03.04.20

The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

VERVE (B1 & B2)

W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 2 0

VOLANTEONLINE.COM

SPORTS (B3 & B4)

SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW The last ones standing: The undefeated Coyote women look for Summit Tournament title Bailey Zubke

Bailey.Zubke@coyotes.usd.edu

Senior singers reflect after Spring Choral Showcase PAGE B2 The Spring Choral Showcase in Aalfs Auditorium was one of the last vocal performances at USD for the senior members. Read more about how the USD choir department has impacted these seniors on page B3.

NEWS (A1-A3 & A6)

Spring break plans busted due to Coronavirus outbreaks Lexi Kerzman

Lexi.Kerzman@coyotes.usd.edu

With the total number of Coronavirus disease cases (COVID-19) continuing to rise — there are currently 60 confirmed positive cases in the United States — USD students’ spring break plans have been altered as a precautionary measure.

Faculty-led trips to Italy and Guatemala have been canceled due to outbreaks in Italy and quarantines in Guatemala.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travel is not advised and should be avoided if not necessary to China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. For older adults or people who have chronic health conditions, they should also postpone traveling to Japan.

Lisbeth Castro, a junior art education major, originally planned to travel to Italy over spring break as part of her Art and Architecture of Italy course.

Castro said she and a friend signed up for the class after learning about the trip.

“I knew it was going to happen. It was inevitable,” Castro said. “We’re all just disheartened… I was just trying to stay calm about it all. I did feel relieved because I didn’t have to worry about getting quarantined or sick.”

The trip was originally set to start in Rome, then Florence and end in Venice. Castro said just the Venice portion of the trip was canceled as the outbreak in Veneto is only 100 miles away from Venice. They found out the Venice portion was canceled two weeks before they were set to leave and the entire trip was canceled around four days later.

Castro said her professor asked university officials hard questions prior to canceling the trip — such as what if they get quarantined over there, or quarantined at a military base or hospital in a different part of the U.S. and the overall campus safety after they returned.

“The last question my professor asked was ‘what if somebody dies,’” Castro said. “You really have to go to the worst-case scenario in these situations.”

Other students, like Aliece Kardell, a first-year grad student, also had their plans affected by COVID-19. Kardell was set to go to Guatemala with other speech-language pathology majors as well as occupational and physical therapy majors.

The group had the first travel issue when the original professor set to go with them fell and fractured her skull last Monday, Kardell said. A different professor stepped in to take her place and the group made last-minute changes to travel on Feb. 29.

On Feb. 27, they found out their entire trip would be canceled due to quarantines taking place in Guatemala, Kardell said.

“I was very sad and disappointed,” Kardell said.

“I definitely wondered if there was any chance if they would reschedule it, but obviously we have no idea what’s going to happen with the Coronavirus is going so they can’t reschedule.”

Kardell said the most disappointing part was all the work they had put in preparing for their trip. All the AAC message boards and other materials they had prepared will be saved for the trip next year; however, Kardell will already be out of grad school by then.

As disappointed as she was, Kardell said she knows USD made the right decision canceling the trips.

“As college students, I think we throw ourselves into things really quick because we’re excited and sometimes you don’t always think about things,” Kardell said. “It was good to have that brought to our attention, but it still really sucks.”

Both Castro and Kardell said they are optimistic they will be reimbursed for their uncompleted trips, but said they both know it will take a while to see the money.

“The university is working really hard. The chair of our department is collaborating with the

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Freshman guard Macy Guebert holds up a piece of the basketball net, cut to celebrate the women’s team winning the Summit League regular season title.

See WOMEN, Page B4

Coyote men look to experienced cast as Summit League Tournament approaches Jake Lindenberg

Jake.Lindenberg@coyotes.usd.edu

In his first season at the helm, USD men’s basketball head coach Todd Lee led his team to a 13-17 overall record, a six seed in the Summit League tournament and a first-round exit at the hands of Purdue Fort Wayne.

Now, a year later, Lee has led the Coyotes to a 20-11 record, a third seed in the Summit League tournament and a date with six-seeded North Dakota in the opening round of the tournament.

The biggest difference between last year’s team and this year’s is in the shooting department. Last year, USD was last in the Summit league in team shooting percentage (43.8%) and three-point shooting percentage (34.1%).

This season, the Coyotes had the highest team shooting percentage (49.4%) and threepoint shooting percentage (39%) in the conference while scoring the second-most points per game (79.9).

Nationally, USD ranked sixth

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Senior men’s basketball players (from left to right) Brandon Armstrong, Tyler Hagedorn

and Tyler Peterson pose for a photo with head coach Todd Lee during senior night Saturday Feb. 29. in team field goal percentage and seventh in team threepoint field goal percentage.

Lee said the shooting was one of the biggest keys to team success at the Summit League

Tournament.

“We haven’t shot the ball well recently and that’s a big one for us,” Lee said. “There’s no secret there, we need to shoot the ball well. I think Cody (Kelley) has

been pretty consistent, some of the guys off the bench have been fairly consistent. Triston (Simpson), Stanley (Umude) and (Tyler) Hagedorn need to See MEN, Page B4

More than just a liberal arts university: How the Law School and Med School put USD on the map Nik Wilson

Nikolas.Wilson@coyotes.usd.edu

USD is the only university in South Dakota that offers both a medical school and a law school, but for University President Sheila Gestring, that distinction only increases the school’s duties to South Dakota.

Gestring said the law and medical schools face a heightened level of obligation to help the state. “(That is) a special responsibility, because we’re educating the future doctors and lawyers that are going to practice here in the state of South Dakota,” Gestring said.

The Medical School’s new curriculum

Mary Nettleman, dean of USD’s Sanford School of Medicine, said 80% of the med school’s graduates plan to practice in South Dakota. One aspect of the medical school which has changed throughout Nettleman’s eight years here, she said, is the curriculum.

See VIRUS, Page A3

Clarification from Feb.12 article

The photo that ran in the Feb. 12 issue of The Volante on page A1 was a photo illustration. The scene captured in the photo was a representation and did not naturally occur.

The Coyote women dropped the 2019 Summit League Tournament championship to South Dakota State last March. But this year the No. 17/12 Coyotes know what they’re after and the target is on their back.

“The part our players have and a chance to be a part of in the past is experiencing what it’s like to not be as successful as we want to be in whatever that means,” USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “Whether that’s in the regular season, that’s in the tournament…. We’ve had to battle through some adversity and some of that adversity has fueled us.”

The Coyotes finished their regular season with a 27-2 record and a perfect 16-0 record in Summit League play. USD’s two losses come against No. 23/21 Missouri State and No. 1 South Carolina. Plitzuweit said the record isn’t the main way she and her team look at their success.

“We have prided ourselves on being the best that we can

Illustration by Leah Dusterhoft | The Volante

“The curriculum has been modernized,” Nettleman said in an email interview with The Volante. “There is a renewed emphasis on student wellness, a Certificate in Bioethics has been added, more experience with Native American culture has been added.”

The curriculum also features more experiences and fewer lectures in the first few years for students. USD’s medical school students have more clinical experience before graduation than most medical students, Nettleman said.

Students also have proven to have high board scores and pass rates.

She said the graduating class for this upcoming May earned 100% board pass rates on both required national boards.

“The most recent results show that our average board score was better than 75% of medical schools in the country,” Nettleman said.

Nettleman, who will retire this July, said serving as the dean of the medical school was a pleasure and privilege. In 2017, the medical school received the Spencer Foreman Award, which is the top award a medical school can receive, Nettleman said. Only one school is chosen each year.

One new project the school See USD, Page A3

News ANSWERING STUDENT QUESTIONS A2 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Peyton Beyers I The Volante

USD Student Media hosted the annual SGA Presidential Debate on Thursday Feb. 27. The three teams discussed their platforms and answered audience questions.

CITY OF VERMILLION POLICE >> Feb. 23 - Feb. 29

10

5

minors

Feb. 23 An officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration. The driver had a warrant for his arrest out of Clay County. He was also found to be in possession of a fake ID. Feb. 24 Caller requested assistance helping her spouse up as he had fallen and could not get up. Officers assisted the man up, he was not injured and required no further assistance.

Feb. 24 Caller reported finding damage to a window and door knob and several things missing from inside his residence. Under

investigation.

Feb. 24 An officer responded to a two-vehicle non-injury accident that occurred on private property. The accident was documented.

Feb. 25 Officers assisted University Police with removing a female juvenile from resident housing. The juvenile was on probation and had previously been told not to return to any university housing unit.

Feb. 25 Caller reported a man and woman fighting outside a trailer. Officers responded and attempted to contact the man

1

fake IDs

and woman who had entered the trailer.

Investigation resulted in the man, who was under 21 years of age, being arrested for two Clay County warrants for his arrest and consuming alcohol. The woman was arrested for domestic assault, minor consuming alcohol, and probation violation.

Feb. 25 Officers responded to a report of roommates arguing and one had grabbed the other. The argument was over one roommate not cleaning up dirty dishes. No crime had occurred.

Both parties were provided with other alternatives

‘SGA Sucks’ email prompts student feedback, reflection on Student Government’s image

for resolving disputes.

Feb. 25 Caller requested officers check on a close friend who has medical issues. Officers found the subject and he was alright and denied needing assistance.

Feb. 26 An officer responded to a two vehicle non-injury accident. One of the drivers was cited for failure to yield at a yield sign.

Feb. 27 An officer recognized a man walking down the road. The man had a warrant for his arrest out of Clay County. The officer arrested the man for the warrant.

Feb. 28 Officers responded to a medical call. The patient had called complaining of blindness, eye pain, and numbnesss. Officers provided care until the ambulance arrived and took over.

Feb. 28 An officer recognized a driver who was suspended. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was charged with driving while suspended. There was a passenger in the vehicle who had a warrant for his arrest out of Clay County.

Feb. 29 Caller reported the business mail box had been smashed again.

LIVE AT 5 P.M.

Officers investigated.

No suspect(s) have been identified.

Feb. 29 Caller reported her apartment may have been entered by an unknown person(s). The caller discovered several items had been stolen from the apartment.

Under invesigation.

Feb. 29 Caller reported an ex-girlfriend was at his home yelling and refusing to leave. Officers responded and removed the ex-girlfriend from the home and warned her not to return.

TUNE IN THIS MONTH

Watch Channel 21 tonight at 5 P.M. for a behind the scenes on the dental hygiene program.

Tune into KAOR today for the inside scoop on the hospitality for the Summit League tournament.

COYOTEHistory

Miles Amende

Miles.Amende@coyotes.usd.edu

After the Occhipinto-Specht campaign sent an email titled “SGA Sucks” to the student body on Tuesday, the Student Government Association received feedback, criticizing the email at that night’s meeting.

The email urged students to vote for Carissa Occhipinto and running mate Shelby Specht in the current SGA presidential election. The campus-wide email contained four campaign promises, as well as the statement “SGA Sucks… but we want to fix it and help put the YOU back in USD.” Garrett Keegan, a third-year law student and former SGA senator from the law school criticized the campaign and the email.

“Telling the entire student body that the students they elected to represent their interests suck isn’t going to better serve those students. These types of smear campaigns do not further the message you’re trying to convey,” Keegan said. “We should not be quick to turn to insults or backhanded comments to get our point across. It’s the students that lose when we do that.”

Keegan replied to the email and passed out copies of the email and his response at the meeting.

Occhipinto and Specht were absent from the meeting, but in an email statement to The Volante stated their platform is a critique of the institution of Senate, not the people serving on it.

“The intention of our campaign was never meant to ‘defame,’ ‘disparage,’ ‘slander,’ or ‘insult’ anyone who currently serves or has served on Senate in any capacity…” the email stated. “It is unfortunate our words and intentions have been received in this way by our fellow members of Senate, who have been with us through the struggles SGA has experienced this year.”

SGA presidential candidate Katie Brust wasn’t informed of the email

roommate argument

2008 Contstruction on the Muenster University Center is delayed.

2006 Wal-Mart opens in Vermillion.

The Volante Peyton Beyers | The Volante

Abuk Jiel, SGA senator co-sponsored a bill introduced Tuesday to establish educational programs related to racial comments made on campus. until the meeting. Brust said the email may affect SGA’s reputation among the student body.

“It’s important to keep in mind that one should run their campaign with integrity and it’s important to consider how these messages will reflect back on SGA,” Brust said. “It’s important for students to understand that while parts of the Senate may disagree with how we act as a whole, there’s been a lot of great things that we’ve been collaborative on.”

Abuk Jiel, the third SGA presidential candidate, said she found the email disheartening and said the message is indicative of the senators’ time on SGA. “I think it speaks loudly for how they both feel about SGA in general. If you think this organization sucks as is, what have you been doing as a senator to fix that? I don’t know what makes them think being executive members or presiSee SGA, Page A3

Volume 145, N0. 19 March 4, 2020 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Kyle Miller 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.

The Volante wishes to be viewed by students as respectable, objective, accurate, fair and trustworthy. If you have comments, concerns or questions, please contact The Volante at 677-5494.

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Lexi Kerzman editor-in-chief Sara Cappiello managing editor Nik Wilson news editor Miles Amende news assistant Bailey Zubke sports editor Madilyn Sindelar sports assistant Peyton Beyers photo editor Alison Boysen opinion editor Leah Dusterhoft executive designer Tori Harwell page designer Lauren Johnson page designer Heidi Schneider social media director DeAndre Hill social media assistant Jackson Sadler advertising manager

News

A3 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

VIRUS From Page A1

Dean of Arts and Science to try and get us reimbursed,” Kardell said. “We all had two credits of tuition that I think will be fully reimbursed… but the money that we spent going on our flights, food and travel and hotel (are still unknown). I’m thinking positively.”

Ava Curtis, a senior finance major, had planned on meeting up with her boyfriend who is studying abroad in Italy over spring break. They were originally going to spend a few days in London and a few days in Paris, Curtis said. Now, due to the outbreak in Italy, their plans have had some costly changes.

“He’s changed numerous flights. His original flight was supposed to be from Rome to London so we’re just out that money and then he was supposed to also have a flight from Paris back to Rome and the end of spring break so we’re just out that one as well,” Curtis said. “It’s just been quite a bit of a headache this last week and a half.”

Curtis is still going to see her boyfriend

in London, but after their time there, he will fly back to America to finish out his semester online as his university, has canceled their study abroad.

The pair isn’t too worried about COVID-19, Curtis said but they’re packing extra hand sanitizer and wet wipes to stay as healthy as possible.

“There are cases of it everywhere and that’s what I’ve been telling myself,” Curtis said. “I feel like it mainly affects older people so if you’re young and healthy it shouldn’t really be a problem. There is always the concern of it, especially being in airports and being abroad.”

USD President Shelia Gestring sent out an email on Feb. 26 stating USD and South Dakota agencies are closing watching the situation.

“There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota. However, because this is a rapidly evolving situation, we will continue to monitor the outbreak and provide updated information as it becomes available,” the email stated.

“USD leaders are already revising the university’s Emergency Operations Plan to prepare for and respond to a possible pandemic.”

The Volante | volanteonline.com

USD ROTC strives to boost recruitment numbers, increase stability

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

The Burr House on University Street houses the USD US Army ROTC. Jacob Forster

Jacob.R.Forster@coyotes.usd.edu

Heidi Schneider | The Volante

Source: cdc.gov

USD

From Page A1 is starting to work on will emphasize the importance of kindness.

“We are fortunate to have students and faculty who are inherently kind,” Nettleman said. “What we are trying to do is to make kindness a visible part of our culture

The Law School starts conversations

Neil Fulton, the Dean of USD’s Law School, said the school plays an important role in serious discussions about a variety of issues.

“When there are conversations about government, about justice in society, about who we are as a society, the law school really needs to be front and center in those conversations and I think our faculty, students and staff do that,” Fulton said.

Last year, 49 students graduated from the law school, and 203 students are enrolled this year.

One thing law students, as well as faculty and staff need, Fulton said, is to adapt to changes in the law. Property laws, which pertain to what people are allowed to own, have changed over time,

SGA

From Page A2 think being executive members or president/vice president will change that in any way,” Jiel said.

SGA also saw the introduction of a bill that would officially give SGA’s Election Steering Committee the final authority in resolving issues that arise when a presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate split.

Campaign splits, which happened twice this election season, have no official legislation concerning how they are resolved. While both were resolved by the Election Steering Committee, the bill would cement the committee’s role in resolving these issues in the organization’s bylaws.

Kevin Huizenga, Election Steering Committee chair, intended to sponsor the bill, but it was picked up by Brust, who was personally affected by a campaign split.

“I hope this never happens to anyone again, but in the event that it does, I want them to have the securi-

Fulton said.

“In the course of (a property law) class, professors are going to talk about digital property and electronic issues in a way that they didn’t (30 years ago),” Fulton said. “So, even though the classes stay the same, the law continues to evolve to meet societal changes.”

The law school has also added newer courses emphasizing experiential learning and hands-on opportunities.

Fulton said the school has expanded its connection with the East River Legal Services, so students can get volunteer opportunities to represent real clients.

They’ve also added a practicum course with the Sioux Falls Public Defenders Office, which gets students in courtrooms.

“Our graduates are going to go out and be leaders in their communities and we’ve got graduates who are going out to almost every community in South Dakota and surrounding states in the region,” Fulton said.

Both the Law School and Medical School, Fulton said, play an important role not only to USD, but to the state of South Dakota.

“The Law School and the Med School and USD in general have a tremendous history of service to the state,” Fulton said.

“That’s really important because a little bit about who were are defines a lot about who we’re going to be.” ty that I did not,” Brust said. “Since it’s affected two campaigns, I think it’s important for that to be held as a precedent.”

Four senators — Jiel, Brust, Macy Halverson and Sophia Lima — introduced a bill to establish programs to educate USD students about the impact of racist and derogatory language.

The bill was introduced in reaction to the Strollers show and a tweet the organization sent promoting the emcee which contained racist language.

SGA can’t take action against the Strollers organization because such action would violate the organization’s right to free speech.

Lima said she hopes the programs established by the bill will prevent future incidents. “(We’re) trying to get at creating educational opportunities and initiatives for students to become knowledgable on these topics so (incidents) are less likely to occur because students didn’t know saying these things was harmful to others,” Lima said.

The USD ROTC program hasn’t met their recruitment levels since 1973, but they are working to change that.

The ROTC program’s mission is to graduate a certain number of cadets every year, but this goal hasn’t been met in 47 years. When the USD ROTC program was established until 1995, its mission was to graduate 25 cadets.

In 1995, that number was renegotiated to 15 cadets. The last time the ROTC program managed to meet the set standard was 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Colonel Dan Sundberg, chair of the USD Department of Military Science, said the struggle to meet recruitment levels comes from a variety of factors.

“We do PT either in the Dome or the Wellness Center and our classes are spread out on campus,” Sundberg said. “It’s tough to sell confidence into these cadets when they have to come here to meet their professor, go here for physical training, go here for class.”

The current ROTC cadet count stands at seven seniors, 10 juniors, 15 sophomores and 31 freshmen. Sundberg said the program sees attrition from year to year.

“President (Shelia) Gestring has been

incredibly supportive of ROTC. There is a plan apparently to move us into the Dome,” Sundberg said. “When you look at world-class facilities, everything’s in one spot.”

Sundbergs said the ROTC program has been on a recovery track recently, with increased recruiting.

“We have lemons; we’re making lemonade.

We have incredible cadets that are energized and motivated,” Sundberg said. “I attribute the success in recruiting to positive energy. We won the Ranger Challenge last year ... which really helped.”

The USD ROTC program is capable of bringing in $443,000 in scholarships a year if it brings in 15 cadets.

USD ROTC is part of the third ROTC brigade, which includes the upper Midwest from the Dakotas to Illinois. This brigade includes 41 host schools, three of them in South Dakota. Sundberg said there’s a push at the federal level to move some of the programs out to colleges in the Southwest.

“They’re looking for schools to give up their ROTC program, so we can go meet the demand that’s down there,” Sundberg said. “So there’s a challenge for us to make sure the army knows that it’s worthwhile to have ROTC here, because right now the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.”

USD students balance course work with parental duties Jacob Forster

Jacob.R.Forster@coyotes.usd.edu

For USD students with children, the challenge is striking the right balance between spending time in class and with their kids.

The Vucurevich Children’s Center on campus offers childcare services to 19 USD students with children, as well as USD faculty and staff and the Vermillion community.

Melissa Kay is a second year law student at USD with two children, Ava and Riley, who are both enrolled at the Vucurevich Children’s Center.

Russell Shaffer is a graduate student pursuing a PhD in English with two children.

Shaffer said maintaining balance is the most difficult part of raising children while taking college courses.

“I don’t know what it would be like as an undergrad, but as a graduate student the courses are really intense, really time-intensive,” Shaffer said. “It’s really hard to strike a healthy balance between dedicating enough time to your classes to do well and still maintaining time for your kids, for your family and maintaining those healthy relationships.”

Kay also said balancing child care and college courses can be hard.

“The most difficult part is time management, trying to basically be two different people in the same day,” Kay said.

The university childcare program charges an hourly rate which is discounted for USD students, but with a contract minimum of $104.50 a week for 28 hours.

Shaffer said the price of childcare and the inflexibility of the contract is the biggest drawback and can make things difficult.

“You have to pay a certain amount of money and it’s rare that we ever max out our hours and so we’re always paying for it no matter what,” Shaffer said. “But it’s hard to complain about that since we agreed to it anyways.”

The price of childcare can be expensive, but Kay said it’s worth it for her children.

“Quality-wise it’s great, both my kids have

gone there from infant to preschool,” Kay said. “I wish that the university would offer a little more of a discount for students.”

In addition to the $104.50 minimum each week, the program charges a registration fee of $45 per family and a supply fee once each semester.

The program provides both playtime and educational services to children, with full-time teachers.

“We love the university childcare program.

It’s fantastic. The staff is excellent. They’re very personable. They take extremely good care of your children,” Shaffer said.

The Vucurevich Children’s Center has special guests monthly and field trips for preschool students in the summer.

“It’s a really good transition from just straight playtime when they’re young to introducing more and more educational elements as they get older,” Shaffer said.

The center also makes active play and activities available for children in its curriculum.

“They taught my children things that never even occurred to me,” Shaffer said, “I really enjoy having my children with Vucurevich.”

Submitted photo | The Volante Melissa Kay’s kids Ava (left) age five and Riley (right) age four sit in bed for a photo.

Opinion WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

SGA is failing its students

THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

EDITORIAL

SETH GERBERDING is a senior double majoring in mathematical sciences and philosophy.

87

As a senior who is more than ready to graduate, I’ve seen four years of SGA administrations. To be blunt, I’ve been more than disappointed.

Indeed, I’ve come to the harsh conclusion that SGA hurts student life on campus. And I’m not the first to be critical of SGA. The current SGA administration, headed by President Carson Zubke and Vice President Hannah Booth, has come to represent typical SGA leadership. To put it mildly, their term has been, at best, a disappointment and at worst, a failure.

First, they ran on making transcripts free for students.

Not only have they failed to do so, they haven’t even tried.

Under their administration, no legislation has been introduced that addresses transcripts in any way.

Once again, we have an SGA executive team that makes promises but forgets them as soon as they enter office.

Second, their campaign was centered around “Impact.

Cultivate. Empower.” What has their impact been? Charlie’s Cupboard?

Unfortunately, the student body has spoken out against this idea. It competes with already established programs in the community. But when these concerns are raised, students are treated to the same response: Something to the tune of “I understand your concerns and we’re having ongoing conversations.” In short, the student’s concerns are basically ignored.

As for “cultivate,” just about the only thing that has been cultivated is negativity. Last year, students came forward and said SGA cares more about themselves than the students.

Zubke thought the students had great insight.

ONLINE ONLY Read more about concerns regarding SGA.

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME The percentage of people between the ages 30 to 79 who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in China.

93,154 The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 as of Mar. 3.

Heidi Schneider I The Volante USD is home to the state’s only medical school and law school. The USD School of Law has been ranked one of the best law schools.

Editorial: USD gives South Dakota students the best opportunities USD is the only university in the state with a medical school and law school, a fact that makes this campus a place where opportunities are vast.

Larger schools across the state have something they’re known for; South Dakota State University has a good agriculture program, Black Hills State University is known for teaching and School of Mines is a powerhouse for STEM majors.

But no other university in South Dakota has a law and medical school. Not only that, but the USD School of Law has been ranked as one of the best law schools and its students regularly participate in competitions.

The medical school also has its fair share of achievements. In January, a USD microbiologist may

“

volanteonline. com

have found a treatment for Streptococcus Pyogenes, or strep throat, without the need for antibiotics.

Both schools have brought thousands of students to USD and many undergraduate students choose to come here to prepare to go to either of these schools.

The law school has the “3 + 3” fast track that allows undergrad students to start their law school classes early during their senior year and have only three years of law school. This is an advantage for students that want to finish school faster and save money, or those who’ve already come in with a good amount of credits and don’t feel like they have to waste their time waiting to get in the program.

Beginning your undergraduate program

1.2 The percentage of teens who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

here also gives you the opportunity to meet faculty and professors that could end up deciding your acceptance into the school.

Making those connections is important because it truly does affect whether or not you get into those programs.

It also helps to become familiar with the campus where you plan on spending multiple years of your life after you graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

When you think about it, USD is creating doctors and lawyers to serve those in our state and elsewhere, which is pretty amazing.

The fact that our university has so much to offer when we only have around 10,000 students makes us unique. Going to a smaller school may scare some people away because there might not be as many opportunities.

But in the case of USD, that’s wrong.

Our smaller classes are a strength of our school and it allows students to make strong connections with the faculty and staff that leads to success later in life.

2.3 The percentage of COVID-19 cases that resulted in death in China.

58 The percentage of men out of 1,099 people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

When you think about it, USD is creating doctors and lawyers to serve those in our state and elsewhere which is pretty amazing.

14.8 The fatality rate of COVID-19 in people ages 80 or older.

From statnews.com

The Volante

WEEKLY POLL: How are you spending your midterm week?

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

EDITORIAL BOARD Lexi Kerzman, editor-in-chief

Ali Boysen, opinion editor

Sara Cappiello, managing editor

Tori Harwell, opinion presentation editor Bailey Zubke, sports editor

Thinking about spring break

39%

Crying over exams

19%

Living in the library

0%

That’s this week?

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Opinion

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 A5

LGBTQ+ still faces issues today TORI HARWELL is a senior majoring in English

Organizers of the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade decided to bar members of the borough’s LGBTQ+ pride center from participating. But Madison L’Insalata, this year’s Miss Staten Island, decided to take a stand.

L’Insalata came out as bisexual in the New York Post and Staten Island Advance on Saturday.

“I wanted people to be talking,” L’Insalata said.

“I wanted there to be discussion about change.”

Larry Cummings, one of the parade’s organizers, declared L’Insalata and another pageant winner were no longer allowed to

participate in the event.

Cummings told pageant organizer Jim Smith he made the decision based on safety concerns for the women.

Cummings has publicly stated in the last year LGBTQ+ groups’ inclusion in a parade honoring Irish culture would be inappropriate.

“Here’s the deal, it’s a nonsexual-identification parade, and that’s that. No, they are not marching,” Cummings said.

To me, this sounds like homophobia disguised as some sort of false safety concern.

Cummings’ concern is not for the safety of the LGBTQ+ community. What Cummings is concerned about is people being LGBTQ+ in the first place.

While being banned from marching in a parade

seems trivial, the LGBTQ+ community still faces life-changing struggles today. In 29 states, the LGBTQ+ community lacks employment protection from the law, meaning they can be fired at any time for their sexual orientation.

Still, only a handful of states have laws that say gay couples may parent together. States that allow same-sex couples to adopt children include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine,

Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

California is the only state that prohibits adoption agencies to deny adoption to a same-sex couple because of their sexual orientation.

Your work ethic has nothing to do with your sexual orientation. Your parenting has nothing to do with your sexual orientation. You can be gay and do good work, and you can be gay and be an amazing parent.

ONLINE ONLY Read more about the issues the LGBTQ+ community faces today.

volante online. com

Dear people who love “Friends,” Look, I get it. “Friends” is a “classic.” But do you have to base your whole personality on the fact you watch the show? I mean, come on, it’s not that great. Actually, it’s not that good at all.

The jokes come off as cringey and not funny. I didn’t laughed — not once — at the episodes I’ve watched.

I know, disparaging pretty much everyone’s favorite sitcom is risky. But it’s genuinely hard to watch a show whose characters are so heavily based on stereotypes.

Phoebe is the dumb blonde who is over-sexualized and underutilized when in reality, she’s one of the best actors on the show. The show’s fat-shaming, sexism, lack of ethnic diversity didn’t age with the times at all. You can choose a better show than “Friends” to solidify your place as a 90’s kid.

Please stop hyping that trash show.

– Tori Harwell, Opinion Presentation Editor

I’m not a regular mom, I’m a dog mom SARAH BECHEN is a junior majoring in media & journalism

Sarah Bechen I The Volante Getting a dog in college is a big responsibility. You should be sure you’re financially responsible and have available free time.

Parenting a dog in college isn’t a walk in the park, it’s actually pretty ruff.

In all seriousness, it’s not easy. Choosing to get a dog is a big decision and should be thought through. Before I got my beautiful fur baby, Millie, I had intentions of getting a dog for over a year, then planned and searched for over eight months.

To give a dog the life they deserve, you have to either be in a good financial situation or experienced at budgeting.

Dogs are expensive. If your

pup needs shots, you get shots. To keep your dog out of the vet you need quality food, but healthy food isn’t cheap.

And that’s just the beginning.

You should also have plenty of free time or be an expert at time management. I’m a very busy person with a lot on my plate, so carving out a neat schedule to allow time for Millie to get the exercise she needs as a growing puppy is so important.

Training is another thing to think about.

Whether you’re purchasing a puppy or an adult dog, there will be some kind of training period.

Training is timeconsuming but necessary.

Dogs are happy when they make you happy and are

sad when you’re sad, so it’s important to train them properly so they can be as happy as possible.

There is a tremendous app I use called Pupford which helps me stay encouraged and keep on track with training. The instructor, Zak George, is great at explaining the skills step by step and helping to understand why dogs act the way they do. Dogs are expressive animals and once you learn their mannerisms and understand how they express their needs, it gets easier.

If you’re prepared to get a dog and are aware of the hard work and dedication it takes, then you should get a dog. Dogs make life so much better. They are always happy to see you, they love you and are so

loyal.

Animals are also proven to help with mental health and are just so darn cute. Millie keeps me busy and more active than I previously was. We have curated a schedule together that works well for both of us. As much as Millie keeps me active, she’s also a great excuse to cancel plans and stay in for the night.

An added bonus is having a support system of great friends and family nearby who are always willing to help out when needed. It just makes the days go by smoother knowing if something out of the norm were to happen, she would be taken care of.

Stay close to home this spring break ALISON BOYSEN is a senior majoring in media & journalism

Students are taking off and traveling across and out of the country this spring break but it can have serious consequences.

Spring break is a time to let loose and forget the load of never ending homework. I totally understand the need to get away from school work, but maybe we should stay home this spring break.

Coronavirus has been a huge topic of discussion for months now and for good reason.

COVID-19 is a new respiratory coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. For reference, coronaviruses are viruses humans and animals can carry and can be transmitted both ways.

The virus originated in Wuhan, China and has been found in nearly every continent. With the death toll over 3,000 and the United State’s first death by the virus, this is something we need to take seriously.

You can contract COVID-19 by touching a surface with the virus on it, “respiratory droplets” which are made when a sick person coughs or sneezes, and close proximity to an infected person, according to the CDC. So if you’re traveling you’re more at risk to contract COVID-19 and you could put so many more people in danger.

Within the next week

thousands of college students will be traveling, increasing the chance of an outbreak once they come back to college.

Even if you think you’re traveling to a place where you don’t think it is spreading, you can’t be absolutely certain.

In Washington state, the COVID-19 has been spreading undetected for nearly six weeks.

I think it’s better to be safe than sorry in the case of this coronavirus.

Heading to South Padre?

You should know Texas has 11 cases so far, a number that could grow.

While COVID-19 has proved to be lifethreatening if you have pre-existing health issues, you should still be concerned because it’s still worse than the flu.

Also, you could spread it

OVERHEARDS

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

to those that don’t have bodies strong enough to survive it.

If you are traveling, here are some ways that you can prevent the spreading of the virus according to the CDC. Wash your hands well, avoid close contact with sick people, avoid touching your face, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throw it away and disinfect surfaces and

“

objects.

The CDC doesn’t recommend that you only rely on face masks for prevention so don’t waste your time or money on those. Hand sanitizer is an option if you can’t wash your hands but it has to be 60% alcohol.

The point is you wouldn’t have to be worried about contracting the virus if you don’t travel

unnecessarily this spring break. Believe it or not, there are things to do in Vermillion and you can catch up on self care.

It’s not like you can’t go anywhere but just be careful of where you’re going. You might be able to survive COVID-19, but you may spread it to people who can’t.

With the death toll over 3,000 and the United State’s first death by the virus, this is something we need to take seriously.

A Coyote Composition Lily Christian

is a freshman from Scranton, Iowa majoring in dental hygiene.

“Heroin would be so easy.”

— Silk Road

What is your favorite pizza place?

Casey’s.

“Let me show you my turtle porn.”

— Adam Street

If you could be a professional athlete, what sport would you choose?

Soccer.

“On the spectrum of being an asshole, my professor leans toward being an asshole.”

What movie would be better if it were a musical?

Zombieland.

— Muenster University Center

“You’re giving up brushing your teeth for Lent? I don’t think Jesus would like that.”

—Coyote Village

Adrianna Lammers I The Volante Each week a graphic artist will choose a student to photograph and will transform them into a digital illustration.

What was your favorite cartoon when you were little?

Dora the Explorer.

News

A6 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The Volante | volanteonline.com

SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES Vermillion presents a unique climate for old, new businesses Miles Amende

Miles.Amende@coyotes.usd.edu

Vermillion may be the home of USD, but the university isn’t the only landmark the town hosts. Thanks to the college bustle and an enthusiastic downtown business scene, both longtime residents and newcomers alike are enjoying success.

Monica Iverson and Jim Waters co-own Café Brulé and Dakota Brick House. The two met while doing work for the now-defunct Joan’s Food Center, where Iverson performed commission work and Waters worked as a caterer. When the food center went out of business, the two partnered to open Café Brulé in 2011.

“We both have a passion for food, pastries, baking and cooking,” Iverson said. “I lived in Europe for a while, so I was introduced to different kinds of fresh foods and things we didn’t have here and I think we were both ready to open our own place. I wanted to bring to Vermillion something they didn’t have.”

Iverson said when Café Brulé first opened its doors, the businesses in Vermillion were more competitive with one another than they are now.

“When we first started, we noticed there was a lot of competition between restaurants,” Iverson said.” Now we frequent the other restaurants and we don’t look at it as a competition and I think the other restaurants feel the same.”

USD provides a steady source of workers, although Waters said the constant training of new employees increases labor costs.

Iverson and Waters opened Dakota Brick House in Jan. 2017. Running two businesses has kept them busy, they said. Café Brulé is open seven days a week, and Brick House is open for six, so renovations take place after the restaurants close.

“If we want to do any remodeling, we end up doing it overnight,” Waters said. “It’s a small business and you have to keep the cash flow going. My day off is Sunday at 4:00.”

The pair said USD has increased the community’s appetite for multicultural and diverse foods.

“People are becoming foodies, so they go out more,” Waters said. “More people are taking an interest in the university and things that are

Miles Amende | The Volante

Monica Iverson’s, co-owner of Café Brulé and Dakota Brick House granddaughter, Aubree Hauger washes dishes behind the counter at Café Brulé. going on there, so it draws a lot of people from outside the community.”

While Café Brulé and Dakota Brick House have been open for years, new businesses are also being established downtown. Candie’s Couture, a women’s lingerie shop, opened downtown last December.

Candie McDonald, owner of Candie’s Couture, relocated her business to Vermillion from Sioux City in December amid rising expenses. Despite the move, many of her customers still patronize her business, McDonald said.

McDonald said the business climate in

Vermillion is friendlier than Sioux City.

“Small businesses didn’t want to work with one another in Sioux City. Even though our items might have complimented one another, they didn’t even want to talk (to each other),” McDonald said. “I come here and it’s like I’m part of this big family.”

Candie’s Couture sells pajamas, swimwear, shapewear, bras and lingerie from high-end brands. The business also does bra fittings and advertises itself as a comfortable space in which to get fitted.

The business carries boutique brands because McDonald said she doesn’t want to

,compete with larger department stores.

“Being a small business, you really have to think about your product and being able to sell it and price it appropriately,” McDonald said.

“If it’s carried in a big box store, I don’t carry it.

All of my brands are totally exclusive to South Dakota.”

McDonald said Vermillion is also a convenient place to shop.

“The big shopping places are in Sioux Falls or Sioux City, but it’s easy to cross the bridge and come to Vermillion from places like Nebraska,” McDonald said. “You have other small towns, and people choose to come here.”

Five Star Barbershop brings new style to local clients DeAndre Hill

DeAndre.Hill@coyotes.usd.edu

Yakin Ferhi | The Volante

Leslie Kronaizl, the owner of The Treasure Trove said she strives to create a unique shopping expierence for her customers by promoting the idea of hunting for the perfect item.

Thrift stores thrive in downtown Yakin Ferhi

Yakin.Ferhi@coyotes.usd.edu

Being at once affordable and personalized, thrifting has grown to be appealing to many demographics here in Vermillion, as the stores’ owners and salespeople said.

The owner of The Treasure Trove opened her thrift store in downtown Vermillion in the fall of 2016. With a career of over 22 years as a saleswoman online, Leslie Kronaizl, provides a shopping experience clients deem “excellent” in highly-recommending reviews.

Kronaizl said she aims to stand out from the big corporations’ way of retail by making each and every purchase unique and personal. “(Shoppers) enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the unique item, something unique and personal to give for a gift.

Not the same thing you’ll find at the big box stores,” Kronaizl said.

Unlike other thrift stores, The Treasure Trove, Kronaizl said, is fully based on her personal purchases, most of which come from city auctions.

Kronaizl said thrift shopping is trending now more than ever because of people’s creative ideas of repurposing items when decorating.

The Treasure Trove’s client base consists of grad students just moving out of the dorms and families refurnishing their houses, Kronaizl said. With the majority of her clients’ social media users, she keeps the store’s Facebook page updated as a marketing technique to attract potential buyers.

Unlike Kronaizl’s fully entrepreneurial business, The Civic Council has been around for 90 years as a nonprofit store.

Starting with the initiation of the ladies attending the local churches, the store was under their management during its first years.

“Older ladies took care of everything. The board members were all ladies that go to the churches,” Geraldine Bailey, a saleswoman at The Civic Council said.

The Civic Council sells regularly to USD students and community members all while giving a portion of its profit give back to the community through request.

Bailey said, the thrift store serves a wide variety of demographics.

“It’s just everybody. The students are happy that we’re here [and so are] their folks, the families, older people,” Bailey said. “It just suits everybody.”

Joel Antonio, owner of Five Star Barbershop, said he wanted to bring his community together in an unconventional way. As a kid, barbers were all around Antonio, but he didn’t really find an interest in cutting hair until he moved to Vermillion.

He said he transformed an idea to satisfy his and other people’s needs in the community into an actual business.

“I came to South Dakota by way of my wife who is Native American and from the Lakota Sioux Tribe,” Antonio said. “When I first moved up here I quickly noticed there wasn’t really a barber who catered to my needs. That’s when I decided to take it upon my own hands, literally.”

Antonio began cutting hair in 2017. Word began to spread around Vermillion and the surrounding areas about the new barber cutting hair for free. Through Facebook and Instagram, Antonio promoted his work and people began to take notice.

“Really quick and early I caught a good reputation for my skills all while I was on

the waiting list for barber school,” Antonio said.

Antonio attended barber school a couple months later in Fargo, North Dakota.

He said he had a positive experience at school, but people in Vermillion didn’t forget about him while he was gone.

“I would still get messages while I was in barber school in Fargo from people back in Vermillion to cut their hair,” Antonio said.

Antonio spent a year and a half in barber school and said he met good people and learned a variety of skills from his teachers.

“I ended up learning a lot from my instructors,” Antonio said. “I learned traditional barber skills along with new techniques. New school techniques such as creating designs on the scalp, razor fades, etc.”

Tyler Hagedorn, a Coyote basketball player, got his hair cut frequently before Antonio left for barber school. His relationship with Antonio spans back to when he was a sophomore in college.

“Me and my friends went to his apartment and got cuts there but when he left to get his barber license, we all were

missing him a lot,” Hagedorn said. “Finally Joel came back after barber school and opened Five Star Barbershop. Ever since then I’ve been getting cut by him.”

One of the things barbers are taught, Antonio said, is to have a good relationship with their clients. They need to be receptive to a client’s needs or wants when it comes to their hair. This is something Antonio said he prides himself on.

Seth Jones, a USD swimmer, found out about Antonio through his teammates. He said he can tell how much Antonio cares about his clients and how they look.

“Joel puts a significant amount of care into the haircuts he gives. He is sure to make it perfect under his and your own standards,” Jones said. “He compliments the haircut constantly and asks if there is any way he can do better.”

The Five Star Barbershop is open Mon.Fri. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

DeAndre Hill | The Volante

Joel Antonio learned to cut hair and opened Five Star Barbershop when he moved to Vermillion.

Verve

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/VERVE

SENIOR SINGERS REFLECT AFTER SPRING CHORAL SHOWCASE

Sara Cappiello | The Volante

Sara Cappiello | The Volante

At the spring Choral Showcase vocal performers sing lyrics from their music books in Aalfs Auditorium.

Sara Cappiello

Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu

On Sunday afternoon, USD’s choirs started off on the right note with their annual Spring Choral Showcase. Families, friends and community members gathered in Aalfs auditorium to hear the vocal talent of the USD Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s and Women’s Chorus and the High Howlers.

For the seniors, this was one of their last performances at USD. Mikayla Trenhaile, senior vocal performance and music education major, has been singing in the Chamber Singers for the last four years but has been involved in music since she was little.

Trenhaile said concerts like the Spring Choral Showcase remind her of why she enjoys being a part of Chamber Singers.

“I love the music we get to sing. It’s phenomenal,” Trenhaile said. “Ranging from early music to contemporary or even spirituals. We don’t just sing the stuffy old classical music that a lot of people associate with choir.”

At Sunday’s concert, the Chamber Singers performed several songs from the set they will be taking on tour this week and

During the Choral Showcase a USD student plays the piano as a

page turner prepares the next page.

next week. Trenhaile said this concert is typically one of the most exciting performances of the year since it’s right before the Chamber Singers annual tour.

“Everyone’s really excited and it’s awesome to complete our program before we take it on the road,” Trenhaile said.

Dominick McClendon, senior musical arts major, is a member of Chamber Singers, as well as USD’s Concert Choir.

Like Trenhaile, music has always been a part of McClendon’s life, but he didn’t start singing in a choir until high school.

“Music is the thing that’s really stuck with me because it’s so beautiful and it’s great to be able to create music with groups of people,” McClendon said. “You learn a lot about yourself and others.”

McClendon had the opportunity to perform a solo in the Spring Choral Showcase and is preparing to hit the road with the rest of the Chamber Singers on Wednesday.

After Sunday’s concert, the Chamber Singers’ tour is next for Trenhaile and McClendon, but their performances won’t end there. Both of them will also be involved in the USD Opera in May. As a senior, Trenhaile said her feelings about being in her last semester of music at USD are bittersweet.

“I’m sad that I’m leaving and this place has offered me such wonderful opportunities and I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people,” Trenahile said. “But at the same time, I feel that I’m ready and that it’s prepared me for that next step.”

Trenhaile said after graduating from USD, she hopes to teach at a music conservatory or university.

As a musical arts major, McClendon still has one more year at USD before graduating. He said although he won’t be leaving, his friends he has grown with will be.

“It’s still bittersweet because a lot of my friends are graduating and they’ll move onto student teaching and other things,” McClendon said. “I’m happy to see them bloom and further their careers.”

With the Spring Choral Showcase wrapped up and the Chamber Singers tour ahead, McClendon said he is proud of the performances by all the choirs and is looking forward to what’s coming next.

“I feel as a whole the concert went really well,” McClendon said. “I think everybody is doing awesome and great things in their respective choirs and concerts that really allows us to showcase the choral power.”

USD professor paving the way for future female artists

Fine arts professor Amber Hansen is a leader and painter in the Vermillion Community Mural Project.

Maddi Kallsen

Maddilynn.Kallsen@coyotes.usd.edu

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Amber Hansen paints as she is inspired by cultural traditions and people of Vermillion.

March is Women’s History Month, a reminder to continually honor and respect women. Women have and are presently making an impact on the world.

Amber Hansen, a USD art professor, is one of many female professors at USD. Teaching art is a big part of her life, she said. Hansen has been involved in art her entire life as she began drawing at a young age.

“I knew that I would be creating works of art in one form or another,” Hansen said. “The first time I was introduced to drawing, it seemed like magic that somebody could create really whatever they wanted with a piece of paper and a pencil.”

At the University of Kansas, Hansen received her MFA in painting and drawing. At USD, Hansen received her BFA in painting and printmaking. She then went on to teach and has been teaching at USD for four years.

As a female artist, Hansen said she has seen how women have been misrepresented in the art world.

“A lot of female artists have been left out of history books and have not been given the amplification men have,” Hansen said.

Women’s History Month is vital for female artists, as well as all women, Hansen said, as women have been opening doors and paving the way for

many years.

“Any door that you open for yourself you’re also opening that door for other people as well,” Hansen said. “The role of many artists today is opening doors for themselves so those doors are open for other people.”

Hansen said she found her passion for community-based art and started creating murals in high school.

“I really fell in love with working with communities and working with people outside of the established high art world,” Hansen said. “Hearing people’s stories and collaborating on creating works of art with the people in the form of murals really drew me in.”

Hansen has worked on several different mural projects throughout her life as a painter and a leader, including the Vermillion Community Mural Project.

“Creating murals felt and still feels very authentic, relevant, radical and important,” Hansen said.

She is currently working with the Vermillion Cultural Association to create community-based art.

“The ideas represented in the mural were designed and created by the people from the community who came together to tell stories and draw pictures together,” Hansen said.

Fundraising for the second twopart project will go on throughout March and the second part of the mural will begin this May. A unified community is vital to a

Submitted Photo | The Volante successful mural project, Hansen said.

“Collaboration, community and engagement are embedded in the fabric of the community and that’s what makes these projects so successful and fun to work on,” Hansen said.

The community of Vermillion is one of the main focal points inspiring Hansen in her creative works she said.

“I draw inspiration from everything,” Hansen said. “In my personal work, I’m inspired by looking deeply and thoughtfully at the culture, traditions and people of this place.”

The contemporary art world is more welcoming of female artists, Hansen said.

“There has been more acceptance, appreciation and awareness of women creating work,” Hansen said. “The art world is expanding to become more accepting of different perspectives, aesthetics and viewpoints” Men and women have not seen the same sense of equality but Hansen said she hopes that will change in the coming years.

“I would love to see women creating whatever they want to create in whatever form and to feel comfortable and confident in sharing,” Hansen said. “Women don’t have to be one thing; we’re multidimensional and celebrating the many dimensions of every human is so important.”

Verve

B2 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The Volante | volanteonline.com

What We Think: El Fredo’s succeeds with sauce, not with service Chloe Fullenkamp

Chloe.Fullenkamp@coyotes.usd.edu

Sara Cappiello | The Volante

El Fredo cheese pizza is served. The cost of a small cheese pizza is $11.25.

Sara Cappiello | The Volante

Fettucine alfredo is one of the pasta options available at El Fredo’s.

In What We Think, the Verve Team ventures out to try businesses, restaurants, products and trends so you don’t have to. This week we tested out Vermillion’s newest restaurant, El Fredo’s, a chain Italian eatery from Sioux City focusing on pizza, pasta, sandwiches and wings.

After Little Italy’s closed last year, Vermillion had no solely Italian restaurants: Enter El Fredo’s.

With the limited number and types of restaurants in Vermillion, variety is not at a surplus. With that said, we decided whether or not Vermillion’s newest addition, El Fredo’s, compromises quantity for quality.

Deciding to go to El Fredo’s on a Sunday night at 7 p.m. seemed like a safe choice at first, but proved to still take as long as a dinner on a Friday night.

Seated in the back corner of the restaurant, the blue and beige walls were not donned with any decoration or pictures nor did the tables have any either. The staff was very kind but seemed to struggle when it came to communication between the customers and the kitchen. After ordering

drinks, a small cheese pizza and a side order of fettuccine alfredo, the waiter disappeared for 40 minutes.

There was another group seated behind us, coming in about 15 minutes after us, who got their pizza 10 minutes before us. Our waiter kindly explained he didn’t understand why the table behind us got their pizza first and that ours would be out shortly. Once the pizza and pasta came out, he didn’t have forks, napkins or plates ready for us.

The pizza fresh out of the oven and was a hand-tossed thin crust. For those fans of thin crust pizza, this is definitely the place for you, but those who think thin crust tastes like crackers, we do not recommend it. The overall flavor of the pizza was good. As for cheese, there was just the right amount, but the real star of the show was the sauce. El Fredo’s slogan is “the secret is in the sauce” and they didn’t disappoint. A robust tomato flavor with accents of garlic and basil are the perfect match to a crisp, cheese pizza.

The pasta wasn’t so satisfying. A simple fettuccine alfredo is a staple in all Italian restaurants, but the sauce, noodles and overall flavor fell flat. The alfredo sauce didn’t have the iconic creamy flavor,

rather it had a tangy aftertaste.

The noodles were either not cooked through or were too soft to enjoy. The pasta overall was disappointing.

Our waiter didn’t return to our table again until he handed us the check, which was when we stated we wanted to order dessert. The waiter was visibly surprised and admitted he never had a customer order dessert.

We ordered a slice of tiramisu and a cannoli which were obviously frozen since they came out extremely cold.

The desserts were surprisingly very good and would soothe any Italian dessert sweet tooth.

Overall, the dinner took an hour and a half even though there were only three other tables being served while we were there. The overall cost of two drinks, a small cheese pizza, a side order of pasta and two desserts came out to about $30, which is fairly steep compared to other options in Vermillion.

We suggest going to El Fredo’s for the pizza and dessert, but skip the pasta and prepare yourself for a long dinner. El Fredo’s is obviously still working out some of the kinks when it comes to being a well-functioning restaurant.

However, it’s another dining option in Vermillion.

Sara Cappiello | The Volante

El Fredo’s menu also includes Italian desserts, such as tiramisu.

Women’s History Month events seek to educate Ali Boysen

Alison.Boysen@coyotes.usd.edu

This month is about more than spring break and St. Patrick’s day.

March is Women’s History Month and USD is holding several events to engage and educate students on women’s issues.

Dr. Sara Lampert, director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program, said this month is a time to reevaluate how much attention is paid to women’s issues.

“Women’s History Month is always an opportunity to kind of take stock and say, ‘you know, how much are we all committing ourselves to focusing on women and highlighting women’s voices’?”

Lampert said.

The month mainly focuses on bringing in speakers to discuss different aspects of the women’s movement.

On Wednesday there will two events happening: a Native American Studies Lunch and Learn

“

and a research forum on South Dakota women’s suffrage.

The Native American Studies Lunch and Learn will focus on indigenous healthcare by Wičánhpi Iyótan Win Autumn CavenderWilson, a Dakota from Minnesota.

Cavendar-Wilson is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and will present about healthcare in indigenous communities. This will take place in Lee Medicine 107 at noon.

The research forum “Press Fearlessly On: Episodes in South Dakota Woman Suffrage” will also be held in the Muenster University Center on Wednesday.

This forum will concentrate on Dr. Molly Rozum’s research on the women’s suffrage movement in the state. Rozum recently just published her co-edited work Equality at the Ballot Box: Votes for Women on the Northern Great Plains, the first study of women’s suffrage in South Dakota.

“One of the things we’ve been trying to do year-round is just host events that feature really different and less well-known aspects of women’s history and just in different organizations on campus,” Lampert said.

Later in the month will be Histories and Politics of Reproduction: “Making the Personal Political: How Abortion Reshaped the Interior West” on March 26.

The event “American Experience The Vote: A Screening and Conversation on Woman Suffrage” in the MUC Pit will be the final event to end Women’s History Month on March 31.

Lampert said it’s important to keep having conversations on women’s issues even after the month ends and it’s a conversation that needs to be inclusive.

“It’s an ongoing project that people who have privilege need to engage in, in a meaningful, sustained way,” Lampert said.

Women’s History Month is always an opportunity to kind of take stock and say, ‘you know, how much are we all committing ourselves to focusing on women and highlighting women’s voices’?

Dr. Sara Lampert, Director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program

Heidi Schneider | The Volante

Sports

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 THE VOLANTE

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SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Vermillion’s basketball family Bailey Zubke

Bailey.Zubke@coyotes.usd.edu

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

Freshmen Tasos Kamateros (34), Hunter Goodrick (12), Kruz Perrott-Hunt, redshirt freshman Simeon Jovic, sophomore Matt Johns and freshman Caleb Hoffman celebrate a basket during a game this season.

COYOTE BASKETBALL: ONE TEAM, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS Yakin Ferhi

Yakin.Ferhi@coyotes.usd.edu

The men’s basketball team welcomed three newly-recruited international players this season.

Australian sophomore forward Matt Johns and Serbian redshirt freshman Simeon Jovic joined the Coyotes last season. Freshmen Hunter Goodrick from Australia, Kruz Perrott-Hunt from New Zealand and Tasos Kamateros from Greece joined the roster this year.

Brad Davidson, USD’s talent identification manager and the assistant coach said the recruitment process for international students varies based on where they’re from.

Davidson met Perrott-Hunt’s former coach when he was playing professionally in the National Australian League. He later received recommendations from him and from another coach who was tracking Perrott-Hunt’s performance. Davidson went and watched him play only to start the procedure to get him to the U.S. on a Visa shortly after.

The Coyotes recruitment team signed him earlier this season. Perrott-Hunt, the former top defensive player of the 2018’s Nike Asia Camp, is now the Coyotes’ point guard.

“I have seen his (Goodrick’s) progression. I watched him blossom into a good player,” Davidson said.

Davidson said the recruitment, in this case, was based on the constant positive feedback he kept on receiving from his coaches.

Unlike Goodrick and Perrott-Hunt who were recruited, Kamateros, after playing in the 2018 U18 European championship, joined the team based as a personal decision.

Davidson said he did so when USD’s athletic scholarships were no longer available.

“We knew he (Kamateros) was good but we didn’t have any scholarship open so he just walked-on,” Davidson said.

Jovic, the redshirt freshman forward was already in the United States attending the Southwest Christian Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas for his senior season,

before joining the Coyotes.

He made the transition to college basketball after playing U-16 and U-18 Serbian National Teams.

“I have found that foreign players have been trained for skills and development, not just at a certain position,” head basketball coach Todd Lee said in an email interview with The Volante.

Lee also said there are differences between players raised in the United States and those from other countries. Those recruitments are typically successful.

“Foreign players are not controlled by AAU coaches and I have found that a lot of the foreign players are better prepared academically,” Lee said.

Goodrick and Perrott-Hunt said they are satisfied with Talent Identification Manager Davidson’s help with the process.

“The season has been long. It’s a good change I think, especially the scenery,” Perrott-Hunt said. “It’s very different, being from a different country. And also being on the road so much (and) getting to play in different cities, which is very cool.”

Dawn Plitzuweit and her kids, A.J. and Lexi Plitzuweit all have a role to play in the Vermillion basketball scene.

Head women’s’ basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit is in her fourth season at USD, winning over 20 games each season and two undefeated Summit League seasons. The Coyotes made the NCAA Tournament last season following a loss in the Summit League Tournament Championship game to South Dakota State.

Her son, A.J. Plitzuweit returned to Vermillion last fall after spending his freshman year playing at Augustana in Sioux Falls. He announced he was transferring after the season and said he knew USD is where he belongs.

“As soon as I put my name on that I was transferring, I just knew that USD was the right fit for me,” A.J. Plitzuweit said. “It was such a family feel and the community here has just always been so loving for me.”

Lexi Plitzuweit is a junior at Vermillion High School and plays on the girl’s basketball team. While the three members of the family spend a lot of time around basketball, they find time to be together as a family, A.J. Plitzuweit said.

“We definitely find a balance, we’re not consumed in basketball,” A.J. Plitzuweit said. “We definitely have an awareness of basketball and we all help each other in a way to learn and grow in basketball and through life.”

The Plitzuweit family has always focused on family, but being a coach and mother to young kids is difficult at times, Dawn Plitzuweit said.

“As a mother, it’s really challenging because you have a lot of guilt trips about being away from your kids or not being able to spend quality time with your kids, or the quantity of time that you want,” Dawn Plitzuweit said. “My husband’s always been really good at reminding me it’s not about the quantity, it’s about quality and that’s kind of how we try to live our lives.”

Even though they don’t always focus on basketball, that doesn’t mean the competitive nature goes away. A.J. Plitzuweit said there is always a competition, whether it’s basketball or miscellaneous activities like eating.

Dawn Plitzuweit also said competition is a large part of their family dynamic.

“If it’s about who can water ski the longest the furthest, whatever it is, there’s a competition that’s involved,” Dawn Plitzuweit said. “If it’s about who makes breakfast or dinner or lunch for us, or who cleans up, there’s usually some kind of competition to how quickly or how good it is. It becomes a fun way for us to kind of fuel some of that competition in our family.”

A.J. Plitzuweit being home has allowed the family to spend more time together, Dawn Plitzuweit said. A.J. said he has a unique experience getting to see his mom almost daily.

As for the basketball court, Dawn Plitzuweit said she won’t say who the best basketball player in the family is.

“Great question, I’m not answering that one,” Dawn Plitzuweit said. “I’m going to guess if you ask anyone in our family, they probably all identify somebody different.”

Overcoming different circumstances created a leader for the Coyotes Madilyn Sindelar

Madilyn.SIndelar@coyotes.usd.edu

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

Senior Triston Simpson prepares for a shot from the free throw line during a game earlier this season.

Simpson is one of five seniors leading the Coyotes this season.

Triston Simpson’s senior campaign started out rocky. Being forced to miss the majority of the non-conference season due to a knee injury causing trouble for the Coyotes, but since his first game back in late December, Simpson has been a leader on the court.

The four year player for the Coyotes has accumulated 91 points from the field with a .460 average as well as being a key free throw shooter, averaging 75% from the line.

“My freshman year was the first year this arena was open so that was pretty cool,” Simpson said. “I’m thankful I’ve been able to play all four years here at USD.” Along with Simpson, Cody Kelley, Brandon Armstrong, Tyler Peterson and Tyler Hagedorn all partook in senior day festivities Saturday during the home finale against North Dakota.

“It really did go fast, everyone’s kinda in my ear it’s your senior night is your last night. I’ve been the kind of guy not to look at it like that,” Simpson said. “I’m more of a smile because it happened not to cry because it’s over.”

The senior class was presented by their families with a photo of them framed. Simpson said he focused on what the game meant and how he evolved as a player.

While the 1,000 point scorer is almost done playing for the Coyotes, Simpson said the thing that shaped him the most the last two years is not the game, but his hair.

“The main thing is, I grew my hair out. I had short hair on the court my freshman and sophomore year and now it’s long,” Simpson said.

Simpson said he has grown more than just his hair in the four years he’s played for the Coyotes.

“My roles have changed and we

got a different coach. As a player, I’ve matured each year and I’ve expanded my role,” Simpson said. “As I got older I was called on to score more and do more things defensively.”

The shift from Simpson’s first two years under formed head coach Craig Smith to the past two years under head coach Todd Lee forced the team to evolve as players came and went.

“When Coach Lee came in we lost three seniors and Matt Mooney to a grad transfer that year. So I knew right then that I was going to have to have a scoring role,” Simpson said, “We brought in (Kelley) who has done a great job at the two spot, after starting out at the one.”

The memory that sticks with Simpson after four years of playing are matchups against South Dakota State in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

“One thing I appreciated all four years is playing against SDSU in the sold-out crowd and those sold out games with the fans,” Simpson said.

“It’s just a fun atmosphere. Playing them up in Sioux Falls is a fun atmosphere as well. The Showdown Series is one of the favorites of my college career.”

The men’s basketball team is seeking a memorable run in the Summit League Tournament next weekend in Sioux Falls at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

“We hurt ourselves losing these last couple of games so I don’t think we can get one of the top two seeds but we need to win this game to get the three seed,” Simpson said.

With the Coyotes’ win Saturday, they locked up the third seed in the conference tournament.

Simpson said the most important thing is playing one game at a time.

“We have to focus on each game each night and win,” Simpson said.

Sports

B4 Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The Volante | volanteonline.com

Junior Claudia Kunzer (left) and freshman Jeniah Ugofsky celebrate a block during a game against South Dakota State earlier this season.

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

The Coyote women’s basketball star from behind-the-scenes Bailey Zubke

Bailey.Zubke@coyotes.usd.edu

When the Coyotes women’s basketball team starts practice in June and the season runs through April, it can be hard to keep up the energy, but junior Claudia Kunzer finds a way.

“I’m just a happy go lucky person,” Kunzer said. “No matter what I’m always going to have a smile on my face. I think to myself, ‘well, everything happens for a reason.’ Everything I’ve gone through happens for a reason.”

Kunzer is from Bartlett, Illinois and was originally recruited by head coach Dawn Plitzuweit when she was at Northern Kentucky. When Plitzuweit became the head coach of the Coyotes, Kunzer said she reached out to her to see how things were

going. Plitzuweit attended one of Kunzer’s games and encouraged her to make a trip to USD. Kunzer said once she arrived at USD, she knew she had found a home away from home.

“I always tell the younger kids, you step onto campus and you know,” Kunzer said. “I stepped on USD and I knew this is where I wanted to be.

I read about the community, I hung out with the team and I was like, this is where I want to be.”

Kunzer’s role with the team has been an energy producer. She plays eight minutes a game, but is the player at the end of the line during the introduction, doing handshakes with the starters. Kunzer is in the center of the team circle hyping the team up and Plitzuweit said she is one of the loudest players on the

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From Page A1 shoot the ball well.”

Hagedorn, a redshirt-senior forward, returned this season from an injured foot to be one of the Coyote’s most vital pieces.

Hagedorn had the third-best three-point shooting percentage among all qualified players in NCAA Division I at 51.5%. He also saw career-highs in points per game (18.1), rebounds per game (6.9) and assists per game (1.7).

Hagedorn is one of five seniors on the team this season. He said the seniority of this year’s team has been immensely important to their success.

“Going through a coaching change is never easy and I definitely saw some of those struggles last year,” Hagedorn said.

“But now we’ve had a year of having (Lee) here and also all the guys getting older and getting more experience. We have a lot of experience as well as seniors and juniors that just really know basketball.”

One of the experienced juniors on the team is Stanley Umude, who stepped into a leadership role following a sophomore season where he emerged as one of the Coyotes’ best players. Umude said it’s

bench encouraging her teammates. “(Kunzer) is a constant energy giver,” Plitzuweit said. “There’s no better term to define her than that.

She’s someone who brings it every day and those are the people you want to be around.”

Kunzer’s energy is a constant, no matter the situation, Plitzuweit said.

“She does it in practice. She does it outside of practice. She brings energy on the bus, she brings energy at team dinners, she brings energy at meetings,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s just the person who provides it over and over again and that is important for us because you are either giving energy or taking the energy away and that becomes contagious.”

Kunzer said she was a homebody in high school and still is to an extent but her roommates have been a big

part of the shift into the outgoing person she is.

Her roommates, juniors Chloe Lamb, Monica Arens and Liv Korngable are some of Kunzer’s best friends, she said.

“Liv Korngable says her life would not be as interesting without me,” Kunzer said. “My favorite thing she said to me today was, ‘if you weren’t as energetic as you were freshman year, us and our roommates probably still wouldn’t hang out with each other.’”

Kunzer said she gets her energy from her mom and growing up with three brothers. Her mom was the loudest person cheering at her high school games. Kunzer and her brothers played basketball which brought energy into her life.

Plitzuweit said what Kunzer

brings to the team is unique and it’s not often a player doing all of the extra behind the scenes work.

Kunzer’s impact can be seen with the fan base, little girls admiring Kunzer’s energy and the parents of those kids, Plitzuweit said.

“It’s a lot easier to be the person that is celebrated because you’re having the most success,” Plitzuweit said. “It’s harder to be the person behind-the-scenes that is making a positive impact and (Kunzer) is kind of unique in that respect. Most people don’t talk about that kid on her team, most of those kids don’t receive recognition, but because (Kunzer) is so special, she’s someone who has received some attention for doing that.”

important for him to be a leader on the team.

“I definitely need to make sure my voice is heard in practice, telling people where to go and helping people along,” Umude said. “I think it’s been a good role for me.”

Umude helped lead the Coyotes to a matchup against North Dakota in the first round of the Summit League tournament.

USD went undefeated against North Dakota in the regular season, including a 77-67 victory over the Fighting Hawks on senior night. North Dakota ranked fourth in the Summit League in points per game (75.7) as well as third in team field goal percentage (46.1).

USD finished behind North Dakota State and South Dakota State in the conference, who finished first and second respectively. North Dakota State was the only team to defeat USD twice this season, while South Dakota State recently defeated USD 85-80 in the Coyote’s final road game of the season. Should USD defeat North Dakota in the first round, they will face the winner of SDSU and seven-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Coyotes are scheduled to take on North Dakota at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 inside the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls to open their tournament season.

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Senior Madison McKeever and junior Claudia Kunzer embrace as McKeever checks

out of the game for the final time in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday afternoon against North Dakota.

WOMEN From Page A1

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Senior guard Triston Simpson and members of his family pose for a photo during the celebration of Senior Day on Saturday against North Dakota.

and I think a big part of that shouldn’t be measured by the success you have,” Plitzuweit said. “It should be measured by, are you continuously improving and if you look at that aspect of it. We as coaches can see that we are improving and that makes us believe our young ladies are giving their best and they are successful.”

Moving forward, the Coyotes take on Omaha, Saturday at noon in the Denny Sanford Premier Center for the opening game of the Summit League tournament.

The Coyotes beat Omaha by 32 and 33 points in their two matchups this season.

Plitzuweit said being the number one seed adds an extra challenge of being the biggest target in the conference.

“We know we’re a team that other teams in our conference have marked as the top team in the league and that’s the team that you want to knock off,” Plitzuweit said. “When we weren’t the top team in the league, we were marking that team number one, number two, so we understand that. We’ve been on both sides of it.”

USD received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last year following a loss to South Dakota State in the Summit League Championship game. The Coyotes lost in the opening round to Clemson, ending their season.

The Coyotes this season climbed into the Top 25 polls for the first time in early December. USD hasn’t fallen out of the USA Today Coaches Poll since it entered Dec. 3. The team entered the AP Top 25 for the first time of the season Dec. 16, missed the poll the following week and re-entered Jan. 6 at No. 22.

“We’ve had very high expectations coming into this season,” junior Claudia Kunzer said. “Every practice, everything we go into, we’re doing 100%. We’re doing defense 100%, we’re diving on the floor and I think that’s just been our mentality from June to where we are now.”

The Coyotes have received recognition for their hard work, being ranked higher than any Summit League school has ever been in the USA Today Coaches Poll and cracking the top 20 of the AP poll for the first time in school history.

The Coyotes are led by senior Ciara Duffy, who is a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award. Duffy averages 17.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

USD plays Omaha Saturday at noon with the winner playing the winner of Oral Roberts and Western Illinois Monday at noon. On the other side of the bracket, SDSU faces North Dakota in the opening round, with the winner playing the winner of Denver and North Dakota State in the other semifinal.

All quarterfinal and semifinal games will air on MidcoSN and ESPN+. The Championship game will be at 1 p.m.

Tuesday and will air on ESPNU.