10.24.18

The Volante W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

SPORTS

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2017-2018 STATISTICS MEN

WOMEN

LAST YEAR: - 29-7 (11-3 Conference) - Second in Summit League - Lost in Summit League Championship - Lost in first round of College Basketball Invitational

The west side of the DakotaDome will be closed for renovations during the 2019 football season, meaning all seating, including the student section, will be moved to the east side. Construction is scheduled to begin in February of 2019 and conclude in August of 2020, in time for the 2020 football season.

According to the USD’s athletic administration, 5,278 total seats will be available for the six home football games during the 2019 season, almost half of the 10,000 seats available for games this year. This reduction in seating results in a struggle to find a location for the student section.

Three home games into the 2018 season, the average student attendance is 1,420, according to the administration. The lowest attended game with 936 against the University of Northern Iowa, saw roughly 200 more students than the

- Best regular season record in Summit League - Lost in Summit League Championship - Made it to quarterfinal of Women’s National

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

rebounds per game: 5.9

Points per game: 11.5

- Trey Burch-Manning,

rebounds per game: 4.8

Sr, F: points per game: 8.7 rebounds per game: 6.7 - Triston Simpson, Jr, G:

HEAD MENS BASKETBALL COACH

rebounds per game: 5.0 - Madison McKeever, Jr, G:

assists per game: 3.1

assists per game: 2.4

UPCOMING GAMES:

UPCOMING GAMES:

- vs. York College, Nov. 7,

- At Creighton, Nov. 7, 6 p.m.,

7 p.m., SCSC

Proclamation encourages USD community to be straw-free Oct. 25

Points per game: 12.3

points per game: 8.6

- vs. Northern Arizona, Nov. 7,

See DOME, Page A3

- Ciara Duffy, Jr, G:

points per game: 8.5

7 p.m., SCSC

TODD LEE

PLAYERS TO WATCH: - Allison Arens, Sr, G:

Kelli Susemihl

Kelli.Susemihl@coyotes.usd.edu

Omaha, Neb. - vs. Incarnate Word, Nov. 11, 3:15 p.m., SCSC

DAWN PLITZUWEIT

HEAD WOMENS BASKETBALL COACH

Graphics by Leah Dusterhoft I The Volante

Coach Lee and Company Coyote women ready for learning the details in ‘toughest’ non-conference first season as head coach schedule in school history Austin Lammers

Austin.Lammers@coyotes.usd.edu

Todd Lee is no stranger to taking over a program.

Named the head coach of the men’s basketball team in April, USD welcomed back Lee, a member of the Class of 1986, for his fourth fullstaff transition in 20 years of coaching.

That said, Todd Lee is no stranger to rebuilding.

A year before Lee joined UC-Irvine as an assistant head coach in 1997, the Anteaters finished 1-25. In 2005, he took the helm of a Kentucky Wesleyan team that was on NCAA probation and had an empty roster. In 2013, he joined the staff at Grand Canyon University responsible for the team’s transition to Division I. For Lee, one thing is different about this transition at USD than his previous three: he doesn’t have to rebuild, he just has to keep building.

The Coyotes are coming off a 29-win season, the most wins in program history, and enter the 2018-19 season ranked second in Summit League preseason polls, where they stood at last season’s end after a loss to South Dakota State in the Summit League Championship.

A core of four

Armed with four returning starters in senior forwards Tyler Hagedorn and Trey Burch-Manning and junior guards Triston Simpson and Tyler Peterson, Lee already knows whom his team is built around. Now,

it’s just a matter of coaching them effectively.

“Those are the four leaders of our program,” Lee said at Basketball Media Day last Wednesday. “Now comes the trust issue--building that trust with them-and understanding what they do well and what they need to work on.”

Offense, defense, fast breaks are Lee’s focus. Lee said his new system won’t be learned immediately, and that the team will be much better at the end of the year than the beginning.

“The only person who knows the system is me, so I have to do a lot of teaching,” Lee said. “At times it’s frustrating, but we have a lot of veteran players who know how to compete and how to win, so that helps.”

Just as Lee is “getting acclimated” to his players, his players are getting acclimated Lee, particularly his attention to detail.

“There’s a lot of coaching changes when you go through this,” Hagedorn said. “I think one area in particular that a lot of our guys really like is the focus on detail. Every play we run and everything we do is down to the dime. It’s exactly how we want to do it, and (Lee) doesn’t accept anything less.”

Lee’s detail-oriented systems require high commitment, something he said his players from 20 years ago could tell you now.

Simpson said the team is “buying in” to Lee’s coaching philosophy.

See MBB, Page B2

Renovations to DakotaDome spur relocation of student section Austin.Lammers@coyotes.usd.edu

- 29-7 (14-0 Conference)

points per game: 13.0

NEWS

Austin Lammers

LAST YEAR:

Invitation Tournament

- Tyler Hagedorn, Sr, F:

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Jake Lindenberg

Jake.Lindenberg@coyotes.usd.edu

Last year, Creighton, Green Bay, and Grambling State were among the best 64 teams in the country, landing spots on the NCAA women’s basketball championship bracket. This year, they land spots on USD’s schedule.

Head women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit said the team is facing the “toughest non-conference schedule in USD women’s history,” and they’re ready to embrace the challenge.

“We have a very tough non-conference schedule this year,” Plitzuweit said.

“We’re going to have to continue making strides in order to stay competitive.”

Less than two weeks away from the season’s start, Plitzuweit prepares to enter her third season at the helm of the Coyote women’s basketball squad. At Basketball Media Day Wednesday, Plitzuweit said she’s confident in this year’s unit.

“This group of young ladies has a great core of returners,” Plitzuweit said.

“In our newcomers, we’ve added some size and length.

Our crew is excited for the challenge.”

The Coyotes come off a 29-7 (14-0 CONF) 2017-18 season in which they reached the finals of the Summit League Tournament, falling short to South Dakota State 65-50. They won a bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, taking down Houston, Colorado State, and Michigan State before losing 79-71

to Texas Christian University in the quarterfinal.

“Simple Basketball” Recent success has brought high expectations, but Plitzuweit is not looking to do anything fancy this season.

“What we want to do is play very simple basketball, very easy basketball,” Plitzuweit said. “We want to do very common things but be very uncommon in them.

We want to do it better than we have in the past and see where that leads us.”

While the Coyote offense is simple in theory, it is anything but. Senior guard Allison Arens and Junior guard Ciara Duffy said they are excited to see the offense in full swing this season.

“Our offense is kind of a difficult offense to learn,” Arens said. “There’s a lot of movement, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen. Her offense is quick tempo-ed, a lot of movement, which is different from my freshman year.

She really teaches us to work hard.”

“One of the most amazing things about our offense is on any given night anyone can be the leading scorer,” Duffy said.

Leading USD with 12.3 points per game and earning All-Summit League first team honors last season, Duffy is ready to step into a leadership role on the team.

See WBB, Page B2

Two freshmen political science students and the Sierra Club in Vermillion have partnered together to encourage students and community members to use fewer plastic straws.

The two students, Divya Neopaney and Jade MullerSmit, wrote a proclamation to city council to declare Oct. 25 an annual straw-free day in Vermillion. This year, the day will consist of a promotion events at the Vermillion’s farmers’ market from 3-7 p.m.

Susanne Skyrm, a professor emeritus of piano and a member of the Sierra Club, an environmental organization with chapters nationwide, has been a leader of the local straw-free movement. She said students and community members will have the opportunity to pledge straw-free at the Oct. 25 events.

“If you take the pledge to go straw-free on Oct. 25, you can sign up for a raffle to win a metal straw,” Skyrm said. “It’s purely voluntary, if you want to just not use straws on that one particular day, then you can sign up for this raffle and you can feel good about doing something good for the environment, and hopefully that habit will continue.”

In an email interview with The Volante, MullerSmit said the purpose of the day is to primarily raise awareness of their cause.

“For the day itself, we don’t have too See STRAWS, Page A6

Sales tax added to state Spotify users Kelli Susemihl

Kelli.Susemihl@coyotes.usd.edu

Beginning Nov. 1, Spotify will begin charging sales tax on South Dakota users’ monthly subscription fees.

The tax will be “no more than $1.13 per month depending on your current ZIP-based sales tax and Spotify subscription plan,” and will be added on top of already existing fees, said the email sent by Spotify to South Dakota subscribers.

Existing fees for a monthly Spotify subscription range from $4.99 for students and $9.99 for regular users.

Spotify is required to collect sales tax on their subscriptions by state and local governments, according to the Spotify customer help website.

“Some state and local governments may also require us to collect sales tax if Spotify undergoes marketing/promotional activities in the state or locality, or uses local sales agents or consultants,” the website said.

Emma Lavin, a first-year business major and a Spotify subscriber from South Dakota, said although she was unaware of the sales tax addition, she finds it “weird” that South Dakota will be charging sales tax to online services.

“It’s not a big deal, but I don’t think it’s really necessary,” Lavin said.

Other states that already charge this sales tax on digital entertainment services include Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida and North Carolina.

News HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

A2 Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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Aaron Mercado I The Volante

USD Beacom School of Business professors participated in a fundraiser for the Beta Alpha Psi organization, where they were raffled to be pied in the face.

City of Vermillion Police Blotter Highlights >> Oct. 14- 20

2

Welfare checks

Oct. 14 Officers responded to a call for medical assistance at a local convenience store. EMS arrived and began caring for the patient.

Oct. 14 Caller requested a welfare check on a neighbor whose car was running and no one was answering the door.

Officer determined everything was alright.

Oct. 15 Officers responded to a welfare check request.

Officers made contact with the subject and found everything in order.

Oct. 15 Officers responded to a 911 call for medical assistance.

Officers

provided assistance until EMS arrived.

Oct. 16 Officers received a call of theft from a local gas station. Case is under investigation.

Oct. 16 Officers received a report of suspicious activity. Officers found no criminal activity.

Oct. 16 Officers responded to a residence after receiving information of a wanted person being present there. Officers located the subject with a warrant and took him into custody.

Oct. 16 Vermillion officers responded to an accident on Highway 50 just east of Vermillion.

1

1

case of alcohol poisoning

They insure there were no injuries and provided traffic control until a deputy arrived and took over the scene.

Oct. 17 An officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration. Officer’s investigation found the driver to be intoxicated. The driver was arrested for DWI. Oct. 17 Officers received a report of damaged property. Video surveillance was available and identified the offender.

Oct. 18 Officers were investigating a stolen vehicle when officers discovered the location of a wanted person. The vehicle in question was located

and the person was arrested and taken into custody. was.

Oct. 18 A Officers responded to a reported dispute between persons.

Officers investigation determined an assault had occurred.

One subject was arrested.

Alcohol was a factor.

Oct. 18 Officers responded to a report of a man crashing his bicycle and injuring himself. The man was intoxicated and had crashed into a curb. He was treated by the officer until the ambulance arrived and took over care.

Oct. 19 Officers responded to a domestic in progress.

DWI

The man was seen outside the residence and immediately fled when he saw an officer.

Investigation resulted in charges being referred to States Attorney for assault and intentional damage to property.

Oct. 20 Complainant reported that an unknown vehicle had struck his vehicle damaging it. Officers responded and investigated. They found that the complainant who was drunk had driven his vehicle into a metal pole, then reported the hit and run. The complainant was arrested for DWI and false report.

Oct. 20 Caller requested help for a woman who may be

LIVE AT 5 P.M.

suffering from alcohol poisoning on the ground downtown. The woman was intoxicated but was refused medical care. A sober third party took over care for the woman.

Oct. 20 An officer contacted two men because one looked like an assault suspect. The men were not involved with the assault, but were intoxicated and underage.

One was underage and on court conditions not to consume alcohol and was arrested. The other was a juvenile and charges were referred to the State’s Attorney.

TUNE IN THIS MONTH Tune into KAOR today at noon for an interview about straw-free day.

Watch Channel 21 today for a story on service animals on campus.

COYOTEHistory 2005 Studies show overuse of messaging may lead to injuries.

1999 Campus food prices were raised by three percent

by Aramark food service provider.

Temiloluwa Adeyemi I The Volante

David Herbster, USD’s athletic director, spoke about DakotaDome renovations at the weekly SGA meeting on Tuesday evening.

SGA discusses student section and DakotaDome renovations Lexi Kerzman

Lexi.Kerzman@coyotes.usd.edu

USD Student Government Association (SGA) discussed the DakotaDome renovations and the impacts it will have on student attendance at home sporting events at their weekly meeting Tuesday evening.

SGA resumed their weekly meetings after not having a meeting last week due to the Vince Staples concert put on by Campus Activities Board.

This week’s meeting featured special guests David Herbster, USD’s athletics director and Dave Williams, the deputy athletics director. The two spoke on the upcoming

DakotaDome renovations and the issues regarding seating for the 2019 football season.

The DakotaDome renovations are set to begin in February 2019 and tentatively completed by 2020. The current issue with the renovation is with available seating in the DakotaDome for the 2019 football season.

While in renovation, the entire west side will not be usable. Currently, the west side serves as student seating and band seating.

PJ Freidel, SGA senator, was appointed by Josh Sorbe, SGA president, for the DakotaDome renovation committee. Freidel said the committee’s first meeting went well, but

they are still a long way to a solution.

“We’ve only had one meeting so far, but it was actually really informative,” Freidel said. “There was actually a lot of different ideas that came forward right away. And the situation was actually a lot more complicated than we originally thought.”

Currently, the committee has proposed three possible solutions to the lack of seating issue, two of which allow for 740 seats designated for students, while the third will allow 540 for students.

While the renovation is taking places Herbster and Williams said they are See SGA, Page A3

The Volante

Rachel Newville

Volume 143, N0. 10 October 24, 2018 www.volantenline.com

managing editor

Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Chuck Baldwin 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.

The Volante is distributed Wednesdays during the academic year free of charge locally with the cost of $1 for each additional copy. One year subscription rates are $40, which solely covers the mailing costs.

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The Volante disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The Volante reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

editor-in-chief Devin Martin Logan Rahn advertising manager Kelli Susemihl news editor Leah Dusterhoft news presentation editor Lexi Kerzman assistant news editor Ali Boysen verve editor Morgan Matzen verve presentation editor Sara Cappiello assistant verve editor Austin Lammers sports editor Molly Sperlich sports presentation editor Nik Wilson assistant sports editor Molly Schiermeyer photo editor Nick Zeimet opinion editor Tori Harwell copy editor

News

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DOME From Page A1

section can hold next season.

The 2019 Football Season Student Advisory Group, a group of students from organizations on campus led by David Williams, Deputy AD, David Herbster, Athletics Director, and Josh Sorbe Student Government Association president concluded Wednesday that 718-740 of those 5,278 seats will be reserved for the student section.

Student section

The 2019 Football Season Student Advisory Group agreed that two potential locations for the student section depend on the band.

Seating availability on the DakotaDome’s east side David Williams | USD Athletics Williams said the band has roughly 120 members, but because of their instruments, are given 200 bench seats.

The first option, Williams said, is putting the band at the top of section B and reserving both section A and the remainder of B for the student section.

“The higher they are, the better quality of sound they have,” Williams said. “Right now, at the low spot they have, the cheerleaders can barely hear when the band is playing.”

Section A and B hold 940 total seats, and if the top 200 seats of section B are allotted to the band, 740 seats remain for students. The Dome’s student section currently holds 2,000.

The second option, if allowed by contractors, is to move the band to the west side of the field and leave all of section B (718 seats) for students.

“If the contractors let us, they’d be isolated by themselves, but at least they’d be playing straight at us,” Williams said.

“We’re going to see if that’s a possibility.”

Representing the Sound of USD, Isaac Westergaard said this is the better option for the band.

“It would make a good crowd experience, especially if cheer is across the way,” Westergaard said. “The biggest thing is where we’re pointing our bells at. If we could get something on the west side, that’d be the best case for us.”

Game tickets

Four groups will fill the majority of the 5,278 seats available next season: 2,538 seats for season ticket holders 650 USD Team seats (for recruits and family of football, cheer and dance teams) 200 seats reserved for the opposing team (Missouri Valley Conference requirement) 718-740 seats for the student section Subtracting those seats from the original 5,278, the athletic program is left with 1,150-1,172 individual game tickets for fans, compared to 1,890 tickets normally.

Williams said the administration is thinking of “creative ideas” to reduce the number of staff tickets, seats for administrators, coaches, and their families, and open up more seats to fans and students.

“We’re gonna ask students to take a little decrease, so what can we (the staff) do?” Williams said. “We’re talking about ways to pool our tickets, use them only when needed, and put the rest back in the pod.”

The administration is also searching for ways to “pool” corporate season tickets

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 A3

and USD team seats, Williams said.

The Dome Club, a box in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center that overlooks Lewis Field from the south, could be utilized as well. The Dome Club is reserved for donors who give $5,000 or more annually to the athletic program.

Williams said seating in the Dome Club could open up more space in the Dome.

“There are a few people that would rather sit in the Dome Club the entire game than sit in their seats,” Williams said.

“So if they don’t want their four seats, and aren’t going to use them anyway, then let’s actually seat them in the Dome Club and do something else with their seats.”

The next step

Williams said he sees three steps in this process: establishing location and size of the student section, allocation of tickets to students, and the logistics behind ticket allotment. The group’s next meeting will determine the allocation of student tickets, although an exact date of the meeting has not been set.

A reduced amount of students seats will increase the demand, and members of the group discussed ideas such as Coyote Crazies incentives, a lottery/raffle system, or seniority-based ticketing.

Herbster said, along with student seating issues inside the dome, there are ones outside the dome as well.

“What are the elements prior to the game that we need to think about?”

Herbster said. “What are the elements for the students that aren’t at the game?”

Herbster said it’s possible the game could be displayed on a Jumbotron in the tailgate area for students to watch.

These possibilities won’t be confirmed until the next meeting, where Sorbe said two main questions will be answered.

“We get around 700 tickets. How do we allocate those to the students?” Sorbe said. “The other question we have is what happens to the students who don’t get a ticket?”

Looking back

Last October, USD announced plans for a $26 million renovation to the DakotaDome, a project that will include new locker rooms, offices and meeting rooms, along with updated HVAC, electrical, lighting, speakers and plumbing systems.

Construction on the west side of the Dome is slated to begin February of 2019 and conclude in time for the 2020 football season. Williams said updates to the west side will increase the capacity of the dome and include suites, loge boxes, and two new entrances. A rendering of the finished project will be released soon.

Earlier this fall, school administrators discussed whether or not to keep USD home games in Vermillion during the 2019 season.

“We had talked about whether or not to move games out of Vermillion,” Williams said. “We decided that the games that would exceed (seating) demand would be D-Days and South Dakota State. We didn’t want to want to move those games out.”

The process is moving forward, but Herbster said there’s still a lot to consider.

“Next year, frankly, will be a challenge,” Herbster said. “There’s no bad ideas, there’s just ideas. Some are gonna fit, some aren’t.”

Aaron Mercado I The Volante

Members of Yotes for Life chalk pro-life messages on campus sidewalks.

Pro-life student group Yotes for Life celebrates Protect Life Month Lexi Kerzman

Lexi.Kerzman@coyotes.usd.edu

Every October, the USD sidewalks are chalked by the Yotes of Life group as a way to promote Respect Life Month and educate USD students about their pro-life movements.

Yotes for Life, the pro-life group at USD, hopes this month will spread awareness for their message.

Rachel Edwards, Yotes for Life vice president, said this month is an opportunity for them to present another side of an argument, aside she said many people choose to overlook. “(Students) don’t see pro-life as a valid option, so the purpose of this month isn’t to shove our opinion down their throats, it’s just more to raise awareness for an issue and show both sides of the issue,” Edwards said “It’s not necessarily a political issue, it’s just an issue of life and it’s just trying to raise awareness.”

Yotes for Life is planning on tabling throughout this month and the rest of the semester to start a conversation about their club. Karleen Murtha, Yotes for Life president, said the table will have a fetal model display so students can see the stages of development in the womb.

“We just want to get the conversation going because it is a controversial issue and there’s not a lot of conversation,” Murtha said. “We just want to give them the facts so they have enough information so they can make an educated decision.”

Besides tabling, Yotes for Life also made a trip to Sioux Falls on Oct. 7 to participate in the annual Life Chain event.

This event took place on the street outside Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls. Murtha said the group held signs to get the attention of drivers and hopefully get people to think about this issue.

“It is very interesting to see the dynamic of Sioux Falls,” Murtha said. “It’s a big city and we stand on the sidewalk holding signs that say things like ‘fathers regret lost fatherhood, pray for the end of abortion.’ Kind of just getting the public thinking.”

Murtha said she has gone to this event every year since she started at USD and still thinks it is interesting to see how many different reactions they receive from people driving by.

“Some drivers will honk, some of them will give a thumbs up or a thumbs down and different things, but it doesn’t matter how they react because you know that they saw it. It’s nice and assuring when people honk instead of other people who refuse to look at it. There is a lot of people so it’s impossible to ignore and you have to think about the pro-life issue.

Both Edwards and Murtha said the purpose of this club is not to pressure others to believe the same things, but they allow students to see a different side of an argument.

“Our goal is not to again shove our ideas down people’s throats,” Edwards said. “We are simply here to present the

SGA From Page A2

going to try and get permission from the contractors, so the band will be able to remain seated on the west side of the dome.

“The third solution is kind of the worst scenario,” Williams said. “The contractor says no to the band (being on the west side). If that happens, we will have to try and find room on the east side for the band, along with the students.”

Herbster said if the contractors don’t allow the band to sit on the west side, the athletics department will find a way to make up the lost revenue and keep the student tickets at 740.

“I don’t like that scenario, we need everybody there at the game that we possibly can,” Herbster said. “We will find a way to make up the revenue we lose with the 200 tickets we don’t sell.”

If the third solution is chosen, the university will lose roughly $30,000. This is figured by taking the average price of general tickets, sold at $25, multiplied by 200, and then multiplied by the number of home games that season, which will be six.

“I want to still be able to give students the opportunity, or as many students as we can to go to games next year for the 2019 season, but also not have an

viewpoint and let people decide from themselves.”

Edwards said it can be hard to reach a large group of students because many students have the misconception that they are a political group. Edwards said this is not the purpose of the club.

“People think of pro-life as a political issue, when that’s not our intent of the club at all,” Edwards said. “They think that’s what our intent is when all we want to do is educate students with options they need so they can make the best decision for them.”

Although Yotes for Life does not consider themselves a political group, through Student Government (SGA) regulation policies they are considered a political group and do not receive funding currently. The pro-choice group at USD, Students for Reproductive Rights, is also considered a political group by SGA and does not receive funding.

Josh Sorbe, SGA president, said right now the Board of Regents is currently working on a free speech policy revision to allow SGA to fund political or religious groups for operational expenses.

“Right now if something is constituted as a religious practice or a political action we can’t use student dollars to fund it because we are state actors but with this revision in the policy we would be able to cover the operational cost,” Sorbe said. “If an organization wanted to put on an event and wanted food at their event we would be able to fund that as an operational expense but we still wouldn’t be able to fund advocacy efforts in the capital. We would be able to find just what they need to maintain an organization.”

According to Yotes for Life official statement regarding SGA funding, they do not feel by not funding the club will be “denying university students the option to find some of the resources they need to be successful in their personal lives.”

Murtha said she believes it can be challenging to reach students on a liberal campus because of peoples strong viewpoints on pro-life issues.

“I hope we can see a change of people being more open to having a conversation with us about the topic,” Murtha said. “I think that that’s the hardest part.

A lot of people have very strong views that they are not willing to talk to the other side. I have my views but I would like to form more of a conversation with other viewpoints to share the knowledge we have with each other.”

Edwards said part of growing up in college is learning how to hear other people’s beliefs and respect them even if they differ from an individual’s personal beliefs.

“Part of growing as an individual is being exposed to other viewpoints,” Edwards said. “Even if you don’t necessarily agree with them you still need to be able to have conversations with people.” extreme loss in revenue for the university,” Freidel said. “We’re just trying to figure out who gets the students and how they get them with the loss of revenue to the university itself are some of the main concerns” Next week’s meeting will host Debra Robertson from the USD student counseling center as the special guest.

Aaron Mercado I The Volante

Dave Williams, the deputy athletics director, spoke at the weekly SGA meeting about DakotaDome renovations and issues regarding the student section.

Temilolu

Opinion WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

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LAUREN SOULEK is a junior double majoring in media & journlaism and international studies.

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The west side of the DakotaDome will be closed for renovations during the 2019 football season, meaning all seating, including the student section, will be moved to the east side.

Editorial: Why a smaller student section is ultimately worth it What we know now is that the west side of the DakotaDome will be closed for renovations during the 2019 football season.

This means that, unfortunately, the student section will also be closed.

What does this mean?

It means that, according to the USD’s athletic administration, roughly 5,280 total seats will be available for the six home football games during the 2019 season, which is almost half of the 10,000 seats that were available for games this year. And within these roughly 2,580, 718-740 seats will be reserved for students.

This is an issue as the average attendance of students for home games is 1,420, according to administration. And even the lowest attended game was still 936 students, which is roughly 200 more students that will be able to fit in this temporary student section.

Admittedly, this puts a damper on football season for a number of reasons. The upside in all of this, however, is the fact that finding the space for students in the most effective way possible is a priority. With fewer seats, comes higher demand, which is an issue that the administration is taking seriously.

“

The DakotaDome will become bigger and better, which is a win for us as fans and Coyotes.

No, the cutback on the student section isn’t ideal. While it would be great to continue to have the space we have had in the past to cheer on the Yotes, the fact of the matter is that what’s to come is going to be well worth this temporary inconvenience.

The changes to the DakotaDome are changes being made to improve our experience as fans. The proposed $26 million upgrade is going to lead the way to better electrical systems, sound systems and even better plumbing. Not to mention the fact that the renovation of the west side of the Dome will allow for more seating in the future - which is a win for the students in the long run.

In an interview with The Volante last year, athletic director David Herbster explained the

necessity for an upgrade to our facilities.

“The Dome has been an iconic facility in the state for 38 years now. We need to make sure that we keep this facility to the state that the standard has come to expect, and make sure it is an iconic, usable facility for the foreseeable future,” Herbster stated.

So while we may not like facing change, there’s no denying that an upgrade is just that. An upgrade.

Construction on the west side of the dome is expected to begin in February 2019 and conclude just in time for the 2020 football season to begin.

The DakotaDome will become bigger and better, which is a win for us as fans and Coyotes.

The Volante THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

EDITORIAL BOARD Rachel Newville, editor-in-chief

Nickolas Zeimet, opinion editor

Devin Martin, managing editor

Ali Boysen, verve editor Austin Lammers, sports editor

CONTACT US The Volante welcomes letters to the editor in regards to campus, local, state and national issues. Letters will be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows.

Please limit letters to 300 words or fewer. The Volante reserves the right to hold letters for publication in a later issue.

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

We will not publish anonymous letters.

Send letters to: Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. Vermillion, S.D. 57069 Fax to: 605.677.5105 Email to: volante@coyotes.usd.edu Via our website: volanteonline.com The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.

Author Neale Donald Walsch once said, “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? How did you feel afterward?

One thing that people sometimes find daunting is the idea of studying abroad, trust me, I know I did at first too.

From the cost to the paperwork to leaving home and going somewhere totally new, it’s understandable how some may find it terrifying.

However, if there is any fraction of your mind that wants to do it, just do it.

The thing that really pushed me to commit to studying abroad was remembering that I’m young.

We’re young. We should take the chance while we can, experience the world now while there are so many opportunities available.

I get it, the cost can seem pretty intense when first looking at it, but don’t let that bog you down. There are ways to get help.

At USD you can get the Farber Fund if you’re an international studies, political science or criminal justice major, which helps a ton.

You can also apply for the International Opportunity Fund if you’re an undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are ways, you just have to find them.

The process of studying abroad can be pretty intense too, but that’s what advisors are there for. They’ll help you figure out your options and what works best for you.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Furthermore, if the idea of going somewhere alone scares you, I suggest starting by going

on a faculty-led trip.

These are great chances for you to visit a new country for a couple weeks with faculty experienced in the area or what you’re learning while abroad. Plus, you’ll make great friends while you’re there who you’ll always share that special memory with.

Don’t let the stress of worrying stop you from taking the leap to do something fun like studying abroad. In the end, you’re going to wonder why you ever had doubts in the first place.

Experiencing a world completely different from your own is probably one of the most eye-opening and educational experiences you could ever have.

By embracing yourself in a new culture you get to learn about different people, food, languages and history that will help shape you into a better person.

The world is quickly becoming more and more globalized, especially with the use of internet and social media.

Knowing how to interact with people who aren’t exactly like you and knowing how to be culturally sensitive is such an important skill.

You have so many opportunities at the tip of your fingers here at USD for study abroad, don’t be afraid to explore them.

As former Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

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You have so many opportunities at the tip of your fingers here at USD for study abroad, don’t be afraid to explore them.

OVERHEARDS

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

“It’s because I’m addicted to nicotine.”

— Muenster University Center

“He’s kind of hot, but he kind of has a lisp.”

— Charcoal Lounge

“A regular bottle of wine is really more like a sippy cup.”

— Muenster University Center

“My dad bods got lost!”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“I mean, like, murder is a power move.”

— ID Weeks Library

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 A5 Opinion If we want change, Conferences enhance we have to vote education

The Volante I volanteonline.com

MICCI ABBOTT is a senior majoring in sport marketing & media.

MIKI KENNERLY is a senior double majoring in strategic communications and Spanish Having recently returned from the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP), we are realizing that CAMP was an experience we will never forget and that all students should be given such an opportunity.

It was so rewarding to be surrounded by women who share the same passion for diverse media and accurate representation in news. Being surrounded by these awe-inspiring, accomplished women in journalism fostered an atmosphere of support that allowed us to see exactly how far our education at the University of South Dakota can take us.

At CAMP, breakout speakers Elise Hu and Jemele Hill spoke of the trials and tribulations they as women in journalism have faced and will continue to face in the workplace in our society.

Taking this into account, JAWS’ focused sessions allowed us to learn new tactics straight from the experts on how to navigate the ever-changing world of media.

With help from her colleagues, Yumi Wilson former LinkedIn curator and president of JAWS, implemented an event focused on building a personal brand, and most specifically, how to create your own personal brand statement.

As an employer, Wilson noted that the creation of this statement allows future employers to understand what a candidate’s goals are as well as what specific and unique skills one might have. With this knowledge, there is no doubt that this will make applying for positions after graduation a more streamlined process.

Critical Frequency Cofounder Amy Westervelt’s session on podcasting was extremely noteworthy. As members of the KAOR Radio staff, Westervelt’s advice could not only help improve our existing radio shows but also help us to build our audience so that we can take this one step further, even after graduation.

In a session led

by Democracy Fund Senior Consultant Sheila Solomon, we discussed intentional diversity and what that should look like in 2018. We learned strategies on curating an inclusive newsroom culture, recruiting for diversity in journalism and creating truly representative news stories.

Additionally, at the plenary session sponsored by the American Press Institute, we were instructed to take part in an empathy exercise.

We were given a sheet of paper with instructions to fill in sections that included our name, religious background, most prized possession, personal values, and race/ ethnicity.

We then crossed out two sections that we believed to be unimportant to us. After, we traded with a partner, and they proceeded to cross out two more boxes that they believed were unimportant to us. The goal of this exercise was to remind journalists that there is always more to the story than what appears on the surface.

As journalists, we have no idea what is important to a person, and we must take this into account in every interaction with the public.

In addition to the learning of new and precise knowledge, conferences are incomparable networking opportunities that give students the chance to break out of their comfort zone and communicate with like-minded people in their field. As condensed learning experiences, they are able to stand out in a student’s mind more than typical coursework.

This makes conferences a valuable, yet underutilized tool of higher education.

However, conferences aren’t only great for students. They also

provide an opportunity for universities to invest in the people they educate.

Providing conference funding for students not only enriches their academic experience but also encourages professional success.

Increasing opportunities for students to attend conferences does not only enhance knowledge gained in the classroom but also provides attendees as future professionals with invaluable skills and experience so many employers desire.

In this case, allowing students to travel to conferences and act as representatives of the university demonstrates to other institutions that the university believes in its students and will support them in all of their endeavors, even when a student enters the workplace.

Everyone benefits from the conference experience if it is afforded to them.

Universities should provide clear direction to students on how to access funding, what other resources are available to them, as well as the benefits of attendance.

Because a large number of students are unaware of this process, these educational opportunities are missed and overlooked.

Providing information on how to go about this process in a more detailed and accessible way is a great start to opening up these opportunities to any student who may be interested in supplementing their education in ways outside of the classroom.

Attending CAMP was an experience we will never forget because it is one we will never stop benefitting from. The people we met, the things we learned, and the experience we gained will benefit us for our entire careers.

Though being there was amazing, returning home to share the knowledge we gained for the betterment of our department and fellow students have been one of the best parts.

If you’re looking to attend a conference and would like the University’s assistance with funding, contact your department chair.

NICKOLAS ZEIMET is a senior majoring in media & journalism If you watch the news, you know that there’s a big debate on whether the country is doing well or not. People on the left are screaming that we’re headed for “American Horror Story: Apocalypse” levels of bad, and people on the right are screaming that the people on the left have no idea what they’re talking about.

No matter what the side, the fact of the matter is that this country has a lot of opinions on what’s good and what’s bad in the politisphere. When we look at some of the recent headlines, ranging from Brett Kavanaugh to the Russia probe, there’s no doubt that the goingson of Washington are unusual.

This is good for the simple fact that we the people are working to hold those in power accountable. It’s bad because we keep seeing our fight for justice thwarted by those same people in power.

So what can we do?

Besides continuing to question the things that don’t seem right, we can vote.

Sounds easy enough so why aren’t people our age voting?

Millennials and GenZ alike are showing that, while they like to tweet about the abhorrence of this country, they don’t really care that much as they aren’t turning out to vote.

Yes, in recent news Taylor Swift’s announcement of being a democrat led to the registration of over 65,000 voters in just one day - but registering to vote and actually voting are two different things.

In the most recent

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presidential election, we saw an emphasis on our demographic.

Hillary Clinton was doing everything in her power to collect the 18-24 vote, posting vines and recruiting any and all pop stars for a photo-op in order to seem relatable to us and though she tried hard, ultimately she failed.

Are Millennials too hard to reach? Are we too cynical? Do we just not care?

According to a study from the Pew Research Center, Millennials and “post-Millennials” or GenZ, are currently the majority. Numbers of Baby Boomers and older generations are down significantly after the most recent midterm, due in part to death. Which means something big: we get to call the shots.

Yes, while it seems daunting to think that we’re suddenly able to be in the position to be making rational decisions, we need to face the fact that we’re here. And since we the majority are expected to be making choices that can impact the world, we should be taking that responsibility seriously.

Right now, the House of Representatives is dominated by the Republican Party. The House was responsible for the ending of the Russia probe investigation, an investigation that sought to discover any Russian influence with the 2016 election.

It is believed now that if Democrats regain dominance in the House that the investigation will be re-opened. According to an article from AP News, “Democrats say Republicans ignored key facts and important witnesses and want to restart parts of the investigation if they win the House.”

For many Democrats, the thought of Russian tampering is one of the

most important issues at hand, if it can be proven that there was interference in the election a massive can of worms will be opened - but the only way that this box can be opened is if Democrats regain control of the house and that can only happen if people vote.

Oppositely, many Republicans feel that this issue has been solved and the reopening such a case is a waste of time, money, and resources.

So, if Republicans wish to keep this case closed they need to keep control of the House - which means millennial-aged republicans need to vote.

This is just one of the numerous issues America is facing now, and frankly, it doesn’t matter which side of the issues one might be on. Either way, the way to see what you want happen, is to vote.

It isn’t enough to retweet an article about the importance of voting from Buzzfeed. If we want to see change, we have to take the appropriate steps to achieve it - and that means we need to wake up and realize that - while sometimes it may not seem like it - our votes count.

There’s a reason Hillary Clinton was in an episode of the Comedy Central show “Broad City” and it certainly isn’t because of the storylines, it’s because getting the attention of our generation is the key to success.

Yes, ultimately a ploy to get the youth’s attention like that comes off as cheesy, but the fact that people with Clinton’s political notoriety are stooping to that level in order to engage us and intrigue us to vote certainly says something about the power Millennials and GenZ has.

If we want to see a change of any kind, we have to take initiative. We have to vote.

If we want to see a change of any kind, we have to take initiative.

We have to vote.

Art education needs to be taken more seriously TORI HARWELL is a junior majoring in English.

It never ceases to amaze me that every time education budgets get tightened, art programs are the first to get cut. So much evidence points to art’s importance in a child’s development - and not just in abstract thought.

According to dosomething.org, students who study art are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, and three times more likely to be awarded for school attendance.

While school districts may be tempted to believe that the arts are a meaningless part of the educational system, art is a critical component in a well-rounded education,

but art education isn’t just helpful to create a wellrounded student: studies suggest it also helps students academically.

Researchers in a study from the Arts Education Partnership determined that students who received more arts education did better on standardized tests, improved their social skills and were more motivated than those who had reduced or no access to art education.

“Notions that the arts are frivolous add-ons to a serious curriculum couldn’t be further from the truth,” says James Catterall, education professor at the University of California-L.A., who coordinated the research.

Another study by the Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum sent artists to schools to teach students and help them create their own masterpieces.

The study found that

those who took part in the program performed better on six different categories of literacy and critical thinking skills than those who didn’t.

Program organizers believe the improvements were the result of learning valuable critical thinking skills while talking about art, which could then be applied to understand literary materials.

Students then can use these same skills they learned throughout their lives: Into middle and high school, then into college, and into their future careers.

Whether or not people choose to believe it, art education is just as important as math and science. Art is in everything around us. Art is in language and writing.

Music is an art. Dance is an art. There is art in our buildings, our furniture, our technology, and almost every product on the

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market. Take away art and we are left with almost nothing.

There would be no artwork on the walls, no clothing, no buildings, no music, no books.

Even in things as simple as your favorite article of clothing, or the logo of your favorite beverage.

They all start with an idea, and then a drawing.

Art education provides students with so many benefits.

With art education, open-ended questions help to encourage students to reflect on their own emotional response to the artwork.

This also enables students to be more receptive of other peoples’ point of view, and to visual expression. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to art, and this allows students to have their own thoughts and ideas.

Art education can also

Art education provides students with so many benefits.

help students to gain better communication skills. By encouraging students to talk about art, they gain more vocabulary not only surrounding art but also get better at articulating their ideas.

A study of Missouri public schools in 2010 found that greater arts education led to significant positive effects on the academic and social successes of their students.

The study mentions, “a growing body of research...suggests that the impact of the arts includes strengthening student learning in other academic areas, including

the much-tested areas of Communication Arts and Mathematics.”

This can also help with learning to understand other peoples’ point of view, while also being able to formulate their own ideas.

It’s time we start looking at art education in the same light we do with math and science classes.

If we keep taking away from art education, we’re not only saying the arts don’t matter - we’re saying that something people are passionate about doesn’t matter, without art, we’d be missing out on so much.

News

A6 Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Fine arts sees continually failing retention rates Morgan Matzen

Morgan.Matzen@coyotes.usd.edu

The College of Fine Arts (FA) has struggled with retention numbers in recent years due to faculty changes, a lack of student advising and stereotypes about careers in fine arts.

According to an email sent to The Volante from fine arts dean Larry Schou and from the chairs of each department in the FA, the retention for sophomores this year in visual arts is at 58.3 percent; music is at 68.2 percent and theatre is at 86.7 percent.

As detailed in the fine arts strategic plan, retention rates must reach 85 percent for all departments by May 2020.

Cory Knedler, chair of the art department, said students typically leave the major for issues with funding or bad grades. Another factor which contributes to low retention rates is the political climate, he said.

“Money-wise, I blame that on the economy,” Knedler said. “Since 2008 when the housing bubble burst, a lot of people across the United States have been reluctant to go into liberal arts and fine arts is going to be part of that. In fine arts, people always assume there aren’t going to be good-paying jobs in fine arts, but that’s simply not true. The jobs are out there.”

Knedler said a goal of student advising every semester would create more of a personable approach to working with students and seeing what their needs and interests are.

FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT RETENTION RATES OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS

“I think (advising) has had something to do with the declining grades that I’ve seen, and also with not knowing if (students) need help financially,” Knedler said. “First-year students are not comfortable asking for help. I think we need to do a better job of meeting with the freshman class one-on-one.”

Tasha Determan, a junior fine arts major with an emphasis in sculpture, said students often face a pressure from family when they pursue an art major, which could contribute to the issue of retention.

“I think it’s important for us to educate first-year students about the possibilities of occupations and what you can do with a BFA,” Determan said. “If we could have another class that’s specific to students’ emphasis, like Sculpture 1, that’s a suggestion.”

Reasons for retention drop David Holdhusen, chair of music, said the lagging retention in music results from faculty turnover, recruitment issues and the political climate.

“In the last few years, we’ve had a little of a downturn,” he said. “We have a lot of new faculty in our department. Any time you have faculty instability, it’s going to hurt recruitment and retention.”

Holdhusen said as the music department recruits more students, some of those students are likely to change their major or make another decision when they come to USD. “We have really been attempting to recruit more students,” 80 75

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much going on, because the idea is to try and get a lot of people to pledge to go straw-free without having to majorly commit to attending anything in particular,” she said. “We thought of the day to educate and inspire, rather than to have yet another function on campus that people need to attend.”

Neopaney also said stickers will be available to those who take the pledge.

A community-wide cause

Neopaney said her and MullerSmit’s project is for a class that focuses on students becoming involved within their community.

“It’s for our American government class, and you have to pick an issue that you care about, and we chose environmental policy,” Neopaney said. “We have to work with organizations outside of campus and do a thing like raise awareness, so we chose environmental policy and then we specifically chose straws.”

Part of the Vermillion’s straw-free movement has been encouraging local business to only serve straws on request.

“So this summer, I went around with a friend from the Sierra Club, and we asked all the restaurants in town if they would

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he said. “Sometimes we have recruited students into our music major that... decided that performance or music education is not going to be their calling and found a different avenue for their professional studies. It’s not that they’re leaving the university, it’s that they’re moving to different majors within the university.”

Holdhusen said as the university grows, retention is going to be a concern.

“I don’t think it’s a long-term, serious problem,” he said. “I think we are in the middle of a re-tooling of the department just because of the high number of turnover. I think once everybody, now that we are locked in and our faculty is stable again, I think that our numbers will increase.”

Damon Lamberty, graduate assistant for athletic bands, said the faculty turnover within the music department has been a main contributing factor in regards to retention.

“We have had a lot of turnover in the music department in recent years, and I think the lack of consistency with the personnel and the faculty has led to breakdown in communication with some students who were interested to study (music),” he said. “It’s just the way that things are right now.

SGA fine arts senator Kevin Huizenga, a senior musical arts major, contributes the retention issue to issues with the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts building itself, and to the intensity of a BFA program.

“Students see that the building is

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run down and can be difficult to work with,” he said. “Fine arts majors are very intensive, and not in the same way that high school or a regular major is. A lot of people come in loving music or art or drawing or something like that and then studying it all the time is a lot on anybody.”

Huizenga said the major can be time consuming, and doesn’t exactly meet students’ expectations of the typical college experience.

“I know people want the full college experience of going out and spending time with friends and doing fun stuff, but practices and performances cut into your extracurricular time. It’s hard to be a super involved student outside of the FA,” he said. “It’s hard for students to really know what they’re getting into until they get here.”

Raimondo Genna, chair of theater, said while the department has surpassed the 85 percent retention goal, ideally, the goal would be a 100 percent retention of students.

“The goal is 100 percent,” he said. “A nice consistent goal would be 85 percent.”

Genna said the department has improved retention rates by identifying marginalized students and pushing them into more active and inclusive roles in the department.

“Getting them active in the shows, even if it’s working backstage or in the shops, making them feel like they’re part of a community has helped tremendously,” he said.

MUSIC 83.3

agree to serve straws only on request,” Skyrm said. “Some of them were already doing that or said they were, and some of them were receptive to the idea, but they didn’t know how they could work it. Then others were fast food places who couldn’t necessarily do away with straws because their corporate rules say they have to offer straws, and the bars were not very helpful for the most part.”

Skyrm said five businesses, RED’s Steakhouse, Cafe Brule, Dakota Brickhouse, Silk Road and Bru2, agreed to only serve straws on request, although other businesses are still receptive to the movement.

“If you’re eating out at a restaurant here in town, since a lot of them are not doing away with straws, but they are interested in the movement, just ask your server when you’re ordering a drink, ‘no straw.’”

This movement in Vermillion is a part of a larger nationwide movement, Skyrm said.

“There are lots of movements going to reduce the use of plastic, particularly single-use plastic, and I know that there are some organizations like Last Plastic Straw and the Ocean Conservancy, that are all trying to do this, so they’re all working for the same thing,” she said.

“We decided to use the Sierra Club as our mouthpiece because we didn’t have any of those other organizations here in town and we thought it would be a good project for us to do.”

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Along with talking to local businesses, Neopaney, MullerSmit and Skyrm have created cards that say “Help end plastic pollution, please only serve straws on request” for students to leave on restaurant tables after they have been given a straw and have also created posters to advertise their movement. The group has also tabled in the MUC and had a showing of the documentary “Straws” at the Oct. 16 Sierra Club meeting.

Encouraging sustainable alternatives

Neopaney and Skyrm both said the movement is not trying to ban the use of straws altogether, just reduce the use of plastic straws and encourage the use of more sustainable options.

“We’re just encouraging them to not give out straws, like there are some people who need straws, like people who are handicapped and old people, so we can’t really ban straws or force them to not use straws, we’re just encouraging them not to do this, because it harms the environment in many different ways,” Neopaney said.

Neopaney said she believes students will be receptive to being encouraged to go straw-free.

“I think they should be excited because it helps the environment, so I don’t see why they shouldn’t. We’re not banning straws, it’s just giving up a day. One day

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makes a difference,” she said.

Amanda Black, a sophomore accounting major, said she is excited to participate in the Oct. 25 straw-free day, but she thinks the rest of campus may be reluctant because of the sheer convenience of plastic straws.

“I’m already trying to use (fewer) straws, it’s just kind of hard because everything here kind of requires straws, but if there’s a moment when I don’t need a straw, I’ll try not to use it,” Black said.

Skyrm said the straw-free movement is only a small part of a larger recycling movement she hopes the campus can get behind.

“It’s all part of a bigger movement, too.

Straws are the first thing, but we also want people to think about not using so much disposable plastic, like takeout containers and to think about what you’re buying at the grocery stores,” she said. “It’s all part of a bigger issue, and it’s all part of the recycling issue, which we hope the campus can get more involved in as time goes on.”

Neopaney said the proclamation declaring Oct. 25 a straw-free day in Vermillion will help the movement stay alive in upcoming years.

‘It’s an ongoing movement,” she said. “People will be reminded annually because of the proclamation, so people won’t forget about it. Even if it’s just one day, it makes a huge difference.”

Students seek changes in home game ticket policies Devin Martin

Devin.Martin@coyotes.usd.edu

Because of the university rule stating non-USD students cannot enter the student section at sporting events, even with a ticket, students express their desire for change.

Currently, USD policy says only USD students are allowed to sit in the student section at sporting events, but many students will pick up their free ticket, and then sell it to non-students.

Administrative standpoint

Chris Kaufman, coordinator of ticket operations and sales, said students can pick up their tickets in the MUC before each home football game, or they can show up at the event and swipe their student ID to be granted access, if space is allotted.

These tickets are already pre-paid for through GAF fees.

“Each USD student through the GAF fees receives free admission to all regular season coyote athletic events including football, b a s k e t b a l l , volleyball, soccer...,” Kaufman said. “We make sure that there are easier ways that students can get admission into the games specifically for football.”

Kaufman said the ticket office does not encourage students selling their tickets to non-USD students.

“We want to make sure that USD students are taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them to attend games,” Kaufman said.

“For USD students we don’t encourage handing off of tickets or selling tickets to other students that (attend) other schools.”

Kaufman said some precautions were also taken from students selling their tickets.

“We’ve had taken precautions previously to curve that kind-of activity.

It’s mostly for the safety of the students attending different schools. Whether they’re representing a different color,” Kaufman said. “...We want to make sure that all students are together with their peers and enjoying the football game.”

However, non-USD students can get into sporting events if the university sponsors a promoted ticket game.

Nov. 10, which is family weekend, is an example of a game where students can purchase tickets for their family and friends, Kaufman said.

“We actually do a promotion for select games for football in which USD students can purchase a ticket for their friends to go to a football game,” Kaufman said.

“Those games typically do not include the higher demand games including the home opener, Dakota Days and SDSU/NDSU football games.”

Student perspective

Baylie Andersen, a junior elementary education major, said she is annoyed by the ticket policy, because she has once bought a ticket for a friend that she couldn’t use.

“I’m not a fan of the ticket policy. It frustrates me that I can’t buy student section tickets for my friends that don’t go here,” Andersen said. “I think non-students should be able to have access to the student section up to a certain age. After 25 is too old, in my opinion, to be in the student section.”

Andersen also said that she doesn’t agree with where students can pick up their tickets.

“It also annoys me that for certain games I can’t go to the (Sanford Coyote Sports Center) to get a ticket when I want to and have to go to the MUC at a certain time when they’re giving away tickets, because those times don’t work for me,” Andersen said. “I pay a lot to go here and should be able to go and get a ticket whenever I want to.”

Ashley Fuerst, a junior psychology major, said she is also annoyed with the ticket policy.

“I think the policy can be frustrating at times, especially when friends from other schools come to visit,” Fuerst said. “A common frustration I’ve had, and that others I know had, is paying a lot of money for a ticket and

actually finding someone who will sell their ticket for non-USD friends.”

“I do think non-USD students should be able to be in the student section, and I do appreciate when the university lets us as students buy a second ticket for our friends to attend games,” Fuerst said.

Josh Sorbe, a junior economics and political science double major and Student Government Association president, said ticket

allocation for the 2019 school year will soon be underway, although the future of the location and numbers of seats in student section will be determined by the DakotaDome renovations.

“The east bleachers of the dome - the traditional student section - will be unavailable for the 2019 football season because of the renovations. A group of student leaders from Coyote Crazies, IFC/Panhellenic

Council, cheer, band, athletics, and SGA has been formed to discuss student participation and ticket allocation for the 2019 school year,” Sorbe said.

“Rest assured, students will still have a section at the games and be able to cheer on their Coyotes.”

See coverage about dome renovations, and what this means for the student section, in this week’s issue of The Volante.

Sports

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/SPORTS

@VOLANTESPORTS

USD volleyball sweeps SDSU, Oral Roberts

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante Senior middle blocker Taylor Wilson had ten kills and two blocks against SDSU.

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante Senior outside hitter Hayley Dotseth had 15 kills against SDSU on Friday night.

Jaxon Thorson

Jaxon.Thorson@coyotes.usd.edu

USD volleyball has won nine straight sets, sweeping South Dakota State (SDSU) (4-18) and Oral Roberts (7-14) over the weekend.

USD vs SDSU

USD swept SDSU 25-18, 25-15, 25-11 in a rematch in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (SCSC) Friday night.

The Coyotes ended up all together with 45 kills, five aces, 42 assists, along with a hitting percentage of .359.

USD was down 12-6 in the first set before going on a sevenpoint comeback service run i gnited by senior hitter Taylor Wilson, who finished with ten kills “We came back, and that’s showing that we aren’t going anywhere,” Wilson said. “SDSU coming here is a huge rivalry for us.

It’s the battle of the Dakotas, and I think beating them in three is making a statement win for us and the conference.”

Wilson led the team with a .529 hitting percentage, followed freshman blocker Claire Gerdes, who garnered a .412 hitting percentage.

“It was good to see a couple of our players step up. I mean Taylor and Claire had a really good night,” Head coach Leanne Williamson said. “They both hit over .400 so it was great to see the production out of the middle for us. Madison Jurgens moved the ball around well and put people into good positions.”

Jurgens tallied 35 assists, helping Claire Gerdes achieve a thencareer high of eight kills. Senior Hayley Dotseth produced ten kills.

“I think as a whole we played great,” Wilson said. “Our offense was super spread out, everyone

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante The women’s volleyball team celebrates during their game against SDSU.

was hitting the ball, and our defense wasn’t letting the ball touch the ground.”

Wilson said an energetic crowd always helps against State.

“The atmosphere was great; the fans really buy into it and that really helps us create energy. We’ve had a great road start, but I think when we finally come back home with our crowd behind us then we get to feed off their energy and that makes it really fun,” said Wilson.

The team said they were expecting crowd support and channeled what they could.

“It feels really good to beat SDSU at home and prove to our fans that we’re better than what we’ve shown in the past,” said junior Elizabeth Loschen. “We stayed aggressive and defended our home court, it’s one of our goals and expectations this year to play

our best at home and show our fans what Coyote volleyball really is, and I think we did that tonight.”

USD vs Oral Roberts

USD volleyball followed up Friday’s victory with a sweep of Oral Roberts 25-20, 25-17, 27-25 at the SCSC on Sunday.

“Being able to win at home and in three is a good thing for us and its always going to help,” Williamson said. “We had to be a little more rested going into it.

They came in swinging aggressively and we had to make some plays on defense but in the end, it went to the serve and pass game.”

Hayley Dotseth led the team with 16 kills. Gerdes raised her career high with 11 kills. Wilson reached 11 kills and Loschen added nine. Anne Rasmussen led with 21 digs, followed by freshman Lolo Weideman with 16.

“We started scoring really ef-

ficiently,” Williamson told GoYotes. “When you start moving the ball around the floor, every hitter is involved and defensively when you start digging in the system you give all of your hitters the ability to attack.”

The win moves USD to 14-8 overall and 8-2 in the Summit League. They stand second to Denver and tied with Omaha.

“Every team is going to push you, nobody is going to in here and let you have a win,” said Williamson. “For them to have game point there and for us to battle back and find a way to win down the stretch was really big.”

The Coyotes look to add to their three-game win streak against Western Illinois (1-21) on Oct. 26 in Macomb, Ill.

Diver qualifies for NCAA Zones against Iowa State Nikolas Wilson

Nikolas.Wilson@coyotes.usd.edu

Aaron Mercado I The Volante The USD Swimming and diving team hosted Iowa State on Friday. Sophomore diver Hayley Pederson was named Summit League Diver of the Week.

USD hosted Iowa State at the DakotaDome pool on Friday.

Iowa State won the meet 146-97, earning gold in nine out of 13 events according to GoYotes.

One of the notable athletes at the event was USD sophomore diver Haley Pederson.

Pederson earned first place in the 3-meter dive event, with a score of 299.85.

Pederson also qualified for the NCAA Zones competition in the 3-meter dive.

“On 3-meter, she killed it, qualified for NCAA Zones, punched her ticket to Texas,” head coach Jason Mahowald said. “To get that off of her plate, out of the way, this early in the year is just a huge relief for her.”

Pederson said that she practices 20 hours each week and her familiarity with her dives helps to minimize pressure during the events.

“I’ve already done it, so I just have to keep improving every swim, so not put so much pressure,” Pederson said.

For the Coyotes, freshman Lucie Anderson won the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 33.89 seconds. Junior Katie Coleman earned gold in

the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 26.95 seconds. Senior Morgan Holt won the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:23.15, setting a new personal best.

Freshman Cassie Ketterling finished in second in the 200-meter individual medley, beating her personal best time. Her time was 2:24.19.

Ketterling said that she was excited about the event, but she also believes she has room for improvement.

“I could have finished a lot stronger, could have kicked a little bit more in the end,” Ketterling said. “I tried to work the backstroke harder because if I work the backstroke, my breaststroke and the end of the relay will come a lot easier to me.”

Coach Mahowald said she appreciated the opportunity to host Iowa State.

“We have a Big 12 team that came into Vermillion and swam with us. I think that says a lot about where the program is at and what they think of us because that just doesn’t happen in the swimming world,” Mahowald said. “To have them come in here and swim us at home is a compliment for all the kids on the team.”

B2 Wednesday, October 24 ,2018

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USD soccer opens three game home stand with victory Bailey Zubke

Bailey.Zubke@coyotes.usd.edu

Freshman forward Joana Zanin was responsible for four of the five goals in her first career start for USD in a 4-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (3-11-3, 0-6) on Thursday at First Bank and Trust Soccer Complex in Vermillion.

Zanin opened the scoring for the Coyotes (8-6-2, 3-3) in the sixth minute with a goal assisted by junior for-

ward Kellee Willer. In the first minute of the second half, Zanin again got the cross from Willer, giving USD a 2-0 lead. The two assists for Willer bumps her into second in the Summit League with seven assists.

“It was my first time starting. With all of the nerves and I didn’t know what to expect,” Zanin said. “I had to come out and show the coach why he should put me in.”

Nearly two minutes later,

Zanin assisted on a Taryn LaBree goal. The goal was LaBree’s sixth, leading the team. The final goal of the game came in the 86th minute when sophomore Maddison Sullivan scored her second goal of the season, assisted by freshman Kisa Omerovic “I am really proud of all the women. We’ve been on the road for what feels like a really long time.” Head coach Michael Thomas said. “We

played four of our first five (Summit League) games on the road, and five out of our last seven overall, so I know they were excited to be back at home.”

Senior Parker Rytz was in goal for the Coyotes and saved both of Purdue-Fort Wayne’s shots on goal, pushing her into second in the Summit League with 74 saves. USD fired 14 shots, nine on goal.

The Coyotes host North

WBB From Page A1

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante Men’s head basketball coach Todd Lee said he’s excited about his return to USD on Basketball Media Day.

MBB From Page A1

“If you ask everyone on the team, we love Coach Lee and what he’s bringing to this program,” Simpson said. “We’re really buying into what he wants us to do.”

Through all this change, Burch-Manning, who was voted preseason first-team All-Summit league earlier this month, said veterans still have to lead new players as they have in the past.

“At the end of the day, basketball is basketball, so there’s things that don’t change,” Burch-Manning said. “Having returners makes things go a little smoother. When you have experience, you can help other players get up to speed and make the transition easier for everyone.”

New faces

Over the summer, the Coyotes signed five fresh-

man and two graduate transfers. Junior Cody Kelley, a transfer from Wyoming and Lee’s first recruit, is a “true point guard” that Lee said will help Simpson in the backcourt immediately.

“Cody is a very smart, tough player; he’s a leader,” Lee said. “When he got here, he started to help lead the program along with the guys who have been here. And they took to him. They know he cares about the team first. He’s all about winning-doesn’t care about anything else.”

Lee said he gets along with three types of players, and Kelley is all three.

“I always tell our players, I get along with tough guys, I get along with team guys and I get along with guys who love the game,” Lee said. “And if you aren’t one of those three I don’t get along with you. That’s just the bottom line.”

Freshman Matt Johns, a forward from Geelong, Australia, is another

newcomer that will see playing time early on. He steps in for Hagedorn, who will miss time due to a torn plantar fascia. Lee said “there is no timeframe” on Hagedorn’s return.

Regardless of who’s on the floor, Lee said he wants Coyote fans to “feel energy” when they step into the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on game day.

“I think the fans want to feel energy. I think they want to feel competition,” Lee said. “We will play unselfish and we will play hard. We will guard really well. We will move the ball, and I just want our fans to feel our guys giving it everything.”

The Coyotes begin their season in the SCSC against York College on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

“I’ve been around to a number of universities and coached at a lot places.

This is a very special place and I’m happy to be back,” Lee said.

“It’s now more my responsibility and the responsibility of all us (upperclassmen) to not only look out for ourselves during games and off the floor but also for the younger girls,” said Duffy.

While the Coyotes are working to perfect their dynamic offense, Junior guard Madison McKeever noted the changes in defense being made.

“We’ve really been focusing on the defense and guarding the better players so we don’t have to scramble,” said McKeever. “Right now we’re really focusing on manto-man and being able to guard one-on-one, and that will help especially with tougher teams and our non-conference games.”

Losing only three seniors to graduation, Duffy said the team won’t lack in on-floor knowledge.

“This year we’re going to bring back a lot of experience,” Duffy said. “We had a lot of young girls get experience last year. I think having a more veteran squad is going to make the difference in tight games.”

Dakota State, who is third in the Summit League standings, on Friday at 3 p.m. Sunday. USD wraps up the regular season at home against North Dakota and the Summit League’s leading scorer Katie Moller.

The Coyotes are tied with Oral Roberts for the final Summit League tournament spot, so their next two games determine if USD wins a bid to the Summit League tournament.

Looking leaders

at

new

Plitzuweit said those returners will see an increased workload.

“Certainly we have some young ladies like Chloe (Lamb), Monica (Arens), and Taylor (Frederick) who saw some significant minutes, but now their roles will change,” Plitzuweit said. “Now they’ll be on the court more often. There’s potential for some of them to be in the starting lineup possibly.”

One underclassman Plitzuweit was particularly excited to see on the court is redshirt sophomore center Hannah Sjerven, who is now eligible to play after transferring from New Mexico last season.

“Hannah Sjerven is someone who is very, very different than any of the post players we’ve had in my first two years,” Plitzuweit said. “Hannah’s more of a physical post presence and is someone we can throw the ball to around the basket. We’re looking for Hannah to progress and be someone who not only can give us some size, someone to throw it up to, but also be a force on the perimeter.”

USD’s veteran squad

Zanin said playing on familiar turf will aid their chances.

“It is a big advantage because we are used to the atmosphere here,” Zanin said.

“They are the team stressing, not us because we are playing on our field. I think it will be a big benefit to us.”

looks to return to form this season with the added motivation of last year’s Summit League Tournament loss to rival SDSU. “We still have a bitter taste in our mouths from that Summit League Tournament,” said Duffy.

“I think that’s been definitely acting as a motivator for us because we know there’s more we can achieve.”

Regardless of where the team’s motivation is coming from, the team remains focused on their first game heading into the season.

“Right now we’re focusing on us and the first game,” said Arens. “The only game that we’re concerned about right now is Creighton.”

Plitzuweit said the team is putting in many hours of practice.

“Our young ladies have been through some very rigorous schedules in terms of training and improving and really have responded extremely, extremely well,” said Plitzuweit.

The Coyotes begin their season in Omaha against Creighton Nov. 7 and return to Vermillion for their home opener against Incarnate Word Nov.11 at 3:15 p.m.

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante Britni Waller (right) speaks with senior Allison Arens, junior Ciara Duffy and junior Madison McKeever on Basketball Media Day.

PLAYER OF THE PACK

LAUREL KETTLEHUT JUNIOR THROWER (TRACK AND FIELD) MEDIA & JOURNALISM Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante

CHAMBERLAIN, SD

Molly Schiermeyer: What couldn’t go to school on the coast, LK: Right now I really don’t have is your favorite part about throwing I decided to focus on videography a specific job in mind. But I think hammer? more because I absolutely love it. cinematography or directing would be awesome, like doing Laurel Ketelhut: No matter MS: How does videography and documentaries or something really how good you get at hammer there throwing mix in your life? creative. is always something you can be working on. There is always growth LK: I actually just did a promo MS: What is your pre-meet that’s going to happen. video for the throws squad. There superstition? are so many great videos you can MS: How did you become get with throwing with all the LK: I have been really trying to interested in videography? little techniques, like the footwork. figure that out because in high It makes great video and I love school I would eat a bunch of candy LK: I wanted to go to school getting to hype up my team. and get a big sugar rush. But I found for marine biology and combine in college I had to focus more on the two because I love National MS: What is your dream job? little things and with a sugar rush I Geographic. When I realized I couldn’t do that.

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Temiloluwa Adeyemi I The Volante

Brianna Olson, a junior graphic design major, took the lead on painting a mural for the Austin Elementary School in Vermillion, SD. Olson took ideas for the mural from students at the Messy Hands Art Camp held over the summer. The theme is “What Makes Vermillion a Special Place to Live.”

Artists paint Vermillion-inspired mural Lauren Soulek

Lauren.Soulek@coyotes.usd.edu

In an effort to promote the arts, Austin Elementary School took an offer to have a mural painted at their school.

That mural was painted by a USD student.

Brianna Olson, a junior graphic design major, said after being a part of painting the mural on the movie theater, her professor encouraged her to pursue a project on her own.

“I kind of wanted to lead it and then the AIGA South Dakota had an idea fund so they would give you money to do a community project that bettered your community,” Olson said. “So I wanted to do a mural with a focus on children.”

Olson reached out to the Vermillion Area Arts Council for help on the mural, so they suggested she contact the schools in town and Austin Elementary School jumped at the idea.

Kim Johnson, Austin Elementary School principal, said when the

school was contacted this summer

by Olson about doing a mural at their school, they were all in.

“Anytime we can promote the arts in our habitat, both for the visual appeal for our students and for giving them greater exposure to the arts, we’re all in,” Johnson said.

During the summer, Olson worked with kids ages five to 16 at the Messy Hands Art Camp at the Vermillion Area Arts Council to get their ideas for the murals.

“When I was working with the kids, a common theme that they came up with was ‘what makes Vermillion a special place to live,’” Olson said. “So they kind of wanted to do a lot of images that were related to their favorite things about being in Vermillion.”

The mural has nine different sections that showcase things like the Vermillion pool, activities the kids like to do, corn fields and even Verm cats. The kids got the opportunity to help pick the color palette for the mural and draw their

own mini-murals, Olson said.

“On the left side, there’s also some of the drawings, there’s like a unicorn and a giraffe that (is) featured,” Olson said. “And those are actually taken exactly from the kids’ drawings. There’s a lot of inspiration just from what they drew.”

Phyllis Packard, Messy Hands Art Camp coordinator, said she thinks the kids will enjoy seeing the mural and taking a sense of ownership in it.

“It becomes part of their growing up and ownership of the place that the mural is finally located,” Packard said. “I think that happens with any mural. It becomes a part of not only that building and part of the community, but it is very much a part of the lives of the people who work on it.”

During the Vermillion community celebration at Sanford earlier this year, Olson said she took the mural with the design outlined on it and let community members

‘These Shining Lives’ provides audience with new perspective Devin Martin

Devin.Martin@coyotes.usd.edu

The USD theater department took on Melanie Marnchih’s play, “These Shining Lives” which focused on women’s and workers rights.

The cast and crew reflected on their time on-set and what the challenges and good opportunities were about the production.

Raimondo Genna, chair of the theater department and director of “These Shining Lives” said the production is a look into the life of four women. “(The production) covers these four women who worked for the Radium Dial company, a company back in the 1920s and ‘30s that made watches using radium in their paint for their dials,” Genna said. “...and over time they started getting radiation poisoning from the radium and when they confronted their business about it they were fired.”

Genna said the production covers women’s rights and workers rights.

“The play shifts to taking the company to court and over a period of ten years they finally win their case and because of that a whole bunch of safety regulations came into being in Illinois which then spread out to the whole United States,” he said.

Genna said the stage setup was different from this production and offers the audience a different experience.

“The audience sits around the stage so it’s a very intimate production and it’s a different style of performing that many of our actors are not used to,” Genna said.

“They’ve had to make some very wonderful adjustments, they’ve done a great job doing so.”

The production also wanted to showcase the female students involved, Genna said.

“It was a nice, strong, intimate play that really focused on the relationships in terms of what the

paint it.

“Over 400 community members showed up for that and so I had a lot of hands actually help me paint the design so that was really fun,” she said.

The mural is eight feet tall and 12 feet wide. Olson painted it on three different panels that will be mounted to the side of the elementary school near the playground.

Johnson said the mural provides an opportunity for the school to showcase how much they value the arts on their campus as well as showing the students they can be involved in the process of the making of the mural.

“It just depicts how much they (the students) appreciate the community,” Johnson said. “It shows many components of their favorite things in the community.”

Olson said she hopes the mural encourages students to pursue projects that involve working together.

“That was one of the most fun things for me was seeing how well the kids worked together and come up with ideas and how creative they could be,” she said.

Packard said having murals like this one in Vermillion helps brighten the community and give the town more history.

“Murals are such a fun way to bring a flat service into something that is exciting and involves people,” Packard said.

Olson said the community is important to her, so working on the mural meant a lot.

“I’ve really loved living in Vermillion and I’ll be glad to have a piece of me still here if I move out of South Dakota or move to a different city,” she said. “I’ll always have a piece of art that I created and it will be here.”

The mural is scheduled to be installed on the elementary school during the week of Nov. 5-9. There will be a special dedication and reveal of the art.

WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING? ACTIONS including...

- recruitment - transport - transfer - harbouring - receipt of persons

By MEANS such as...

- threat or use of force - coercion - abduction - fraud - deception - abuse of power or vulnerability - giving payments or benefits

Submitted Photo I The Volante

‘These Shining Lives’ tells the story of the ‘Radium Girls,’ or women

who worked for the Radium Dial company painting watch dials. Over time, they developed radiation poisoning and confronted their business about the issue. actors are doing. But it was also stylistically unique in its empathetic structure,” Genna said. “It was also a play that had four great female leads in it so that was something that we wanted to address.”

Alexis Gowans, junior theater studies major and stage manager of the production, said she cares about feminism and liked seeing how the actors handled the production.

“I think this is really the first show that is about feminism that I’ve been involved in, everything else has been about different social issues and this is the first one that is actually about feminism,” Gowans said. “(It) is something that I’m very passionate about so it was interesting to be able to work on that and see what the paperwork is like and how the actors can really get into their character and the content of the show.”

Chloe Sand, first-year musical theater major who played the role of Charlotte said she was excited to be a part of the show.

“It feels incredible. This show is empowering and tragically beautiful,” Sand said. “I am so

thrilled to be apart of this show, and being able to tell a story that needs to be told.”

Sand said that she enjoyed playing her role as Charlotte.

“Playing the role of Charlotte has been extremely fun. Charlotte is independent, sassy and most importantly values herself as an incredible woman who needs no man,” Sand said. “I think our generation of young girls can learn a lot from Charlotte - it is okay to be outspoken. It is okay to not need a man. It is okay to be a woman- a powerful woman.”

Having a small cast, Sand said she liked watching her and peers and herself learn.

“Since this production is a cast of six, we all have become very close. From the beginning of rehearsals to the end, it has been a joy to watch all of us grow,” she said. “The passion that we all have for this art form could not be more clear. I have enjoyed every step of this process, and I can’t wait for us to share this story.”

For the PURPOSE of...

- prostitution - sexual exploitation - forced labor - slavery - removal of organs

Students educate on human trafficking Sara Cappiello

Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu

Two years ago, USD offered its first human trafficking course on campus which sparked a move to start a new student organization, Students Against Trafficking.

A group of students was particularly motivated by this class to continue making a change and educating students about human trafficking.

Bridget Diamond-Welch, criminal justice professor and Students Against Trafficking advisor, said she was happy to see the students get involved.

“If you look at the reality of human trafficking, most people don’t even know what it is,” Diamond-Welch said. “They get images of someone being taken or kidnapped and put into the

sex slave trade. That does happen, but trafficking is actually the lowincome individuals, people of color, and those people that don’t have the social support in their communities.”

Karina Dufoe, senior criminal justice and journalism major, is the president and co-founder of Students Against Trafficking.

Dufoe said after taking DiamondWelch’s human trafficking class, she wanted to learn more and work towards making a difference.

“I think it’s an issue that either people don’t know about, don’t know how to talk about, or get completely overwhelmed when they do talk about it,” Dufoe said.

“My goal is to raise awareness in such a way that people don’t get overwhelmed and understand See EDUCATE, Page B4

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Nepalese Student Association hosts Dashain, a celebration of good over evil Ali Boysen

Alison.Boysen@coyotes.usd.edu

The Nepalese Student Association (NSA) and Indian Student Association celebrated Dashain which is a celebration of good overcoming evil.

Dashain is a holiday that spans over 15 days and observes Durga, the goddess of victory, defeating demons and liberating mankind. It’s recognized in Nepal, parts of India and Myanmar. On Sunday they held a campus event in the Muenster University Center.

Monika Shrestha, the president of NSA, said the student organization wanted to open their celebration to the community because this is their most important event.

“We want to show our culture with Dashain as it is our biggest festival,” Shrestha said. “We want not just us Nepalese but people from across the world to be included here and (so) they understand the meaning of Dashain with us.”

The event started with a video explaining Dashain and why the Hindu religion celebrates it, followed by a speech from the adviser of NSA, KC Santosh.

Santosh told the crowd although the event isn’t as large as the Dashain festival in Nepal, it still is representative to the excitement of Dashain. “(NSA) will give you a flavor of what’s happening in the Dashain festival,” he said.

Members of NSA went table to table to perform a tika ceremony. Tika is a mixture of soaked rice and Vermilion and gets put on the forehead. The ceremony is a blessing from an elder, and traditionally the elder also gives children money.

EDUCATE From Page B3

completely the issues that we’re talking about and how they can prevent human trafficking from occurring.

Human trafficking is a very delicate issue so as soon as we can make it relatable, we can work towards keeping people safe.”

Students Against Trafficking will have its first event on Oct. 29. Throughout the year, Diamond-Welch said they hope to bring in a law enforcement panel, a survivor to speak, and begin the Red Sand Project.

“The Red Sand project is an art installation,” Diamond-Welch said. “You get these little packs of red sand and pour it in the cracks on the sidewalks. It spreads the message that we need to watch out for the people in the margins because they can easily fall through the cracks of society.”

M c K e n n a Kutz, sophomore communications and media & journalism major, runs the social media and website for

“

We want not just us Nepalese but people from across the world to be included here...

Monika Shrestha,

president of Nepalese Student Association “We put tika because it basically symbolizes an elder putting blessings on young ones,” Shrestha said. “So that they can give them blessings and wish them good for their life and prosperity and health.”

Members of NSA went around the tables putting tika on all who wanted it.

Chandra Mau Kavki, graduate chemistry student and founder of NSA, said the Dashain festival was the “happiest moment of my life here at USD.” Kavki said NSA became more recognizable to the USD community after their Holi festival last spring that gathered more than 200 students, and that helped the success of Dashain.

There were multiple performances featuring not only Nepalese culture but also songs from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

During this time traditional Nepalese food was served

by Aramark that presented dishes that would typically be served during Dashain.

In Nepal, water buffalo and goat are served to represent the triumph over the demons that took form

in those wild animals.

Kavki said these animals “terrorized” the earth and that it was difficult for people to live. On the ninth day of Dashain is when a goddess kills the demons and that is why it is tradition to eat them.

The whole Dashain celebration is centered around peace.

“Dashain means bringing peace into the earth,” Kavki said. “Tika means we’re so happy we can live in peace.”

Diwali and Dashain are very closely related as in they both celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Towards the end of Dashain is when Diwali begins, and Kavki said Diwali is focused on celebrating family.

Students Against Trafficking.

Kutz said she got involved because she thinks it’s something students needs to be aware of because it happens everywhere.

“Back in the summertime, Iowa was having a lot of problems with sex trafficking and that’s where I’m from and it was just sickening to hear,” Kutz said. “So I want to learn more about it and how I can help and raise awareness.”

Kutz said she hopes to learn more about human trafficking and find ways to make a change.

“The main focus is to raise awareness and help people understand how they can stop trafficking,” Kutz said.

Diamond-Welch said there is more than one aspect of human trafficking.

“We spend a lot of time talking about sex trafficking, but labor trafficking is a huge issue as well,” DiamondWelch. “We know that there are human beings involved with the production of our products. There are more human beings in slavery today than there ever have been in human history. And

it’s only going to increase unless we do something about it.”

Diamond-Welch said she hopes Students Against Trafficking continues to grow within the next few years.

“Our organization is only in its second year, so I hope other people will be motivated by learning what human trafficking is and want to do something about it,” Diamond-Welch said. “I hope it becomes sustainable.”

Students Against Trafficking is open to students of any major who want to learn what human trafficking is and how to prevent it.

Dufoe said she’s excited to see what SAT achieves in the future.

“I’m less worried about the numbers of people who are involved but more worried that the hearts of the people we’re capturing for membership in our club are very passionate about the topic,” Dufoe said. “As long as we have a main base and we can keep spreading awareness, that’s the most important part.”

Aaron Mercado I The Volante

Rajeev Bam (left) and Deepti Bista (right) of the Nepalese Student Association danced in the Muenster University Center ballroom Sunday evening. This event promotes good over evil.

Aaron Mercado I The Volante

Symmetry Bhatta, a young dancer, performed in the Dashain event Sunday evening in the Muenster University Center ballroom.

PEOPLE OF THE PACK

HANNAH BULLERMAN FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS ADRIAN, MN Sara Cappiello I The Volante

Sara Cappiello: What are you involved in on campus?

HB: I’ve actually made a lot of friends. I didn’t think that would be easy but it was.

Hannah Bullerman: Not a lot. I do intramural basketball and volleyball.

SC: Why did you choose USD?

SC: Why did you choose those activities in particular?

HB: I played basketball and volleyball in high school. It was fun for what I got to play since I was in a boot for a while so I didn’t get to play much. But you get to meet new people doing it.

SC: How has your first semester at USD been so far?

HB: It’s been all right. I don’t know if I like the whole college thing.

SC: What has been hard about it?

HB: I think adapting to not being home and the course loads are way harder than high school. I’m an hour and a half from home.

SC: Has anything been easy about the transition to college?

HB: I wanted to go into business and they have a really good business program. I eventually want to go back to my family farm and help out there.

SC: What goals do you have for this semester or what else are you looking forward to?

HB: My only goal is to make it to Christmas break and pass finals. I also want to enjoy myself and have fun.

SC: With Halloween coming up next week, do you have any plans?

HB: Me and a bunch of my friends are going to dress up and go out. I don’t know what we’re going as yet, but it’ll be fun.