Get in the know with our D-Days: 101 guide. VERVE B1
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MOVING FORWARD AFTER
YEARS OF DAKOTA DAYS The committee behind USD’s week-long celebration By Katie McGuire
Katrinia.McGuire@usd.edu
It’s that time of year again – the 101st celebration of USD’s homecoming has arrived. For the Dakota Days committee, it’s been a long time coming. Responsible for the planning and execution all homecoming week activities, the new committee begins planning the next celebration less than six months after the previous one. “It was early spring last year, end of February is when everyone was chosen,” senior Erika Arpan, the committees’s internal overall co-chair, said. Once the 2015 committee was formed, the group began developing a theme and keeping students excited for the week-long celebra-
tion after the memorable 100-year mark last year. “Celebrating the next century,” is this year’s theme and mantra, in honor of D-Days entering a new century and era. Junior Diego Marquez, coronation chair of the committee for the second year in a row, said the week’s events should be memorable and enjoyable because of the immense amount of effort invested by the committee. “We tried to improve it every year. We are pretty prepared for this week,” he said. “We’ve been working on this for almost half a year.” Homecoming planning and coordination extended into the summer months, too, both Marquez and Arpan said. Marquez’s favorite event, royalty reveal, is a tradition that begins at the start of the week.
Students voted Monday and Tuesday for the top 14 candidates, which were revealed at last night’s ‘Yotes Got Talent event in Aalfs Auditorium. See D-DAYS, Page A8
ONLINE ONLY Videos of the week’s events, including a recap of the comedian, ‘Yotes Got Talent, Royalty Reveal and more.
Photo Galleries of Saturday’s parade and football game. Check back Saturday to see the galleries.
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Photos courtesy of the Alumni Association and University Archives
8 pounds of pills collected at law enforcement event By Ally Krupinsky
Ally.Krupinsky@coyotes.usd.edu
As part of an effort to prevent pill abuse and theft, a free and anonymous Take Back event was held Saturday in Vermillion. Eight pounds of prescription drugs were collected during the event, Sheriff’s Office Deputy Paul Pederson said. Community members could drop off their expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vermillion High School or Middle School. The event was hosted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Vermillion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Saturday was Pederson’s third time overseeing a Take Back event. He said his primary role was to act as security for the pills that were dropped off. Names and number of people who utilized the service were not recorded, he added. The only measurement taken is the total amount of pills that were collected and weighed by the DEA. As long as illegal drugs or needles aren’t dropped off,
there are “no questions asked,” according to the Vermillion Police Department news release about the event. Pederson said Take Back events look to prevent pill abuse and addiction, as well as incorrect disposal. He said a specific example of potential abuse could be a person using leftover Oxycontin that was prescribed for a previous surgery later in time on an unrelated, less severe injury. “Which tends to lead then to addiction,” Pederson said. This is especially true for families, he added, because children may take something without consent from their parents or knowledge of the drug’s side effects. According to the release, the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse,” the release said. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.” Previously located at the VPD station, Pederson said the
Death of student announced By Malachi Petersen
Malachi.Petersen@coyotes.usd.edu
Mason Dockter I The Volante
Deputy Paul Pederson of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office presides over the drug disposal box Saturday at the Vermillion High School. Take Back service was moved to the Vermillion schools to make the event “more welcoming,” as people may have been nervous dropping off their unwanted pills near the station in years past. “It’s a very non-confronta-
tional event for them,” he said. Pederson added that the police station does have a permanent prescription drug dropoff location in the hall of the VPD station, where the same “no questions asked” policy applies.
A USD student has died. The death of Samuel Garrity, a law student from Yankton, was announced Tuesday afternoon in an emailed statement to students sent by Kim Grieve, dean of students. Couseling is available today for law students and other friends of Garrity, and counseling services are available 24 hours a day through the University Police Department. “Once I receive more information, I will let the campus community know,” Grieve said in the email. Debra Brockberg, the coordinator of the student counseling center, said the center will have a counselor on call for any students who need counseling after normal operating hours. To get into contact with the counselor, students should call UPD. In the meantime, Brockberg said staff at the center are making time this week for unscheduled appointments. “We’re trying to free up the time on our schedules for walk-ins,” she said.