BOOTS WALKS, CALLS IT QUITS AFTER 25 YEARS
THE VOLANTE
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SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
DISASTER ROOMMATE Trial and error guides conflicting lifestyles in close-knit quarters
THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887
Enrollment tops need for housing Alex Schaefbauer The Volante
ward sexual encounters and odd behavior. “We never really had any disagreements, she was just kind of weird in general,” Carlson said. Phil Covington, associate dean of student life, said when it comes to difficult roommate situations, the housing department attempts to solve them at the lowest level of resolution possible.
The University of South Dakota’s strategic plan publicly recognizes a goal to enroll 1,500 first-time, full-time students by 2017, yet housing plans to accommodate these future students have yet to be disclosed by USD officials. With the largest first-year class to date m o v i n g onto campus Aug. 23, the university’s housing capacity crossed the 100 percent threshold for the secBAYLOR ond year in a row. But, this number is not viewed as worrisome, Vice President of Student Enrollment Jeff Baylor said. By using lounge spaces and study rooms as makeshift dorms, Baylor said, the student capacity rate can accommodate between 104 and 106 percent. Although Baylor added that plans are in place to expand USD’s housing options, Monte Kramer, system vice president of finance and administration for the South Dakota Board of Regents confirmed USD has not submitted any formal housing presentations. In order to acquire a new housing facility, the university would need to present a proposal to the S.D. BOR, and the request would then be reviewed soon there after, according to director of communications Janelle Tollman of the S.D. BOR. There is also no specific criteria needed to add a new facility, she added. University administration has a 10-year housing master plan in line with its five-year
Please see ROOMMATE, Page A3
Please see POPULATION, Page A2
Evaluating the options Talk it out Go out for dinner and get to know each other. Take the time to learn about each other's interests and dislikes. This is a good opportunity to lay down some ground rules on how to live together.
CA mediation If isssues persist, meet with one of the community advisors assigned to each housing facility floor. An unbiased opinion can help alleviate tension.
Hall director mediation The chance to talk with a university official is sometimes preferred, and in some cases, necessary. Meet with a hall director if communication with a roommate is at a stand still.g
Request a room change If to no avail a compromise cannot be hashed out, go ahead and submit a room change request. This can be found on the MyU portal online. Source: Phil Covington PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CRISTINA DREY, SAM MCMAHON AND TRENT OPSTEDAHL
Payton Randle The Volante
When coming to college, students are forced to deal with all sorts of challenges and adapt to different situations. And one of those challenges can be dealing with their roommate. Whether it be from random selection or hand-picked that person the living situation can sometimes prove to be difficult. Sophomore Shelby Carlson was forced to put up with a difficult roommate during her first year of college. After choosing random selection, Carlson soon found herself in weird situations with her roommate that included awk-
Inclusiveness group cuts ties with SGA Emily Niebrugge The Volante
Once just a subcommittee of the Student Government Association, Students for Inclusive Excellence has taken on its own independence as a full-fledged organization at the University of South Dakota. “ We’r e unifying our interests, and we’re unifying our CORIO energy so we can promote and further the mission of inclusive excellence with a bottom-up approach to focus on the students at the bottom, who are the most important,” said junior Michelle Corio, administrative director for the group. SIE was a last year addition to SGA with the purpose of enabling every individual
to thrive in their own skin, according to Corio. The student group consists of members from diversity groups already established at USD with the intention that those leaders can reach out to their members and spread the message in a “trickle down” effect to reach other students. Corio said SIE has members from the Union for African American Students, the 10% Society, the Secular Student Alliance, the Student Government Association as well as the Tiospaye Student Council. Two of those members include Taylor Moore, the marketing director for SIE and Tyler Tordsen, director of the legislative team. Moore said he plans to unify the campus by simply getting to know as many students as possible. “My mother is an educator, and one thing I learned from her and her experiences Please see DIVERSITY, Page A4
DIVISION-I TRANSITION
Lack of fan retention after halftime clouds first win of the 2013 season Malachi Petersen The Volante
Even as University of South Dakota staff attempted to bolster student attendance at the football home opener versus UC Davis Saturday, President Jim Abbott said he was disappointed with the number of students who left after halftime. “I was really disappointed with that,” Abbott said. Despite the poor attendance, Abbott seemed unwaivered in regards to how student participation affects USD’s title as the state's flagship school, and said he is happy with the direction of fan participation. But to address a lack of student support at athletic events, Abbott created the Student Participation Committee last spring. The committee has representatives from the Student Government Association, USD Athletics, University Marketing
VERVE
Meet some of USD's most prominent figures on campus.
Verve, A6
MALACHI PETERSEN/THE VOLANTE
Taking part in tailgating activities Aug. 31, students age 21 and over recieve a colored wristband in order to consume alcohol before the USD football season opener. The reorganization of the tailgating process is intended to increase student involvement.
and Student Services. Created with the sole purpose of getting students involved in support-
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Please Recycle
ing on campus activities, the committee has generated new ideas and new groups to achieve
SPORTS
Coyote football to face-off against the Kansas Jayhawks Sept. 7.
Sports, A8
their goals. One of these groups Please see PARTICIPATION, Page A4