Volume 9 issue 5
APRIL 2022
Spring Break Destinations university of sioux falls student media
the Vessel
CONTENTS page 6-7 page 10-11
page 12-13
page 14-15
Editors ..................................... 3 writers ..................................4-5 A Week In France....................6-7 USF Baseball..............................8 Puerto Rico................................9
page 8 cover photo courtesy of rachel spenst
FCA spring Break Retreat...........10-11 the pets of USF.............................12-13 Stuck In florida...........................14-15 Dorm Room Refresh.....................16-17 A Spring Break to Remember......18-19
Editors
Mercede Odegaard
Mercede is a senior Media Studies major with an Art minor from Hartford, S.D. Mercede is the photographer for all USF sports.
Kelsey Sutton Kelsey is a junior Media Studies major with a Marketing minor from Flandreau, S.D. Kelsey is a cheerleader for Cougar Football and Basketball, a member of the Coo Cinema Club, and runs the social media page for 605 longboarding.
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writers Josh Werre
Josh is a junior Theatre Studies and Media Studies major with an Art minor from Sioux Falls, S.D. Josh is also Vice President of the Coo Cinema Club.
Tyler Blackburn
Tyler is a senior Media Studies major with a minor in Communications from Gilbert, Arizona. Tyler is the catcher for the USF Baseball team.
Kiara James Kiara is a Senior Criminal Justice major with a Spanish and Media Studies minor from Lakeville, M.N. Kiara is a Women’s Basketball player for the University of Sioux Falls Cougars.
Danielle Hoopaugh
Kat Steffen
Kat is a sophomore Media Studies major with a minor in Theology and Entrepreneurial Studies from Sioux Falls, SD. Kat is involved with Theater, Coo Cinema Club, and Student Senate on campus.
Danielle is a sophomore Media Studies and Art major from Sioux Falls. Danielle enjoys illustrating, sculpture, and graphic design.
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Andrew Taylor
Andrew is a Biology and Communications Studies & Theatre double major with a Media Studies minor. Andrew plays oboe in the university’s wind ensemble.
Delton Pease Delton is a Senior Business Administration major with a double minor in Marketing and Media Studies from Sioux Falls, SD. Delton is also an avid outdoors enthusiast and can be found rock climbing, skiing, hiking, or biking.
Terrell Conner
Terrell is a Senior Business Administration major with a Media minor from Owatonna, M.N. Terrell is an Offensive lineman for the Cougar Football team.
Cale Engelkes
Cale is a junior Media Studies and Theatre Studies major from Slayton, M.N. Cale is an active member of the University of Sioux Falls Theatre program, Choir, Improv, and Chutes and Ladder League.
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A Week in F r a n c e BY:
Josh Werre
Before most University of Sioux Falls students had left campus for spring break, USF sophomores MK Schuelke and Paris Whalen were already on the other side of the globe. Their destination? France. The trip was a long time in the making. “I went on a trip two years ago to France,” Schuelke says, “...and stayed with a host family, and they’ve been asking me when I was going to go back.” She wanted to return to France but didn’t want to go alone. So she asked Whalen to come with her. One eight-hour flight and seven time zone jumps later, and they were in Paris. The two spent the first day of their trip exploring the city. Their itinerary included classic tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, as well as some unplanned adventures with the public transport. “We spent a lot of time on the metro,” Whalen says. They ended the day by boarding another train. It was time to meet up with their host family. The train took them to Lorient, a coastal town in northwest France. From there, their host brother Leo picked them up and took them to his family’s home in Caudan.
photos courtesy of mk schuelke & paris whalen
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The next week was filled with all sorts of activities. The two got to go out to local spots with their host family, walk the beach at Saint Pierre, go to a school and answer questions about America, watch a French film called “The Swarm”, walk through World War II bunkers, go to a creperie, and even try sour milk. Saint Pierre was a highlight of the trip for both Schuelke and Whalen, however, “The most incredible moment was stepping onto the beach,” Schuelke says. “There were still hills around us… and you just feel so small.” Even though they were only in the country for a week, the two were able to pick up on some distinct differences between France and America. For Whalen, one of the most noticeable differences was the mindset of the citizens. “The biggest for me was the switch of the individualistic mindset that we have as Americans, and then their very community-based mindset,” she says. But not everything was unfamiliar. “I think the strangest part was that some things are so incredibly different, and some things are exactly the same,” Schuelke says. “The things that make a society are different, but human nature is always the same.”
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Spring Break Through the Eyes of a
USF
Baseball Player
BY: Tyler Blackburn
When spring break rolled around here in Sioux Falls, many students traveled in hopes of finding warmer weather. But while many people were enjoying the ocean breeze on a beach, the USF baseball team was traveling to Florida to prepare for their conference season. It started on the first day of spring break when all the players packed their equipment and headed to the airport for a long day of travel. After arriving in Florida, it was another hour drive to the resort where the team was divided into two houses. With nearly fifteen people in each house, life would get crazy at times with everyone needing to shower, make food, and do laundry. However, the living situation gave the teammates a chance to bond and create trust between one another both on and off the field. Following the initial day of travel, the Cougars played in seven total games facing Grand Valley State (MI), Malone University (OH), Wanye State (MI), and St. Cloud State (MN). The team’s record came out to 3-4, with some of the most memorable games being between Malone and St. Cloud State. USF was set to face Malone for a double header on March 11, where they won the first game 6-1. As the second game began, the beautiful sunny weather began to turn sour. Around the 4th inning, the storm clouds rolled in and the game was delayed until the rain clouds cleared. After waiting for well over an hour in the downpour, the game was cancelled and moved to the next day where the Cougars recorded a loss with a score of 6-0. On the last day of the Florida trip, USF faced St. Cloud State, an opponent they will play again during conference play. Led by Tyler Cate and Connor King on offense with two hits apiece, the Cougars pushed across eight total runs while St. Cloud only had six. Sioux Falls had five pitchers throw in total with right-hander Connor McGonigal picking up his second win on the season. Although the week-long tournament wasn’t as successful as the Cougars had hoped, the win against St. Cloud helped set the tone for the next series which begins their conference season. The Florida trip is meant for more than the opportunity for USF to play baseball in warmer weather. Alex Krout, star pitcher for the Cougars, explains the overall goal of the spring break tournament. “It is our time to get more reps against teams we are not used to playing. Playing all these different teams gives us the chance to sharpen our skills and be as prepared as possible for conference.” The team has since returned from Florida, and will face Minnesota Crookston as they start their journey for the NSIC championship. photos courtesy of tyler blackburn’s mom
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Spring Break in BY: Andrew Taylor
Puerto Rico
From walking on sandy beaches to adventuring through untamed rainforests or driving through colorful towns, the vibrant island of Puerto Rico has it all and more. Sophomore Rachel Spenst experienced these wonders over Spring Break on a trip with her sister.
Their flight took off on Saturday afternoon, March 5th. After landing in Puerto Rico at midnight -what would be two in the morning back home- they got to their friend’s house in Bayamón. Until their departure on Thursday morning, the troupe would road trip around the island and explore the culture of the local citizens. The tour included the cities of Canóvanas, Old San Juan, and Fajardo, along with some beaches and El Yunque, the rainforest. Puerto Rico had much to offer. Rachel and her sister returned to the church they had served with the previous summer. They enjoyed the local cuisine -Rachel is a big fan- and lots and lots of ice cream. Rachel said, “Some of my favorite parts of the trip were the tropical weather, spending time with my sister and friends, being partially immersed in Spanish for a few days, and jamming out to Spanish music on our night drives.” Though she never dreamed of going on such a spontaneous journey, Rachel said she is grateful for the new memories she got to make with her sister and friends. Though she was sad to return home to snow, especially after the time passed so quickly, Rachel will not soon forget the beautiful island of Puerto Rico.
photos courtesy of rachel spenst
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Taking a Break to Expand your
Faith BY: Kiara
James
March 11, athletes from the University of Sioux Falls, Augustana, SDSU, USD and Black Hills State partook in a spiritual journey, which allowed them to disconnect from the world and grow their relationship with Jesus by learning various ways that He guides you throughout life.
USF Women’s Basketball Guard Molly Lutmer gave an insight on what the weekend consisted of. On the first day of the retreat, the athletes heard from a former football player. He explained that his traumatic childhood had taken him down the wrong path. Although, through this journey he found the Lord and through his reflection was presented with the gift of public speaking. Ephesians 2:8 states “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” His life had been surrounded by darkness, though he chose to see the light in any situation with the help of the Lord. 10
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I really enjoyed this spiritual journey. It allowed me to further my connection with the Lord while guiding others in His path.
“ On the last day, the athletes broke out into small groups discussing how the Lord is present within various topics and placing Him within your life in a consistent manner. They also discussed the struggles that occur with the Lord when you shut him out when He is needed most. After breaking out into small groups, the athletes hiked through the Black Hills furthering their connection with the Lord.
Lutmer’s takeaways from the trip were, “It was a cool experience meeting other athletes from different schools and learning about their relationship with the Lord and how they use their platform in their sport.” “I really enjoyed this spiritual journey. It allowed me to further my connection with the Lord while guiding others in His path.” photos courtesy of molly lutmer
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the pets of USF
BY:
Danielle Hoopaugh
Not all of the USF community traveled to exotic locations. Some were just happy to go home and spend spring break with their beloved pets. Here of just a few of the “Pets of USF”. Theodosia (Thea)
Naomi Peterson is a senior majoring in Mathematics and Secondary Education with a mysterious mutt of unknown age named Theodosia! She got her during her J-term of 2021 down in Nashville, Tennessee. Naomi remembers, “When I got her, she was in a sock (a little sweater) and looked like a piglet!” Since then, they have both been to Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, and South Dakota. Some of Thea’s favorite things include peanut butter and her squeaky hamburger toy, which is one of her longest-lasting toys. If you hold out a fist and say, “bop it”, she’ll bop you with her nose.
Charlie “Chungus” and Rizzo
Alexandra Day is a freshman studying Psychology and Social Work here at USF. She has two pets, one is her Bichon Poodle mix, Rizzo, who lives back home in Aberdeen with her parents. Rizzo was found by her father at a pound and was soon to be put down since she had been there so long. But Mr. Day decided his two daughters would enjoy having another dog around, so he took her home for the amazing price of $0! She is believed to be about 10 years old now! But Alexandra also has another pet, a chunky cat that lives with her. His name is Charlie Chungus, a domestic shorthair who is 2 years old. Charlie was found by Alex’s friend one night on the side of the road. She explains his nickname as, “He was considered a runt of the litter but has now grown to weight 16 lbs.” And adds, “Charlie has a very sassy and wild personality. The most unusual thing about Charlie is that he loves refrigerators. He will try to jump into any refrigerator and hide out in!”
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Mabel, the Fancy
Paloma Davalos does not attend USF herself, but her sister Apolonia is a major in Media studies with a minor in Business here. The girls live together with Paloma’s dog, Mabel, the Fancy! She is a 7-year-old Terrier Mix who was a rescued road puppy. Mabel is the “...self-proclaimed Head Honcho of the Sioux Falls Welcoming Committee!” Since she greets everyone that she sees. But while she is friendly, attentive, and smart, she sticks true to her nature and chases squirrels any chance she gets. You can see more of Mabel @mabelthefancy on Instagram!
Gunner
Danielle Hoopaugh (oh hey, that’s me!) is a sophomore double majoring in Art and Media Studies with concentrations in Multimedia Production and Graphic Design. Her family got a now 5-month-old black lab puppy back in January. He is a rambunctious dog, who loves toys and laying on people’s feet. He has many nicknames, including Gunny, Gunny Boy, Land Shark, and Ankle Breaker (which he got from thrashing a hard toy around and smacking the Hoopaugh family all in the ankles and shins). He is still in the biting phase of puppy life, but her family is doing their best to work him through it!
Arrow, Sasha, Chile, and Bow
Andrew Taylor is a Junior double majoring in Biology and Theatre studies with a minor in Media Studies. He has 4 dogs, three of which are siblings! Arrow, Sasha, and Chile are all 2-year-old ¾ German Shepard and ¼ lab mixes. Bow is a few-month-old black lab puppy and the newest addition to the group! Andrew’s mom is a certified dog trainer, which means they have some well-behaved companions, and even though Bow is young, she has already learned so much. And while the dogs love their mom, they also love her rule-breaking son who lets them up on the couch when he visits.
photos courtesy of pets’ respective owners
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Stuck in Florida: Could be worse! BY:
Delton Pease
This March over spring break I had the opportunity to visit Florida with my girlfriend Jaycey Jonnes. The trip was a part of my girlfriend’s family vacation to Cocoa Beach, FL. Unfortunately, the planned dates for the trip didn’t quite line up with USF’s Spring Break other than a small overlap of two days. Obviously, it’s hardly worth flying to the other side of the country just to fly back the next day. So we found a way to make things work by flying in four days earlier and doing our own thing until the rest of the family arrived. If only we had known, we would be staying in Florida a bit longer than we had bargained for. We left Sioux Falls the night of March 7th, to arrive in Orlando at 9:30 PM. That was where our problems began. We ended up circling the city of Orlando for an hour due to the extreme rainstorms in the city below and would be continuing the remainder of the week. When we finally landed and arrived at baggage claim, we found out that all of the carousel conveyor belts were down, and we would have to wait another hour to pick up our suitcases. By the time the conveyor belts were up, all of the other flights that had also been circling the city landed around the same time resulting in chaos throughout the airport and made it extremely expensive just to catch an Uber. When we arrived at the hotel within a typical college student’s price range, we were very upset to find out the room that we were given was occupied when we opened the door. Which made for a very awkward conversation with the attendant at the front desk. Luckily, we were given a different room that was not occupied before the remainder of the rooms filled up with other travelers on Spring Break. The next morning, we awoke to surprisingly clear skies after the intense rainstorm that we were greeted with when we landed. After eating breakfast, we caught our shuttle to Universal Studios Orlando to where we would spend the next three days. Being the Harry Potter nerds that we are, Jaycey and I rushed to the far side of the park to the Wizarding World of the parks to visit Diagon Alley. We made it to Diagon Alley before too many other visitors had made it so we were able to experience the magic without the crowds. Of course, as soon as we arrived, we had to visit Ollivander’s Wand Shop, so we were all ready for our first year at Hogwarts. After getting our wands we made sure they were the right fit by practicing a few spells before we made our way to the Leaky Cauldron to try the infamous ButterBeer from the books and movies. If you’re curious what ButterBeer tastes like Jaycey describes the drink as “a butterscotch soda with a whipped cream-like topping to look like thick foam”.
pictures courtesy of jaycey jonnes & delton pease
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From there we headed over to King’s Cross Station and to Platform 9 ¾ to catch the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade located in the Islands of Adventure park of Universal Studios. When we arrived in Hogsmeade we walked through some of the shops like Honeydukes candy shop before making our way to Hogwarts. The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride queue took us through the halls of Hogwarts to Dumbledore’s office, Herbology Classroom, Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom, and even to meet the sorting hat before getting on the ride. For the remainder of the time at Universal Studios that day as well as the next two, we visited the Wizarding World regularly while also enjoying the rest of what the parks had to offer. Until Friday, when we met up with Jaycey’s parents to head East to the Atlantic Coast of Florida at Cocoa Beach. When we met with them, we found out that the rest of the family that was supposed to arrive that night had their flight canceled. And if they wanted to arrive before Monday, they would be forced to fly into Miami, FL the next day, get a rental minivan, cram six people and their luggage into the vehicle, and then drive 3 hours North to arrive in Cocoa Beach at 11:00 PM. This fiasco only foreshadowed what was to come later in the trip. While we waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, and after they arrived our time in Cocoa Beach consisted of a lot of time on the beach, surfing, boogie boarding, seashell hunting, biking, hanging out, and most importantly: eating a lot of great food. And just when we thought it was all coming to an end for Jaycey and I as we would be flying out Monday morning, we woke up to find out our flight was canceled. Not only was our flight back to Sioux Falls, but just about every flight back to Sioux Falls for the next two days was canceled due to understaffing at the airport. We had already been somewhat anxious about getting back home as we would be missing a day of classes to fly home only to find out we would be missing two more on top of that. Fortunately for us the rest of the family was staying in Cocoa Beach until the Saturday of that week and didn’t have to frantically search for a place to stay during Spring Break at the last minute. We were also very fortunate to have such understanding professors for our absences due to the flight cancellation. Overall, we had a lot of fun on our escape to warmer, albeit extremely humid weather and we wouldn’t have done it any differently. After all, what’s an adventure without a few mishaps along the way?
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Dorm Room Refresh BY: Kat Steffen
Going into the 2022-2023 school year, the University of Sioux Falls is getting a refresh. There are plans to improve both Kroske and Burgess halls to give the freshman class an enhanced academic and social experience. “We will be looking at doing a refresh in Kroske, which will be like the refresh we did in Grand Island (last summer). New flooring, new paint, replacing all the desks in Kroske. We are going to need two floors (Burgess) next year because we will have so many more students staying on campus next year than this year. Probably new flooring, dressers, and desks,” said Andrew Porteous, the Director of Student Life at USF. Over spring break the Kroske communal kitchen was renovated. The kitchen was repainted and given new appliances to have a fresh modern feel. Student Life hopes to finish all renovations to Kroske and Burgess by Fall.
burgess hall
kroske hall
photos courtesy of student life
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“At USF we have done bits and pieces each year. If you look at Kroske the desks are old, but the flooring is newer, and beds are the newest equipment in Kroske. We would like to get into a schedule. In GI last year we did new flooring and new paint, we ripped out the bookcases. Ideally, we would do GI, Kroske, Burgess, then CB, then Sullivan, then North and get on that rotation. The tricky part is conferences and camps on campus during the summer, if we have a camp with 150 students that want Sullivan for a month and a half, then it would be hard to get in and do anything meaningful. The ideal goal is to be on a rotation,” said Porteous. One motivation behind the Grand Island renovations during the summer of 2021 was that there were bookshelves on the sides of the room that took up space. Student Life repainted the dorm rooms and opened spaces in hopes of improving residents’ mental health. Seasonal depression due to a lack of Vitamin D is common in the long harsh South Dakotan winters. With bigger and brighter dorms, residents may have more cheery outlooks. “In terms of furniture, we are looking at putting down soft sitting furniture in cooper’s café. Give it a more café feel, we might be putting couches and a long wooden table in the Ward lobby. We will be getting new furniture mostly armchairs for Sullivan Hall and the Kroske common area. Maybe taking out some of the computers because there are a lot and not a lot of people use them, and that space can be used for something else,” said Porteous. Renovations are not the only improvement project Student Life is working on. A phone app that will allow you to pay for laundry electronically, view how many washers and dryers are open, and see how much time is left for your load is being implemented as soon as the end of this school year. “Because of COVID we haven’t been getting students together and we need to change that,” said Porteous. In 2022 Fall Resident Hall councils will be implemented. Five or six residents who are not IMPACT Leader will be on a council for each resident hall. These councils will be taken out to lunch or dinner once a month with either Porteous or Allan Idjao the Assistant Director of Student Life, and a Resident Director from another building. The intention of these councils is that students can tell Student Life about their building and give them honest feedback. For example, if something is broken or if the Resident Assistant is never there. Student Life wants these councils to tell them about their buildings without any fear of repercussions, that is why no IMPACT leaders are allowed to participate. Councils will be another way that freshman who are keen to be student leaders can be involved during their first year. 17
A Spring Break to BY:
Terrell Conner
Remember
Kelsey Sutton and Riley Robinson met here at USF in the beginning of 2020, just before everyone was sent home due to Covid. They were in the same Intro to Theatre class and were introduced to other just before everything was shut down due to quarantine. They were not in contact with each other than a few forum post replies until class resumed in the fall later that year. They were able to rekindle their relationship while attending the same General Chemistry course during that semester. They finally started dating on October 14th, 2020 and have been together for a little over a year and a half now. This year for spring break, they planned a special trip and Riley was going to make sure it was one to remember. Kelsey and Riley went on their trip to Seattle, Washington for spring break 2022. Kelsey thought that they were just going on a casual trip to see some great sites and experience different aspects of the city such as hiking, shopping, and eating at local restaurants. These are some of their favorite things to do together, so they booked a flight and found a hotel for a great price. Little did Kelsey know that Riley had plans to propose to her while they were in Seattle. On the first night they had plans to go sightseeing at the Seattle Space Needle and that is where Riley had originally planned to pop the big question to Kelsey.
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When they arrived at the Space Needle, however, they were halted by the fact that they needed to buy tickets in advance, which made plan B the main option for Riley. Plan B was a walk down towards the Seattle Pier 57. “The site was beautiful! The sun was setting in the background with it reflecting off the Olympic Mountains making the perfect scene!” says Kelsey in her response. They continued their walk down the Pier and Riley got down on one knee and asked Kelsey to marry him. “We both admitted that we are elated the Space Needle did not work out because it would have been super cliché” Kelsey said as we spoke about the story. As they continued to enjoy the rest of their trip, they started to think about and make a few wedding plans. The couple is expecting to have the wedding in October of 2023. By that time Kelsey and Riley will both have graduated from USF. After graduation they plan on moving into an apartment so that Riley is able to start his graduate schooling for chiropractic school. By this time Kelsey feels that she should be settled into her career giving them enough time to plan their special day. photos courtesy of kelsey sutton
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graphic courtesy of brittany bandstra
