USF Vessel February 2023

ROBERT “BOB” R. YOUNG

ROBERT “BOB” R. YOUNG

editors

The Vessel writers The Vessel

KELSEY SUTTON RIANNA BANIK

DAVID HARRINGTON

SEBASTIAN PARES TEEBA RAUUF

JOSH WERRE ABBY WHITTINGTON

SYDNEY MCKEE

ROSE SEPPALA BEN WOLLMUTH

Celebrating THE LIFE OF BOB YOUNG

While at Sioux Falls College, Young met Diane Skola, a Viborg, S.D. native who just so happened to be head cheerleader the same time Young was the football captain. The two fell in love and were married on April 18, 1960.

Following their marriage, Bob and Diane spent time in both Garretson, S.D. and Hawarden, Iowa before moving to Phoenix. It was there that Young led the Maryvale High football team to frequent playoff appearances, as well as a state title game. Bob and Diane returned to South Dakota 19 years later after being convinced by Young’s former teammates to take over USF’s struggling football program.

“What many people don’t know is that we had no full time coaches back then so Bob was a faculty member AND head football coach,” says Campus Pastor, Dennis Thum. “Also, the parking lot on the south side of the McDonald Student Center was all grass back then (before Sullivan Hall was built) and served as the football practice field so one could not help but see practices.”

Robert “Bob” Ross Young’s contributions’ to the USF football program will never be forgotten. But for those who knew him, Young will be remembered for the life he led both on and off the field.

Young was born on April 10, 1939, in Beresford, S.D. where he was raised on a farm. In high school, Young found great success participating in football, basketball, and track. This success– particularly in football– would follow him to Sioux Falls College where, in 1960, he earned all-conference honors as an outstanding linebacker and offensive guard.

The first few years for Young were not easy, however. Thum remembers in the early ‘90s when one of Young’s teams “had to endure a pretty bad season and he got some pretty harsh criticism from grandstand quarterbacks. I recall how he agonized on how to rebuild. I saw then the true mark of his character as he endured those difficult times. It was so fun to see in the next season how his squad dramatically rebounded and started building towards the 1996 championship team.”

Not only did the Cougars win the NAIA Football Championship in 1996, but they were also runners-up in 2001, semifinalists in 1997, 2002, and 2003, and quaterfinalists in 1995, 1998, and 2004. During his time at USF, Young became the program’s career wins leader at 172-69-3. This impact did not go unnoticed. On Sept. 1, 2010, the Bob Young Field was named in his honor following its completion in 2007.

Two years later, Young was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

Dad. Grandpa. Husband. Friend. Teacher. Leader. Coach.

Young passed away on Jan. 25, 2023. A visitation service was held on Feb. 4, 2023, at USF in the Stewart Center where hundreds gathered to honor his life and achievements. A celebration of life service will take place on June 3, 2023 at the Bob Young Field.

“He was an encourager,” Thum says. “He was unpretentious and kind. Bob simply wanted to be faithful to Christ.”

R YOUNG Robert

1939-2023

BY: JOSH WERRE

Photos courtesy of USF Athletics & the USF Library

BOB YOUNG memorial

Relatives, friends, and well-wishers gathered at the Stewart Center on the campus of the University of Sioux Falls February 4, 2023, for a visitation service honoring the life of Robert “Bob” Young, who passed away January 25, 2023. Young was a longtime USF athlete, coach and educator. His visitation was open from 1 pm to 4 pm Saturday afternoon, and hundreds of people flocked to the gymnasium to pay their respects to Young and his family. Young’s faith and kindness impacted countless members of the community throughout his time in Sioux Falls.

USF’s Senior Athletic Administrator, Ken “SID” Kortemeyer, met Bob Young in the spring of 1983, when the school was still Sioux Falls College. Young had just been hired as the new head football coach, while Kortemeyer was the Equipment Manager, Sports Information Director, and Trainer. The two men formed a close bond throughout their time at Sioux Falls College. “We worked together for 21 years, and did things that no other athletic director and coach would do, but that’s the way it was,” he shared with a laugh. They went on several recruiting trips to Wyoming together, which were filled “with a lot of road time” through which he became close with Young’s family. Now, after over 40 years of friendship, Kortemeyer fondly recalls some of his favorite things about Bob, the most significant being his ability to relate to people. “He was a Christian man,” Kortemeyer said, “that wanted to knead that love of the gospel into people’s lives. He always knew how to reach out and reach people where they were at.”

Todd Knutson was a senior captain and member of the search committee for the Cougar football team when Young was hired to be the new Coach. He played under Young for one year before graduating. “Bob was the one who led me to the Lord,” he says, “my senior year he made a great impact on my life, as he did with everybody he came in contact with… he was an incredible blessing to a lot of men and women.” Reflecting upon his days of playing, he recalled “[Bob] was a person that was very graceful.” Knutson explained, “there were always young men that would be in trouble, end up in jail, but Bob

was always the first guy down there. He’d bail them out… give them a little chewing out, and then he’d tell them how much he loved them.” Knutson later returned to Sioux Falls and coached alongside Young for two years. After that, he became the National Vice President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. During his time there, he hired Young to conduct FCA Coaches Ministry in South Dakota. “He was such a gentle, spirited man,” Knutson said, “but yet he was also a powerful force. He was the kind of guy you didn’t want to say ‘no’ to.”

Countless others stopped by the Stewart Center to honor one of USF’s greatest. Young’s visitation was a come and go affair, but many people chose to stay longer and share their personal stories of Young. The University of Sioux Falls will also host a Celebration of Life Service at Bob Young Field on June 3, 2023.

BY: ABBY WHITTINGTON

Photos courtesy of Jason Ferro

take a book share a book

BY: SYDNEY M C K EE

The University of Sioux Falls has recently added a free book cabinet to campus. Currently located outside of the school’s bookstore, USF staff hope to solve the book desert in the surrounding community. Director of Student Life and Housing, Andrew Porteous applied for a grant about 6 months ago with the Little Free Library Organization, and was allowed the funds for the cabinet. “We were looking at Little Free Library to serve not only our student population, but the surrounding population as well,” said Porteous. The idea behind all of this is to meet the basic needs of students, as well as those living near the campus.

The cabinet contains donated books in both English and Spanish, and will be monitored by volunteers from campus. Additionally, children’s books and advanced readings will be available. The concept of the free book cabinet is to leave a book, then take a book, or replace the book you took. “The idea is that it’s like a book exchange with no one there,” explained Porteous.

The Little Free Library Organization bases their book cabinet locations on the economic needs in the communities they are planted in. The free book cabinet is for USF students and surrounding community members. Porteous gave an example of potential community members in need. “If I were a young mom with a couple of kids, I couldn’t use the school’s (USF) library, but I could just pop across the street and get books from the free library.” Because of this, USF is planning on placing the cabinet on the southeast corner of campus or near the library on the edge of campus. The cabinet is planned to be launched in May 2023 before the students leave for summer.

THE LITTLE FREE LIBRARY IS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF COUGAR CENTRAL

JOSH WERRE’S SENIOR SHOW

CONSTELLATIONS

Every year at the University of Sioux Falls, senior Theater Studies majors must complete a final project in order to graduate. These final projects, often deemed “senior shows” by the USF theatre community, are chosen by the individual seniors and are meant to showcase everything they have learned during their collegiate education. Some projects include directing a show, acting in a show, writing a show, or all three, if the student so desires. For his final project, senior Theatre and Media Studies major Josh Werre decided to try his hand at directing a two-person, mind-bending show called Constellations.

Constellations is a one-act play by Nick Payne that explores scenarios and the different outcomes one little change could make. “Constellations follows the relationship between two individuals: Roland, who is a beekeeper, and Marianne, a physicist,” explained Werre. “The twist of the show is that it plays into the whole idea of parallel universes, so throughout the show, you see a bunch of different moments play out differently in different universes.” Werre said that he was drawn to the show because of its uniqueness. “When I was reading Constellations, one of the first stage directions it gives you is that each indentation in the script is a different universe, and that really piqued my interest. It was just something I had never seen in any other play that I read, so it seemed like a great challenge.”

One of the most important aspects of any live show is the performances. The actors tasked with bringing Werre’s directorial debut to life were senior students Riley Robinson and Laura Gerber. Robinson, who has been starring in USF shows since his freshman year, says Constellations was his first experience with a two-person show. “You’re on stage the entire time,” said Robinson. “Working with one person is a lot of fun because you really get to know not only your co-star’s character but your co-star as a person, as well. And,” he continued, “my mouth gets really dry.” Gerber, who made her USF-stage debut in last year’s The Addam’s Family,

also found acting with just one other person to be the greatest challenge. “It’s a new experience,” stated Gerber. “It’s partially stressful but also really interesting at the same time because you’re really relying on your co-star and you two are the only things that are keeping the energy up in a show.”

Next to the actors, the director’s vision plays a huge role in prepping a show for audience consumption. While usually an actor, Werre ended up enjoying the directing process. “It’s a lot of fun to do a lot of the behind-the-scenes work and get a lot of the creative control and kind of start seeing my vision for the play come together. Plus, directing,” added Werre, “is a little less stressful than being on stage.” Constellations took place in the Jones Theater in the basement of Jeschke Auditorium, opening on February 9 and playing through the 11th. If you are interested in seeing more from the USF theater department, check out Once Upon a Mattress, a musical that will premiere on April 19 and play through April 22.

BY: BEN WOLLMUTH

COUGAR cupboard

Before the beginning of the University of Sioux Falls’ new spring semester, the on-campus food pantry, known as the Cougar Cupboard, moved to a new location and added major updates to give students more options. The changes allow for more well-rounded meals. “The new location is 15 feet to the left of the old location in what used to be Study Room 5,” said staff lead for the Cougar Cupboard, Kristin Kotas. Kotas, along with help from Librarian Annie Sternburg and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joe Obermeller, determined that the study room would be an excellent location for the Cougar Cupboard. “We thought that would be a great place to move the cupboard, so it’s more private for students,” said Kotas. You can hear the passion in Kotas’s words when talking about the improvements. “Our updates are super exciting. We bought new shelving and two new rolling standing baskets and received a standing freezer donation from an old employee of USF. Then the full-size fridge and freezer were from another area on campus that wasn’t in use anymore, in addition to moving into the new location.”

With the addition of a fridge and freezer, the Cougar Cupboard can now offer all the ingredients to make a meal. The cupboard now has ground hamburger meat to add to your spaghetti sauce. Or deli meat along with cheese slices to make a sandwich. The updates to the Cougar Cupboard were made possible by two grants, written by Allan Idjao, Associate Director of Student Life, and Andrew Porteous, Director of Student Life and Housing. As for the hope of the cupboard going forward, “Growth with this is a hard thing because more people are in need but also because we know the need is there. I hope the growth looks like more consistent opportunities and resources and that we can better serve.” Kotas said.

BY: DAVID HARRINGTON

TURKEY adventure in

BY: TEEBA RAUUF

Traveling, and experiencing new things can be good for the soul. It is important to take a step back from your everyday life and to take a deep breath. During University of Sioux Falls’ J-Term, my family and I decided to go to Istanbul, Turkey. On January 6th, my mom, Raghad, and two sisters, Maryam and Shahad, headed to the airport for a twenty one hour trip.

Turkish is the official language. Having someone who can translate helps tremendously, since a lot of the languages spoken in Turkey are Turkish and Arabic; it is rare to speak English and have someone understand you. Due to the language barrier, Shahad’s friend who grew up in Turkey stayed with us throughout the whole trip and translated. This helped significantly.

First stop was Istiklal Caddesi, which is a long street that hosts many stores, restaurants, live music, and historical buildings. Istiklal Caddesi is one of the most famous places in Istanbul. There were thousands of people roaming the streets. We also went to Sultanahmet Square, Grand Bazaar, and so many other places. Nothing in the stores are at a set price, almost everything can be negotiated and talked down, if they don’t realize you are American. In my experience, when the shopkeepers realized we were outsiders and didn’t speak the language well, they attempted to upcharge us on our purchases.

Maryam’s favorite:

BAKLAVA

You can buy a lot with an American dollar; one dollar is 18.88 in Turkish Lira, which can get you a lot of goodies there, and one of the main reasons you would get charged up.

I asked Maryam what her favorite part about Turkey was, and she said, “The Baklava.” One of the best desserts in Turkey is Baklava, and there are Baklava shops on every corner, including the airport.“Their chicken Shawarma was also excellent, I ate that sandwich almost every day.” said Maryam.

If you decide to travel to Turkey, expect to be walking often. People like to walk to get to their destinations rather than ride Taxis or the Metro. Due to everything being close to each other, it is easier to walk than to wait in the traffic. While we were in Turkey we walked over 4 hours a day, admiring the people, views, and music.

there are over

a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey.

80,000

Traveling to Turkey will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. The food, language, historic buildings, and the people will give you a trip of a lifetime.

BY: SEBASTIAN PARES

USF Trip to Israel

This Interim, the University of Sioux Falls traveled to four different nations, which is an opportunity that many other universities throughout the country don’t provide. Eleven students traveled to Israel on a 9-day expedition under the direction of Dr. John Hiigel. The goal of the tour was to obtain knowledge of the Bible, worship God while physically present at various biblical sites, and develop an awareness of and empathy for the cultural distinctions between contemporary Palestinians, Arabs, and Israeli Jews. Dr. Hiigel said, “Many (students) were baptized in the Jordan River, which was quite important.”

Sophomore Aria Webster smiles at various LOCATIONS throughout Israel

university of sioux falls students at dome of the rock

Impact is a major word for this trip. On their nine days abroad, they visited 20+ different locations, including the Holocaust Museum, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, a tour of Nazareth, swimming in the Dead Sea, and hiking Mt. Nebo. Aria Webster, a sophomore at USF, spoke about her excitement for the Israel trip this year. “I was most looking forward to really seeing the Bible come to life. We hear about Jesus’ Life in Scripture and where his miracles took place, but to actually stand and see where these events happened was absolutely incredible!”

This trip is for you if you’re a student who wants to deepen your understanding of the Bible or advance in your faith by walking where Jesus walked, died, and rose again. Please get in touch with Dr. Hiigel at his USF email if you want further details regarding upcoming travels.

hello Japan

As winter blew through Sioux Falls in mid-January of this year, a group of students and faculty from the Arts and Media departments from the University of Sioux Falls were enjoying a week-long trip in Japan. Where buildings with bright lights tower over you and bullet trains take you from one side of the country to the other in about five hours, USF student Danielle Hoopaugh, was enjoying her trip.

When asked why she found this trip appealing, she said it was due to the cultural differences between the United States and Japan. “And while I watch some anime and listen to some J-Pop, it was mostly all the cool stores and tech they have around,” she said. When asked about cultural differences, she said that there is more respect amongst Japanese people than in the United States. It shocked her that those public spaces seemed to be quieter, there wasn’t much shouting or screaming, something she enjoyed. Another thing she mentioned was how well-behaved kids were in the stores that she went into. “I never saw any kids make a mess of a store or purposely cause problems, which is something I deal with almost daily in retail,” Hoopaugh said.

Something else about the cultural

differences Hoopaugh found was that the public bathrooms had full length doors, bidets with music that plays, and overall cleanliness compared to the United States “western style.” The accessibility that vending machines offered in Japan also surprised Hoopaugh, from hot coffee and tea to coin purses for your convenience. Hoopaugh said, “They were EVERYWHERE, you couldn’t go very far in the city without one being around.”

Hoopaugh visited a few historic temples and palaces during her trip. Her pictures of these places are picturesque, and it almost

BY: ROSE SEPPALA

Group photo at Itsukushima Shrine (Grand Torii Gate), a World Heritage site

feels like you are there. She said she had a lot of fun visiting these places and it was cool to learn about them, but the little eccentric shops are what drew her attention. When asked if there was one thing she could have brought back with her if there were no limitations, it would have been anything Studio Ghibli related. Namely a two-foot statue of Totoro that she found in one of the stores.

With only about a week to travel around Japan, Hoopaugh still got to see and experience many different things. From the culture to historic monuments, or even to the vending machines that seem to be able to provide you with whatever you need, she still has many fond memories. When talking about the trip she often finishes up by saying she’d like to go back some day and spend a little more time there, going more in depth with her next trip.

has the 11th largest population in the world

Japan

Group dressed in kimonos at dinner while staying at traditional Japanese Ryokan