and he walked on stage with all the poise one expected from an established, name-brand journalist.

He began by stating, “This night belongs to the candidates.” Indeed it did.

Trump and Clinton met center-stage and

Volume 131 • Issue 6

shook hands. It could be argued that the civility ended shortly afterward.

The presidential debate itself was not the nuanced, policy-ridden affair that it has been in the past. Instead, despite Holt’s carefully-crafted questions regarding domestic and foreign affairs, the discourse quickly degraded into an argument over the candidates’ characters.

The opening argument involved trade, and Trump did exactly what he has done over the past 15 months: cite his experience as a successful businessman. He spoke loudly and confidently, as if he is an expert on the subtleties and conditions of our national trade partnerships.

He is not.

Although many might have been drawn in by his booming voice and conversational charm, the content of the speech itself was practically unintelligible, often steering off into left field, or (more often than not) blatantly lying. Live-action fact checkers at Politico and the Washington Post lit up every time he opened his mouth. He painted a bleak picture of economic ruin and insisted that the democratic establishment effectively doomed us all.

The Collegian is the independent student newspaper at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. The Collegian is published by and for South Dakota State University students under the First Amendment guarantees of free speech

and a free press.

Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration.

The Collegian is published weekly on Wednesday during the academic year of SDSU.

Clinton obviously came more prepared, opting to continue the theme of national optimism and asked voters to think of the future. Her delivery, although at times defensive and awkward, was infinitely more polished than the blunder spilled forth from her opponent.

The only thing Trump needed to do to win was prove he possessed a temperament befitting of the next president of the United States. The only thing Clinton had to do was prove he did not. Clinton succeeded and exposed his proneness to lies and bigotry.

All in all, the debate was notably the first direct confrontation Trump would have with the consequences of his actions.

It will be interesting to see whether this failed attempt at establishing himself as a presidential figure will sway voters to the other side, as many Democrats had hoped, or if the resilience of his support base will stand yet another blow to his campaign.

Benjamin Hummel is an English and speech & communications major at SDSU and can be reached at benjamin.hummel@jacks.sdstate. edu.

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Phu Nguyen

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Adviser

“I think it’s cool, particularly at our university since we are in the Midwest. It’s really nice.”

MARIA VELAZCO FASCE Food Science Junior

“At the end of the day, it’s just a bathroom. I’m all for it. If it makes people feel more comfortable and part of the Jackrabbit family, then that’s great.”

MOLLY CRUM

Human Development and Family Studies Senior Letters to the Editor Send letters to letters@ sdsucollegian.com or to USU 069 Box 2815, Brookings, S.D. 57006. You can also post comments online at www.sdsucollegian. com. Please keep to less than 250 words.

Main line: 605.688.6164 Newsroom: 605.688.6166 Editor-in-Chief: 605.688.6178 Email: news@sdsucollegian.com sdsuadvertising@gmail.com Twitter: @sdsucollegian, @collegian_live; @CollegianSports

September 28, 2016

sdsucollegian.com A5

The Collegian • Opinion

Columnist questions the American people’s blind patriotism

ABDEL MO Columnist

The land of the free and the home of the brave is certainly a fitting descriptor for America. Every individual in this country is fiercely proud of the freedoms and rights the Constitution guarantees—some freedoms and rights more than others.

American patriotism is unparalleled; from donning all red, white and blue attire on the Fourth of July, to “support our troops” bumper stickers, few countries are as patriotic as the United States.

As a foreigner, I admit that I am quite envious of the strong sense of pride and identity Americans have. As a “third-culture kid,” (raised in a culture other than my parents’), I wish I had that sense of pride or strong association with a country. This is certainly a big part of what makes the United States such an appealing destination for many immigrants.

Patriotism is an admirable quality, and who can deny that it’s heartwarming to see videos of soldiers re-

turning to their families after tours of duty abroad?

Love for your country and culture is certainly not a bad thing, but what’s detrimental is the sort of juvenile, almost childish arrogance and blind support for your country that is often mistaken as patriotism.

A few months ago, news of a militia, led by Ammon Bundy occupying a federal building in Oregon, sparked a conversation about “patriots.” These wannabe tough guys with martyr complexes who liken themselves to the founding fathers, and who are being oh-so-cruelly persecuted by the liberals who want to take their guns away and make America socialist, are not some disparate group of individuals.

These people represent a bigger problem, not just in America, but in every country in the world that encourages hero worship of the military and a blind support for everything they do. Supporting the troops is great, but glorifying war by sporting shirts that say “back-toback world war champs,” or waving the Confederate flag and saying things like “the South will rise again,” is highly insensitive and hurtful to the memory of those

who fell during those wars.

This juvenile band of patriotism, or as I like to call it, “Redneck patriotism,” is a symptom of anti-intellectualism in America. Demagogues like Donald Trump understand the power of ignorant people in large numbers. These overtly patriotic zealots tend to be climate change deniers, anti-immigrant and anti-science. These anti-intellectuals become pawns in the political game played in this country and in the entire world—a game that affects billions.

I invite my fellow Jackrabbits to understand the difference between loving your country and having blind, almost fratboy-like enthusiasm for it. Respect the country you live in but never stop asking tough questions.

Blind faith hinders progress.

People can make real strides when they ask the right questions without fear of being labeled “unpatriotic.”

Abdel Mo is an operations management major at SDSU and can be reached at muqtadir.mohammed@jacks.sdstate. edu.

Sometimes people come into our lives for a reason RACHEL ASTLEFORD Columnist The Friday of Labor Day weekend, I went to Wal-mart to pick up a few things before I headed home. An older man was a greeter and saw that I was wearing my track and field shirt. As I was about to leave, he said, “Do you know Rach–, well, what’s your name?”

I replied, “I’m Rachel Astleford.”

I had never seen someone so excited to hear my name.

He told me he had just read my article that I wrote about setting goals and not settling for average in The Collegian the night before and that he was going to try to reach out to me so that he could meet me. He went on to say that just by reading my article, he could tell that I was an exception-

al writer and had the intellect of someone who was twice as old as me.

He told me that he was going to give me an assignment, (he had been an English teacher for more than 20 years, so he loves handing out assignments). I had to read four different books about setting goals and how to make a difference, and then I had to spread the word to my peers and help as many people as I could.

I told him I was down for it.

I remember walking out of Wal-mart with a huge smile because it was validating to hear someone say such nice things.

He took me out to eat last Friday night and gave me the four books. Inside the cover of each book was a little inspirational note from him and his signature. He told me that if I ever needed a “kick in the ass” or any help at all, he’d be there for me.

A stranger, who had never met me before and had only read my 500-word article, had the graciousness to reach out and talk to me. It meant so much to me.

I truly believe that every person we meet in our lives is meant to be there for a reason, and he is one example. What really struck me was how coincidental this all was. He had just read my article the night before. What were the odds that I would come into Wal-mart the next morning and meet him?

I’m sure we have all encountered situations similar to this. Of course, some situations aren’t as desired as this one. Some of the acquaintances we make end up doing more damage to us than healing. However, I still strongly believe we were meant to make those acquaintances.

You may wonder why we are meant to

encounter someone who would just take advantage of us or harm us. My answer would be that we are supposed to learn from it. I can tell you that I’d be a lot more naïve if I had never had any rough relationships with people. Those people made me stronger and wiser.

The people who harm us during our lifetime make us value the people who love us so much more. They make us appreciate the strangers who come into our lives and make us smile again.

So next time you meet someone, just remember that you were meant to meet them for a reason. And sometimes that can be on a random Friday morning in Wal-mart.

Rachel Astleford is a nutrition & dietetics major at SDSU and can be reached at rachel.astleford@jacks.sdstate.edu.

Yes, I know all lives matter, but that’s not the point

ALEX BOGER Columnist

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been pushed to the forefront of the news by protesting the unlawful killings of Blacks by police and vigilante groups.

Although this is where the movement began, it now spans a lot further than that. The movement has refined its statement saying it advocates for “dignity, justice and respect” of the Black community.

I’ve noticed a lot of people misconstruing the issue: on my Facebook feed, my uncle or the people I get into a conversation with at the bar. More than once I have heard the phrase “but... all lives matter” when this subject comes up.

All this statement does is marginalize the struggle of Blacks in American culture.

The point of BLM isn’t to say Black lives matter more than anyone else’s. It is not meant to say that Blacks deserve to be treated better than anyone else. It just means that the Black community wants to be treated equally to everyone else.

Violent riots like the ones in Charlotte, North Carolina,

do not equate to BLM. The movement was also represented in peaceful protests during the events after the fatal police shooting of Keith Scott, an African American male.

Seeing this violence as equivalent to BLM is not just wrong but only makes the problem worse. Creating a rift between people of color (PoC) and the government is not the way to solve our problems.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Black Americans make up 13.3 percent of the total population.

But, as stated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Black Americans make up 37 percent of the prison population in the United States. This year, about 25 percent of victims of police shootings have been Black, according to an article in the Washington Post.

We have an arrest disparity in this country, and the causes for this disparity are complex and multifaceted. Despite this, it boils down to the fact that PoC are treated differently than Whites in this country.

The BLM Movement stands for racial equity. The movement seeks equality rights not only for cisgendered Black men, (those who’s gender identifies with the sex they were assigned with at birth), but for queer Blacks, Black

women and disabled Black people.

While this movement may seem to have sprung out of nowhere in the last few years, it’s part of a larger battle that has been fought since the 1960s when Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in Washington for the rights of Black people.

We need to push for minority representation in our government. We need women, PoC and queer people to be able to take a more hands-on role in our government without being torn down for being who they are.

We need to be able to have a presidential election where a candidate’s race, sexuality, religion or gender identity isn’t a campaign issue, and where we focus on the platforms, not what the person standing on them looks like.

As a White man, I understand I have privileges and may be blind to certain aspects of this conversation. That is why this movement is important, as well as talking to our PoC peers about their experiences. Yes, all lives matter, but let’s focus on the Black ones for a while.

Alex Boger is an agriculture & biosystems engineering graduate student at SDSU and can be reached at alex.boger@jacks.sdstate.edu

September 28, 2016

sdsucollegian.com A6

The Collegian • News

>> GENDER NEUTRAL Continued from A1 “Doing this now, even if they don’t see a need immediately gives an opportunity for these people in the future,” Hartzler said. “Maybe right now they don’t have anybody utilize it this year if they change it this year, but next year someone might move into Honors Hall because that’s there. It could generate the need.”

A social need would arise from people who do not want to be subjected to binary bathrooms or who identify as transgender.

The main reason gender-neutral bathrooms were proposed in the spring was because there were too few bathroom stalls for men on each floor.

Isaiah Croatt, who lived in the hall last year, was part of the first discussions about the idea. It started out as a joke, he said, but as residents talked about it there was more interest generated around the idea.

“It’s something that I’m excited to see,” Croatt said. “It’s a new kind of change that is proactive and beneficial to everyone.”

Lilly Bruce, a sophomore sociology major, was also part of the discussion last year. She’s living in the residence hall again and said the need and issue is still relevant to this year’s residence hall.

She’s seen male residents who have to search for bathrooms on different floors because all of them were in use when the student needed to use the bathroom. She heard a lot of complaints last year as well.

“It just makes sense,” Bruce said.

Honors Hall residential bathrooms are set up so that inside each bathroom area there are private stalls containing a toilet and shower inside with a fullframe door. This is different from other common public bathrooms around campus with multiple stalls in an open area.

There are also deadbolt locks on the inside of each door.

There are three male-designated private stalls and seven female-designated private stalls on the second and third floors. These are two separate female-designated bathroom areas. The one on the far women’s side of the residence hall has three private stalls, similar to the men’s bathroom. There is one large women’s bathroom in the center of each floor with four private stalls.

Typically, there are more women on a

Honors Hall

Honors Hall

floor, but there’s not enough bathrooms “Everyone, I feel, would have to be to accommodate male residents, Bruce on board to do it,” Driesen said. “If there said. was a girl who felt it was violating, then I The stall-to-male-resident ratio on don’t want to make her feel like that.” second floor is 1-to-4. The male ratio on If university officials find a need for third floor is 1-to-5.7. the gender-neutral bathrooms in Honors The stall-to-female ratios on both sec- Hall and implement the change, Driesen ond and third floor are averaged to 1-tothinks she’ll use the gender-neutral op3.64. tion.

Joe Carrels, a freshman pre-pharmaVanessa Konynenbelt, freshman eleccy major, can recall at least four times so trical engineering major, said she probfar this year where he’s had to find a bath- ably won’t use the gender-neutral bathroom on another floor because the reroom if implemented. She would likely strooms on his floor were occupied. opt for the three-stall women’s bathroom This is generally more common in the because it’s something she’s more commorning when residents are getting ready fortable with. because each stall has a toilet and showThis would be a similar response er inside, so only three residents can use for other female residents in the hall, the bathroom for either purpose at the Konynenbelt said. This would only transsame time. late to higher traffic in the three-stall The biggest reason he supports the bathroom instead of residents using the gender-neutral bathrooms is because of gender-neutral bathroom. the unbalanced ratio. A gender-neutral “While it looks like a solution, I option would make it more convenient don’t think it would really work well,” to find a stall on the floor and give a fair Konynenbelt said. split between men’s and women’s bathAlthough Konynenbelt isn’t opposed rooms. to the gender-neutral bathroom soluA number of male residents are suption, she thinks just creating a balanced portive of the change, Carrels said. The number of bathrooms for men and womtopic comes up on a fairly regular basis in en would be the most ideal solution. She the hall. also thinks thr situation now is fine beIn contrast to calls of support for the cause there are more women in the resichange, there have been points of oppodential hall. sition. This includes risk of sexual assault Changes should be based on where or harassment. the needs are in the residence hall, Dominguez said University Housing Dominguez said. and Residential Life and other depart“I would be very excited if we had ments of the university would take necsomething like this on campus, you know, essary actions to ensure the safety of stubecause when we’re talking about a students and residents from such instances. dent need and this is student-driven, I Although there’s always a risk like think we want to advocate for them in this, Bruce said there’s not much that this way,” Dominguez said. could go wrong with the change because But before any changes happent to the HallDominguez wants to estabthe stalls are more private than any other Honors bathrooms, bathrooms on campus, and because reslish if the need from last year still exists. idents are still clothed in the public space.

“We want to take this matter seriously “All you’re really sharing is sinks,” because we want to serve the needs of the Bruce said. student population,” Dominguez said.

The biggest concern Croatt heard in When the process begins, Domindiscussions last academic year were those guez plans to address hall residents and of cleanliness. hall leadership. The next step is then to “It was kind of less about seeing anaddress other campus leaders, such as other guy in the bathroom if you were a members of the Residence Hall Associagirl, and more about how the bathroom tion and other committees. might become a little dirtier,” Croatt said.

This change will not only affect Hon“I think for the most part that’s kind of a ors Hall, Dominguez said, but “we also concern that can be alleviated.” have to look at how it affects the larger Anika Driesen, freshman dietetics campus community.” major and Honors resident, said she’s According to Hartzler, the group neutral on the issue, but can understand that will be impacted the most with this both sides. change are the people not being repre-

Honors Hall

FEMALE RESIDENTS MALE RESIDENTS

FEMALE RESIDENTS

WOMEN’S 3 STALL RESTROOM MEN’S 3 STALL RESTROOM

MALE RESIDENTS WOMEN’S 3 STALL RESTROOM MEN’S 3 STALL RESTROOM

POTENTIAL GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOM (CURRENTLY A WOMEN’S 4 STALL RESTROOM)

2nd FLOOR

3rd FLOOR

ratio of stalls to male residents - 1:4 ratio of stalls to male residents - 1:5.7 ratio of stalls to female residents - 1:3.7 ratio of stalls to female residents - 1:3.6 >> DROPPING OUT Continued from A1 Willis believes first generation college students –– those who have not had a previous family member attend college –– can have a significantly harder time adapting to a new environment. “[First generation college students] don’t have someone at home helping guide them through college. None of their family members have ever been to college so they don’t see the value in it –– they don’t see the stress that adds to the transition to a new place … I can only imagine how difficult that might be,” Willis said.

Being a first generation col-

lege student is not rated in the top-six impactful reasons why students drop out, according to the Center for Institutional Data Exchange and Analysis.

The top six reasons are: academic preparation, low financial need from family, financial aid not met above 55 percent, social interaction, academic major and low financial-need gifts.

From this list, half of the reasons for a student to drop out are due to financial complications.

“We do know nationally that students are struggling to pay for education … so there’s kind of that squeeze there,” said Carolyn Halgerson, director of financial aid. “Students and families are needing to plan and prepare

sented in the discussion.

“If it gets knocked down, it’s going to get a little ding out of the people who are noticing,” Hartzler said. “People like me who are paying attention — people in the same circle that I am as non-binary, non-cis people — are going to be hearing about this. They’re going to keep their eye on it, and if the college shoots it down, it’s going to be a bit of a moral blow for them.”

Even trying to gauge the social need for this change presents a problem because “you can’t really gauge need without breaking down walls that some people have to protect themselves,” Hartzler said.

Liz Gallagher, Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) treasurer and senior sociology major, said some people can’t speak out because of fear.

“It’s one more thing that restricts their ability to exist on campus,” Gallagher said.

Choosing a bathroom between male and female provides a sense of terror for those people, Hartzler said.

When Hartzler came out two years ago, he was uncomfortable having to choose between men’s and women’s bathrooms. Instead, he would use one-person, gender-neutral or family bathrooms.

“During my last semester living on campus, my life revolved around the family bathroom near Volstorff Ballroom,” Hartzler said.

This was the only gender-neutral bathroom he knew about on campus that he could easily access at the time.

Hartzler had to adjust to the cleaning schedule of the bathroom and keep himself within a two-minute walk from The Union to access it when he needed.

He’s been wanting to expand access to gender-neutral bathrooms across campus since his transition.

FEMALE RESIDENTSbathrooms are just “Gender-neutral immensely practical,” Hartzler said.

MALE RESIDENTS Gallagher agreed adding, “genWOMEN’S STALL der-neutral3bathrooms don’t just affect RESTROOM the LGBT community — they help everyone.” 3 STALL MEN’S If students in the Honors Hall voice RESTROOM a need for a gender-neutral bathroom in POTENTIAL GENDER the residence hall, as well as other opiNEUTRAL BATHROOM onions from campus while the propos(CURRENTLY A WOMEN’S al is addressed further, Dominguez said 4 heSTALL wantsRESTROOM) to “make it happen as best as we can.”

“SDSU is a leader in many things, and if we do have the decision to move for-

–– and they are.”

Another reason for student dropouts is the inability to connect to their major of study or to the school itself.

“A key indicator is progression toward a degree … student success is something that occurs over an extended continuum from landing on campus, and there are a variety of initiatives that we have [to help early success],” Hedge said.

Progression toward a degree is when a student continually takes 12 to 15 credit hours a semester, according to Hedge, who calls this regular credit rate “magical.”

These early initiatives to help early student success are designed to better associate stu-

POTENTIAL GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOM (CURRENTLY A WOMEN’S 4 STALL RESTROOM)

dents with campus life and get them more involved. The first year programs implemented to do this include: Meet State, ThumpStart, the Common Read, the First-Year Advising Center, First Year Seminars, Exploratory Studies, Residence Hall Programs and Living-Learning Communities.

“The first year adviser model helps ensure more continuity and students success. Exploratory studies helps students identify a major with their passion,” Hedge said.

Looking into the future, Willis hopes the retention rate from freshman to sophomore year will increase and recognizes that more factors go into this retention than just the success model.

On a similar note, Willis also believes the university will need to start focusing on sophomore to junior retention since SDSU’s rate is 58.3 percent.

“The big conversation piece needs to be not only retention but graduation,” Willis said.

“While freshman to sophomore [retention] is important, we’re losing another 20 percent after that sophomore year, so that’s where that conversation will evolve.”

Willis believes the school will naturally get to this point of focus once underclassmen retention rate is fixed at a higher point. saying, “sophomore to junior is something we need to look at … it’s just as critical.”

Lifestyles

A7

sdsucollegian.com/category/lifestyles • twitter.com/sdsucollegian • September 28, 2016

Sighting in the 5 P’s of becoming a successful hunter MARK SANDQUIST | Reporter

P

reparation:

Without a doubt, preparation should be a top priority for every hunter.

No matter where you are afield, being prepared for anything is an absolute must.

Familiarizing yourself with the land and the wildlife that call it home is extremely important. This crucial step in your hunting preparation should be completed well before the hunt.

Additionally, knowing the weather forecast is vital, especially in South Dakota, as conditions can change and turn downright miserable very quickly. Being comfortable will allow you to spend more time out hunting and less time back in the truck.

Peters discussed the importance of scouting prior to the hunt.

“Scouting for your target species is a key part of preparing for a hunting trip,” Peters said.

“In waterfowl hunting, knowing where the birds are landing will give you an idea of where to set up.”

P

Whether it’s a one-day pheasant hunt, or a season-long quest to harvest a mature white-tailed deer, you are bound to fail one time or another. Hunting is rarely predictable, and often times even the best game plans will fail.

If you are serious about the sport, you probably have your fair share of hunts that didn’t go as planned. Hunting has its highs and lows, and like anything else, you must work through those lows. Remember, just when you think things can’t go any worse, the trophy of a lifetime may show up in front of you.

“You have to stay persistent in order to have success,” Walrod said.

Walrod exercised persistence when he took a trip last fall to hunt grouse in northwest South Dakota.

“There’s not much for cover out there, so you need to walk many miles to find the birds,” Walrod said.

Putting in extra effort and hunting all day paid off and he harvested his limit of birds.

12

Don’t forget these

essential items on your next hunting trip

ersistence:

P

ractice:

There are two main aspects of practice in hunt-

ing.

The first, and more obvious, is to practice with your equipment before going out. Know not only your gear’s limitations, but yours as well. If you don’t feel comfortable shooting a weapon at certain distances, don’t take those shots at wild game.

The second form of practice puts successful hunters far above the rest. As you begin your hunt, think through every possible encounter with your target. Practice going through each of these scenarios in your head, so when a small window of opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready.

“When I’m bow hunting deer, I like to range the distances of where I think deer will walk by,” Walrod said. “I then practice drawing my bow and make sure nothing is in the way so I know I can take those shots.”

To become a successful hunter, one must realize that keeping things simple can be extremely effective.

Hunting, no matter the species or location, is a complex and unpredictable sport that challenges people of all skill levels.

It’s true––using new products and technologies available in the hunting industry can help hunters bag more game. However, to the disbelief of these companies, the introduction of a new product will not turn an average hunter into a professional overnight. Rather, using a simplistic approach to the sport will help make drastic improvements to your hunting success.

The following five tips are a compilation from myself and two other avid hunters, junior nursing major CJ Peters and senior wildlife and fisheries science major Trent Walrod. These tips are critical to every hunter and should remain in their repertoire at all times.

P

atience:

Hunting is a waiting game. Other than targeting upland game species, hunting is typically most effective when taking a passive approach — waiting for the game to come to you.

Sometimes the wait can be short, but often it is not, so bring something to pass the time.

Snacks, books and even flashcards for an upcoming test are great ways to keep yourself occupied during down time.

“You have to wait for the perfect shot opportunity when deer hunting,” Walrod said. “Allowing the deer to get close and well within your range increases your success rate greatly.”

Editor’s note: Continuing the “Five of ” series this week, I went around town with a few buddies to test out some of the margaritas that Brookings has to offer. As always, my goal is to bring only the best (and sometimes weirdest) food and drink to readers.

I went to three different restaurants this week to test out just how well they can mix their tequila: Buffalo Wild Wings, Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill and Guadalajara’s.

I want to make a small disclaimer because all of the margarita’s I tried were blended. This is just because I prefer feeling like I’m drinking an alcoholic slushie, but I hear that if you get a margarita on the rocks, they tend to contain more tequila. Just something to keep in mind.

I also want to add that I really am not a tequila person, so I was surprised to find some margaritas I enjoyed, especially since I’m also not a huge “fruity” drink kind of lady.

1. Twisted Margarita Though Buffalo Wild Wings is well-known for their wings and beer, they also offer a selection of mixed drinks, including (to my surprise) some pretty tasty margaritas. The twisted margarita is a combination of strawberry and mango flavors and, of course, tequila.

What Buffalo Wild Wings had to say: This week we do get to hear the glorious words of “Bdubs” because I contacted them at a more reasonable hour.

“I would say the twisted margarita is our most popular margarita,” said Shelby Rindels, Buffalo Wild Wings manager. “I prefer the twisted just because I like the taste of mango and strawberry together.

rivate land:

The Brookings area and its surrounding counties have ample public land available to hunt. While these lands have good habitats with strong game populations, they are open to everyone. You may need to get to your spot hours in advance to “claim” your area, but this doesn’t stop others from hunting the same area and ruining your hunt.

A simple solution to this common problem is to gain hunting privileges on private land. Briggs Library has county plat books for rent, which are critical when searching for private hunting access. Plat books break down property boundaries and often have the landowner’s name, address and phone number listed.

“There is a ton of pressure on public land in Brookings County, so hunting private land really gets you away from the crowds,” Peters said. “Some of my best waterfowl hunts have taken place on private land.”

He also said he’s had great conversations with landowners over the years, and some have led to additional private land hunting opportunities.

Hunting License

Pocket Knife

Extra Gloves, Hat and Socks

County Plat Book

Disposable Hand Warmers

Binoculars

Extra Jacket

First Aid Kit

Snacks

Flashlight

Portable Cell Phone Charger

Water

“Life’s better in margaritaville:” the top 5 blended margaritas in Brookings SELENA YAKABE Lifestyles Editor

P

The fruitier the better I guess.”

My take: This was by far my favorite margarita, but that might just be because I pretty much love everything mango-flavored. This is definitely fruity and sweet, but in a good kind of way.

2. Strawberry Margarita This is just one of the many margarita’s at Buffalo Wild Wings, but there are no hidden secrets in this alcoholic beverage, ladies and gents. It is exactly what it sounds like—strawberry.

What Buffalo Wild Wings had to say: “I also like this margarita just because it’s fruity,” Rindels said. “I like any fruity flavor over just like a lime flavor.”

My take: This was sweet, but not overly sweet. I also had a mixed berry margarita at Buffalo Wild Wings, which was sickly sweet, so believe me, I know. I think this had a good balance. Plus strawberry is just a classic.

3. Cantaloupe Ginger Sorbet As one of the several flavors Cubby’s can make, this margarita also has no secrets. The flavor is in the name. Though I don’t know for sure what they put in this, I’m assuming it’s just some melon flavored syrup in a normal margarita.

What Cubby’s had to say: “Your regular lime blended margarita or on the rocks is the most popular by far,” Chris Stoltenberg, Cubby’s manager, said. “We can make all sorts of flavors — raspberry, strawberry — but lime is a mainstay.”

My take: This was my second favorite margarita that I loved for a similar reason to my first favorite.

I love melon. So this drink quickly stole my heart...and my taste buds.

KATIE GEBAUER • The Collegian

Continued to A8

TOP: The Strawberry Margarita from Buffalo Wild Wings is straightforward but delicious. BOTTOM: The Twisted Margarita from Buffalo Wild Wings featured mango and strawberry flavors, giving it a tropical feel.

An evening with the Midtown Men BRIANNA SCHREURS Reporter

The Performing Arts Center was filled with ‘doo-wops’ and catchy guitar riffs Sept. 27 as the Midtown Men performed their set of the greatest hits from the ’60s for a full house.

The Midtown Men is comprised of the original Tony-award-winning cast of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys.” Midtown Men includes Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer and Michael Longoria.

The group was formed after they discovered their love of “the greatest music era” while performing on Broadway. The four men would often meet in each other’s dressing rooms to hash through harmonies of other songs they loved from the ’60s.

For five years, the group has traveled around the country with a live band including brass, entertaining crowds with songs from the Temptations, the Four Seasons, the Beatles and other well-known ’60s artists. The Midtown Men are starting their seventh country-wide tour and this is their first time on the South Dakota State University campus.

“It’s great to be here,” said J. Robert Spencer, one of the Midtown Men. “It’s beautiful here and it’s beautiful in this facility.”

This production was made possible by Woodbine Productions. Woodbine is an SDSU Foundation project sponsored by an anonymous donor. The donor selects the concert lineup each year, according to Dr. David Reynolds, head of the South Dakota State Department of Music.

“We [the SDSU music department] slate the opportunities to the donor,” Reynolds said.

“The donor has the final say on the acts.”

Each Woodbine concert ticket sold goes directly into the SDSU music scholarship fund.

“Woodbine has been a game changer for the Department of Music,” Reynolds said. “It doubles the opportunities for talented musicians in South Dakota with scholarships.”

Along with scholarship opportunities, Woodbine Productions offered students a chance to have a meet and greet with the Midtown Men hours before their performance.

Continued to A8

September 28, 2016

The Collegian • Lifestyles

sdsucollegian.com A8

a friend and I debated it was probably somewhere between 16 and 24 ounces.

What Guadalajara’s had to say: “On the rocks with an extra shot is most popular,” Maria Vega, a Guadalajara’s employee, said.

“Strawberry is probably the most popular flavor.”

My take: Pineapple is a very refreshing flavor to have for your margarita. I think this was a little on the sweeter side, but mixing it up from the standard lime or strawberry margarita is always fun. I would definitely recommend. Plus, who says no to Mexican food? Certainly not me.

>> MARGARITAS Continued from A7 4. Raspberry Margarita This is another margarita from Cubby’s. And again, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. On a random side note, Cubby’s puts their margaritas in some cool, colorful glasses.

What Cubby’s had to say: “A lot of people like to upgrade to get a higher-end tequila,” Stoltenberg said. “We can always cater to that if wanted.”

My take: Raspberry pretty much never lets me down.

It’s definitely a solid choice for a margarita, and squeezing the lime into it just makes it that much better.

5. Pineapple Margarita This is one of the margaritas that Guadalajara’s has to offer. I feel like this margarita was larger than the others that I tried.

Though I have no idea how many ounces it actually was,

This week was definitely not a fail because it’s never a fail when I get to enjoy some alcoholic beverages, even if they are fruity and over-priced alcoholic beverages (what can I say, it’s not easy on the pocket book). Be sure to check back in next week for some of the best or weirdest craft brews in Brookings.

>> MIDTOWN MEN Continued from A7

JOEY MERZ • The Collegian

The pineapple margarita at Guadalajara’s is a good way to branch away from the go-to lime or strawberry margaritas.

This opportunity was unique for music and theatre majors since the concert is sold out, according to Grace Davidson, student intern for Woodbine.

“It’s been hectic and we’re almost sold out for this show,” Davidson said. “This one is exciting because the Midtown Men are the first group to be taken straight from Broadway to concert.”

South Dakotans from across the state have been purchasing tickets months in advance to see the concert.

Cole DeRuyter, a 17-yearold student from Elkton High School, was among one of the younger faces in the crowd.

Along with a group of peers, DeRuyter made the trip with his choir teacher.

“Our choir teacher said it would be fun so I decided to

come along,” DeRuyter said.

“This is not a usual occurrence [to take trips with the choir].

I love musicals and have been going to All-State Choir for three years.”

The crowd was encouraged to clap, sing and even take pictures of the group (a first for the Woodbine concert series) during the Midtown Men’s energetic concert. The group made each number something worth watching with synchronized dances and dramatic expressions. They performed familiar hits, provided commentary about their lives and history of famous ’60s artists.

The Midtown Men is the first of three Woodbine concerts. On Mar. 13, 2017, Tine Thing Helseth and tenThing, an all-brass, all-women band will perform at the PAC as a Woodbine concert. Tickets can be purchased by calling the SDSU Department of Music at (605) 688-5188.

Jack’s Weekly

Horoscopes Editor’s note: These horoscopes take an existential look into the week ahead and delve into the disparities of reality versus perceived Jackrabbit existence. Because what is existence? What does it mean to be a Jackrabbit? Or is anyone really a Jackrabbit? Perceived reality for you is not the perceived reality for someone else.

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo More carrots may be coming your way.

But what is it worth, Jackrabbit? One rabbit can only eat so many carrots at one time. The rest of the carrots will wither up and go bad before they will be used for their full potential.

You’re taking on more responsibility than normal, Jackrabbit.

But what is the driving force behind your motivation? Is a carrot worth more than a cabbage or a turnip?

Is a turnip worth more than your happiness?

You may be feeling the need to leave the rabbit den and explore the world. Experiencing different cultures and places can be fun, Jackrabbit. But remember a carrot is still a carrot on the other side of the world.

Life may not be moving at a fast enough pace for you right now. But why are you in a rush?

No matter how fast you hop, Jackrabbit, you will end up in the same place, and you would have expended all your energy for nothing.

You may be focused on finding another Jackrabbit significant other. But love is just a series of chemical reactions in your Jackrabbit brain. Is a hormone release worth putting your life aspirations on hold?

You may be jealous of another Jackrabbit’s carrots. Why are you enamored with an object that is no more than a combination of carbon-based molecules? There is more to a rabbit’s life than carrots.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

You have the chance to make all of your little Jackrabbit heart’s desires come true.

But do those desires stem from you or from societal norms that have been placed on the Jackrabbit community?

Don’t be a sheep.

You are settling carrot contracts and deals, but at what cost, Jackrabbit? A carrot is still decaying organic matter just like any other vegetable. And what is decaying organic matter worth in the end?

You may be thinking about asking a fellow Jackrabbit out on a date. Remember that a carrot missed is lost forever because the past can not be changed. Only regrets and “what ifs” stem from lost carrots.

Personal plans may keep getting put on hold, Jackrabbit. The longer you wait, the less likely it will be that your plans will ever come to fruition. Don’t look back and regret not visiting a different cabbage patch.

You may be losing yourself in daydreams, Jackrabbit. Perceptions of reality are specific to the individual. A carrot may be a carrot to you but a cabbage to another. A carrot is everything and nothing at the same time.

Pisces Your social life is hopping right now.

But do endless streams of carrot juice, bad seed and parties ever seem frivolous and empty? Superficial acquaintances come and go and will run when things get tough.

The Collegian is

NOW HIRING Reporters Photographers Visual Editor Ad Reps News Editor Ad Designers Lifestyles Reporter Grab an application in our office, located in room 069 (Lower level of The Union)

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Sports

Wieneke, recordsetting receiver uses faith on and off field HANNAH NIEMAN Sports Reporter

sdsucollegian.com/ category/sports • @CollegianSports • September 28, 2016 FILE PHOTO • The Collegian

It’s no secret that Jake Wieneke is talented. The two-time All-American wide receiver has quickly made a name for himself.

From the moment he first stepped onto the field as a redshirt freshman, he has continued to prove why he is now one of the best receivers in college football through multiple record-setting performances during his last three seasons as a Jackrabbit.

Wieneke was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014 after leading the Jacks with 73 receptions for 1,404 yards and a school record of 16 touchdowns in season. His success continued into his sophomore season as Wieneke finished with 1,472 receiving yards, setting a MVFC single-season receiving record.

Now a junior, the Maple Grove, Minnesota, native continues to shine on the field, as his 35 career touchdowns currently rank number one in the SDSU record book. Wieneke has also moved into second place in career receiving yards at SDSU with 3,205 yards after recently posting his 16th 100yard receiving game and 10th career multi-touchdown game of his career.

“They call him ‘The Wizard’ for a reason,” said teammate and sophomore quarterback Taryn Christion. “He’s really good at what he does.”

What’s more impressive than Wieneke’s athletic performance is his attitude off the field.

“His hard work and his focus is maybe better than his athletic ability,” Head Coach John Stiegelmeier said.

Wide receivers’ coach Robert Arnheim said what he likes most about Wieneke is his positive leadership and constant will to get better despite the success he’s had in the past.

“What’s exciting for Jake is that he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. He wants to be better, he’s not a complacent person,” Arnheim said. “For as much success as he’s had, it could be easy to be complacent, but he’s constantly asking how can he improve, where can he get better. And it’s exciting to think that he can get better.”

As a former high school standout in both football and basketball, Wieneke’s athleticism was hard for coaches like Stiegelmeier to ignore. But as Wieneke’s popularity in the Brookings community grows, it doesn’t take long for people to realize that he’s more than just a guy who can catch a football.

“He’s got an unbelievable skill set — he can run, catch, he can even throw it a little bit, too. He’s just a natural athlete,” Arnheim said. “But I think what makes him special is his faith really drives him, and you can tell by how he interacts with his teammates and his unselfishness.”

For Wieneke, SDSU has become more than just a place to play football. As his only Division I football offer, Wieneke’s decision to play at SDSU was easy. However, football wasn’t the only thing that drew the 6-foot-4 receiver to Brookings.

Continued to B3

Wide receiver, Jake Wieneke, runs out of the tunnel before the Jacks play Drake University Sept. 10.

Wieneke “the Wizard” holds the school record of 16 touchdowns in a season.

Volleyball drops 10th in-a-row, prepares for Omaha SCOTT ENGEN Sports Reporter The South Dakota State volleyball team will take on the University of Nebraska Omaha at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 in Frost Arena.

The Jacks are coming off their 10th loss in a row, falling to the IUPUI Jaguars in their Summit League opening match three sets to none. The loss dropped the Jackrabbits to 1-12 overall, and they haven’t won a set in nine of those losses. IUPUI improved to 5-11 overall.

Senior Ashley Beaner led the team with 14 kills, with sophomore Sierra Peterson at eight kills. Junior Ellie Benson led the team on defense with 13 digs.

“I thought, offensively, we did some really good things.” Head Coach Nicole Cirillo said. “In sets one and two we were getting a majority of our points, which is good. We were able to get all of our attackers involved, which is nice, that’s something we’ve struggled with at times.”

In the first set, the score was tied 15-15, but the Jags outscored the Jacks 10-4 down the stretch. The second set had five lead changes. The Jacks were up 23-22 before giving up a kill and committing two errors. In

the third set the Jacks fell behind early, but pulled within three at 15-12 before being outscored 10-4.

“They limited their errors. We stuck with them, but at the end of the day they were able to capitalize on some of our mistakes and do what they do best, blocking, which is one of their biggest fortes,” Cirillo said.

IUPUI had eight blocks compared to three for SDSU, and IUPUI also kept their errors to 13, which was five less than the Jackrabbits.

This Friday, SDSU will take on the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. Omaha comes into the match 3-13 on the season and come into the game at Frost Arena after losing two straight.

Omaha is led on offense by sophomore Kayla Torson who leads the team with 177 kills and is averaging 3.05 per set.

She is also second on the team in digs with 163.

Freshman Hannah Angeli leads the Mavs in assists with 45. On defense they are led by junior Amanda Conlin who has 55 total blocks.

“We have to continue to play at a high level and compete, the key is pushing hard at the end of sets, when it means the most.” Cirillo said.

Soccer ready for Summit League ANDREW HOLTAN Sports Editor The South Dakota State soccer team opens Summit League play Saturday in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when they take on the IPFW Mastodons. The Jacks have not played since Sept. 18 when they defeated Drake University 3-0.

The Jacks come into the game with a record of 5-4-1 and have won three in a row.

Fort Wayne is 3-8 on the season and is coming off a 3-0 loss to Indiana State Sept.

25.

SDSU has outscored their opponents 10-2 during their three-game winning streak and come into the game averaging 1.6 goals a game on the season. They’ve also held their opponents to 0.80 goals per game. The Dons are averaging 0.82 goals per game and have given up 2.09 goals a game. They’ve also been shutout in seven of their previous nine games.

The Jacks have scored 16 goals on 93 attempts on the season to give them a shot percentage of .172 and average 9.3 shots a game. The Dons have nine goals on 118 attempts to give them a .076 shot percentage and average 10.7 shots a game.

The Jackrabbits have had four shutouts this season from senior goalie Nicole Inskeep and redshirt freshman goalie Maggie Smither. The two have combined for 34 saves this season.

On offense, SDSU is led by senior Madison Yueill, who has four goals. Junior Nicole Hatcher leads the team in assists with five and has also tallied two goals.

Fort Wayne senior goalie Kiley Dunning has 79 saves on the year and one shutout.

They are led on offense by junior Kallianne Mogler who has four goals and one assist.

Freshman Chloee Foor is not far behind with two goals and two assists.

LEXIE PRIEST • The Collegian

Mattison Munger sets the ball during warm-up before the game against IUPUI Sept. 23. Their next game is at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 against Omaha.

NOTE: The Jacks are 4-0 this season when they score three or more goals in a game. They are also 2-2 on the road this season and have been shutout in those two losses.

September 28, 2016

Sports

The Collegian • Sports

FEATURE PHOTO:

in brief

Golf

Cross Country

The South Dakota State women’s golf team placed second in the Chip-N-Club Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Tuesday. Kansas State University won the event.

Senior Hallie Getz led the way for the Jackrabbits as she turned in a scorecard of three under par and ended up winning the tournament. Freshman Teresa Toscano tied for fourth place. Toscano shot a career best 70 in the second round of the tournament. Megan Mingo ended up tied for 16th.

Other results for the Jackrabbits included senior Islamiah Fuad tying for 21st, freshman Sydney Bormann tying for 25th, and junior Natcha Srimaneerungroj tying for 43rd.

The South Dakota State men’s golf team placed fourth at the Jackrabbit Invitational, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Clemson University won the event.

Sophomore Jaxon Lynn led the way for the Jackrabbits, placing third and shooting a 67 in the first round, the seventh best score in school history. Senior Grant Smith also had an impressive first round, with a score of 68. Sophomore Alejandro Perazzo shot a 70 in the first round.

The rest of the results for the Jackrabbits included freshman Alejandro Restrepo tying for 10th place and senior Grant Smith tying for 14th. Senior Trevor Tobin tied for 24th and Sophomore Alejandro Perazzo finished tied for 31st.

Up next for the women’s team is the New Mexico State Aggies Invitational on Oct. 3 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The men’s team travels to Kansas City, Missouri, next weekend for the Bill Ross Intercollegiate. The tournament will start Oct. 2.

The South Dakota State University men’s and women’s cross country teams participated in the Roy Griak Invitational last Sunday in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The men finished 13th out of 29 teams and the women finished 28th out of 36 teams.

Senior Joel Reichow led the Jacks as he finished in 35th place out of the 263 runners. Reichow was followed by fellow seniors Trevor Capra and Brendan Sage who finished 66th and 89th. Sophomore Kyle Burdick and freshman Chase Cayo rounded it out for Jacks finishing in 92nd and 103rd. The men’s Jacks are now at No. 8 in the Midwest region.

Sophomore Emily Donnay led the women’s team finishing in 66th. Sophomore’s Rachel King and Emily Berzonsky finished in 154th and 158th, Junior Halie Mechels finished in 200th and senior Jenna Grossenburg finished 237th.

“Midway through the season, I think they are running well and it is kind of what we expected in terms of being on the winning side with a young group,” Head Coach Rob DeHaven said. “I hope to get better in the next four-five weeks.”

Senior Joel Reichow and sophomore Emily Donnay were named the men’s and women’s Summit League Cross Country Athletes of the Week.

The men’s and women’s cross country team run the SDSU Classic at Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings Saturday, Oct. 1.

Coach DeHaven seems very confident and excited to be at home.

“It is always nice to run at home. For the women it will be nice to run a short distance on an easier course,” Coach DeHaven said. “With the guys I hope to build up the confidence and maybe a win on both sides would be nice, too.”

Tennis

The South Dakota State women’s tennis team was in action this weekend at the Gopher Invite in Minneapolis.

“I’m not overly joyed, we can play better,” Head Coach Joey Barnes said. “We have demons that we need to get over and we need to play more confident.”

Senior Iasmin Rosa finished 11th in Flight A. Freshman, Sara Sviben, was the top finisher for the Jackrabbits as she placed seventh in Flight F. Molly Crum, who placed 16th in Flight B, fought hard in a hotly contested three-set match with University of North Dakota’s Mimi Yunker.

“She fought hard and didn’t give up the

sdsucollegian.com B2

entire match,” Barnes said.

Other results for the Rabbits were: Morgan Brower placed 14th in Flight C and Maria Velazco lost in the consolation final in Flight D. The doubles tandems of Rosa and Brower went 4-3 as a team, while Velazco-Van Dijk went 2-1, Romero-Sviben went 0-4 and Chela-Crum went 0-3.

The Jacks go to the Blue Jay Invite in Omaha, Nebraska this weekend.

“This is just another step for our team, and we are going to continue to develop,” Barnes said.

LEXIE PRIEST • The Collegian

Junior Madison Hope pitched in the game against the University of Sioux Falls Sunday, Sept. 25.

The next softball game is at 1 p.m. Oct. 8 against Southwest Minnesota State.

FANTASY FOOTBALL

By CURTIS SAGER First it was dozens of injuries. This week, we now have to start dealing with bye weeks. It is always a calculable variable to deal with, but if you do not attack bye weeks in your draft, you could be facing some serious adversity this upcoming week. That is why reading the Fantasy Football Update is a must—we give you the tools to deal with serious fantasy adversity.

Players who exceeded expectations: TREVOR SIEMIAN

MARVIN JONES

Quarter Back Denver Broncos

Wide Receiver Detroit Lions

Siemian has had a nice year and proved to be the best possible solution for the Broncos, who lost their top two quarterbacks last year, Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler.

Siemian, who is owned in less than five percent of ESPN leagues, scored 33 fantasy points this week. He threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Broncos to their third straight victory and solidifying their place atop the AFC.

I was not a fan of the idea that Jones could fill the void of the great Calvin Johnson. So far this year, however, Jones has exceeded expectations.

He is currently the top WR after three weeks, averaging 17.6 points per game in standard scoring leagues. This past week he caught six passes, for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He absolutely deserves being one of the players for the Fantasy Football Update’s “Players Who Exceeded Expectations.”

TEVIN COLEMAN AND DEVONTA FREEMAN Running Backs Atlanta Falcons Rarely do a tandem of running backs come in at No.1 and No.2 in the fantasy scoring, but that is exactly what these two did in the past week. They combined for 194 yards rushing, eight receptions for 102 yards and a combined total of four touchdowns.

They combined for 53 points in standard leagues, and chances are if you had one, or both, of them starting for you this week, you won.

JIMMY GRAHAM Tight End Seattle Seahawks I cannot recall the last time Jimmy Graham had a good game. It was probably when he was dominating with Drew Brees in New Orleans.

Finally, after way too long for his fantasy owners, Graham finally performed to his capabilities. Graham caught six passes, for 100 yards and a touchdown.

It wasn’t a career day, but it was a bright spot and hopefully he can continue to put up numbers.

Who to watch for next week: DAK PRESCOTT

WENDELL SMALLWOOD

JAMISON CROWDER

TERRELLE PRYOR

Quarter Back Dallas Cowboys

Running Back Philadelphia Eagles

Wide Receiver Washington Redskins

Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns

If anyone is still holding onto Tony Romo in hopes he will come back and play this year, drop him and don’t look back.

Prescott is making a name for himself, showing the Cowboys’ management he deserves the starting role for the remainder of this year and for many years to come. He is currently the 11th best QB in fantasy and is only owned in 42 percent of leagues. So if your starting QB is Aaron Rodgers, pick up Prescott to fill his bye week void.

This is a little bit of a stretch because he is on a bye week, but Smallwood is going to be getting a lot of action for the Eagles in the future.

He led the team in rushing this week, 17 carries, 79 yards and a touchdown.

Ryan Matthews is banged up and they primarily used Darren Sproles in the passing game. If you are in need of a solid back, go for Smallwood.

Crowder, who is owned in 11 percent of ESPN leagues, has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games. He has 16 receptions for 175 yards on the year.

The biggest problem with playing him each week is that the Redskins have great depth at the receiver position. He has been a good play the last two weeks.

He should also be a solid play this week considering he is going up against the Browns, who have given up the third most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

I am really not sure what his exact role is on the Cleveland Browns, but you absolutely need to add him right now (he is listed as a receiver on ESPN) and play him as a flex is going to score you points.

I am unsure how exactly he is going to score those points, but he is scoring them. This week he scored 24.3 fantasy points while lining up as a QB, RB, WR and Safety. All I know is that he is the best player for the Browns, (which isn’t saying much), and he has a lot of fantasy value.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Fantasy Football Update. Remember to stay up to date with your waiver claims and keep setting those line-ups. One last note: the Skol Vikes are officially, (unofficially), the best team in the NFL. As always if you have any line-up questions ask me on Twitter @GoodFntsyAdvice.

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The Collegian • Sports

September 28, 2016

Rest of NFL should take notice, respect the Vikings ANDREW HOLTAN Sports Editor The Minnesota Vikings, who are now 3-0, are not getting the respect they deserve.

They are one of the five remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. They also have held the last two MVP quarterbacks to 475 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

The Vikings have been carried by what I believe is a top-three defense in the NFL. This past Sunday they sacked Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton eight times in a 22-10 win on the road against last year’s Super Bowl runner-up. This was coming off a week where they took down Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times en route to a 17-14 win.

The Vikings now lead the league in sacks with 15 and are on pace to get 80 on the season and shatter the 1984 Bears record of 72.

Minnesota also leads the league in most points scored by the defense with 16. That includes a pick six and fumble return for a touchdown in week one against the Tennessee Titans. They also got a safety on Sunday against the Panthers. The Vikings also lead the league in turnover ratio by having nine takeaways and only one giveaway.

Some other statistics that solidify them as one of the league’s top defenses: they are sixth in yards per game given up, first in yards given up per play and third in points given up per game. The Panthers were coming out of a game in which they put up 41 points on the San Francisco 49ers while the Packers scored 34 against the Lions on Sunday.

You would think that after making Aaron Rodgers have one of his worst games of his career and sacking Cam Newton eight times, the second most in his career, the national media would respect this defense.

Well you’re wrong.

After the Packers game, all the national media was talking about was how Aaron Rodgers just had an off game and is in a slump. Then after the Panthers game all they talked about was how Cam Newton

and the Panthers were distracted by the protesting that was going on outside of the stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

These games are not fluke performances ladies and gentlemen. This defense has all the pieces put together to be the best in the league.

It all starts with their Head Coach Mike Zimmer who is now in his third season.

Zimmer took over a team that in 2014 was last in points given up and second to last in yards given up in the previous season. He pressures the quarterback unlike any other coach in the NFL by drawing up exotic blitzes.

With the likes of Harrison Smith, who is the top safety in the NFL, Anthony Barr, who is arguably the best outside linebacker in the league and Everson Griffin who is second in the league in sacks. This defense is top notch at every level.

Minnesota Vikings fans were definitely bummed out when they learned that starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would be done for the year with a knee injury.

Then last week things got worse when star running back Adrian Peterson went down with a knee injury of his own and will be out for at least half of the season.

This defense has brought fans hope.

I truly believe that with this defense anything is possible. Yes, that includes a Super Bowl. Look at the past three Super Bowl Champions. Seattle, New England and Denver. They all were in the top ten in most of the defensive statistical categories.

Denver and Seattle lead the league in total defense. The other thing that those two teams have in common is average quarterback play. Seattle and New England also had an excellent turnover ratio.

These are things that the 2016 Minnesota Vikings are doing an excellent job at.

I’m not guaranteeing a Super Bowl win or even a trip to the Super Bowl, but I think it’s time the rest of the NFL and national media give this defense and team some respect.

Andrew Holtan is a joournalism major at SDSU and can be reached at aholtan@sdsucollegian.com.

sdsucollegian.com

>> WIENEKE Continued from B1 “This was definitely the best decision of my life, I know this was in God’s plans for me—just coming here, starting with Coach Stig and the whole athletic department, there’s so many great Christian people here.” Wieneke said. “There are a lot of great things to help me grow in my faith and since I’ve been here that’s been the coolest thing for me.

Growing as a man, growing in my faith, and developing a personal relationship with Jesus has been my favorite thing about here.”

With more than half of the season still remaining, there’s no doubt that Wieneke will continue to work his way through the Jackrabbit record book. But no matter how much success comes Wieneke’s way, he said his mindset will continue to focus on more than just records and awards.

“I always wanted to be the best player I could be, but also just the best teammate I could be,” Wieneke said. “Every time I step on the field or in the locker room I just want to be a great contributor as a leader

and as a friend and just love on each player on the team and at the same time have fun. It’s a gift and it’s a blessing to be here and I just want to use all this for His glory instead of using it for myself.”

GOJACKS.COM

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Feature Photos:

LEXIE PRIEST • The Collegian

(Left:) The Jacks gather next to the pitcher’s circle during their double header against the University of Sioux Falls Sept. 25. (Top right:) Dana Chavez, junior outfielder, laughs after a foul ball flies past her at third base during the second game against USF Sept. 25. (Bottom right:) Freshman Paige Gerdes stands at bat while sophomore Baily Janssen practices near the dugout. The Jacks next play Southwest Minnesota State Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

September 28, 2016

The Collegian • Sports

Jacks football team looks to bounce back in MVFC opener ANDREW HOLTAN Sports Editor The South Dakota State football team kicks off Missouri Valley Football Conference play Saturday, Oct. 1, when they take on the Western Illinois University Leathernecks at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium at 6 p.m. This will be the 14th match up between the two schools.

The Jacks are ranked No.15 in the STATS FCS Top 25.

They come into the game with a record of 1-2 and are coming off a 38-31 home loss to the Cal Poly Mustangs on Sept. 14. The Leathernecks are 3-0 under first-year head coach Charlie Fisher, and are now ranked No. 8 after a 28-23 win over FBS opponent Northern Illinois University.

SDSU gave up 601 yards against Cal Poly with 440 of them coming on the ground. The Mustangs ran the triple option and ran all over the Jackrabbits. The Jacks haven’t been able to stop teams through the air giving up 274.6 yards per game. They’ve also given up 41.7 points per game.

The Jacks offense has been a bright spot for them this season scoring a MVFC high 42.7 points per game and racking up 419 yards per game. They’ve done most of this through the air, averaging 290.3 yards per game. SDSU averages 128.7 yards per game on the ground but struggled against Cal Poly and only had 71 yards. The Jacks have also intercepted their opponent five times and have been 100 percent in the red-zone going 13 for 13.

WIU is coming off a game where they torched NIU for 315 yards. The Leathernecks also racked up 131 rushing yards.

They average 444 yards per game on the offense, 253.3 of those coming through the air and 190.7 on the ground.

The Leathernecks’ defense has complemented their offense this season, giving up only 21.3 points per game. They give up 481.7 yards per game, which is a lot, but have held their own in the red-zone, giving up just four touchdowns on nine attempts. WIU gives up 305.7 passing yards per game and 176 rushing.

The Jackrabbits are led on offense by junior wide receiver Jake Wieneke and sophomore quarterback Taryn Christion. The tandem has connected for seven touchdowns on the season. Wieneke has had back-to-back games with three touchdowns.

With eight touchdowns this year, Wieneke has also set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a career at SDSU, passing Jeff Tiefenthaler who had 32 from 1983 to 1986. He leads the entire FCS in receiving touchdowns and is tied for the

lead in the MVFC in receiving yards per game with 107.9 Christion has thrown for at least three touchdowns in each of the three games.

He has 12 total touchdowns on the season with 10 of them coming through the air, which is the most in the MVFC and two on the ground. He is second in the MVFC in completion percentage at 69.2 percent and is third in yards per game with 269.7.

Junior tight end Dallas Goedert is the X-factor for the Jacks offense. He has 249 yards receiving and three touchdowns, including a one-handed touchdown grab against Drake.

The Leathernecks have stars of their own in sophomore quarterback Sean McGuire and wide receiver senior Lance Lenoir. They’ve only connected for one touchdown on the season but have racked up plenty of yards per game.

Lenoir is tied with Wieneke for the lead in receiving yards per game at 107.9. He also averages 6.3 receptions per game.

McGuire won Missouri Valley Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 315 yards and a touchdown last week. He averages 253.53 yards per game and has four touchdowns on the season.

The Leathernecks are led on the defensive side by junior linebacker Brett Taylor, who has a team high 36 tackles. Taylor also has one of the two interceptions on the season for WIU. The Jacks defense is led by senior linebacker Jesse Bobbit and freshman linebacker Christian Rozeboom. The duo have combined for 53 tackles and Bobbit has one interception.

The Jacks will be looking to avenge a 30-24 overtime loss to the Leathernecks in Macomb, Illinois in 2015.

sdsucollegian.com B4

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

JOEL REICHOW

GOJACKS.COM

ANDREW HOLTAN Sports Editor Reichow placed 35th out of 263 runners Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Roy Griak Invitational in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The Jacks finished 13th out of 19 teams. Reichow came into the season ranked 23rd in the top 25 ranked cross country runners in the country on Flotrack.com and finished third in his first race of the year.

Year: Senior Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minnesota Major: Biology Honors: Reichow was named to the First Team All-Summit League in 2013 and 2015. He was also named to the All-Academic Summit League Team in 2015.

FILE PHOTO • The Collegian

Jake Wieneke leads the FCS in receiving touchdowns and holds the record for most receiving touchdowns in a SDSU career. The Jacks play Western Illinois on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.