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@USF_CW /usfcollegeweek USF College Week
a print production of usf student media
New Face of College Week: College Daily Here to Stay
Road to Conference:
Senior Spotlight:
Raising Awareness:
Ring by Spring:
USF Softball in Florida One Day without Shoes
Irene Samaniego
USF Couples get Engaged
USF’s Media Department Celebrates 30 Years with Dr. Gerry Schlenker April 2015 Volume 2 Issue 6 | usfcollegeweek.com
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Story by Dakota Case | Photo by Kristine Reiner
It’s April. Spring is here and the air is filled with the sweet aroma of fresh opportunity. With each passing year comes growth, whether it’s physical, mental or technological we – as well as the society we live in – are constantly growing and changing. Sometimes it’s for the worse, but it’s often for the better. Here in the University of Sioux Falls Media Department, we’re well aware of the ever changing landscape within the world of media. News is no longer exclusively relayed through print, radio and television media. Today, we have this wonderful thing called the Internet, which allows us to keep track of literally everything we would ever want to know as it is happening. However, online news has evolved even further with the rise of social media. News agencies are now able to relay content in as little as 140 characters, produce that content as it happens, while also drawing in viewers who can get their information without pressing so much as one button on their television remote control.
While we’re still a ways away from a stable, constant live news stream here at USF, we’re getting closer. This year, we have taken steps away from our traditional weekly half hour show to smaller daily updates. These updates are typically recorded on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and run Monday through Friday on our website usfcollegeweek.com. With the Media Department head – Dr. Gerry Schlenker – going on sabbatical next semester, the goal is to start exclusively live streaming daily updates. The measures taken over the past semester should transition over nicely and have made for a much more realistic professional news experience for all involved. We may be a few steps behind the likes of KELO, KSFY and KDLT, but College Week is still the fourth best “television news” station in Sioux Falls, and we invite you to take this leap with us as we strive to uphold the validity of that statement.
Watch College Daily Online Every Weekday! Anchors Paige Petersen and Simon Floss on the set of College Daily
One Day Without Shoes Story by Irene Samaniego and Amy Elston | Photos by Amy Elston
Watch this Story and more Online!
Shoes help prevent the spread of parasitic diseases that plague over 1.4 billon people world wide. Whitney Senden, CAB Impact Coordinator, offered USF an opportunity to take part in this cause. Senden tells USF College Week, “Anyone can join and just not wear shoes for a day for those who don’t have shoes and walk in their “shoes” for a day and not taking for granted what you have every day and realizing that they don’t have to wear shoes.” The event took place Wednesday, April 8th. She continues the story saying, “I thought about this four months ago and had to wait until the long winter past to have good weather for this event and April is the month that Toms does This Is Well. We made a promo video for the event and got footage of people walking around promoting the event.” With all the planning and hard work that was done to make the event happen, Senden was glad to see the USF comunity participate.
Pictured on Top and Bottom, Whitney Senden, Hanna Samson, and Ally Kroehler Commit to a Day Without Shoes.
Cougar Softball Takes Florida Story by Shae Hoskins | Photo Courtesy of USF Sports Information
USF Infielders Huddle on the Mound During April 8th’s Games Against Augustana. Shown from Left to Right: Breanna Black, Shannon Daly, Danielle Walker, Brittany Hoffmann, Erin Scott, and Betsy Thomas
After eight days in Clermont, Florida, twenty USF softball players competed in twelve softball games against other division II softball teams from all across the country. For years the USF softball team has traveled south over Spring Break to get away from the Midwest cold. This year, the Cougars played four more games than the usual eight game series that most teams play in Florida. The starting second baseman for the Cougars, Brittany Hoffmann, spoke on the challenges of this season’s first big road trip. “Florida is always a challenge because it is usually our first experience of the season on dirt. This year especially, we had a lot tougher competition. We faced several regional ranked teams and very tough competitors.” The Cougars only had two practices outside on the dirt prior to Florida this year. The USF softball season started out hot. The Cougars were undefeated going into the big twelve game series in Clermont. Right out of the gates, the girls lost both games in a doubleheader to Central Missouri, breaking the start to a perfect season. “We had a lot of energy going into the first series, we knew that Central Missouri was going to be tough competition. Unfortunately we dropped two to them. I think it really hit us all hard. We started off the season so strong, naturally it is a little gut wrenching to lose that first game.” The Cougars finished the tournament 6-6. Hoffmann expressed, “We were all very disappointed in our play. As a team we knew we did not perform how we know we can. It’s hard losing some big region games that could be crucial down the road. Now it is just important that we come ready to dominate once conference starts and be the best we can be in every series from here on out.” After 12 conference games the USF Softball team holds an overall record of 8 wins and 14 losses and 4-8 in conference play. In the hunt to return to the conference tournament the first weekend in May, USF visits Saint Cloud State and Duluth to redeem themselves after a two game loss to Augustana.
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30 Years with Dr. Gerry Schlenker Story by Evan Gentry | Photos by Kristine Reiner and Evan Gentry
Most of the student population was not even born when Dr. Gerry Schlenker first set foot onto the University of Sioux Falls Campus. In fact, most of our parents were not even dating at that time. Years ago when Dr. Schlenker was a student in the collegiate world, he attended North Dakota State University. There he received his minor in mass communication. This minor would actually spark his interest in the media world. “I knew if I were to pursue further academics, it would be in broadcasting.” Dr. Schlenker Said.
Following graduation from North Dakota State, Dr. Schlenker would teach media related subjects at the high school level. Wanting to go back to his roots of being “just an old farm boy from North Dakota”, Dr. Schlenker then spent the next decade of his life farming. The door for Dr. Schlenker to get back into academics was finally opened and he took the opportunity to get his masters degree from a combination of North Dakota State and Minnesota State Moorhead in broadcast production. After being hired by the University of Sioux Falls, Dr. Schlenker says, “I knew if I wanted to receive tenure, I would have to acquire my doctoral degree.”
Left: Dr. Schlenker with Student Amy Elston. Right: Dr. Schlenker inthe Production Booth with Student Paige Petersen
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Associate Professor Nick Poppens and Dr. Schlenker oversee the production of USF’s College Week News Show.
Sandra Schlenker, Dr. Schlenker’s wife, was originally from Oregon and with those ties he was able to attend summer classes for a number of years to receive his Ph. D.
Dr. Schlenker was able to start the College Week project here at USF, which has given birth to the College Daily Project, and The Vessel project, now known as the College Monthly project. He sees joy in all of these projects because each semester he has a different group Dr. Schlenker was able to reflect on those summers saying, “We of students with differing personalities and they come together to would literally pack up the family the day after graduation [at USF], produce head to Oregon for the first day of summer school,” he continues, “[I] professional pieces of work. was out there for eight or ten weeks, scream back home just in time to start school here teaching classes. Through all of his work and studying, Dr. Schlenker always enjoys seeing his students go off into the professional world and report back Before going to school to receive his Ph. D, Dr. Schlenker’s work was to him with their successes and achievements. He talks about how primarily focused on the production of media. He decided he would he wants his students to leave campus and better the world through focus his work for his Ph. D on the complete opposite of media. His media. Ph. D work consisted of studying theory, cultural analysis, and the study of how knowledge is produced and developed. “Ultimately what is important, is for students to be critical thinkers,” Dr. Schlenker says, “and to challenge them about their preexisting beliefs.” 7 | usfcollegeweek.com
More stories online The USF Bookstore unveiled it’s new name, Cougar Central at the Grand Re-Opening on March 23rd. You can find all your favorite Cougar apparel and more at Cougar Central!
Read more and watch the video online.
Home Cookin’ Shae Hoskins has the quick fix to your dinner time cravings!
Text4Help
comes to USF as a way to help students cope with the stresses of college and anything else they may be dealing with.
USF Choir Tour
involved long bus rides and some small towns but the Spring Break Tour was a huge success for the USF Choir.
Smiling Faces
at USF are a common sight. Christian love is a driving force that makes many students smile as they go about their days.
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Sausage Breakfast Burritos Ingredients: 4 Eggs 1/2 pound of Sausage 1 Jar Cheese Sauce Tortillas Directions: Cook the sausage in a frying pan at a medium heat until browned. Place the frying pan off to the side while you crack the eggs and seperate them from their shells with the whites and yokes together in a bowl. With a wisk, beat the eggs together until the yolks are fully broken. Cook the eggs in with the sausage consistently turning the eggs over. When the eggs are fuffy, add a desirable amount cheese sauce to the mixture. Stir the cheese in and place the finished egg mixture in a tortilla and enjoy!
Ring by Spring Story by Colleen Thompson and James Broaddus | Photo Courtesy of Rachel Haas
by Lauren Nelson | Student Senate President
Rachel and Alex as Alex Proposes to Rachel
There’s a saying that’s often heard on USF’s campus, and when spring rolls around it becomes a popular topic of discussion. It’s known as: Ring by Spring. Alex Qualm and Rachel VenHuizen started off as just classmates two and a half years ago in Foundations of Music Theory. They have now been dating for just over a year.
http://rachel-haas.squarespace.com Josh Tuttle and Rachel Haas light the candles and make sure everything was good to go while he and VenHuizen ate at Carnaval. “I told Rachel I had to lead worship at my church that Sunday, which was true, so we were just going to swing by after supper,” Qualm said.
“I was intimidated by her. She was not as joyous in the morning,” Qualm said of his first impression of VenHuizen.
When they got there, they walked into the candlelit room and Qualm explained to her how each rose symbolized a different part of their love: the pink symbolizing affirmation, the orange symbolizing desire and attraction, and the red symbolizing love.
“I just remember thinking he was super cute and really funny,” VenHuizen said.
“The roses go back to our first date,” Qualm said. “It led to the whole getting down on one knee thing.”
Their engagement was very unique and special to the two of them. Their big day is Friday, June 26th of this year. They plan to have the Qualm had gone to his church earlier that afternoon, on Friday, ceremony in Sioux Falls with a reception to follow. February 27th, to set up for the proposal. He created a heart of candles and set three colored roses on a table: pink, orange, and red. He had
Read More About Ring by Spring and Watch this Online!
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Senior Spotlight Irene Samaniego Story by Simon Floss
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador Major: Media Studies and Spanish What brought you to USF? As I was graduating high school, my mother got a job in the United States, and I wanted an opportunity to play soccer at the college level. What was your experience like playing soccer at USF compared to playing in Ecuador? At USF it was more challenging. There’s ten times the amount of running, lifting, and physical activities in general. The commitment level is unbelievable and I loved every second with every teammate, because we were all so passionate about the sport.
Photo Courtesy of Dave Eggen, Inertia. Irene playing a Home Soccer game
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Were there any language barriers that you experienced? At the beginning there was. I would understand everything that people would say, but by the time I would come up with an answer or want to join in on the conversation it was too late, and they already switched topics. Are there any language barriers you still experience? There’s always going to be some, since it’s my second language. I do feel more confident and fluent since my freshman year though. There are still some words I can’t really pronounce like ‘focus’, ‘curtains’, ‘hospital’, and ‘mayonnaise’.
What are your plans after graduation? Right now I don’t really have any specific plans, I’m just going to stick around Sioux Falls for another year, work, and save up money. I’d like to backpack across South America and travel the world for a while. Being the first woman on the moon doesn’t seem too bad, either.
Do you have any advice for students who want travel abroad? Do it. I know it’s scary going somewhere alone where cultures, languages, and the people are different. The experience you gain, and the friends you make is something that’s worth having. I would like to thank Gerry Schlenker for all that he’s done for me. If anyone wants to visit Ecuador, they’ve got a place to stay with me.
What will you miss most about USF? The people. The friends I made, the nice community that this place provides.
Radio Hosts of Donut Hippo from left to right: Kaitlynn Wornson, Zach Dresch, and Ryan Howe
Irene on the set of USFs College Week in the Production Room.
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College Week is now online.
Watch videos, get updates, and see photos from students, for students.
usfcollegeweek.com