volume 8 issue 1
september 2020
university of sioux falls student media
table of contents meet the writers.....................3 letter from the editors............4 outdoor classroom................6 pushing past covid................8 life of an athlete....................9
bryce couch
anchor reporter
what it’s like to be an RA.....10 mask up................................11 coo cinema club..................12 security spotlight................14 muse...................................15
olivia valdez webmaster
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meet the writers
nicole weber writer
everett moran writer
erin cheney writer
mercede odegaard writer
parker brown writer
adam sheffield writer
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a
letter
mataya lines
greta smith
4
from the
editors Here we are. We’ve lost a lot to the last year. We’ve lost track meets, musicals, bible studies, vacations, and peace of mind. But here we are. We’re back. We’re ready to talk about difficult things, and to grow. We’re ready to be inspired and to pour ourselves into each new day. Are you? We are excited to bring you an academic year full of celebrations, colors, memories, poems, spotlights, and stories about you. Come with us. We’ve lost a lot, but we have an even greater amount to be thankful for.
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OUTDOOR C This semester offered a unique possibility for many professors to expand their various styles of teaching. University of Sioux Falls English Professor Kevin Cole chose to do that with one of his sections of ENG200, ENG200 Outdoors. Nature has always been a subject of literature and Cole says 18thcentury French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau is perhaps the most famous advocate of outdoor education. “I simply tailored the model for a class at USF. For centuries, all manner of thinkers, teachers, and outdoors types have touted the benefits and rewards of outdoors education—complemented with rigorous walking, observation and inquiry, and writing about the natural world.” He cites Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle as a perfect example. “I wanted to teach a class that considers the devastation of the natural world caused by the Anthropocene (i.e., human civilization) and what, if anything, we can do and should do looking into the future,” Cole said. USF Junior Breena Fox decided this was the class for her, even if it meant re-arranging her schedule. She said, “I chose the class because I love being outside and exploring! I was going to take the offered literature class in the summer, but seeing he offered this class, I had to change my plans for the sole purpose of getting to experience the outdoors more than I already do!” Classmate Grace Boddicker, agrees. “I knew that I wanted to take Introduction to Literature in order to fulfill one of my liberal arts core requirements and I also love hiking and being outside. So when I heard about Introduction to Literature being an outside class, I immediately jumped at the opportunity!”
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It honestly doesn’t feel like I’m in a class because of how handson it is.
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The class meets once a week for a full three hours and takes place at a different state park, country park, or other type of public land. Students read, reflect, and write about a particular work of literature before each meeting. “This class is different from other classes in the aspect that we are experiencing similar things to what the authors we’ve read experienced. Professor Cole assigns readings that are parallel to our location and what we will see. This gives us a greater sense of what the authors may have been thinking while they wrote,” says Fox. She also likes the way the course seamlessly integrates the outdoors and literature and how he presents it on hikes. Cole says, “We get moving, walk as much as we can, pausing to observe wildlife, flora, fauna, invasive species, scat, burial mounds—anything that catches our eye. And of course, we pause to talk about literature.” Fox says Professor Cole’s intended outcomes for this new course have worked as he hoped. “It honestly doesn’t feel like I’m in a class because of how hands on it is,” says Fox. Even Sioux Falls natives like Boddicker are learning a thing or two about the area. “I have always lived in Sioux Falls and I’m fairly familiar with many hiking places in the area. However, this class has opened my eyes to so many more and taught me so much history tied to the locations as well. I’m looking forward to continuing to visit more new places as the semester continues,” says Boddicker. The class involves a variety of physical activities, including hiking and biking, to get to their class location for the day. The class is not for the student who is uncomfortable outside. Professor Cole explains it best by saying, “No matter the weather, we’re outdoors. So you have to like and appreciate ‘bad’ weather. You have to like ‘bugs’ and ‘weeds’ (unfortunate terms for ‘living creatures’ and ‘flora and fauna’). You have to enjoy walking through high grass, thickets, sloughs, marshes, creeks, riparian forest, and so forth.” The literature they read is connected to the particular site of each class.
CLASSROOM story by Erin Cheney
As with most situations that happen outdoors, the weather can be a large variable when it comes to what class will look like for the day. Cole shared a plan for days such as those. “The only elements of weather that would merit cancelling class would be something like nearby lightning and, say, a tornado warning. Otherwise, if you take this class, you’re out in the elements,” said Cole. Days with less than perfect weather allow for a better learning experience because students adapt to their surroundings and learn from their time spent there. Cole said, “Personally, I myself prefer what most people call ‘bad weather’. For me, that’s the best weather to be out walking in. I hope we get a few classes with rain, sleet, and snow before it’s all over.” English 200 Outdoors has quickly become a favorite among students. Fox says, “Professor Cole likes to go off the path, quite literally, and I’m very glad he offered this class and leads us on fascinating hikes.” The students’ love of nature is evident in this class, which makes it all the more beneficial for them. Professor Cole is also very pleased with his students. He said, “This is a fantastic group. I could tell on the first day they would be. They love being outdoors; they love to walk; they’re intensely curious; they want to engage in difficult questions; and even though we’re in a pandemic, they’re really upbeat and optimistic. I attribute that to their love of the outdoors.” Professor Cole says a specific experience early in the semester really captured what the class is about. “If I had to choose a favorite moment it would be leading them on walk through a restored grassland to an ancient, scared site, accessible only by foot that has burial mounds and a granite boulder, which I call the ‘Holy Rock’ stippled with all sorts of mysterious markings. No one knows what they are or what purpose they served. Watching students’ reactions was about as rewarding as it gets. And the only way to get to it all? By being outdoors and walking.” Perhaps everyone could take a note from English 200 Outdoors and spend a little more time outside enjoying nature and finding what hidden gifts it possesses.
flowering jacobaea vulgaris, commonly known as “ragwort.”
Carly Rydson, Anna Kenny and Taylor Houston on a class hike
the Holy Rock at the Blood Run Nature Reserve in Good Earth State Park photos courtesy of Grace Boddicker
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It’s 5:15 a.m. on a cool September morning in Sioux Falls. The roads are quiet and empty as senior football player Mike Enalls drives to his morning workout. It’s still dark out as he parks his car, grabs his gear, and enters Forged Strength Gym. His eyes adjust to the brightness of the gym lights, a harsh contrast from the darkness of the parking lot, and he begins to warm up. Joining his workout partners in an unorganized semi-circle, they all begin to foam roll various parts of their bodies to help loosen their muscles for their workout. “Man, I’m sore,” Mike groans as he stretches out his hamstring. The others grunt and nod in agreement.
Senior Mike Enalls at Forged Strength
As they finish their warm up they are greeted by the head strength coach at Forged who tells them what they will be doing that morning. Feeling ready to go, Mike lets out a yell: “time to work!” and with that the group begins their training. For the next hour and a half the gym is noisy as the sounds of weights clanking and boisterous words of encouragement are thrown around by the lifting group. When the session ends the gym goes quiet again as everyone funnels out the doors as the first rays of sunshine creep over the horizon. Mike sits down breathing hard with a smile on his face like it’s just another day at the office. He explains why during this uncertain time he felt he had to see what Forged was all about. “Honestly, I had heard a lot of good things about this place from friends and old teammates. They talked about how it was like a family here and I wanted to see that for myself.” Even though it’s only been for a short time he can already see he has made the right choice. Since USF athletes aren’t able to workout at The Bubble it has made Mike truly appreciate his time so far at Forged. “I feel like my body is getting better. The first few days here were tough but I can already see the differences in my body. From building muscle to recovery this just helps me prepare for the season whenever that is and I’ll be ready to go.”
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Student athletes’ lives are very structured during their time in college, but with Covid-19 changing all of that Mike has had to make adjustments. “Normally in the fall it’s football season, but since that’s been postponed I’ve had to find some silver linings in what’s happening. I’ve been able to spend more time with my friends and family and have picked up more shifts at work so I’ve just been trying to stay busy.” As he settles into this new normal like all of us he’ll continue to work and persevere through the uncertainty that the coronavirus has brought and prepare himself for when he gets his opportunity to play on the field once again for the Coo. photos courtesy of Adam Sheffield
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pushing past covid
story by Adam Sheffield
They talked about how it was like a family here and I wanted to see that for myself. Enalls performs a dumbbell bench press
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Life of an Athlete during covid story and photos courtesy of Bryce Couch
Senior Bryce Couch at the Bob Young Field
It’s imperative for us to find certainty in uncertainty in 2020, a year full of uncertainty, it’s imperative to find something consistent to hold onto. For some, COVID-19 has been an odd sort of blessing, allowing individuals to focus on growth and limit the outside distractions of everyday life; for others, this time of quarantine and fear has sadly allowed them uninterrupted time to indulge in their vices and to drown in the uncertainty. I find myself to be in the former category. I’ve been very fortunate over the pandemic to remain healthy and to be able to center and focus on growth. This will be the first fall in nearly a decade that I haven’t suited up and been able to play the sport that is synonymous with autumn. Regardless of the opinion surrounding the overly politicized and polarizing pandemic, there is one true fact, I do not have a football season this fall. End of story. In all honesty, I saw it coming and have had time to prepare for it since the early major signs of the pandemic. This is to say that there wasn’t a huge shock around the season being suspended, the biggest struggle came in the uncertainty. Which brings me back to the first sentence of this article; find certainty in uncertainty.
My certainty comes in preparing for the 2021 football season. My certainty comes in the fact that I have a full calendar year to prepare myself mentally, physically, and emotionally to perform at my highest ability. I found peace in the 100 push-up warmups at 5:30 a.m. I’ve found peace in the early morning conditioning on Saturdays. At the end of the day, I’ve found peace in the things that are the hardest. I’ve been able to shift my mindset from I have-to into I getto. The difference between these two mindsets is immense. I’m beyond blessed because I got to wake up and see the South Dakota sunrise every morning this summer before conditions on Bob Young Field. I’m blessed because I get to work hard and try to better myself everyday. I’m blessed because I get the opportunity to honor the sport I love by pouring my soul into preparation in a time when there isn’t a chance to compete in a game. This time away from football has been important to my growth outside of the game as well. A common thread from high school to college athletics is speaking out against the glaring racism that is present in our country. COVID-19 has given me, and many members of my team, to use our platform in a way that shines a light on things that are impacting communities all across the country. The pandemic has given us the opportunity to channel our focus into social, cultural, and community reform. It has given us the opportunity to give back to the community that tirelessly supports us, and to make the most out of our gifts and abilities. Nothing about COVID-19 is conventional, then again neither is putting on 25 pounds of equipment and throwing mind, body, and soul at the opponent for the sake of the game. It takes a certain spirit to stand up to a global pandemic and say, “I will use this as an opportunity to get better”, and I am proud of the efforts of my team, my classmates and USF as a whole to combat the pandemic and grow during this time; to find certainty in uncertainty.
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what it’s like to be story by Hunter Breske
an RA
Junior and former RA Nick Burns
There are many ways to be an impactful member of the University of Sioux Falls community, but being a Resident Assistant may be one of the most rewarding. Nick Burns, currently a junior business major for USF, had quite the experience last year being an RA for North Residence Hall. When asked why he initially wanted to be an RA, Burns said, “I just wanted to have more of an impact on the USF community.” There is a lot of responsibility for an RA, especially when it comes to resolving issues brought to him by students in his hall. When dealing with student conflict, “I first assessed the situation to see if I could handle it myself, and if I couldn’t, I would get my superiors involved,” Burns said. Although being an RA has some difficult moments, Burns felt like he had a great experience. Burns advice to future RAs? “Realize there are lots of eyes on you so lead by example, but it’s also important to have a little fun with it!”
Junior RA Ellie Kleinsasser
Ellie Kleinsasser, USF junior and art and theology major, is a returning RA this year in North Residence Hall. What does she love about the position? “I like being an RA because it gives me a deeper connection to the school and those who help make it a great place to live and learn.”
North Residence Hall entrance photos courtesy of Annika Aho
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Kleinsasser also appreciates the community that working with the North staff provides. She says,“it gives me an opportunity to get to know others on staff, who would not normally be in my circles.”
While wearing a mask has pretty much become a universal thing for us these days, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy adjustment. It’s hard getting used to this new normal our world has come to, but we have to make the best we can out of it. Here at USF, our new policy about masks means that we have to wear one everywhere we go on campus, besides our personal living space, to keep others safe. Everyone knows that wearing a mask all the time can get annoying, but we all have to do our part to slow the spread and help our world get back to normal. To help with that, we’ve compiled a short list of ways to help make wearing a mask more bearable.
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Customize your mask! This is a great way to make wearing a mask more fun by using it to showcase your personality. Try shopping around for masks that you enjoy, whether that means wearing one with your favorite sports team on it or finding one with your favorite movie on it. Anything you can do to personalize your mask will help you feel more comfortable wearing it around all the time.
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Show school spirit! Show some Cougar Pride and get a USF face mask. A USF face mask is a great way to support our school while also protecting everyone here. Visit Cougar Central and pick one up!
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Wash your mask regularly. This is a sure fire way to make wearing your mask ten-thousand times better. A clean mask is a great mask to wear. Go get some yummy smelling scent beads for the washer, wash that mask, and then enjoy the good smell for the rest of the day!
Everybody hopes we can go back to our normal lives soon, but until then, please wear your mask. It is the best way to protect yourself and protect those around you. Nobody wants to get sick and everybody wants to get back to normal, so wear those masks!
Charity Britain, Senior
story and photos courtesy of Mercede Odegaard
Charity Britain, a senior here at USF, is more than happy to be wearing a mask. “The thought of being a part of a bigger mission is a nice feeling”, says Britain. “Knowing I’m protecting the people around me makes me feel good. Honestly, my mask has become just another accessory for me, like my earrings or a necklace.”
Hannah Nielsen, Junior
mask up!
Hannah Nielsen, a junior at USF, is glad to be contributing to slowing the spread. “It kind of makes me feel like I’m saving people’s lives,” says Nielsen. “I know that this is affecting everybody, not just me, which makes it easier to deal with. Mixing it up with different patterns and colors on your mask is an easy way to make it more fun, while also knowing you’re protecting yourself and others.”
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spotlight on...
Coo Cinema
Lights, camera, action! You may have heard these chants booming across the University of Sioux Falls campus lately. The culprit: USF’s new club to celebrate movie making, aptly named the Coo Cinema Club. CCC got its start this last January when the founders, Apolonia Davalos and Josh Werre combined their love for cinema with the support of USF’s Media Department. Davalos says, “The mission of the Coo Cinema Club is to create original and compelling films that reflect upon the core of the human spirit and humankind’s quest for purpose as a creation created in God’s image. We aspire to produce and establish opportunities for continued growth and development as creative artists in challenging and collaborative productions.”
In less than a year this club doubled its members, says Davalos, “from 20 to now 44 new and returning individuals.” Frida Ramirez, one of the CCC freshman members says, “Joining Coo Cinema Club was an easy choice for me, I knew I would make friends with similar interests, become a part of USF’s community, and have memories to cherish forever!” Ramirez is also one of the members who does not have previous cinema experience. Ramirez says, “This is my first time working with cinema but I am excited to broaden my horizons and learn new skills in the comfort of friends.” Media and cinema skills are not required to participate in CCC. Davalos says, “Coo Cinema Club incorporates all talent. Filmmaking needs cinematographers, editors, actors, musicians, audio mixers, photographers, production managers, etc. We are an inclusive club for everyone to utilize and grow their talents through an everlasting medium.”
club cofounder Josh Werre on set
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club member Cale Engelkes on set
club founder Apolonia Davalos
a Club story by Everett Moran
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We are an inclusive club for everyone to utilize and grow their talents through an everlasting medium.
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Coo Cinema Club members: Cale Engelkes, Amanda Hamil, Everett Moran, Frida Ramirez, Tori Frahm, Morgan Holien, and Apolonia Davalos.
Although CCC endorses a friendly environment, this group is very structured when it comes to competition season. Adam Paulson, one of Coo Cinema Club’s early members says, “My favorite memory was the Prairie Grass Film Challenge last J-Term when we only had 48 hours to create a short film from start to finish.” This year the club aspires to compete more. “Some events to look forward to would be The South Dakota Film Festival, collaborations with USF’s Improvidence, and the partnership with Nightmare Fueled Entertainment in producing Josh and Zachary Werre’s short film “The Haunted Mask,” says Davalos. The Coo Cinema Club seems to be an extraordinary addition to USF and it’s Media and Visual Arts Department. Many of the students majoring in Media Studies have already joined the CCC. Davalos says, “Our club is unique because we operate more like a production company. The officers brainstorm storylines and concepts for the next adventure, write scripts, engage to recruit cast and crew, scout locations, manage location and talent release forms, construct a production schedule, and work with the utmost professionalism and discipline to inspire and champion the dream to life! The Coo Cinema Club is a business that endeavors to feature as much USF talent as possible, in every art form, and together grow and create exceptional and memorable cinema worth watching!” photos courtesy of Everett Moran and Mataya Lines
Staff Spotlight
How Campus Security is taking extra measures to maintain a healthy environment and secure campus community story and photos courtesy of Parker Brown
As our campus community settles back into the routine of a college fall semester, there are staff on campus who never left, even in the unsettling early stages of the coronavirus in March. Many worked tirelessly on and off campus, making sure our college experience continued seamlessly, even if we weren’t here. For the University of Sioux Falls Security team, nothing changed at all last Spring. They worked as usual, making sure those who stayed on campus were always safe and secure, including protecting the first responders in North Hall. We want you to get to know these people who make sure you are safe at night, unlock doors when keycards don’t work, and often don’t get the thanks they deserve. Each month we will feature a member of the USF Security team in our Staff Spotlight. If you see them on campus, tell them thank you. -The Vessel Staffaff The 2020-21 school year marks the eleventh year that Campus Security Officer, Ralph Lott, has been employed here at the University of Sioux Falls. Students say he always does his job with a smile on his face and even though you can’t see it with a mask on, he still does. This year looks a little bit different for the Campus Security Officers. “It’s been an ebb and flow of adjustments,” said Lott. “It goes from having no one on campus and you’re just checking property to now there’s everybody on campus and we have to make sure masks are up over noses and keeping everybody safe.”
Campus Security Officer Ralph Lott outside Mears Library
Most of the adjustments being made have to do with new policies meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on campus and to keep the campus open. Policies of masks and social distancing are mild inconveniences compared to the possibility of shutting down and going fully online as USF did in the Spring. According to Lott, “Everybody is on the same page. There’s a policy, and I’m sure everyone knows the policy, and I’m here to enforce the policy.” Adjusting to masks and social distancing is never easy. Humans are social creatures and going without much personal contact can be difficult, especially for Lott. Lott normally has many interactions with students passing by. “It’s a lot less fist bumps, handshakes, and hugs,” said Lott. “I’m a big hugger, so that’s what’s killing me the most.” Lott continues to interact with students, but in a safe manner. With the cancellation of Fall sports, our athletes have been spending more time on campus, which has given Lott more opportunities to talk with the football players. As a former football player at the University of Nebraska, Lott really relates to the players here at USF. He tries to get to know them because he knows and has been through the struggle of football practices, training, and games at the collegiate level. “It has to be tough on those guys,” says Lott, “because you put in all that hard work and then to have something like this, which is really unknown, end it for you, it’s kind of heartbreaking. I feel for those guys.” Lott sees meeting relational needs as an important aspect of the job. Of course this comes on top of normal responsibilities and the odd circumstances brought on by Covid-19. Still, Lott and the campus security team go above and beyond to create a safe environment. “If I can just make one person’s day, my job is done.”
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muse.
new norms doom-scrolling zoom-bombing, quaranteens cornacation, cornteen, covidiot, quaranteam. rona, Aunt Rona turbo relationship, flatten the curve, contagious, infectious, antibodies, positive positive
usf student poetry
tomorrow I love the smell of lavender. The way a long, lost “I love you” falls off the lips. I love the gap on the right side of his smile—how it only shows When he’s truly happy. I love tomorrow, Even though I haven’t touched it yet.
malley dee
raf
pottery
honey and glass
I broke a plate and you told me, now you can use it for art
i want to be like all of those girls who are composed of honey and glass seemingly perfect in every way who don’t have to worry about the path that they make what i would give to be made of honey and glass but i’ll stick to my words as a poet who writes about these beautiful girls and wonder what it must be like to be made of honey and glass
a.g.j
to be featured, email greta.smith@usiouxfalls.edu with a submission
mountains
who knew that autumn pottery shards could taste like hope
g.c.s
Mountains are sturdy. Trees tend to stay rooted. Flowers die every year. To be a Mountain? To be a Tree? To be a Flower?
Being a mountain would be tough Staying consistent, and unrelenting Also never moving or growing. Being a tree would be hectic Changing with the season But always sharing their seed. Being a flower would be sad Beautiful and sought after by many bees Only to wilt and die in a matter of weeks. To be a mountain, a tree, a flower?
m.m.
HELP
STAY
H E A LT H Y > 6ft <
WASH hands often.
When possible, maintain SIX FEET of distance between people.
Stay HOME when sick.
Wear a face COVERING.
Use hand SANITIZER.