02.02.22

The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887 VERVE (B1, B2)

W E D N E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 2 , 2 0 2 2

Chamber singers perform at funeral The Chamber Singers and alumni preformed on Jan. 15 in Sioux Falls at director, David Holdhusen’s mother’s funeral.

VOLANTEONLINE.COM SPORTS (B3, B4)

Coyotes take on the Midco Aquatic Center In Coyote Invite South Dakota swim and dive competed against five schools in Sioux Falls last weekend, where they took home eight wins.

USD AND SDSU TAKE RIVALRY TO COURT

File | The Volante

Senior guard Liv Korngable scored 15 points and a season high one block in USD and SDSU’s last meeting.

Coyotes’ leading scorer with 15 points.

Senior center, Hannah Sjerven, contributed on the defensive end having four blocks and three steals. On the Jackrabbits side, sophomore forward, Tori Nelson, lead them in scoring with nine points in only 18 minutes.

Both teams are currently on winning streaks. The Coyotes have won the last 16 games and the Jackrabbits the last six games. They are also both ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll

with USD being No. 7 and SDSU being No. 20.

Senior guard, Chloe Lamb, has been named to the Becky Hammon Award Midseason Watch List. She is one of 15 collegiate women players nationwide to be selected.

When the men’s team took on the instate rivals on Jan. 8, SDSU took the win in Brookings with a final score of 84-65.

SDSU freshman guard, Zeke Mayo, was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points.

He shot 5/6 from 3-point range and 7/10 overall from the field. Senior guard, Mason Archambault, led the Coyotes in scoring with 16 points. He also contributed on the defensive side of the ball with two steals.

Gov. Kristi Noem, spoke in favor of SB 46 at the House of Representatives State Affairs Committee meeting on Jan. 26, in which SB 46 received a do pass recommendation.

Oglesby said the bill would protect female athletes from the kindergarten to college level by prohibiting males from competing with females.

“Similarly gifted and trained males will always have physical advantages over females. That’s the reason we have women’s sports,” Oglesby said. “Women fought long and hard for equal athletic opportunities.

Allowing males to compete in women’s sports reverses nearly 50 years of advances for women.”

Dan Swartos spoke in opposition to SB 46 during the same committee meeting.

Swartos is the Executive Director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) and said this bill is unnecessary and could open up SDHSAA to a lawsuit as the bill violates Title IX under federal law.

“The guidance that has been put out by the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice states pretty clearly that they found that this matter, transgender rights, are protected under Title IX,” Swartos said.

Swartos said the current policy of the SDHSAA regarding the participation of transgender athletes created in 2013 is sufficient and provides transgender women and girls a chance to participate as well as adheres to Title IX. “We have a policy in place that we feel is robust, that we feel works. We’ve had one

transgender female athlete participate in the history of our policy, that student graduated several years ago,” Swartos said. “To give you an example of how infrequently this comes up, we’ve had one application over the last two years.”

Lampert said these bills are not necessary and targets transgender people in South Dakota.

“They in no way speak to any real problems and they create problems. They are trying to legislate claims around sex and gender that are not adopted by any major medical associations, sport authorities or any academic disciplines that deal with gender identity and society,” Lampert said.

Lampert also said part of the problem with these bills is they do nothing to help women’s sports become more equitable and fair when compared to men’s sports.

“The thing that really frustrates me with some of the discourse around these bills, is if all of the folks who are so concerned with equity in sports, they would face the fact that women’s sports are gratuitously underfunded on every level and they’re sort of consistently devalued relative to men’s and boy’s sports,” Lampert said.

David Herbster, the Athletics Director for USD, said in an email interview with The Volante, that USD does not have a position on the bills and it is up to the lawmakers to decide what fair and equitable participation looks like in women’s sports.

“The University of South Dakota is committed to conducting collegiate athletics in a fashion that is welcoming, fair and respectful of all participants,” Herbster said.

File | The Volante

Sophomore forward Hunter Goodrick had a season high 15 points in the SDSU game on Jan.8.

Tavin Carncross

Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

Both USD basketball teams will be taking on in-state rival, South Dakota State (SDSU), this week. The women’s team will take on the Jackrabbits in Brookings, while the men compete in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (SCSC).

In their last meeting on Jan. 8, the women took down the Jackrabbits 6542. Senior guard, Liv Korngable, was the

SDSU has one of the top scoring offenses in the nation, according to the NCAA. On average, they score 87.7 points per game which is second place to Gonzaga. Sophomore guard, Baylor Scheierman, is one of the top defensive rebounders in the NCAA. He is currently averaging 8.04 rebounds, which is seventh in the nation. He also has nine double-doubles this season which makes him tied for No. 19.

Archambault is also on one the NCAA top lists. He is currently shooting 92.86% from the free-throw line this season which puts him at No. 5 in freethrow percentage in the NCAA. He also sits tied for No. 28 in free throws made with 98 on the season.

The SD Corn Showdown keeps track of the overall matchups between the rivalry programs. USD is currently in the lead with six points to SDSU’s three.

The Coyotes have beat the Jackrabbits in both volleyball matches, women’s soccer, men’s football and women’s basketball. Jackrabbits have won in both men’s and women’s cross country along with men’s basketball. The winner at the end of the 2021-22 school year gets the SD Corn Showdown Trophy.

The next two match-ups between the SD universities will take place on Feb. 5.

The women’s game will be in Brookings at 2 p.m. and the men’s will be held in Vermillion at 7 p.m.

Legislation poses threat to transgender athletes in South Dakota Allison Horkey

Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu

The South Dakota State Legislature is facing two bills which would eliminate the ability of transgender women athletes to play college sports in South Dakota Board of Regent (SDBOR) institutions. Senate Bill (SB) 46, “An Act to protect fairness in women’s sports,” and House Bill (HB) 1006 “An Act to promote continued fairness in women’s sports,” both operate in the same way, to prevent transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

The bill states, “only female students, based on their biological sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls.” The bill goes on to state, “for purposes of this section, biological sex is either female or male and the sex listed on the student’s official birth certificate may be relied upon if the certificate was issued at or near the time of the student’s birth.”

Sarah Lampert is an associate professor of history and coordinates the Gender and Sexuality Studies program. Lampert said bills like SB 46 and HB 1006 are based off a flawed premise which does not reflect the reality of sex and gender.

“The whole premise of these bills, and this is what I find so deeply disturbing about them, is that they’re based upon a very, I think, flawed and dangerous premise,” Lampert said. “What’s written into these bills is an effort to legislate away the diversity of gender identity in our society.”

Rachel Oglesby, senior policy advisor to

Allison Horkey | The Volante

26 states across the nation have passed or are debating legislation restricting or banning transgender athletes from playing sports consistant with their gender identity.

It is unclear how the NCAA will react

athletics conference USD is a member of,

if the bill does pass and is codified since

denied an interview, but Josh Fenton, who

the bill contradicts NCAA policy relating

will serve as Commissioner of the Summit

to transgender athletes. Herbster said the

League come April this year offered a

NCAA Board of Governors voted on Jan. 19

statement on the two bills via email.

to determine transgender participation on a case by case basis. “(The)

approach

“We continue to monitor the situation and track the latest information being

to

transgender

provided on this topic. The Summit League

participation preserves opportunity for

believes in an inclusive environment for all of

transgender student-athletes while balancing

our student-athletes,” Fenton said.

fairness, inclusion and safety for all who compete,” Herbster said.

The Summit League, the Division I

As of Feb. 1, SB 46 was passed by the South Dakota House of Representatives.

News The Volante I volanteonline.com Gov. Kristi Noem holds media day at Capitol

A2 Wednesday, February 2, 2022

In an event open to the public, Gov. Kristi Noem discussed issues affecting the state such as trans women athletes and Opportunity Centers.

Bennett Clary | The Volante

CITY OF VERMILLION POLICE BLOTTER HIGHLIGHTS

3

2

traffic stops

Jan. 23

Officers responded to a report of dispute between persons. Officers spoke to the reporting party and found one of the involved parties had driven away from the scene and was possibly intoxicated. Officers located the other involved party and discovered they had driven while intoxicated. The subject was arrested and taken into custody. Charges are pending. Alcohol was a factor.

court order. After speaking with the reporting party, officers were unable to verify a court order had been violated due to being unable to locate the other party. No charges were filed and no arrests were made.

Jan. 23 Officers responded to a medical facility in response to a disturbance being reported. No arrests were made.

Jan. 23

Jan. 24

An officer did a traffic stop for a moving violation. The driver was arrested for driving while impaired and underage consumption. The passenger was arrested for disorderly conduct, obstructing law enforcement, and open container in a motor vehicle.

Officers responded to a bar after someone threw a cue ball, which broke a window. The damage was not done intentionally, therefore there are no charges pending.

Jan. 23 An officer stopped a vehicle for doing 36 mph in a 20 mph zone. The driver was cited.

Jan. 23 Officers responded to a report regarding a possible violation of a

2

domestic disputes

Jan. 24 Officers responded to a residence for a patient experiencing chest pains. Officers waited until EMS personnel arrived to take over care.

Jan. 24 An officer conducted a traffic stop and a citation was issued to the driver for speeding.

Jan. 24 VPD officers assisted a neighboring agency in locating a wanted person within Vermillion city limits. The subject was located and arrested after being placed on a detainer from the Department of Corrections.

>> Jan. 23 - Jan. 29

thefts

Jan. 26 Yankton County advised officers of a report of a drunk driver heading toward Sioux City. Officers attempted to locate the vehicle but were unsuccessful.

Jan. 24

Jan. 26

Officers investigated a domestic disturbance that resulted in one adult female being arrested for a misdemeanor assault and resisting arrest.

Officers responded to a residential burglary alarm. Officers checked the exterior of the home, as well as the inside for intruders, but the home was secure with no evidence of criminal activity.

Jan. 25 Officers responded to a report of a theft at a local business. Caller reported that the suspect attempted to steal several bottles of wine and was apprehended at the door. Offices identified and cited one adult female for petty theft and released her.

Jan. 26 An officer responded to a residence for a theft report. The caller suspected a cell phone had been stolen while at a bar downtown. An investigation was started. The caller later reported they had only lost their cell phone and had since found it.

Jan. 27 An officer initiated a traffic stop for a substitution of license plates offense. The driver was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, driving under revocation, and for an outstanding warrant.

Jan. 27 Officers provided a funeral escort from the funeral home to the City Limits.

Jan. 27 Officers responded to a past tense theft from a local business. The case is under investigation and video surveillance footage has been made available to law enforcement.

Jan. 27 VPD and Clay County Sheriff officials investigated a report of an unattended death at a residence. No foul play is suspected at this time, investigation is continuing.

Jan. 29 Caller reported an unknown man was trying to get into her residence.

An officer contacted the man who was very intoxicated and was on parole. He was arrested and was found to have marijuana on his person.

Jan. 29 Caller advised they has seen a person post suicidal threats on social media. Officers located the subject and arranged for them to speak with a mental health professional.

The subject was taken into protective custody.

The Volante Volume 148, No. 1 January 26, 2022 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Kyle Miller

Allison Horkey news editor

Keeley Thomas news assistant

Rachel Thompson news designer

Madeline Knau verve editor

Rachel Pechous verve designer

Chloe Fullenkamp sports designer

Emma Daggett opinion editor

Jozie Hunter opinion designer

Mission statement The Volante covers issues relevant and interesting to USD students. Faculty, staff and community members are welcome readers, but the newspaper is written and presented for a diverse community of students from the students’ point of view. The paper should provide a variety of information, entertainment and educational opportunities for the readers. The Volante encourages everyone to write letters to the editor.

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News

A3 Wednesday, February 2, 2022

The Volante | volanteonline.com

Political Science League brings lectures to life in recent panel

Madeline Knau | The Volante

Charlie’s Cupboard opens for the second time this semester to provide free food to USD students.

Chloe Fullenkamp | The Volante

Political Science professors build government from the ground up in PSL educational event.

Chloe Fullenkamp

Chloe.Fullenkamp@coyotes.usd.edu

For the purpose of fostering political discussions while also pondering different prompts, the Political Science League (PSL) put professors to the test in their most recent event at USD. Held on Jan. 26, PSL hosted the USD Political Science Department Panel: Rebuilding the Government.

Inspired by last year’s Honors Program event featuring faculty members stuck on a boat, PSL asked four political science professors to build American government from the ground up.

Addison Miller, junior political science major and president of PSL, said the event was a recreation of the Honors discussion.

“We rehashed the idea that [the Honors Program] had and said ‘what if the government collapsed, and our four political science professors are the designated survivors,’” Miller said.

The scenario presented to the faculty was the concept of poisonous gas killing every single legislature and individual in-line for the presidency, as well as destroying every inch of American democracy such as the Constitution.

“When we say rebuild the government, we truly want the faculty to say what they would change, what they would keep and what they would create for the government,” Miller said.

The four designated survivors

were all political science professors including Eric Jepsen, Julia Hellweg, Richard Braunstein, and Ed Gerrish.

This is the first event held by PSL this semester as they look to hold frequent events.

“Essentially, (PSL) is looking to do an event every month,” Miller said. “And this is a panel bringing different professors together to tackle a problem.”

The four professors were tasked to completely rebuild whatever government they see fit such as rebuilding democracy or even a feudalist monarchy.

Margaret Meierhenry is the director of events for PSL and a junior political science and musical arts major. She said that the panel had a direct correlation to the political science curriculum.

“We are putting our lectures to life [in this event] and see what we do in the classroom in the real world,” Meierhenry said.

For the students who attended the panel, they were able to engage with the discussion and ask challenging questions to the designated survivors.

Junior psychology and criminal justice major, Mattie Jones attended the panel and said she found the panel to be entertaining as it was an insight into each faculty members’ ideas.

“My favorite part was watching the faculty work through problems from varying perspectives and showing off their political prowess and knowledge of current political

issues,” Jones said.

As the first event for PSL, Miller said they are looking forward to bringing more discussions to campus.

“PSL is dedicated to fostering nonpartisan discussion overall,” Miller said. “Political discussion for politically minded people.”

Jones said the panel was a good representation of what PSL has to offer for students at USD and why they are important on campus.

“Events like this are important because it allows students to see politics in a more approachable way,” Jones said. “It makes politics more accessible to the students and keeps faculty engaged in campus events.”

Looking to the future, PSL is focused on creating political discussions not only for the student body, but for student-led groups at USD. “Our most popular event is the College Democrats and the College Republicans debate which is similarly fostering discussion between students,” Miller said.

Coming this semester, PSL is looking to bring new events not seen before on campus.

“In the next couple months, we are planning to hold a legislative trip to Pierre as well as holding a debate between Yotes for Life and the Students for Reproductive Rights,” Meierhenry said.

To learn more about PSL or attend their events, go to their social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.

Inspired by the game show of the same name, the Cash CAB was an opportunity for students to test their knowledge and get rewarded for it.

Senior Josh Weisbrod is a member of the CAB board and oversees member engagement.

“This was the first time we’ve done Cash CAB. We were looking to do some programming and there was just kind of a catchy name based on the TV show, so we thought we’d run with it,” Weisbrod said.

Students were asked trivia questions by CAB members and had a set timeframe to respond. Keeping true to the original TV show, students could ask their friends for help if stumped over a question.

Weisbord said this was the first

trivia event held this semester by CAB and it saw a steady stream of students answering questions throughout the evening.

The CAB Facebook page said the organization works to bring entertainment events throughout the school year to campus. Students interested in joining CAB are encouraged to join one of the three CAB info sessions being held over Zoom on Feb. 2, Feb. 6 and Feb. 10.

“We have an event coming up for Valentine’s Day which is Stuff-aBuddy, two Fridays from now (Feb. 11),” Weisbrod said.

The Stuff-a-Buddy is CAB’s first event in February and will be held in the MUC Pit from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Charlie’s Cupboard is open and with some new updates coming Madeline Knau

Madeline.Knau@coyotes.usd.edu

As a new semester begins at USD, Charlie’s Cupboard opened up. Charlie’s Cupboard which began back in 2020, as a way to provide students with food outside of their meal plan and for students who stay at USD during Thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer breaks.

Charlie’s Cupboard provides non-perishable food and personal hygiene products to students with a current USD student ID on every second and third Thursday of the month from 4-7 p.m. Charlie’s Cupboard is a student initiative program supported by Unite for USD. Charlie’s Cupboard was chosen as Unite for USD’s student initiative spotlight for February.

Nathan Popp, president of Charlie’s Cupboard, said that Charlie’s Cupboard received a new fridge and freezer last summer and are looking to add new items and expand their business hours.

“This last summer we got a

pretty small fridge and freezer to try out fresh and frozen food and it’s been going really well. We’re going to probably get another fridge and another freezer, hopefully within the month,” Popp said. “We’re also always looking to increase the diversity of our food products because the student body at USD is very diverse and so we’re trying to meet the needs of as many students as we can.”

Charlie’s Cupboard currently has student organizations volunteer such as different fraternities and sororities, the Honors Program, the College of Arts and Sciences, some of the athletic teams as well as the Math Club. They also just broke their record for the amount of money raised and number of donors that participated, and are looking to break that record again, Popp said.

Cassie Thompson, Vice President of Charlie’s Cupboard, said that they are currently looking for more organizations to help volunteer and donate inside and outside of USD.

“We are trying to partner with any student organizations we can or get anyone who wants to donate to the Cupboard to help out,” Thompson said. “We’re constantly looking for new partners in the community to be able to provide more stuff and find more diversity for our products.”

The organization is currently beginning to look at transitions for the new executive board with applications sent out two weeks ago.

The closing date was Jan. 29, with interviews and the selection taking place after that.

Students who are unable to make it or feel uncomfortable with going to Charlie’s Cupboard can email the organization at Charliescupboard@ usd.edu and provide a current student ID number and they will leave a bag at the front desk in the Muenster University Center for you to pick up. Charlie’s Cupboard is also open to donations.

CAB hosts “Cash Cab” themed event in MUC Luc Bouchard

Luc.Bouchard@coyotes.usd.edu

USD’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted a Cash CAB trivia event on Jan. 27. The event lasted from 5-7 p.m. in the MUC pit.

Students could win prizes by answering trivia such as this question from the movie category: “Tired of ‘kicking off his Sunday shoes’ Kevin Bacon admitted to paying wedding DJs to not play what song from his 1984 film of the same name?”

The options were: “Wild Things,” “Picture Perfect” and “Footloose.”

Answering “Footloose” to this question would give students a chance at winning one of the prizes, ranging from a winter beanie to a weather alert radio.

Luc Bouchard | The Volante

CAB member, Josh Weisbrod, reads questions for Cash CAB trivia.

Former pole vaulter receives promotion in Athletics Department Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

A former Coyote pole vaulter got a promotion with the Athletics Department at the beginning of January. Ethan Bray previously worked as the ticket office graduate Assistant before being promoted to assistant director for ticket operations and sales.

In an email interview with The Volante, Bray said his previous job allowed him to handle the non-

seasonal tickets for sports like women’s soccer, track and field and swim and dive. He was in charge of training new part-time workers on how to use the ticketing software along with gameday operations.

“As the assistant director for ticket operations and Sales, my responsibilities have increased slightly, but I am still in charge of doing all the training and such since we have not yet hired a new graduate assistant,” Bray said.

At the beginning of each fiscal

year, new goals are set and Bray said one of his goals is to be able to assist in hitting ticket revenue goals this year.

“Since I was not in this position when the goals were set, I am sort of just riding the waves of what my boss and his previous boss started last semester with the fall sports,” Bray said. “I would like to learn how to be a more effective communicator and leader while I am here as well.”

After receiving his promotion, Bray said he felt good but was

nervous because now he has more responsibility and autonomy.

“I have had to lead during some basketball games by myself and it’s stressful making sure that everything runs smoothly, but it’s gone well so far. I feel more confident now that I’ve been in this position for close to a month now and am in a rhythm,” Bray said.

During his undergraduate, Bray majored in criminal justice and said this will help in his current position because of the amount of critical

thinking that goes with the job.

“A lot of the classes in the criminal justice degree involved critical thinking and I’ve been able to apply that to different scenarios that come up during gamedays or when we are planning events and trying to increase the attendance for it,” Bray said.

While in his undergraduate, Bray was a pole vaulter for USD. He said it now feels special being able to give back to USD after all it has done for him in the last 5 years.

“I like to think I can help make a difference in the lives of the studentathletes that are still playing and competing by working here,” Bray said.

Bray said he can see himself in his current position for a while but doesn’t know where he will be in a few years. Right now, he said he is enjoying working with his bosses and coworkers and feels like he is in a good spot.

Men’s basketball splits home games against North Dakota programs Luc Bouchard

Luc.Bouchard@coyotes.usd.edu

The Coyotes split last week’s games against the North Dakota teams. In a tightly matched competition against Summit League rivals North Dakota State University (NDSU) on Jan. 27, the men’s team eventually fell to the Bison in overtime, 74-62. They then played University of North Dakota (UND) on Jan. 29, where the Coyotes beat the Fighting Hawks with a final score of

71-58.

USD Athletics handed out 300 custom lightsabers to students in attendance for Thursday night’s game against the Bison.

During the Star Wars themed game, the nearly 2,000 fans in attendance watched as NDSU cinched their title as the third place team in the Summit League.

The Bison entered Vermillion with a record of 13-6 on the season, while the Coyotes supported a record of 13-7.

Neither team was able to lead by more

than four points throughout the contest.

Sophomore guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt led the Coyotes in scoring by putting up 24 points.

With the score stalled at 60-60, the Coyotes had a chance to win with a buzzerbeater made by sophomore forward Tasos Kamateros. However, after video replay it was ruled that the ball hadn’t left Kamateros’ palm before the game clock expired, thus sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, the Coyotes lost 74-62. The Bison will host the rematch in Fargo on Feb.

7 in a make-up game after the first game was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

Saturday saw the Coyotes take on the UND Fighting Hawks. The Fighting Hawks are currently last in the Summit League standings and came into this game with an overall record of 4-18.

The Coyotes got an early lead, finishing the first half with a score of 39-18.

In the second half, the Coyotes won by 13, and maintained their fourth place position in the Summit League standings.

In the match-up against UND, another Coyote reached a season-high point total.

Kamateros scored 21 points while shooting 42% from the field. He also grabbed a season-high of 12 rebounds securing his second double-double in three games.

The Coyotes play at home again on Feb. 7 against the number one ranked team in the Summit League, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The last time these teams met, the Coyotes fell to the in-state rival 84-65.

Opinion WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

EDITORIAL

Sydney Johnson|The Volante

Editorial: Minority representation in Supreme Courts matters In 2020, the U.S. had a population of 329.5 million people. This population was made up of 204.3 million people who identified as only white based off their answer to the 2020 census.

This is roughly 62% of the U.S. population. The other 38% of the population was people who identified as multiracial, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander.

These numbers are important because the United States Supreme Court has nine justices that represent the entire population. Of those nine, only two are minorities. Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor are Black and Puerto Rican Americans, respectively. They make up 22% of the Supreme Court to represent the 38% of minorities

living in the U.S. Representation in the U.S. Supreme Court is important because the justices only see a select 100-150 cases a year.

The bills that are looked at by this court should be looked at by eyes that reflect the people that’ll be impacted. The majority of these justices have only seen life from the perspective of a white person; how can a predominantly white court make decisions on laws that may effect minorities more than white people?

On a smaller scale, the South Dakota Supreme Court is made of five justices that are all white. In a state that is almost 20% people who are minorities, according to Data USA, there needs to be representation for that 20%.

This representation is important

Are we getting Starbucks and Panda Express in the MUC? IZZY BAKER is a sophomore majoring in Business Management.

What dining options are coming to USD and are they what the people want?

As most people have heard, there is a possibility Aramark is leaving and therefore, the food places with it.

I’ve heard UBrew is turning into a Starbucks, Qdoba is becoming a Chipotle, Legacy Wings is leaving and we might get a Panda Express.

None of these have been confirmed yet, but it got me thinking: what are the best food options to have on campus?

My dream combination of food places in the MUC would be Panda Express, Olive Garden,

Chipotle, Panera, and Chick-fil-A. I think these adequately represent a variety of cuisines.

Panera could replace Erbert’s and Gerbert’s. Although it’s good, Erbert’s and Gerbert’s is pretty mid in regard to Panera’s food.

Olive Garden could replace Legacy Wings.

This one is probably the least feasible. I always crave Italian food but it’s never an accessible option on campus. Olive Garden would be a nice change of pace.

Chipotle would swap out Qdoba. This isn’t a huge deal to me, both are good on occasion.

And that means Panda Express would have to offer Chick-filA’s spot. This could be controversial but I’m for it. Not everyone likes Chinese food, but I definitely do. I would start a petition to get some sort of Chinese

because minority justices, on any level, may bring different perspectives to the court. These perspectives could allow for conversation that may not have been had otherwise and may drastically impact the outcome of different cases.

Currently, President Joe Biden is trying to decide who he will nominate for the next Supreme Court justice to take over Stephen Breyer’s position following his retirement. During his pre-election campaign, Biden said he would nominate the first Black woman U.S. Supreme Court justice if given the opportunity and is now trying to uphold that promise. However, Biden’s decision should not be based solely on race alone.

The people in these positions of power were nominated because of their skills,

representation is “This important because minority

Sydney Johnson, editor-in-chief Bennett Clary, managing editor Tavin Carncross, sports editor

replaced but a girl can dream. I think the repetition of the

for this position solely based on her race would be seen as a pity handout to the Black community.

Minority representation in the Supreme Courts should be of the highest importance; however, all minorities should be given an equal chance to be nominated and should not be chosen solely based on their race or background.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Madeline Knau, verve editor Emma Daggett, opinion editor

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

CONTACT US

Overall, we don’t know if any of our are actually being

knowledge and background. If a Black woman were to meet those standards, she should be nominated; however, she should not be nominated solely based on her race and gender. The U.S. Supreme Court justices serve long terms and may represent citizens for decades and should be chosen with care. Biden nominating a Black woman

The Volante

restaurant in the MUC.

current food places

justices, on any level, may bring different persepctives to the courth.”

The Volante welcomes letters to the editor in regards to campus, local, state and national issues. Letters will be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows. Please limit letters to 300 words or fewer. The Volante reserves the right to hold letters for publication in a later issue.

Submissions must include the author’s name, address, telephone number, year in school and major or job title. Letters must be exclusively for The Volante.

We will not publish anonymous letters.

same food options can cause food burnout for a lot of people, which is why a change of restaurants could be beneficial for students.

Another benefit of switching options is the “hype” generated behind new businesses, creating more profit for the university.

I mean just based on the Starbucks rumor alone, I have heard an influx of people excited and saying they would get flex just for that alone.

Ask around; see what food your friends would put into the MUC if they could choose. It says a lot about someone.

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Opinion

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Valentine’s Day is for friends, not just couples

Want to make your voice heard?

ELIZABETH AREND is a sophomore majoring in English education

If you are interested in writing

Valentine’s Day has always been known as a day for couples to celebrate their love by exchanging gifts, going on dates and posting cheesy social media tributes to one another. This year, it is time to reclaim Valentine’s Day as more than a day celebrating romantic relationships.

Opinion for The Volante, email The Volante at volante@coyotes.usd.edu.

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Just because their love is found outside of a romantic relationship does not make it any less special or valid.

Happiness can sprout from all sorts of people outside of strictly romantic relationships. Strong friendships, which bring feelings of trust, help make life more enjoyable and provide support. Valentine’s Day should be a day that helps recognize and appreciate those healthy friendships.

Extending Valentine’s Day festivities to those who are not in romantic

relationships allows for a larger celebration.

This means people with busy schedules can meet when they have the opportunity.

This celebration can be done by simply sending an appreciation text to a friend, going out to dinner or grabbing coffee with a loved one. Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to involve spending money.

Instead, it can be fun to spend some relaxing time with those you appreciate, like cooking a meal or enjoying a movie together.

Often times it can be

easy to make excuses to dismiss small tasks like catching up with a friend. Instead of blaming it on a busy life, make the effort this Valentine’s Day to reach out to someone you love or appreciate. Let them know how special they are to you. It is a great reminder to tell someone you love them.

Valentine’s Day is the celebration of love. So why not celebrate your friendships too?

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME From www.supremecourt.gov and belletpedia.org

67

62

The number of court issued opinions in the 2020-2021 term.

The number of cases the Supreme Court agreed to hear in the 2020-2021 term.

10

65

The number of cases decided without argument in the Supreme Court during its 2020-2021 term.

1,062

The number of Supreme Court release opinions between 2007 and 2020.

The number of cases the Supreme Court has agreed to hear in the 2021-2022 term.

1790

The first year the Supreme Court of the United States assembled.

The right to read EMMA DAGGETT is a sophomore majoring in English.

“Book banning is one of the most widespread forms of censorship in the United States,” said Population Education. Many books we read as children or in high school are banned or have been challenged from being available to people.

A challenge tries to remove or limit materials because of objections given by a person or group. A banned book is the removal of the materials. Most of the time, challenges are not successful because of committed librarians, teachers and other concerned readers. Banning and challenges are in localized areas. The American Library Association keeps a list of past and current banned and challenged books.

Children’s books like “James and the Giant Peach,” “Where’s Waldo?” and the “Goosebumps”

OVERHEARDS

Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week. Context is for suckers.

“Sometimes you get to choose your own adventures in this class.”

— Old Main

“Who knows what’s going to happen next. They might hide in the bushes.”

— Old Main

“Newton died a virgin and it’s no surprise coming from the man who created calculus.”

series have all been challenged at some point in the past for inappropriate content. Even “The Giving Tree” has been criticized for criminalizing the forest industry.

Other books such as “The Great Gatsby,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Hunger Games” and “The Fault in Our Stars” have also been banned or challenged.

The most ironic book people tried to challenge was “1984” written by George Orwell. This book is about how the government limited freedom of speech and thought. It was challenged in the past because it had a “procommunist” point of view.

I believe those who attempt to ban books are wrong. No matter how potentially dangerous those books can be, books should not be banned. Books are crucial for creating new ideas. A book can open new ideas, experiences, identities and futures for those reading it.

To be honest, if we oppose banning some books, we should be against banning any book. If we are not strong enough as a society to go against difficult,

problematic or even hateful ideas then something is wrong with the people, not the books. Banning books is going to send people in the wrong direction. Keeping books with certain content out of the library doesn’t stop people from reading or writing books.

Banning books is showing the fear of dangerous ideas becoming contagious. Exploring topics through books gives people the opportunity to think of morality as well as build empathy for people who are unlike themselves. The Harry Potter books were banned for a short period of time because people thought they promoted witchcraft.

The point is, books are not necessarily “good” for us.

Reading a challenged or banned book is a learning experience and can help people discover their own values and opinions.

There are books children should not read. Parents should be mindful of what children are reading. Some topics should have age restrictions, but overall there shouldn’t bans on books.

Find more opinions on our website. volanteonline.com

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— Old Main

“I am trained to read things.”

— Old Main

“I still don’t really know how meth works.”

— MUC

Polls • Overheards • Columns

News The Volante | volanteonline.com House Bill 1012 to protect students from critical race theory

A6 Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Rachel Thompson | The Volante

19 states have passed bills or are debating bills claiming to ban critical race theory from being taught at public education institutions.

House Bill (HB) 1012 “An Act to protect students from critical race theory” was introduced Jan. 5 by The Committee on Education at the request of the office of the Governor.

HB 1012 states institutions of higher education cannot compel a student to personally affirm, adopt or adhere to believing any race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin is inherently superior or inferior.

In the second clause of section one, it states that institutions cannot make individuals feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress because of their identity status. In the third and final clause of section one, it states institutions cannot compel individuals to believe they are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin.

Associate professor Steven Macias said the bill is not new to South Dakota and has been seen in other states almost word for word. Macias said it is a project at the national level between certain interest groups taking advantage of the current political atmosphere.

“It doesn’t do a whole lot as far as I can tell. It prohibits a school or a course, an instructor of a course, from, in its words, compelling a student to affirm or adopt or adhere to certain beliefs,” Macias said. “I’ve been teaching for 10 years and I’ve never taught a course where I compelled a student to affirm that they believe any particular thing, whether it’s about race or something

else.”

In an email interview with The Volante, associate professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program, Timothy Shorn, said critical race theory does not claim any race is inferior or superior, nor that anyone today is responsible for past actions.

Shorn said in Section 2 it is looking for a problem that does not exist because professors cannot make students believe anything, but professors can challenge students to look at what they think through a different lens and challenge preconceptions.

“There’s no secret conspiracy or hidden intent here. The leaders have been quite open about it.

They want to stop all discussion of racism in all levels of education in South Dakota. Our leaders want to make our education system and our curriculum conform to a particular political and racial ideology,” Shorn said.

Macias said the title, “An Act to protect students from critical race theory” is for the people pushing or introducing this bill to score political points because it mentions critical race theory.

“Critical race theory is about critically analyzing existing structures of power,” Macias said.

“I think it’s worth discussing the whole movement because I think you can probably show it’s more about political forces and the power of institutions and legislatures in furthering or inhibiting racial justice.”

HB 1012 was referred to the Committee on Education on Jan. 14 and has not been filed yet.

Vermillion area Farmer’s Market open during winter season

Karlee Philips | The Volante

Grace Freeman sells homemade good from her business Praire Moon Herbs.

Karlee Phillips

Karlee.Phillips@coyotes.usd.edu

Throughout the winter season, the Vermillion area Farmer’s Market is a place where local vendors can sell homemade and homegrown goods to the community. The market is open every second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until May and is held in the Clay County Extensions

Building on 515 High Street.

The dean of the School of Education at USD, Amy Schweinle, serves as president of the board for the market.

“We have this great group of people at the market. It’s a great community of vendors and they really want to support each other,” said Schweinle.

Vermillion has hosted the market for over 10 years and vendors from

across the region come to sell their products and share their traditions with the Vermillion public. Dale and Marie Hebda of Hebda Produce have been a vendor at the market for several years. While the typical supermarket will suffice, Dale said he encourages people to take advantage of visiting the farmers market when they get the chance.

“With the famers market, it’s all fresh. The flavor and quality of what

Karlee Philips | The Volante

Hebda Produce sells canned goods during Vermillion farmer’s market. you’re getting here is really special,” Dale said.

Schweinle said the market strives to make the application process as simple as possible for those interested in becoming a vendor. As there is no vendor fee for first time appearances at the market, those interested in selling their products with the community are welcomed to show up whenever the market is open. People can join the market’s

Facebook group, Vermillion Area Farmers Market, to advertise the products they will be selling.

“Really, if you want to be a vendor, just show up. The doors open an hour before the event and during the winter, there are tables and chairs already there. Just bring anything else you need to sell, and we’ve got a market manager who can help with any of the paperwork, contract rules and regulations,”

Schweinle said.

The market will be hosting a seed swap Feb. 26 during their winter market hours. People are invited to take planting seeds at no cost and can share some of their own. Upcoming events include the Soup-A-Palooza and an Earth Day celebration.

Around the World with International Club

The International Club holds Around the World Wednesdays where different countries are presented to students and staff. On Jan. 26, the countries that were being presented were all from South Asia.

Daphne Navarro, the marketing director for the International Club, said it’s important to learn about other cultures.

“It’s important to share culture,” Navarro said. “You learn something new about someone else and create community, knowing what’s important to somebody else.”

There were four different presentations. Sadik Rezwane presented about Bangladesh, Pooja Modawel presented about India, Abina Lama presented about Nepal and Prah Haider presented the

country Pakistan.

“I love to spread knowledge about my country,” Haider said.

“It’s a good way to make friends and present about my country.

We’re first-hand people to give information. I am from Pakistan and I am telling you everything.”

Most of these presentations included facts about these countries, like cities within them, festivals, special foods and more.

The International Club serves food from the countries being presented at their Around the World Wednesday events. Event coordinator Pragati Rouniyar said this is a great opportunity to meet people from all over.

“You can meet people from all over the world,” Rouniyar said. “You will get a different perspective of life.”

Students can come and enjoy the food and learn all about these counties. Navarro said it is encouraged to ask questions, and a great way to start getting involved.

“I asked somebody how I could get involved with other cultures and then I became a part of the exec club,” Navarro said.

Rouniyar said the International Club is always looking for new ideas and new people.

“We are very cooperative,” Rouniyar said. “We are 100 percent ready to collaborate. We want to be in touch with every organization on campus.”

The next Around the World event will be held on Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. in the Muenster University Center pit.

skill to have. Chef Jim is also an amazing trainer.”

Throughout all this chaos, Welch said communication is key to allowing Vermillion to prosper.

“One of the most important things, during these, and any times that are difficult, will be communication, our challenges, observations, ideas, efforts and encouragement,” Welch said.

“From there, we find programs to implement, specific support to provide and ways that we can tackle

the challenges that accompany the times of COVID-19.”

The VCDC and downtown businesses are hoping by offering incentives they will be able to garner new employee interest.

“The VCDC has partnered with the Governors Office of Economic Development, and companies around Vermillion to implement a workforce attraction program that can include cash incentives to new or promoted positions that relocate to the Vermillion area, as well as a

coordinated marketing campaign to attract workers to consider moving to the area,” Welch said.

Iverson said she is thankful for the community, during these fluctuations and Cafe Brulé hopes to get back to life as normal soon.

“We really appreciate the community support through all this and the college kid’s support,” Iverson said. “We appreciate the patience with the hours and we are hoping to get back to our comfortable selves soon.”

Rachael Cooper

Rachael.Cooper@coyotes.usd.edu

Rachael Cooper | The Volante

Students wait in line for South Asian inspired meal from the International Club.

Rachael Cooper

Staff shortages and less hours throughout Vermillion

Rachael.Cooper@coyotes.usd.edu

With COVID-19 cases rising, more people and places are trying to adapt. A common concern for the city of Vermillion is staff shortages amongst businesses.

Nate Welch, the president and CEO of the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company (VCDC), said he notices this common occurrence throughout Vermillion.

“We have seen a workforce

shortage in multiple sectors, throughout the Vermillion area, since even before the pandemic in 2020,” said Welch in an email interview with The Volante. “As much as we all wish there could be a silver bullet to solving the workforce need, there unfortunately is not one.”

Not only are there problems with short staffing, but businesses have also started to cut down their hours they are open. The downtown restaurant, Café Brulé, feels this impact. Owner Monica Iverson said

she hopes this frustration will end soon.

“It’s frustrating,” Iverson said.

“We definitely would like to be open in the evening again, because temporary has turned into a much longer stretch than we were hoping for.”

Café Brulé is on the lookout for more hires. Specifically, they are in search of more cooks.

“No one is interested in cooking,” Iverson said. “Which is too bad because I think it is a good lifelong

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Wednesday, February 2, 2022 THE VOLANTE

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CHAMBER SINGERS PERFORM AT FUNERAL

The USD Chamber Singers and alumni gathered to sing at David Holdhusen’s mother’s funeral, held in Sioux Falls.

Madeline Knau Holdhusen said he chose the song they sang because it was a Madeline.Knau@coyotes.usd.edu spiritual song for the funeral.

“I think it’s a very spiritual song for the funeral because it talks On Jan. 15, the Chamber Singers and alumni sang “O Day Full of about finding the light and moving out of the darkness into the Grace” at David Holdhusen’s mother’s funeral in Sioux Falls.

Holdhusen, USD the director of the choral activities said he light,” said Holdhusen. “And there’s a moment in that song where I call it the gates of heaven chord because I really feel like it signifies chose to include the Chamber Singers and alumni in the funeral the opening of the pearly gates and the walking in ushering in and because they were a huge part of his life and that it made him feel so I wanted to use that in the funeral.” better to have them there to be a part of it.

Shelby Wright, a student involved in Chamber Singers, said she “My mom was my greatest champion, and whatever she or was humbled and honored to be able to participate in the funeral whatever I was doing, she was 100% supportive,” said Holdhusen. and for him to share that sort of vulnerability with his students.

“Like I said at the funeral, if you were in the room, my mom loved Wright said she enjoys how compassionate and kind he is and isn’t you. So I know that she would have wanted that group to be a part of afraid to hide certain parts of his life from his students. the funeral. And honestly, it made me feel better to have them there “When he asked who would be willing to do it, so many hands were raised because everybody was just like yes, we would like to do and be a part of it. It was just a very nurturing thing for me as well.”

Submitted Photo| The Volante that for you because he’s given so much to the choir that the reaction was sort of that we want to do anything that we can to help because he does so much for us,” Wright said.

Colby Stoos, a member of Chamber Singers, said it was emotional for a lot of people and that he wanted to help give some of that emotional support back to Holdhusen and help him during the tough time.

“I think that when we sang the song during the funeral, it really showed the Chamber family,” said Stoos. “He’s told us every year, if you’re a Chamber Singer, you’re part of a Chamber Singer family.

And I think this was the biggest proof that what he says has always been true because we all came together to support the head of our family.”

Holdhusen said he was very grateful for the students and alumni that joined and came to the funeral to sing.

USD art students awarded in the Stilwell Art Exhibition Maddi Kallsen

Maddilynn.Kallsen@coyotes.usd.edu

The College of Fine Arts is hosting the 36th annual Stilwell Art Exhibition containing works of art from USD students.

The Stilwell exhibition is named after former chair and art professor Wilber Stilwell, his wife, Gladys and the Stilwell family. Stilwell was a faculty member for 32 years and the Stilwell family still provides support for the exhibition.

The juried student exhibition is in the John A. Day Gallery in the Fine Arts building until Feb. 18.

“The show is so important because it gives the university a chance to see what fine art students are creating and what their research and work is,” Amy Fill, the director of university art galleries, said.

“It also gives the students professional experiences. How to prepare for a show, how to meet deadlines, how to talk about your work and some of those professional things that we need to do as artists.”

Anne Huntington Sharma juried and curated the show,

deciding what pieces got in, where they went and awarded the various winners. Best of Show was awarded to Ava Reiner, the Faculty Award went to Cailey Schendel, The Stilwell Award went to Aaron Johnson, and Sierra Smith, Yazmin Moktan and Sonia Perea Morales were honorably mentioned. Other Award titles include various purchase awards, the Merit and Silver Light awards.

“Several works reflect this notion of rebirth and many reflect the opposite. As the juror, I took to heart where we, as humanity and society, have been over the past year and I am humbled by the themes that have consciously or unconsciously come to life,” Sharma said in the Juror Statement. “There is an extreme sense of light and dark and the essence of these works stretches beyond the gallery walls.”

Sharma said there are several themes connecting the works of art selected for the show.

“The artist’s practice may be individual; yet, there is a clear thread that unites all the selected works. Upon review and selection, the works spoke out and shared various themes such as loss, innocence, life, death, rebirth, mysticism, destruction and growth,” Sharma said.

All the works selected were carefully curated and connect to cohesively create this year’s exhibit, Fill said.

“The way (Sharma) selected some works were very sensitive. And I think really holistic too and really wanting to represent the entire art student body. She did a really great job of representing everybody in there,” Fill said.

Second year USD student Veronica Knippling, majoring in graphic design, was awarded the University Art Gallery Purchase and the Silver Light Awards.

“By being included in the Stillwell, I was amongst some amazing artists, most of whom are my peers and I’m so proud and honestly floored with all they came up with,” Knippling said. “The fact that others were as touched by my art as I was when making it is a privilege.”

Third year USD student, Luci Hudson, majoring in art with an emphasis in photography, won the Silver Light Award.

“There is a lot of joy being in the Stilwell and having work next to all of my talented friends’ works,” Hudson said.

Maddi Kallsen | The Volante Maddi Kallsen | The Volante The Stilwell Art Exhibit is on display in the John A. Day Gallery, located in the Fine Arts building, Hosted annually, this is the 36th annual Stilwell Art Exhibit hosted by the College of Fine until Feb. 18.

Arts.

Oscar Howe Exhibition explores Native American contemporary artwork Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

The Oscar Howe Curatorial Fellowship Exhibition was on Jan. 26 and showcases Howe’s artwork and his dedication to his legacy. Howe was a Yanktonai Dakota artist from South Dakota who was known for his contemporary depictions of Native Americans.

The Fellowship is a grant funded program that is a part of their contemporary Native Arts program. This allows students to create exhibitions like this and do travel research.

In an email interview with The Volante junior social work major Jesslyn Estes, said they centered the exhibition around nature to highlight the relationship between Indigenous people and nature.

“Oscar Howe’s art expresses this better than anything else. Nature plays a crucial role in the culture, and he painted to record visually and artistically the identity of an Indigenous person,” Estes said.

Gallery director Amy Fill said the exhibition is open to everyone, but those who have a deeper understanding of Native culture will have a more enriched experience in the gallery.

“They will have more access to the understandings in a deeper way than like I can understand because that’s

not my culture, but they can have more insight into the symbolisms and the dances and the histories,” Fill said.

With decades of artwork at her disposal, Estes said it was hard to decide what pieces to use in the gallery. After picking a theme, it was easy to put them together. Estes said one of the pieces has a tree behind the dancer which relates to nature but also holds cultural significance.

“I noticed things in his paintings that symbolize the culture and the identity of an Indigenous person. His work expresses the relationship they have with the land and environment.

The way he paints their movements in nature and captures the dancers in the air with the flow of the wind,” Estes said.

Estes said there is no target audience for this exhibition. She hopes everyone has a chance to visit the gallery because there is always something new to learn.

“The Oscar Howe Gallery is important because it encourages questions, sparks curiosity and holds significant cultural value. I think everyone would enjoy this exhibition because just walking through it is fascinating,” Estes said.

There will be an honoring ceremony Bailey Zubke | The Volante for the gallery at the end of the school year. The Oscar Howe Curatorial Fellowship Exhibition, displaying Howe’s dedicated work, opened Jan. 26.

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B2 Wednesday, February 2, 2022

The Volante | volanteonline.com

South Dakota New Music brings unique sound to Colton Recital Hall Bailey Zubke

Bailey.Zubke@coyotes.usd.edu

Eight composers and 11 performers made up the South Dakota New Music performance Monday night inside of Colton Recital Hall.

The show welcomed an in-person crowd and was livestreamed on the Department of Music’s website. In total, there were three world premieres, including a piece made by assistant professor Paul Lombardi, who was the artistic director of Monday’s show.

“I try to include students and local composers and faculty as

New music is considered music created within the last 50 or

so years by living composers generally. USD tries to put together a show like Monday’s performance once a semester.

“We had a great turnout last semester, it was probably one of

USD isn’t the only school that performs new music, but USD’s

show is unique in how the show is structured.

“A lot of universities, they have a new music ensemble, a group of players that will do the whole concert,” Lombardi said. “That

our biggest turnouts, and it was our longest concert,” Lombardi

format hasn’t really worked here, so we have a new music series,

said.

where we invite students, faculty and local people to be a part of it.”

While Monday’s performance, starting with Luis Viquez and Darin Wadley’s performance, was shorter than last semester’s show, there was still a good crowd for a unique showcase.

“Not everybody likes new music,” Lombardi said. “Sometimes

Lombardi also thanked the help of other professors at USD before the show.

“We have other people who have been instrumental in this too, Wadley and Viquez,” Lombardi said. “Our professors are always

best I can,” Lombardi said. “We had seven compositions by eight

it challenges them to hear things in a way that they hadn’t thought

involved, and a lot of times, Amy Larson and Todd Cranson also

composers, all of the composers are alive except one. Three of the

about before. Generally, the people that come to these concerts

bring a lot of new music to the community, so they’re playing

composers are local and we have three world premieres.”

respond positively.”

tonight (Monday).”

Composers and performers had a livestreamed audience as well as an in-person crowd for this semester’s New Music performance.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Rachel Review: “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” can’t decide what it is Rachel Thompson

Rachel.R.Thompson@coyotes.usd.edu

Kristen Bell stars in a new dark comedy parodying the movie “The Woman in the Window.” It started its first ongoing joke by titling the show “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” to make fun of long titles in mysteries. The show was released on Jan. 28 on Netflix and as of Jan. 30, has reached the number one spot on the Top Ten in the U.S. list.

The long-titled show follows Bell’s character, Anna, living alone and spending her days drinking wine and watching her neighbors live out their lives. Anna’s life has become a daze from her recent tragedy with her family, leaving her with loss of time and memories. On a usual night of watching the new neighbors and drinking wine, Anna sees her neighbor murdered, but once sobered up is told the opposite. Refusing to believe that what she saw was just a hallucination, Anna goes on a journey of trying to solve the murder of her neighbor.

Bell being the lead of a dark comedy is what sold me on watching this show. Bell is a Netflix | The Volante natural when it comes to comedy as prevalent

Netflix

from her work being mostly comedic pieces.

Since “The Good Place” ended, I was looking forward to the next clever comedy Bell would lead. With the high standards and excellent premise of “The Good Place,” this show was a little bit of a let down.

The show markets itself as a parody and dark comedy, but it has a hard time creating a continuous mix of these elements. The show often switches from dark mystery to parody to comedy. The most compelling times were when it focused on the mystery and threw out the comedy.

Even with Bell’s excellent delivery of comedic moments, not everything can be found funny.

The bad comedy is either in a moment that is too dark to be found funny or too stupid and annoying to laugh.

There were moments where I didn’t feel I was forced to laugh, but looking back it feels as though it was due to the utter silliness and lack of care from the show that I fell into a “what the heck, I guess this is funny” feeling.

Anna as a character was relatable, even though she had an unreliable perspective. Bell playing this role was the highlight of the show, as she brings her own characteristics to the role and embraced the parody nature of the story.

However, the underdevelopment with other characters gives the other actors little chance to shine.

There are a lot of instances in the show where we are led to believe one thing through Anna’s perspective with no hints that were meant for just the audiences to then have the show turn around and tell us “no, it’s actually this.” Every time this happened it would pull me out of the show and make me say, “oh this is just lazy writing.”

The power of writing isn’t to tell an audience what is, it’s to show and gradually have it revealed what is, for the audience to figure it out. Maybe it was a part of the parody to have dumb jokes and writing, but these aspects weren’t funny or entertaining.

The end of the show was funny, as I knew about half way there would be little to no more character development and would just end with a big, silly reveal. I was honestly laughing at the show rather than with it.

If you’re looking for a break in rewatching “The Good Place” this long-titled show was a fine, fun and quick binge and if their hopes of a second season come to fruition, I’ll give it a watch for Bell.

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COYOTES TAKE ON THE MIDCO AQUATIC CENTER IN COYOTE INVITE

Madison Martinez | The Volante The Coyotes competed against five other swim and dive teams over the weekend in Sioux Falls at the Coyote Invite. The USD swim and dive teams placed first overall, scoring a total of 544.4 points.

Tavin Carncross

Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

This past weekend, the South Dakota Coyotes swim and dive teams traveled to Sioux Falls to compete in the Coyote Invite. The two day event included teams from South Dakota State (SDSU), University of Sioux Falls (USF), University of Nebraska Omaha, Iowa Lakes Lakers (ILCC) and Iowa Central Community College (IC).

On day one, the Coyotes competed in 14 swimming events where they placed in every single event.

Senior swimmer Cassie Ketterling took home the win in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57:38. The other individual winner was freshman swimmer Sara Mayer. She took the 50 freestyle with a time of 24:21.

Mayer was also a part of a four person relay team with senior Isabel Fairbanks, freshman Emily Kahn and senior Delaney Kottke,

where they collectively put up a time of 3:58.26 which allowed them to capture the win.

Senior Meghan Atwell, freshman Shanon Banark, freshman Christina Spomer and Kottke competed in the 200 free relay, where they took a win with a time of 1:38.79.

The last group that grabbed a win on the first day was the group of junior Aidan Gantenbein and seniors Jack Leichner, Brady Torborg and Jacob Wong. They competed in the 200 free relay and put up a time of 1:24.46.

On day two, the Coyotes saw five different women win individual events.

The first two of the women were divers Naomi Bingham and Kayla Middaugh. Senior Bingham dove her way to first in the one meter diving event and sophomore Middaugh was first in the three meter.

Freshman Mairead Powers took home another 400 IM clocking in with a time of 4:42.61. This was Powers’ third 400 IM victory of the season. Kahn also grabbed herself another win over the weekend winning the 100 free. That was her sixth time this season.

Coyotes also had two winners in the 1650 freestyles. The first was sophomore Maddie Grant who was competing for the first time in this event. She had a time of 18:00.97. Sophomore Carter Anderson grabbed the second win with his time of 16:48.62.

The Coyotes scored the most points out of all five schools scoring 544.4 points. SDSU came in second with 532.5 points which was followed by Omaha, IC and ILCC. With this event concluded, it ends the Coyotes regular season.

They will have a couple of weeks off before they head up north and compete in the Summit League Championships in Fargo, North Dakota on Feb. 16.

Coyote not ready to give up football; declares for NFL draft Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

With one year of eligibility remaining due to COVID-19, linebacker DeJaun Cooper made the transition from a Hawk to a Coyote.

The Maryland native played football for four years at Monmouth University in New Jersey where he graduated with a degree in graphic design.

After the NCAA announced that athletes would receive an extra year of eligibility, Cooper committed to USD on June 4, 2021. Cooper said this year as a Coyote was a blessing and an experience he really needed.

As his time playing in the DakotaDome came to an end, Cooper began thinking about what his future would look like and decided he wasn’t ready to give up football, making the decision to declare for the NFL draft.

“It has always been a goal of mine,” Cooper said.

“Just watching football all of the time and dreaming of myself being in that position is something that definitely crossed my mind from time to time.”

Cooper said he started playing organized football in 2008 with the best youth football organization in Maryland, the Montgomery Village Chiefs. He then went on to play as an outside linebacker at his high school, Northwest High

School, where he recorded over 70 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2016 and was named U-19 First Team AllLB at the USA Championships.

In his last season as a Monmouth Hawk, Cooper saw starts in all 13 games and finished the season as the team’s sixth-leading tackler, amounting 46 tackles.

Now with his collegiate football career being complete, Cooper is spending all of his time preparing and practicing for the NFL draft.

“Right now, I am currently training in Arizona,” Cooper said. “I am training at Apex Facility Performance Center in Mesa. (I am) trying to take care of my body with recovery and meals so I can be in the best shape possible come pro day.”

A college pro day is an event for college football players to undergo various individual drills that allow them to showcase their skills in front of talent evaluators.

Cooper said much of his desire to play football professionally came from his lifelong dreams of being that athlete he grew up watching on tv, but as he continued playing college football, another reason for making it to the NFL emerged.

“Playing five years of Division I football versus some of the top competition in the FCS was fun and a blessing so that was a reason as well for me to declare for the draft,” Cooper said.

File Photo | The Volante Linebacker DeJaun Cooper recently declared for the NFL Draft after his final season of eligibility for NCAA football.

Habiba Aly: From Cairo to Summit League Player to Watch Landon DeBoer

Landon.DeBoer@coyotes.usd.edu

Graduate student and fifth-year collegiate tennis player, Habiba Aly, has been named a Summit League Player to Watch for the spring 2022 season.

Aly, who is from Cairo, Egypt, was awarded this honor just ahead of the spring season Jan. 11.

After receiving this honor, Aly said she was proud to be recognized as a player to watch because it shows how her work and results in the past have paid off.

“It means a lot, of course, to be recognized,” Aly said. “I mean, it’s based on what the League says and what my coach sees, as well as all my results from last semester. I’m glad that it kind of paid off… It means a lot actually to be recognized like that.”

Preparation for the tennis season has been nonstop for Aly and the team. They have been getting ready for the spring season since as early as last fall.

“We have been preparing for (the spring season) since the fall with all the fall tournaments that we had and all the intense

practices,” Aly said. “Even when we went home for Christmas break, I still kept practicing and doing all the conditioning with my coaches at home. Then, when we come back (to USD), I’m as ready as I can be for the season.”

Although there are no designated indoor tennis courts at USD, Aly and the team make due with two courts under the turf in the DakotaDome and four indoor courts in Yankton. Aly said she and the team hope to have indoor courts one day as it would be beneficial for both practices and for recruiting purposes.

Aly said she is hopeful that the team will compete well this year and will be on the winning side of a few matches that they dropped last season.

“We’re working to kind of take what’s ours from now on, because there are so many matches (that were close), and there are so many teams that we always know that we’re close with, and sometimes we lose but we know that we could have won,” Aly said. “So, this time (our mindset is) that it’s ours and we’re gonna take it.”

In the fall, the women’s team played in tournaments against random players, but in the spring they will play duel matchups and go head-to-head against only one other team.

Aly said that the atmosphere in the duel matchups is much different than the atmosphere at tournaments.

“Everybody has to be there cheering until the very last match, and there is all this excitement and adrenaline. I really love the duel matches,” Aly said.

Tennis is as much of a mental as it is a physical game Aly said, but everyone has their own way to go about preparing for a match.

“There’s not like a default preparation, it’s just how every player would put their minds to it,” Aly said. “You see us mostly as a team, but if you see us in the warm up, everybody is kind of in their own zone.”

In addition to being a student athlete, Aly teaches classes for her graduate program. Aly said this has really taught her how to balance her life.

“It’s a skill that I think every student athlete naturally just owns by default, because it’s crazy how you have to balance (your sport), sleep and social life… which is nonexistent,” Aly said. “But at least (athletes) have each other.”

The Coyote tennis team is projected to finish third in the Summit League this season by the coaches preseason poll.

B4 Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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