February 11, 2026 by SDSU Collegian

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COLLEGIAN MEDIA SCHEDULE

TUESDAY, FEB. 17

5 p.m. — Collegian Media Reporters Meeting (Student Union Basement)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18

7 p.m. — Jackrabbit MBB vs. North Dakota State ( 90.7 FM & YouTube)

FRIDAY, FEB. 20

5 p.m. — Collegian Report Episode 4 (YouTube)

MONDAY, FEB. 23

5 p.m. — Collegian Media Reporters Meeting (Student Union Basement)

7 p.m. —Students’ Association Meeting (90.7 FM & YouTube)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

MORNING — The Collegian Issue 5 (SDSU, Brookings & Online)

MORE AT SDSUCOLLEGIAN.COM

BANGLADESH NIGHT ‘26

The Bangladesh Student Association hosted the 2026 Bangladesh Night inside the Volstorﬀ Ballroom in the Student Union on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

Social media posts for the Bangladesh Student Association described the event as a way to celebrate the “vibrant festivals, rich culture, and lively spirit of Bangladesh all in one place.”

Collegian Media photojournalist Haley Champeau has some photos of the event available online now in a photo gallery at SDSUCollegian.com.

— Haley Champeau, Photojournalist

JACKRABBIT SOFTBALL LOOKS TOWARD SEASON

The South Dakota State softball team are oﬀ to a 4-2 start to its season after taking part in the East Texas A&M Leadoﬀ last week.

Read about the Jackrabbit’s upcoming season in our season preview on page 12.

— Breanne Patterson, Reporter

PAGES 6 AND 7 PAGE 12

POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME LOG

SUNDAY, FEB. 1

• 10:32 a.m. — Family Oﬀense/NonViolent, Binnewies Hall

MONDAY, FEB. 2

• 8:04 p.m. — Fictitious/False ID, 1100 block of Medary Ave.

TUESDAY,FEB. 3

• 12:53 p.m. — Intentional Damage/ Vandalism, Ben Reifel Hall

• 1:26 p.m. — Sexual Assualt, Abbott Hall

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4

• 4:46 p.m. — Fire Call, Performing Arts center

HALEY CHAMPEAU / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

An attendee poses for a photo during Bangladesh Night in the Volstorﬀ Ballroom in the Student Union on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

WILLEM LIM Reporter

SDSU senate votes to oppose on-campus housing bill

Senators voted to pass a resolution Monday that opposes a House bill that would prohibit the requirement of on-campus living and meal plans for second year students across the Board of Regents schools.

Most of the meeting’s committee report was spent talking about Resolution 25-7-R, a resolution which stated diﬀerent reasons on why the SDSU SA opposes House Bill 13-25. HB13-25 is a bill that is scheduled for hearing in the South Dakota House that “aims to prohibit the requirement of on-campus living and purchase of meal plans for second year students across the regental system.”

The bill will be heard in a house education committee today.

Resolution 25-7-R is based on studies that have shown that students who stay on campus for the ﬁrst two years have a higher GPA than those who have only stayed for one, according to the resolution. The resolution is also based oﬀ of a student survey that averaged a 54% approval for dining, and 87% housing satisfaction.

Sen. Benjamin Anderson was one out of the four senators who opposed the resolution.

Anderson argued that the price of housing and dining is “extremely overpriced” for what is given to students. He said that in a free market, if students started moving oﬀ campus earlier, the university would have to lower the prices of housing to compete with oﬀ-campus options.

“I just want to make it clear I am very much for a free system where students get to decide what they do with their lives,” Anderson said, “not a monopolistic university, telling them where to live and how much money to spend on their housing.”

Sen. Jacklyn Mollison was concerned that HB 13-25 would create a lack of funding for these buildings.

Mollison was against the meal plan, but she was worried that cutting out a portion of the money from the students would cause quality issues with the buildings that students are in.

“That money keeps our campus beautiful, and our buildings nice, and I sure like having working showers,” Mollison said.

The senators voted to oppose HB 13-25, 18-4. In other news

The Little International Committee Treasurer Tanner Mathiowetz, addressed the body and gave an overview of what the event entails, how it develops opportunities for students and what the budget covers.

Shelly Bayer and Marj Collins of the Student Engagement Center also addressed the senate.

Collins, who is the director of Student Connection and Engagement, gave an overview of the structural changes that happened last fall when the Oﬃce of Multicultural Aﬀairs and Accessibility restructured into the Student Engagement Center.

Collins also talked about the events that the Student Engagement Center is involved with this spring.

Courtesy of SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE

The Students’ Association voted to oppose House Bill 1325, which would end the requirement of living on campus and a meal plan purchase for second year students at Board of Regental schools.

Frost Fest returns to Brookings

ELEANOR JOHNSON Reporter

The 12th annual Frost Fest returns to Brookings this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, oﬀering a weekend of entertaining indoor and outdoor winter activities across the city.

Held annually over Presidents Day weekend, the festival brings together community organizations and downtown businesses to celebrate winter through a variety of family-friendly events. Activities will take place at multiple locations, including the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, McCrory Gardens, downtown Brookings and Larson Ice Center.

The Children’s Museum will oﬀer Frost Fest Prairie Play throughout the weekend, allowing families to explore winter-themed indoor and outdoor spaces.

“We will have all of our regular exhibits, but we’ll also have special art activities in the art studio, including make-and-take snow globes,” said Kerrie Vilhauer, director of marketing and communications at the Children’s Museum. “Depending on the weather, if there’s snow, we’ll have sleds and snowshoes.”

On Friday evening, the museum will host the Snow Ball.

“It’s basically a winter formal for children and their grown-ups,” Vilhauer said. “The museum is going to be transforming into a dance ﬂoor, and we’ll have a DJ who will be spinning tunes from the balcony.

A Snow Ball meal will also be oﬀered prior to the dance, with reservations required. Tickets for the Snow Ball are $10 and can be purchased on the Children’s Museum website. McCrory Gardens will host Garden Glow Reignited during the weekend, featuring illuminated garden displays.

Garden Glow Reignited gives people another chance to experience the lights if they weren’t able to attend during the regular season, said Alyson Swanson, marketing coordinator at

found on the Visit Brookings websiteand Facebook page.

The Frost Fest Art Market will also take place on Saturday at the Brookings Arts Council.

“It’s fun, handmade local art,” Gjesdal said. “There is also a photography exhibit up right now, so people can shop and look for art.”

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Feb. 13-16: Frost Fest Prairie Play

Feb. 13: Snow Ball

Feb. 13-14: Garden Glow Reignited & Doggie Date Night

Feb. 14: Frost Fest Farmers Market

Feb. 14: Frost Fest Art Market

Feb. 14: Chocolate Crawl

Feb. 15: Frost Fest Open Skate

Feb. 16: Learn to Curl & Open Ice

McCrory Gardens.

“This past season featured more than 350,000 lights, along with new tunnels, scenes and displays,” Swanson said.

For the general public (ages 6 and older), admission is $5. Free admission is oﬀered for McCrory Gardens members, SDSU students and employees, and children ages 5 and younger. They will also host Doggie Date Night, allowing visitors to bring their dogs to experience the lights for $1 per dog.

“We don’t allow dogs in the gardens during the regular Garden Glow season, so Doggie Date Night is a fun opportunity for people to bring their dogs out and enjoy the lights,” Swanson said.

Visitors can also enjoy compli-

mentary hot cocoa, popcorn and candies during the event.

Downtown Brookings will feature the Chocolate Crawl on Saturday, Feb. 14.

“Businesses participate by just having something chocolatey,” said Kirsten Gjesdal, executive director of Downtown Brookings. “Some of it’s free, some of it’s paid, but there are quite a few businesses participating. You just wander around and visit whoever you want.”

Over 20 businesses will be participating in the Chocolate Crawl. Some of the many treats will be sea salt caramels, chocolate mini cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate bubble tea and more. More information about the Chocolate Crawl can be

The Frost Fest Farmers Market will be Saturday morning at the Agricultural Museum, oﬀering a variety of fresh produce, baked goods, handmade items and much more.

“Typically, the farmers market is on the ﬁrst and third Saturday of the month, so this one is a bonus one on the second Saturday,” Gjesdal said. “They usually have 25-plus vendors participating.”

An ice carving demonstration outside of Nick’s Hamburger Shop will oﬀer visitors a photo-friendly stop during Frost Fest.

“There is a big uptick in foot traﬃc because of Frost Fest,” Gjesdal said. “It’s a very easy event for businesses to participate in and for people to just show up and take part.”

For those interested in winter sports, the Larson Ice Center will be hosting the Frost Fest Open Skate on Sunday. Admission and skate rentals are each $5. The Brookings Curling Club will also host a free learn-to-curl session on Monday, Feb. 16, introducing participants to the basics of the sport. Curlers must be 16 years or older.

SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

ANDREW LEWNO / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

Former Pooba aids new leadership

AMINA AIDARKHANOVA Reporter

As South Dakota State University moves from one Hobo Day season into the next, the transition between Grand Pooba’s reflects more than a change in leader. It marks a shift in perspective.

Claire Koenecke, the 2025 Grand Pooba and a senior, double majoring in English and political science, recently returned to student life after a year spent helping lead one of SDSU’s most recognizable traditions. Sitting with her was Grace Barnett, a junior nursing student preparing to take on the role of the 2026 Grand Pooba.

Koenecke said the weeks following Hobo Day felt noticeably quieter. After months of constant planning and coordination, her schedule opened up in a way it hadn’t in years. She said the change allowed her to focus more on coursework, spend time with friends and visit her family more often. She appreciated that shift after a strained year of responsibility.

Despite the return to a more typical routine, Koenecke said the role reshaped how she sees campus life. Through late nights and behind-thescenes work, her appreciation for SDSU and its traditions deepened.

“My love for the school really grew throughout the year,” she said, adding that the experience gave her a new respect for the effort required to bring campus events to life.

The path to becoming Grand Pooba, Koenecke explained, is both fast-paced and demanding. Applications for the following year open just a week after Hobo Day and require candidates to submit a vision plan outlining goals for multiple committees. Applicants then present their ideas to campus stakeholders and the outgoing committee, a process Koenecke described as intimidating but necessary.

Standing in front of peers and outlining what worked and what should change, she said, requires confidence and honesty. While vision also plays a role, Koenecke noted that leadership

is evaluated long before the application stage. How candidates perform throughout the year, whether they’re dependable teammates, meet deadlines and work well with others, weigh heavily in the final decision.

Barnett said she’s approaching the process by focusing on what she can control. She described the application experience as meaningful, emphasizing the importance of professionalism and trust in a process where feedback remains confidential. Rather than fixating on results, she said she’s focused on presenting ideas she genuinely cares about.

Both women said their leadership experiences influenced how they carry themselves in academic and student spaces. Koenecke said serving as Grand Pooba gave her confidence to speak up more in class and in group settings.

“Not everyone will agree with me, and that’s okay,” Koenecke said. “Trying to share perspectives is really important.”

Barnett echoed that sentiment,

saying her involvement in student leadership taught her to advocate for herself, even when doing so felt uncomfortable. She said learning to trust her voice has been one of the most valuable lessons she has taken from her time in leadership roles.

With visibility came pressure, Koenecke said, and managing expectations was one of the most challenging aspects of the role. She made a conscious effort to remain calm, particularly for the sake of her team.

“It’s really hard to work under people when you can tell they’re nervous,” she said, explaining that projecting confidence helped create stability during stressful moments.

Balancing leadership responsibilities with academics and personal life required constant prioritization. Koenecke said she learned to recognize when tasks needed immediate attention and when it was acceptable to step back. Sometimes, she said, that meant choosing rest or connection over productivity.

When reflecting on the most meaningful moment of her term, Koenecke pointed to the Hobo Day parade. After an early morning and an emotionally full week, she said driving through the route brought everything together. She attended her first parade as a baby. Seeing her parents, extended family and even her dog cheering from the sidelines was a moment she said she will always remember.

For Barnett, the parade has long been a defining part of Hobo Day. She said she has never missed one. What once meant candy and excitement has evolved into a deeper sense of belonging. Watching classmates and friends participate during her freshman year, she said, made her realize SDSU had become her home.

Both leaders described Hobo Day as something difficult to explain but easy to feel. Koenecke said students, alumni and even faculty who attended other universities often remark that there is nothing quite like it.

Koenecke said one of the most meaningful aspects of her year was the consistent support she felt from across campus. Students she had never met stopped to ask how planning was going, while faculty and alumni regularly offered help. That sense of collective investment, she said, defines SDSU.

As Barnett begins her term, she said what grounds her when leadership feels demanding is remembering that the work serves something larger than any individual. She hopes students feel represented and welcomed and can sense the care behind each event. Despite the visibility of the role, she emphasized that she is still a student navigating the same daily realities as everyone else.

Koenecke’s advice for Barnett, and for students considering leadership, was to approach the experience one day at a time.

“There are highs and lows throughout the year,” Koenecke said. “But the good moments definitely outweigh the hard ones.”

Courtesy of HOBO DAY COMMITTEE

Claire Keonecke (left) and Grace Barnett (right) pose for a photo in front of The Campanile on the South Dakota State University campus. Barnett was selected as the Grand Pooba for the 2026 Hobo Day.

BY THE NUMBERS

The number of total planes owned by SDSU’s aviation program.

The number of students in the SDSU aviation program in December 2025

18 294 27

The number of year’s South Dakota State University has had a dedicated ﬂight program.

A single-engine Cessna 172 sits inside the Alan O. Tutland Hangar at the Brookings Regional Airport in Brookings. SDSU’s aviation program has 18 total airplanes; three multi-engine Piper Seminoles and 15 Cessna 172’s.

SUPPLYING THE DEMAND

Growing aviation program to purchase new aircraft

Story by ANDREW LEWNO Multimedia Journalist

South Dakota State’s aviation program has increased from only 55 students in 2015 to 294 students in December of 2025, an increase of almost 24% year over year on average.

With an increase in students, comes an increase in demand to get into the air.

SDSU’s enrollment numbers, provided by Devin Bastemeyer, director of aviation operations, reﬂect a similar nationwide trend. The upward trend of aviation programs is mainly by COVID and forced early retirements creating a high demand, and the increase of salaries in aviation careers, Basetemeyer said.

Cody Christensen, an associate professor for the aviation program, explained that many students graduate from SDSU’s aviation program making approximately $100,000 annually.

“Our program is expensive, but the return on investment is deﬁnitely there,” said Christensen.

The aviation program costs about $90,827 on average, according to sdstate.edu. The aviation program’s operating expenses, including capital asset purchases such as airplanes, are completely funded by ﬂight fees generated from the program, Bastemeyer said. Despite the growth, Christensen, who will soon be

entering his 17th year at SDSU, said the program is exactly where it should be. Many aviation programs throughout the country are at full or well over full capacity, while SDSU is “at a right capacity” for its program.

Along with gaining a full time faculty member, the program frequently upgrades its ﬂeet of aircraft, Bastemeyer said.

The program is in the process of buying a 2027 model Cessna 172 Skyhawk, which is the same aircraft used for the rest of the program’s single-engine ﬂeet. It will be replacing an old model of the same aircraft, keeping the number of the program’s ﬂeet the same.

The process of purchasing one of these aircrafts isn’t like writing a check to your local airplane dealership.

Just like any vehicle or appliance, after using an aircraft for so long, it will need to be replaced. Flight hours on each aircraft in the program’s ﬂeet are regularly documented, Bastemeyer said, which gives the program an idea of what aircraft will need to be replaced, and when.

With this information, as well as statistics regard-

ing the program’s enrollment and how many students need to be up in the air, Bastemeyer presented a request for a new aircraft to SDSU.

Once given the OK, the aviation program began talking with the Cessna company headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.

Bastemeyer described the process from there being like buying a car or a house; a downpayment is made on the aircraft while the school awaits the agreed delivery date. Once the aircraft is delivered and in the school’s hands, the ﬁnal payment is made and the deal is done.

This is far from a quick process, though. According to Bastemeyer, the Cessna 172 listed for delivery in 2027 has already been on order for a year. Although this isn’t the typical 7-10 business days, Bastemeyer said that, due to projected engine usage on the planes, this is standard procedure.

“Even (with) our new aircraft, we’re already ordering engines for them because we know we’ll be at 2,500 hours in 2.5 to 3 years,” Bastemeyer said.

Classes and resources have also increased with the increased enrollment. Classes went from being oﬀered once a year to multiple times, including the

ANDREW LEWNO / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

summer semester. As a result, most students will be in the air by their second semester or their ﬁrst summer at SDSU, depending on prerequisites.

This has created a rare situation where SDSU does not require an application to enter the program, only a semester of aviation classes. Students have ultimately become “higher caliber” because of this system, Christensen said.

Christensen encourages incoming students to earn their wings right here in Brookings.

“If you don’t want to be in an oﬃce every day, if you like high risk, high reward type situations, and if you work well under pressure,” Christensen said. “Those are the types of students that do really well in our program.”

COURTESY UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Alan O. Tutland Hangar sits in the northwest part of the Brookings Regional Airport on the western edge of Brookings. The hangar was completed in 2022 and added 13,260 square feet of airplane storage room.

SDSU RAISES SIOUX FALLS PROFILE

Multiple health science programs will now be centrally located

RYANN DAVIS

News Director

A $19 million facility that will serve SDSU students in the health care field in Sioux Falls will be ready this summer after an extensive renovation project. The SDSU Metro Center will be a place for nursing, pharmacy, respiratory care, medical lab science and public health majors to learn.

President Barry Dunn said the university started the search for a new building at least five years ago, when the previous facility was turned over to the University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls.

“I literally drove around Sioux Falls,” Dunn said. “I literally stopped into some places to see if they would be interested in selling.”

The building, located at 33rd Street and Minnesota Ave, was gifted to SDSU by Avera Medical Group.

Vernon Brown, SDSU associate vice president for external affairs, said there are no state tax dollars going into the Metro Center site. It’s being funded by lead gifts from Avera and other donors that the SDSU Alumni & Foundation has identified.

Dr. Ron Place, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, said Avera’s continued growth prompted his organization to donate a space to the university because “we can’t expand services without the workforce to support them.”

“Nursing, pharmacy and medical laboratory sciences are among the most critical needs in health care today,” he added in an email to Collegian staff. “By partnering closely with our university partners, we’re able to align education with the evolving realities of health care and better prepare graduates for successful, meaningful careers.”

The 44,000-square foot building was constructed in the 1980s as a grocery store, and after renovations, only three original walls stand.

“The whole front facade is new and then everything else inside the building is brand new, so it’s essentially a new building when we get done with it,” Brown said.

The two-phase project allowed for pharmacy program students and some administrative staff whose office is at the Metro Center, to move into the west third of the building when renovations began in summer 2023.

“But at semester break, we moved into the remodeled side (the east twothirds of the Metro Center),” Brown said. “Now they’re working on that

west third where we used to be.”

Keeley Klein is a fifth-year pharmacy student and says she’s enjoyed not having to “fight for a study room like you do in the library.” She said a lot of students use the study rooms early in the morning and in between classes.

“It is very nice because we have, I would say about 15 to 20 different breakout rooms that we can utilize,” Klein said.

The nursing and pharmacy programs have existed in Sioux Falls for over three decades, but not in central locations like the Metro Center. Dan Hansen, the J. Bruce Laughery Endowed Dean and professor of pharmacy practice, said more than 20,000 vehicles pass by the busy intersection

each day, giving the Metro Center a high profile in the state’s largest city.

Hansen said having the opportunity to be located near health systems like the Veterans Affairs Medical Center –Sioux Falls, Sanford, Avera and Lewis Drug is “game changing.”

Mary Anne Krogh, the Roberta K. Olson Endowed Dean of the College of Nursing, echoed this sentiment.

“I’m really excited about it (the Metro Center) for the visibility piece,” Krogh said. “We’ve been in Sioux Falls for decades, but people don’t know we’re there.”

The nursing program is currently housed on Southeast Technical College’s (STC) campus in Sioux Falls, and Krogh said they’re “bursting at the

Photo courtesy of VERNON BROWN

A rendering of the one of the six clinic rooms that will allow undergraduate and graduate students to do simulations.

seams” at STC.

“For example, our advanced practice nursing program, which is family nurse practitioner and mental health practitioner, has no space to do any simulation at all,” Krogh said.

The Metro Center will provide six clinic rooms, allowing for undergraduate and graduate students to do simulations there. Krogh said the facility will also have a “PRISM Room.” The PRISM is an immersive simulation room designed to put students in any setting.

“It really gives us much more opportunities to be innovative in how we approach simulated experiences for our students,” Krogh said.

Krogh said the nursing program anticipates move-in to be in the last half of July.

The nursing and pharmacy programs existing in the same building will, according to President Dunn, better simulate the students’ daily lives in their future careers.

“All of those folks are integrated real seamlessly in a hospital, but in our

training, historically it’s been kind of siloed up, and nurses are here and pharmacists are there,” Dunn said.

Hansen said the facility will offer lecture spaces along with learning simulations for many different environments including clinics, physician’s office, home health and inpatient care.

The Metro Center is also a place that Dunn said could be used for the community and events. This includes classrooms when they’re not in use, specifically an all-glass classroom in the southeast corner of the building.

There are no current plans to teach other SDSU academic programs in the Metro Center, although Dunn said there will be three or four administrators who will be in the facility.

“People who are interested in coming to SDSU can facilitate those connections out of there (the Metro center),” Dunn said.

“We want to build stronger relationships with Sioux Falls leaders,” Dunn added, “and this will be a place for us to do that.”

Photo courtesy of VERNON BROWN

A rendering of the SDSU Metro Center, located at 33rd Street and Minnesota Ave, in Sioux Falls. The facility will offer lecture spaces along with learning simulations for many different environments including clinics, physician’s office, home health and impatient care.

SDSU ALUM ENCOURAGES WOMEN IN STEM

ALLISON DEPLAZES

Reporter

One SDSU alum is shaping the future of pharmaceutical development while giving back to the next generation of scientists.

Hiranmayee Kandala received her doctorate in philosophy in analytical chemistry from SDSU and is now a principal scientist at Amgen, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco. Kandala’s daily work consists of testing pharmaceuticals in the pre-clinical stage, before they move on to human trials.

Kandala looks fondly on her time at SDSU.

“I think the South Dakota State University times were the best times of my life,” Kandala said.

In addition to her Amgen work, she also “has a calling” to give back to the science community, she said. Kandala serves as an editor for the Drug Metabolism Reviews, Pharmacology Research and Perspectives and Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

Additionally, she is the chair for the IQ Consortium research group on Acyl Glucuronide, along with being a member of another research group and judging posters for the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Kandala was born and raised in India. She received her bachelor’s degree and her master’s in microbiology, biotechnology and bioinformatics from Osmania University in India.

After a competitive selection process, Kandala was accepted into her second master’s program at Western Kentucky University, where she received a master’s in chemistry. While talking with a professor at WKU, she was directed to apply for Professor Emeritus James Rice’s lab at SDSU, and was accepted.

When she ﬁrst started her dissertation research, Kandala’s plan was to be an analytical chemist. But by the end, she said she was “kind of an investigator.”

“There are times when you’re actually working on your dissertation, and you’re going on one path, and then you come across so many hurdles that will actually shape your path,” Kandala said.

“Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready to take the next step.”

Hiranmayee

But during her ﬁrst year in the program, she fell in love with the projects in Professor Emeritus Douglas Raynie’s lab. Raynie became her doctoral adviser. Her dissertation involved isolating lignin, which is the basically the ‘glue’ that holds plants together, and converting it into sustainable jet fuel using ionic liquids as the solvents.

This was the ﬁrst time the lab had done any sort of project like this, which led to many discoveries and new collaborations.

The beginning of the program was ﬁlled with rigorous courses on becoming a teaching assistant and selecting her research projects.

“We used to hardly sleep for more than four or ﬁve hours. There was so much to do,” Kandala said. “By the end of those two months, we all became really conﬁdent in handling a lot of things.”

As her doctoral adviser, Raynie describes Kandala as a diligent student who would make strong progress in her research without much guidance.

“She immediately worked independently and was able to think critically and solve technical problems, skills that sometimes take students a year or more to develop,” Raynie said.

Raynie notes that despite the challenges

Kandala faced, her teamwork and communication skills allowed her to overcome these challenges.

In addition to her dissertation, she also created a calculator for ﬁnding the acidic content of compounds, and was a teaching instructor and had an internship at South Dakota Agricultural Labs.

She was also deeply involved in campus life as the president of the Indian Student Association, the ex-oﬃcio of the International Relations Council, and a member of Golden Key International Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Alpha and the American Chemical Society while at SDSU.

After completing her doctorate, she worked at a few companies before coming to Amgen. Amgen was her dream company since her master’s program at Osmania University. However, she was hesitant to apply because she loved the company she was at.

“At every point, I was telling myself ‘don’t move, don’t move,’ but Amgen is a great place to work,” Kandala said.

When she was little, Kandala wanted to be an astronaut. This dream later shifted into her plan to become a scientist. What stayed consistent was her desire to be a successful woman in the STEM ﬁelds.

Her advice to other women pursuing scientiﬁc careers is to trust their voice and know their value. She wants them to understand that they belong in every space where ideas are being shaped, and that they are more than capable.

“Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready to take the next step,” she said. “(It) begins the moment you step outside of your comfort zone.”

Kandala also oﬀers practical encouragement to all students in tough courses. She strongly stressed that students have perseverance, do everything little by little, and ask so many questions.

“I’ve learned that success in STEM isn’t just about technical skills. It’s about perseverance, curiosity and community,” she said.

She stresses that college is the time to ask the questions, make mistakes and explore the scientiﬁc questions that one is wondering about.

“A lot of unmet medical needs in this world are being solved because somebody, somewhere, asked a question,” Kandala said.

Last, Kandala wants students to remember that being challenged academically is a privilege. Every successful person has had points where they wanted to stop and give up, but chose to keep pushing. She wants current students to do the same.

“If it is easy, it’s not for you,” Kandala said.

Photo courtesy of HIRANMAYEE KANDALA

Hiranmayee Kandala works on a potato sprout inhibitor biotransformation project.

Kandala, SDSU alum, Amgen scientist

JACKS FALL AGAINST UNI

JORDAN RADDATZ & CORDELL VITENSE

Sports Reporters

South Dakota State wrestling dropped their ranked match against the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday as they look ahead to the Jackrabbits Open.

UNI

Daniel Guanajuato at 125 pounds opened the match with a 5-0 decision for the Jacks. Derrick Cardinal at 133 pounds lost to Julian Farber in the next dual before the Jacks rebounded with Julian Tagg, who defeated Connor Thorpe. After another Panther win answered by a Jackrabbit win, UNI was able to pull away with help from Ryder Downey, Jared Simms and Nick Fox, followed by Adam Ahrendsen to end the match. A late Bennett Berge victory could not help the Jacks pull closer, as they lost 19-13.

“We knew it was gonna be tight,” head coach Damion Hahn said. “Whether we let our guard down for a split second, it gave that guy an opportunity … It’s, I think, fixable mistakes.”

SDSU moves to 12-4 with a 1-3 record in ranked matches this season.

JACKRABBITS OPEN

SDSU’s next event is in the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings. On Sunday, Feb. 15, the Jackrabbits will compete in the Jackrabbit Open.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 10, two other schools are coming to Brookings to compete in the event, according to trackwrestling.com. There still may be more teams to come.

Head coach Damion Hahn explained why the Jackrabbits are hosting the Jackrabbits Open this weekend.

“How you get to that national tournament is based on the body of work that the individuals do to allocate spots for your conference. We put this on the schedule for that purpose to get guys’ matches so they can hit some of the criteria that is needed to hopefully advocate a spot,” Hahn said.

“We won’t have all of our guys wrestling; we will have some that need to hit some metrics.”

AUGUSTANA

One of the confirmed teams is Augustana. The Vikings are currently 11-6 on the season and 7-1 against Conference opponents.

Early in the season, the Jackrabbits hosted the Vikings and it ended with a 46-0 win for the Jacks.

The defeat at the hands of the Jackrabbits was the

second biggest loss of the season for the Vikings.

The only team to outscore Augustana by more points than the Jackrabbits was Southwest Minnesota State, who ended up getting a 47-0 win on Feb. 6.

IOWA STATE

Iowa State will be another team coming to Brookings on Sunday.

The Cyclones currently sit at 9-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play, with their only loss coming to No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State on Sunday, Feb. 1

Earlier in the season, Iowa State handed SDSU a 29-7 loss on Jan. 25, one of the Jacks’ three ranked losses this season.

Following the Jackrabbit Open, the Jackrabbits will host the Boder Bell Dual against NDSU on Sunday, Feb. 22.

Jackrabbit head coach Damion Hahn is already thinking about and looking forward to this matchup.

“Our guys look forward to that (Border Bell). It’s a rivalry and that’s what sports are about,” Hahn said.

“This matters, rivalries matter and I think it’s important,” he added. “I hope our fans understand how important it is and they show up next weekend for the Border Bell.”

FINN HOLSEN / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

Junior Jackrabbit wrestler Luke Rasmussen sits after a 5-4 loss against UNI wrestler Adam Ahrendsen on Sunday Feb. 8. SDSU ended up taking a 19-13 loss to UNI and dropped their fourth dual.

SOFTBALL OPENS STRONG

BREANNE PATTERSON Reporter

The SDSU softball team spent part of last May watching a pair of rivals play for the Summit League championship on the Jackrabbits’ home field.

The Jackrabbits lost to Omaha 8-6 in nine innings, then fell 3-2 in eight innings to USD to get bounced out of the tournament. The hosts had to watch as Omaha took the crown over USD.

“It was a heartbreaking loss,” said head coach Kristina McSweeney. “But we are ready to come back and prove we are the best.”

The Jackrabbits are now getting the chance to do just that. This season kicked off Feb. 6 against Texas Southern in Commerce, Texas, where the Jacks won 4-1.

Starting pitcher Madi Mangulis allowed only two hits across her first five innings.

Akayla Barnard helped the Jackrabbits get on the board by opening the fifth inning with a solo home run. Emma Vike followed with a triple and an RBI single hit by Alivya Bollen made the score 2-0.

Mia Buske then hit an RBI single to get pinch runner Kiera Carrillo home, giving the Jacks a 3-0 lead as they posted the win.

So far, the team is sitting at 4-2 on the young season and players feel like they are ready to break out.

“We are ready to go out there and dominate,” Vike, a senior shortstop, said.

To do that, the Jackrabbits will have to do it mainly on the road as they play their first 37 games away from Brookings. In all, only nine of their 56 games will be at home this season.

When asked about playing in away environments, Vike said, “Away-game environments are fun to play in, especially when we play big schools such as Baylor and Nebraska. When the other team brings in a crowd and we are the

visitors, it is really exciting.”

The away environment has become standard operating procedure for the Jackrabbits.

“We are so used to being away so much that playing at home doesn’t even feel like home anymore,” McSweeney said.

Their first home game will be on March 27 against North Dakota State. The Jackrabbits hope to improve their home record from last year, as it was 7-5. However, they did have a successful season in terms of conference play, finishing 13-5. Overall, the Jackrabbits ended last season 29-26.

The team lost two key players from last year’s team: three-time, first-team all-conference player and one-time player of the year, Mia Jarecki. They also lost first-team all-conference player Brooke Dumont. And while the team has some big roles to fill, Vike said, “I have confidence in those who

are filling those roles.”

The team is going into the season with a chip on their shoulder, McSweeney said.

“All the returners are super hungry to be better than we were last year,” said senior Emma Christensen. They are looking to the best team in the Summit, and they believe they have the players to do so.

One key player from last year who is returning is Summit League Player of the Year Abby Gentry. In addition, first- and second-team all-conference players Barnard, Taylor Baker and Vike are back, as are honorable mentions Emma Christensen and Sylvia Shromoff.

All these players and more are expected to play a key role in the team’s success this season.

As for pitching, McSweeney is expecting big things and wants the team’s earned-run average to stay under 3.

Sylvia Shromoff, Tayler Baker and Amanda Vacanti are the team’s top pitchers. They each got valuable time in the circle last season. Baker led the team in strikeouts last season with 95.

In addition, senior Madi Margulis has started the season on a good note. She has led the way with throwing 14 strikeouts and her ERA is 1.43. She has pitched 14.2 innings so far.

Looking at fielding, the team is returning many of its starters. Overall, the team has made very few errors so far in the season.

However, there is one hole in the lineup. “The catching position is still a question mark,” McSweeney said. “Those players who are taking on that position are continuing to rise every day.”

On the offensive side of the game, Akayla Barnard has started with a bang. She has two home runs and eight hits. Senior Emma Christensen has five RBI and seven hits.

The team has set a variety of goals set for the season.

“We want to up our doubles and home runs,” McSweeney said. “And stay at .965 for fielding percentage. But (the) bigger goal is to be the best team in the Summit.”

One of the team’s biggest strengths is the culture, according to Vike and Emma Christensen.

“Whenever times get hard, we tend to lean on each other,” Vike said. “Instead of getting individualized, we can look to the person to the left or the right and lean on them for support.”

McSweeney said, “They have brought the idea of being the best version of themselves and the best version of our team. They have done a really good job of keeping it light and not putting a whole lot of pressure and focusing on the process instead of the result.”

Senior outfielder Emma Christensen stands on second base in Brookings during a game in the 2025 season. So far in the 2026 season Christensen has earned three RBIs, two hits, two runs scored and one stolen base.

SDSU ATHLETICS

SDSU STAYS HOME FOR FINAL MEETS

Jacks return from Husker Invitational, ISU Classic

JACOB BRENDE Sports Editor

SDSU Track and Field most recently competed at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, hosted by the University of Nebraska and the ISU Classic. Strong performances in the Men’s triple jump and Women’s 800 meter helped contribute to the Jacks success.

HUSKER INVITATIONAL

For the triple jump, freshman Ty Nelson led the way with his 14.99 meter jump. He placed second in the event, just behind Adam Dugger by half a meter. Fellow freshman Kincade Lehman placed fourth in the event, his 14.81 meter jump falling just 0.03 meters short of taking third. Brett Fraker was ninth in the event with a jump of 14.13 meters. Wyatt Melcher placed one spot out of the top ten, trailing Northern State’s Jayden Munroe’s jump of 14.02 by just 0.02 meters.

“Our freshman jumpers were really consistent again,” said head coach Rod DeHaven. “Ty Nelson, top collegiate finisher over 49 feet, Kincade Lehman, getting close to 49 feet, freshman from Custer, jumped well in the long jump as well so again, thought it was a productive, you know weekend for our group.”

Grayson Ring in the Men’s high jump also had a top five performance, he punched in a jump of 2.01 meters to get fourth place. The women’s high jump included a top 10 ranking with Hadley Carlson’s jump of 1.63 meters. In the 800 meter, SDSU’s Joe Dustin and Sean Murphy also placed in the top 10. Sophomore Dustin ran a 1:54.08 while junior Murphy had a 1:55.07.

ISU CLASSIC

Multiple first place finishes occurred during the ISU Classic and the 800 meter a new Jackrabbit record was

set. Claiming fifth place with a time of 1:49.80, Brandon Kempson beat a record held since 2012. Edging it out by 0.02 seconds, Kempson beat the previous record held by Jake Schneller of 1:49.82. Both men’s and women’s teams won the mile race. For the men, it was Cody Larson leading the charge, he won the race with a time of 4:01.58, which is also the third best time in SDSU history.

Meghan Ford won the mile for the women’s team, running a time of 4:50.56. Trailing behind her was Emma Gonzalez, she took second place with a time of 4:53.92. Ford’s time was the fifth

best in SDSU’s history while Gonzalez’ was eighth.

Another win came from the Women’s 400 meter team, Jenna Johnson took home gold with a run of 55.53.

Jaylyn Sheppard and Lydia Hill placed in the top five and top 10 respectively in the weight throw. Sheppard threw a mark of 18.23 and Hill had a throw of 17.23.

Next up, SDSU will host the SDSU Indoor Classic this Friday and Saturday.

“We do look forward to this meet, you know for our student-athletes you know you get that kinda, those

numbers of bodies,” said DeHaven. “There’s a lot of energy that comes with it because at this point of the season, athletes are in shape and they start doing things they didn’t think they were capable of.”

The Jackrabbits won’t have to leave Brookings for their final regular season meet as the team joins the SDSU Last Chance next Friday. After that, the Jackrabbits will head up north to Grand Forks for the Summit League Indoor Championship on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28. To watch the Summit League Indoor Championship, viewers can tune into the Midco Sports Plus.

Photo courtesy of SDSU ATHLETICS

Junior Brandon Kampsen crosses the finish line as an SDSU record holder Feb. 6 at the Iowa State Classic, claiming the program’s 800m record by only two hundreths with a time of 1:49.80. The previous record was a 1:49.82 set in 2012 by Jake Schneller.

RIVALRY GAME ENDS WITH A MISS

Jackrabbits fall short at home to rival, onward to Denver

JACOB BRENDE

Sports Editor

SDSU was beat 68-67 by USD in a game that was nothing short of electric. It was a back-and-forth game that saw almost 4300 people attend. And for those who attended they saw plenty of drama.

The Jackrabbits scored the first points of the game but the Coyotes responded with 11 straight points to command a 13-4 lead. After SDSU got it back to a six point deficit, USD would extend their lead back to 12 with roughly 11 minutes left in the first quarter. A 12-2 run would put the Jacks behind three but again USD would respond with a run of their own, the first quarter ending with a buzzer beater three from USD’s Jordan Crawford, who would jaunt with the crowd after his lead extending shot.

SDSU would have a lot of work to do, the Coyotes holding onto a 43-32 point lead.

USD shot well from three in the first half, going 6-15 from deep. SDSU didn’t take as many but hit them at a more effective rate, going 5-10 from three. What separated the two teams in the first the most though was the field goal percentage, USD shot roughly 13% better from the field.

The second half saw SDSU shoot substantially better, a 17.6% improvement from the first quarter. Of course, the improvement was obvious, SDSU landed 16-30 shots in the second half and were actually able to take the lead later in the half. USD would take the lead and with about eight seconds left on the clock, the Jacks would have an opportunity to take the lead. With no timeouts left after USD missed a free throw, Jaden Jackson would drive to the rim to take the final shot for SDSU. Jackson’s shot fell short,

REMAINING SCHEDULE

FEB. 12: @ Denver

FEB. 14: @ Oral Roberts

FEB. 18: vs. NDSU

FEB. 21: vs. UND

FEB. 26: @ Kansas City

FEB. 28: @ USD

and the Jacks’ ten game winning streak against USD would come to an end.

Joe Sayler was SDSU’s point leader with 21, trailing him was Damon Wilkinson with 18 points and Jackson had the third most with 17.

This Thursday, SDSU will have an opportunity to bounce back with a win over Denver. They have the statistically best offense in the Summit League, averaging 83.7 points a game. Carson Johnson is a major contributor to their offense averaging 19.5 points a game. They have another player in top ten scoring in Jeremiah Burke. The North Dakota State transfer averages 37.6% from three and averages 5.7 assists a game. Gabe Oldham averages the second most rebounds in the Summit League with Oldham corralling 7.7 a game on average.

“We know they are a very dangerous offense,” said head coach Bryan Peterson. “Present a lot of challenges, got a lot of really good offensive players, space the floor very well.”

It’s the polar opposite on defense, however, they let up the most points a game on average with 83.5

FINN HOLSEN / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

Sophomore center Damon Wilkinson drives for a contested left-hadned layup during an 18-point performance against USD Feb. 7. The Coyotes would outlast the Jacks, however, winning 68-67.

DEFENDING HOME TURF

SDSU to have two-game home stand against UND, Kansas City

CORDELL VITENSE

Sports Editor

The Jackrabbit women’s basketball team got a big win on Wednesday, Feb. 4, when they took down St. Thomas on the road 84-51.

SDSU now sits at 8-2 in conference play, which puts them third in the Summit League.

ST. THOMAS

Two seniors played a big part in the 33-point win. Madison Mathiowetz had 21 points on the night, shooting 8-17 from the field.

Brooklyn Meyer was the other half of the senior duo, putting up 19 points on 7-9 shooting from the floor and 5-6 shooting from the line. Scoring wasn’t the only way Meyer stuffed the stat sheet; she also recorded nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.

For the Tommies, it was sophomore guard Alyssa Sand leading the way in scoring with 12 points. Sand also recorded five rebounds and four steals. Sand shot it well from the field, shooting 55%. Sand did struggle from the line, though, shooting just 2-7.

The Jackrabbits controlled the game from the opening tip. SDSU took a 2-0 lead after a Meyer layup opened the scoring. The Jacks would lead the entire first quarter and take a 15-9 lead into the second.

SDSU would never relinquish this lead and go on to win the game 84-51, not even trailing for a second throughout the game.

UND

The Jackrabbits will return home on Thursday, Feb. 12, to play a game for the first time since Jan. 28, when they hosted the Omaha Mavericks. This time, the Jackrabbits will be facing the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

EAN WETZEL / COLLEGIAN MEDIA

this season has been three-pointers both offensively and defensively.

UND shoots a Summit League worst 27.2% from deep this season and they allow opponents to shoot 35.2% from three this season, which is the highest percentage given up in the Summit League.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday.

KANSAS CITY

Following the UND game, SDSU will get to stay in Brookings to host the Roos on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Kansas City currently sits at sixth in the Summit League standings with a conference record of 4-7.

Earlier in the year, on Jan. 24, SDSU got a 76-63 win in Kansas City in part thanks to Meyer and Mathiowetz combining for 43 points, with Meyer scoring 25 and Mathiowetz contributing 18.

UND started conference play with a record of just 3-8 on the season.

One of those eight losses came on Jan. 21 when the Jackrabbits traveled to Grand Forks and handed the Hawks a 99-47 loss.

Meyer had a big impact on that game for the Jacks. The hawks couldn’t stop Meyer as she scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Mathiowetz also had an efficient night, scoring 17 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor and 2-2 from the stripe. The senior guard was also a thorn in the Hawks’ side defensively, recording four steals.

Graduate student guard Mackenzie Hughes led the Hawks in points in the two teams’ first matchup. Hughes scored 18 against the Jacks while shooting 5-13 from the floor, 3-8 from deep and 5-6 from the line.

SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston

thinks this game might be a tougher test than the first time the Jacks met with UND.

“They’re playing at a higher level now than the first time we caught them in Grand Forks,” Johnston said. “They’ve made some changes to their roster and lineup… a little different team than we saw earlier, but that will be a good challenge for us.”

This season, Hughes is the Hawks’ leading scorer, averaging just over 11 points per game while shooting 35.6% from the floor and 24.6% from three.

The only other double-digit scorer for the Hawks this season is senior center Walker Demers. Demers averages 10.6 points per game while shooting exactly 50% from the field. She also grabs just under eight rebounds per game while leading the team with 26 blocks on the season.

One of UND’s biggest struggles

Junior guard Emani Bennett did her fair share of scoring for the Roos, putting up 21 points on 8-17 shooting from the floor.

Junior guard Alayna Contreras leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game while shooting 38% from the floor and 32.8% from three.

Emani Bennett and her sister, Elauni Bennett, also contribute a strong scoring punch to the Roos’ squad.

Emani averages just over 15 points per game while grabbing 4.5 boards a game.

Elauni averages 7.2 points and grabs a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game, all while coming off the bench for 26 of her 32 appearances this season.

Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

Following these two matchups SDSU will travel to Tulsa to take on Oral Roberts Feb. 19.

South Dakota State women’s basketball team huddles up at First Bank & Trust Arena during a game against the Omaha Mavericks on Jan. 28.