10.28.20

The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

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VOLANTEONLINE.COM VERVE (B1 & B2)

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Inside the athletics equipment room

International Club builds a bridge between cultures

In the DakotaDome and the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center, the equipment managers are constantly working. Read more about what a typical day looks like for them on page B3.

The International Club works to give students international students a place to belong on campus. Read more about their upcoming events and activities on page B1.

VERMILLION, CLAY COUNTY PREPARE FOR ELECTION Tyler Boyle

Tyler.Boyle@coyotes.usd.edu

President Donald Trump has said in his campaign for reelection this November against former vice president, Joe Biden, the 2020 election is, “the most important election in US history.” In addition, according to a recent poll, 69% of Americans believe the upcoming election is the most important election of their lifetimes.

Addison Miller, National Committeeman of Young Democrats of South Dakota and director of the USD student organization Get Out The Yote, said he agrees with both of these points of view in a way.

“I think every election is the most important ever,” Miller said. “The thing is every election changes the course of American history so every election year is important.”

However, in past elections younger generations have not voted at as high of rates as older generations. In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 46.1% of 18-29 yearold Americans voted in the 2016 election. This was over 12% lower than any other age group.

Miller said this has resulted in younger generations not getting political candidates to care about the issues Generation Z and millennials care about.

“We’re not the group that gets pandered to because we are not the group that is going to go out and vote and until we start voting that’s going to continue and for good reason,” Miller said. “If I was a campaign analyst on Biden or Trump’s campaign I wouldn’t follow the college polls and that’s just for political reasons.”

Locally, Carrie Crum, the Clay County auditor responsible for District 17’s election, said the county has seen a rise in first-time registered voters.

“We have had a lot of registrations in the last two weeks for people who have not registered before,” Crum

Tyler Boyle | The Volante said. “So there will be a lot of new voters, we just don’t know how many yet.”

Miller said one reason for young people not voting as much could be the feeling their vote doesn’t count.

While this might be true for national elections, like the presidency, Miller said, he believes young voters vote counts for state and local elections.

“The election of these state and local candidates will more than likely

affect the livelihoods of these college students more than any other candidate on the ballot,” Miller said.

“Don’t get me wrong, the president is important and you will see the effects in tariffs and gas prices, but the state, senate and house is literally directly impacting you and your neighbors.”

For voters in Clay County, there are several races on the ballot not for the White House.

These races include South

Dakota’s U.S. Senate and House of Representative, District 17’s state Senate and House of Representative and South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commissioner.

In addition, voters in South Dakota will be voting on three different ballot measures.

South Dakota Initiated Measure 26 (IM26) and Constitutional Amendment A both impact how marijuana is regulated in the state.

IM26 is a vote on whether to legalize medical marijuana and Amendment A will decide on whether to legalize recreational marijuana.

A poll done by Argus Leader surveyed 625 voters across the state of South Dakota from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21 and reported 75% of voters supported IM26 and 51% of voters supported Amendment A. The third ballot measure, South See ELECTION, Page A3

YFL, SFRR spark abortion debate on campus

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Student ambassadors still provide in-person tours. Currently, tours are offered on an individual basis.

Prospective students tour campus virtually, in-person

Tyler Boyle | The Volante

Both Yotes For Life and Students for Reproductive Rights chalk the pathways on campus.

Tyler Boyle

Tyler.Boyle@coyotes.usd.edu

Alle Anduaga

Alle.Anduaga@coyotes.usd.edu

In March, USD first shut down due to COVID-19 and virtual college tours became the only way potential students had an opportunity to visit the university.

The virtual college visits are still available today, though in-person college visits resumed on Aug. 3.

Ethan Young, a junior nursing major, has been a student ambassador for a year and a half, serving as president since last December. At the beginning of virtual college visits, Young worked with other student ambassadors to create presentations about life at

USD. The student ambassadors also created virtual student panels where prospective students could submit questions and get them answered in real time.

“We were able to do a lot of the same objectives that we would do when we have prospective students visiting campus,” Young said. “We try to give students a feel for USD and what it’s like.”

Young said one of the challenges of the virtual college visits was the lack of personal connection that comes from seeing someone face-to-face.

See TOURS, Page A3

Yotes For Life (YFL), an anti-abortion student organization at USD, took to campus sidewalks with chalk on Oct. 20 for “National Pro-Life Chalking Day” to spread anti-abortion messages.

Students for Reproductive Rights (SFRR), a proabortion rights student organization at USD, coincidentally chalked their own beliefs on campus sidewalks later that night.

Both organizations

provided argumentative reasons and statistics for their positions on abortion.

The chalkings were widely seen and talked about around campus the rest of the week.

Keandra Rhead, vice president of SFRR, said recognition of the abortion debate was the goal of the organization’s writings on USD’s pavement.

“I absolutely love the chalking we do on campus,” Rhead said.

“It caused a lot of people to talk about talk about (abortion) on both sides of the political spectrum and I think it is important to be

able to see both sides of an argument.”

Faith Ocrutt, the president of YFL, said she also believes the ideas about abortion spread around campus this week are beneficial for students.

“A lot of people believe what they do about abortion just because that’s what their parents believed,” Ocrutt said. “The chalking really promotes discussion so they might go home and do research about it themselves and come up with a better understanding.”

YFL wrote several messages regarding the

idea of protecting both the mother and the fetus of pregnant women.

The organization also partnered with the Vermillion Right to Life group over the summer to put a billboard saying “Protect Them Both” on Highway 50 and in front of St. Thomas More Newman Center.

Madisen Martinez, the PR/communications coordinator for YFL, said the goal of these messages were to combat criticism towards anti-abortion ideas for only caring about See CHALK, Page A6

News SIX MONTHS LATER: FINAL FAREWELL A2 Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Peyton Beyers I The Volante

The commencement ceremony for the 2020 USD graduates took place on Oct. 24 in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

CITY OF VERMILLION POLICE >> Oct. 18 - Oct. 23

1

domestic disturbance

Oct. 18 Officers were called in response to a report of domestic disturbance at a residence. Officers located and interviewed two adults. No arrests were made.

Oct. 18 Officers responded to a residence for a known medical condition.

Oct. 18 Officers investigated a report of a missing juvenile and determined that the child had run away from home. The juvenile’s parents were able to locate the child by tracking their cell phone, and the juvenile was returned home.

Oct. 18 Officers investigated a theft of electronics from a vehicle. There is no suspect information at this time.

Oct. 18 Officers investigated a theft of electronics from an unlocked motor vehicle. There is no suspect information at this time.

Oct. 18 Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity at a residence.

Officers located and spoke to one adult and no arrests were made.

Oct. 18 Officers investigated a report of suspicious

1

activity in a parking lot.

Caller reported two people who were looking in the windows of parked cars. Officers identified the two adults, questioned them, and no arrests were made.

Jacob Forster

The USD Student Government Association (SGA) passed a bill to move the Green Initiative Fund to the USD Sustainability Committee and a resolution to encourage the committee to adopt old guidelines in its meeting Tuesday. SGA also introduced a special appropriations bill to allocate funding to Yotes for Life for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Senator Armand Khan reported the city of Vermillion will most likely be extending its mask order, and that Mayor Kelsey Collier-Wise signed a joint letter with 11 other cities calling on South Dakotans to wear masks and socially distance.

“There’s no clear direction from our governor and our state,” Khan said.

“Health officials are very concerned, especially about hospitalization rates in Sioux Falls.”

SGA passed Senate Bill 63 to change the jurisdiction over the Green Initiative Fund. The bill moves the fund to the USD Sustainability Committee and appoints four senators as full voting members to the committee. Along with the bill, SGA passed Senate Resolution 7, which encourages the Sustainability Committee to adopt the Green Initiative Fund guidelines for applicant recommendations.

SGA President Abuk Jiel said the Sustainability Committee’s plans for the application process are far more put-together than what SGA had in its governing documents.

“In the past this fund has not been utilized to its ability,” Jiel said. “From what it sounded like, (the Sustainability Committee) are really excited about this.”

Anna Moore, campus recycling coordinator and member of the Sustainability Committtee, said she believes there is huge potential for the Green Initiative fund to lead to student-driven

Oct. 20 Officers investigated a report of damage to private property. Investigation showed the damages were pre-existing and no crime had been committed.

Oct. 19 Officers investigated a report of a suspicious woman on city-owned secure property. The woman had fled the area on a bike when confronted by city staff.

Officers were not able to locate the woman.

Oct. 20 Officers took a report of theft from a business and damage to several of the coin operated machines that were present. There is no suspect information at this time.

Oct. 19 Officers investigated a report of a male violating a no contact order.

Officers located the man and arrested him.

Oct. 20 Officers responded to a report of suspicious activity outside of a residence. Officers contacted the subject

SGA moves Green Initiative Fund to USD Sustainability Committee Jacob.R.Forster@coyotes.usd.edu

1

noise complaint

projects that have meaningful impact on campus.

“I think that the Sustainability Committee is a great group of people to be recruiting students to apply for this, to help students with their proposals, to help them develop their ideas into something that’s feasible for the campus,” Moore said. “That will have long-lasting impact.”

SGA introduced Senate Bill 64, a special appropriations request for Yotes for Life, an anti-abortion group on campus. The proposal would allocate $1,000 to the student organization for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Jiel raised concerns about the budget including funds for travel in the spring semester, which, with COVID-19 restrictions still likely to be in place, would not be feasible.

“I want to say I’m about 98% sure but the university and all Board of Regents universities right now are not traveling and these are student funds that we’re using for these trips,” Jiel said. “So it’s probably a best practice to reallocate that travel somewhere else within their budget.”

SGA also discussed a one-time savings plan to cut $100,000 from the overall budget due to a university budget shortfall caused by COVID-19. Aaron Mallinger, SGA director of finance, said the organization rolled over $233,000 into their account from last year due to the abrupt end to in-person activities on campus in the spring semester, in addition to their normal $389,000 budget. The proposal would drop money from the latter.

“Taking all that out, we still have a $58,000 budget in our SGA account, and that’s after paying for everything,” Mallinger said. “We would be totally fine.”

welfare check

who was going through garbage. No criminal activity was found.

Oct. 21 Officers responded to a residence to assist a person who was experiencing an emotional crisis. Officers determined that law enforcement was not needed.

Oct. 21 Officers investigated a report of fraudulent activity to a bank account. Investigation continues.

Oct. 21 Officers responded to a house for a welfare check. Officers forced entry into the house and found a deceased male.

LIVE AT 5 P.M.

It was turned over to detectives to investigate.

Oct. 21 Officers responded to a business for a theft of $800 in merchandise.

Investigation continues.

Oct. 21 Officers ed probation in their search absconder. The was not located.

assistofficers for an subject

Oct. 22 Officers responded to a noise complaint at a downtown business.

Complaint was unfounded.

Oct. 23 Officers took a report of a possible sex crime.

TUNE IN THIS MONTH

Watch Channel 21 live at 5 for a look beyond USD's commencement ceremony.

Check out the KAOR website for student podcasts.

COYOTEHistory 2003 USD students restore Spirit Mound.

2005 Freshman Eddie Wittern starts first Judo Club at USD.

The Volante Volume 145, No. 20 October 28, 2020 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069

Clarification from Oct. 21 article In last week's issue, the Hammock Club was referred to as a club.

The Hammock Club is a student organization, not a club. Tia Vlasman’s last name was also spelt wrong in a previous version. The Volante regrets these errors.

Lexi Kerzman editor-in-chief Bailey Zubke managing editor Miles Amende news editor Jacob Forster news assistant Sara Cappiello news designer

Adviser Kyle Miller

Chloe Fullenkamp

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.

The Volante does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any production service advertised in this paper. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser.

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.

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verve editor sports editor Peyton Beyers photo editor Leah Dusterhoft executive designer Heidi Schneider social media director DeAndre Hill social media assistant Cecilia Gillen advertising manager

News

A3 Wednesday, October 28, 2020

ELECTION From Page A1

Dakota Constitutional Amendment B, is a vote on whether to allow sports betting in Deadwood, SD. One concern amongst voters this year is how reliable mail-in and absentee ballots are.

However, both Miller and Crum said they completely trust the mail-in and absentee voting systems.

“I think there is a lot of misconceptions about mailin and absentee voting and if I could convey to the voters anything it is that their ballot is secure.” Crum said. “We have a lot of safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud and there are ways for voters to track their ballot.”

Crum said she also believes it is safe for voters to vote in-person despite some people’s concerns about potentially contracting COVID-19 from voting in-person. She said the Clay County election committee has done a detailed job making sure there is no risk for in-person voting.

Some efforts that will be made by polling places include one-way voting lines, poll workers wearing masks and gloves, sanitizing polling stations after every voter and single-use pens.

Voters in Clay County who choose to vote in person can go to one of four polling places in Clay County. Vermillion residents will vote at the National Guard Armory located on 603 Princeton St., Vermillion, SD. The rural polling places are as follows: SESD Experimental Farm – 29974 University Rd., Beresford, SD Legion Hall – 101 Montana St., Wakonda, SD 4H Center/Fairgrounds – 515 High St., Vermillion, SD All polling places in Clay

County will be open for in-person voting on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Crum said another worry amongst voters was amplified on Oct. 21 when the CIA and FBI held an unplanned press conference reporting Iran and Russia have been actively interfering in the election.

The briefing detailed voters in several states receiving intimidating emails from disguised Iranian accounts to vote for a certain candidate.

As of the Oct. 27, none of these emails have been reported by someone from South Dakota. “(Intimidating emails) are not coming from an official source,” Crum said.

“They should probably treat that just as they do any other spam email or phone call.

They can report it to us or the authorities.”

Both Miller and Crum said the national election results will not be in for several days or weeks after Nov. 3. They said this is because of the increased use of mail-in and absentee ballots due to the pandemic.

However, Crum said the election results for Clay County will be in by the end of election night.

“On election day we are not going to know who won and that’s just that,” Miller said. “So after election day let’s just take a second to breath… we’re going to know eventually, so do some other stuff and take your mind off politics a little bit until someone wins.”

TOURS From Page A1

In-person campus visits used to consist of two student ambassadors and as many as 15 people on a tour, including students and parents. However, due to COVID-19 precautions, only one student ambassador is allowed to a single family.

Young said the current in-person campus visits have their benefits because the tours are able to be more individualized since it’s one ambassador to one prospective student.

“We can try to pair a prospective student with an ambassador who is in the same major that the student is interested in,” Young said.

“We can individualize the tours by the prospective students interests at USD.” Safety precautions for in-person visits include required masks and Plexiglas between the front and back seats of the Charlie carts.

In addition, Coyote Village is unable to be shown to prospective students due to the lack of a show room available.

“Other than that, things are pretty much back to normal,” Young said. “All things considered; I think it’s almost better than it was a year ago.”

Mark Petty, dean of enrollment, said the

demand is there for students wanting to come and look at colleges in person and find out what USD is all about.

“Our goal for our visit strategy this fall was to offer visit opportunities where we will see roughly about the same number of students that would’ve come to a traditional fall open house spread over several visit days,” Petty said.

In addition to tours, Coyote visit days are being offered to prospective students where 28 students and their parents or guests are able to meet in the MUC ballroom for a visit session, Petty said.

Saturday morning visits are also beginning again.

Tours are being offered along with a meeting in Farber Hall where an admissions counselor speaks to a group of prospective students and their families.

“Prospective students will be able to see all of our visit opportunities at usd. edu/visit-events for this fall,” Petty said. “Our winter and spring dates will be posted by the end of the semester so students can sign up for visits moving forward.”

VOTE AL LEBER

FOR DISTRICT 17 REPRESENTATIVE

“A Voice for Public Education”

√ VOTE FOR HONESTY √ VOTE FOR INTEGRITY √ VOTE FOR LEADERSHIP VOTE FOR AL LEBER FOR DISTRICT 17 REPRESENTATIVE Endorsed by: THE SOUTH DAKOTA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Contact me at leberfordistrict17@yahoo.com PAID FOR BY CANDIDATE

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USD Student Counseling Center launches online self-help platform Sara Cappiello

Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu

For students looking to improve their mental health, the USD Student Counseling Center (SCC) is introducing a new resource.

Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) is an online self-help platform for mental health related issues. The SCC was able to secure funds to create this platform since the state of South Dakota established grant funds for accredited agencies throughout the ongoing pandemic.

Debra Robertson, director of the SCC, said TAO is

something USD has been interested in offering to students for quite some time.

“This provides an opportunity for individuals to seek support on their own and at their own pace,” Robertson said. “We know an increased number of students and staff are experiencing abnormal levels of grief, loss, fear and overall distress and we want as many resources available as possible.”

TAO, Robertson said, will serve as a self-help option for students who would rather improve their mental health independently rather than seeking help from a counselor

or therapist. Additionally, it will be means of supplemental training and counseling for professional staff to assist students on the waitlist.

Robertson also said TAO has a HIPAA compliant telehealth component, which offers confidential telehealth sessions when a student chooses the remote option.

“TAO is based on evidenced-based practice modules that can assist student with mindfulness, meditation, anxiety, depression and many other issues students may face including anger and relationships,” Robertson

said.

TAO has already launched on the SCC website and students, faculty and staff can register at scc@usd.edu.

Robertson said she hopes TAO proves to be a useful tool for the USD community.

“Not everyone chooses to go to counseling or talk to those around them when they are in distress.” Robertson said. “It’s especially important to have a platform like this available now because there are increased stressors in our communities that are directly affecting student, faculty, and staff wellbeing.”

CURCS grants supplement student research Miles Amende

Miles.Amende@coyotes.usd.edu

For undergraduate researchers looking for financial assistance, the Council for Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship (CURCS) provides mini-grants to supplement their research and help them along in their projects.

Kim Albracht, assistant director of academic engagement at the Gallagher Center, oversees undergraduate research.

She said CURCS’s mission is to spread undergraduate research opportunities on campus, so they provide small grants for students to purchase supplies or pay for travel to research conferences.

Students may apply for the grant so long as they are engaging in research, whether it is academic, for the Honors Program or an independent project. Individual students may apply for up to $750. If a group applies for the project, each student within the group may apply for an additional $250.

CURCS is made up of several professors who work in different departments around campus, Albracht said, including fine arts, medical science and psychology. This allows for a variety of input when an application is submitted, she said, as the grant is not discipline-specific.

“I think (having CURCS) emphasizes how important the experience is for undergraduate students, no matter your discipline,” Albracht said.

“Every discipline needs new knowledge, and so being able to contribute to your field in that way is really remarkable.”

Students need a USD faculty member to provide a letter of recommendation when they apply. Once the

Submitted Photo| The Volante

Jenna Kari, a senior graphic design major, received a CURCS grant for her project “Rodeo: A Round-up of Personal Recollections of a Midwestern Tradition.” student receives the grant, the faculty member will act as the student’s mentor, which Albracht said allows the student to get the faculty member’s full attention, unlike research courses.

“This is a one-on-one mentorship that you don’t have to pay for. So you’re not paying tuition, and you get this expertise to work with someone on a research project,” Albracht said. “I think that’s a really valuable experience for any student to be able to get to do that.”

Jenna Kari, a senior graphic design major, received the grant last academic year for her project “Rodeo: A Roundup of Personal Recollections of a Midwestern Tradition” — a photography project which Kari said focused on the camaraderie of athletes in rodeo and the

sacrifices their families make for them to be successful.

“I have a big passion for photography (and) design, as well as rodeo and the ranching lifestyle because that’s kind of where I come from,” Kari said. “I definitely knew I wanted to combine those in this project.”

Kari used the grant to fly to Las Vegas and attend the National Finals Rodeo.

There, she interviewed rodeo athletes and took pictures with them and their families.

“That was such a great opportunity that I wouldn’t have gotten to do otherwise,” Kari said. “I grew up watching NFR on TV, so that was really exciting for me, and I feel so appreciative that I got the grant and was able to do that.”

Those who receive a grant through CURCS are required to present at Ideafest, USD’s

campus-wide research symposium.

However, Albracht said if they cannot present at Ideafest, presenting at another conference will fulfill the requirement.

Kari said she encourages students to take advantage of the grant and apply for it, as long as they have a passion for their research and want to demonstrate it.

“All you have to do is fill out this super easy application, and you can carry out really great projects and have great opportunities and experiences,” Kari said.

Applications for the grant are open through May. Albracht said the grants are usually meant for students who have already developed a research project, though anyone interested in the grant can contact her at Kim. Albracht@usd.edu

USD political student organizations prepare for 2020 election night Lexi Kerzman

Lexi.Kerzman@coyotes.usd.edu

With 2020 Election Night less than a week away both the USD College Democrat and USD College Republican student organizations are preparing for the big night as well as events following the election.

Both groups have undergone new leadership in the last two years and have underclassmen as presidents. Melody Beaulieu, a sophomore political science and criminal justice double major, is in her second year as president of the College Democrats. Caleb Weiland, a freshman political science major, recently took over as president of the College Republicans.

“I wish this would have happened during a nonelection year,” Weiland said. “The USD College Republicans had a really bad rep on campus and a lot of it was because of who was in charge. (So this year we have) really come together as a group and changed the direction of our club so it’s obviously been very busy.”

Weiland said when he joined the College Republicans earlier this year, the club was on the verge of ending because of low numbers and a poor representation on campus.

He said he didn’t want the club to dismantle so he ran for president to try and fix their representation on campus.

“Our organization was dying and it wasn’t representing the Republican Party,” Weiland said. “We want to rebrand and let other Republicans know there is a home for them here on campus.”

Now especially, Weiland said, it is important to have organizations like the College Republicans and College Democrats because of the polarizing political climate due to the presidential election.

“We live in really polarizing times. When it comes down to it, you’re either for Trump or against Trump — you’re not neutral,” Weiland said.

“Its thought that we’re only for Donald Trump, Trump is our nominee … he is not the Republican party. The Republican party, now more than ever, needs people to hear us out with an open mind. It’s so important to see both sides of the story and keep and open mind.”

Right now, the College Republicans are focusing their effort on supporting local elections, Weiland said.

The group has been going door to door to help educate people on local elections and show their support to the Republican candidates in those elections, Weiland said.

The College Democrats, Beaulieu said, were able to help with the Iowa Caucuses last year. This year, they have hosted an introduction meeting as well as watch parties for the presidential and vice presidential debates.

The first presidential debate party was held virtually over Zoom, but for the last two debates the College Democrats were able to hold in-person watch parties in Farber Hall, Beaulieu said.

“Not everyone has cable or access to the internet, so hosting watch parties (is really important),” Beaulieu said.

Last year, the College Democrats hosted a voter registration drive on campus.

This year, Beaulieu said they weren’t able to host an event due to COVID-19, but still encouraged people to register to vote, especially in the last month as the deadline to register to vote in South Dakota was Oct. 19.

Beaulieu also said they have also supported the new organization Get out the Yote this year as it was founded by their eastern regional director, Addison Miller.

“We do work closely with him,” Beaulieu said.

“Obviously everything he does we support and we want to get as many people registered to vote in the polls as possible.

We haven’t partnered with him to do any drives on campus yet, but we support

him and think everything he does is amazing.”

This, like many other students, will be Beaulieu’s first time voting in a presidential election. She said groups like the College Democrats and College Republican help educate first time voters on rules of voting and general political knowledge.

“A lot of people don’t even know you have to register to vote, (so groups like these) help get that information out there,” Beaulieu said. “College Democrats also give students a safe place to talk about their ideals. I came from a conservative background and sometimes at home I’m not always able to have political conversations without it getting too heated… but (our group) allows students to have a safe space on campus to get their voices heard and share their opinions.”

The College Democrats, Beaulieu said, is encouraging students to go to the Election Night watch party sponsored by the Political science league in the MUC. The College Republicans are offering transportation to the state watch party, Weiland said, which will be held in Minnehaha County.

Both presidents said they encourage students to attend watch parties and take part in this year’s election night.

Opinion WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020

No holiday breaks and its affect on students

THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

EDITORIAL

JAMIE JOHNSON is a senior majoring in strategic communication

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME

68.7

At USD this fall semester, students will not receive any

The percentage of voter turnout among the boomer generation in 2016.

three-day weekend breaks due to COVID-19. This is to help prevent traveling and seeing others who might be at risk with COVID-19.

Not only is USD doing this procedure but other schools around the world are so they

50.8

can maintain a safe school environment for their staff and students. Breaks being canceled this semester can raise the stress students have on their

The percentage of voter turnout among the millenial generation in 2016.

schoolwork.

When I first heard about our short breaks being canceled, I did not think much of it and figured it would be fine considering we get a long Thanksgiving/Christmas

Leah Dusterhoft I The Volante Gen Z has a huge opportunity to have their voice heard during this election. Millenial turnout usually hovers around 50% or less while older generations tend to have higher voter turnout.

Editorial: Democracy has its eyes on you

break. Missing these short breaks have been inconvenient for my mental health by not getting a three or four day weekend to catch up.

Having a holiday break almost

every month was a nice thing to know because of school or work

The past year has been a mudslinging, name-calling, until Thanksgiving. muckraking mess of an election.

Another thing to consider By the end of March, we knew when having no breaks is we do there was only one viable not get to celebrate or respect democractic candidate left for presidential nominee. the holiday that supposed to We knew Biden and Trump be on that day we now have would be going head to head. school. I almost feel like this is But no one could have predicted disrespecting the holiday and back in March that Trump would claim he is the “least racist” everyone who celebrates it.

No breaks this semester has president ever and that Biden been a new experiment across would tell Trump to shut up on live television. the world, and it is affecting the No one could have predicted students’ motivation in class. that normal lives would consist Having classes and homework of mask-wearing and social back to back can get annoying distancing. The election and the and tiring for a student. year as a whole can be embodied When students do not get in one word — unprecedented.

Though we live in a time of breaks, they just make their exceptional unrest, that is not work sloppy just to get it done. If an excuse to not vote on Nov. students do get holiday breaks, 3. Elections have consequences they have an extra day to catch and this year is not the time to sit up on sleep, homework, work or on the sidelines. anything. Catching up on work During this year we have can help ease the stress and make experienced a global pandemic, a student focus better on what is political partisanship and racial to come the next week. Breaks injustice like never before. By not voting, you are choosing to can help relieve stress, create sacrifice your voice and your more time with family and make being off but school is in session

fun plans for a weekend.

Some misleading information

about no breaks is that it is proven

that

people

need

a

longer vacation than a threeday weekend to transition to a relaxing mode. After the break, we then need to transition back to school which can be hard to

democratic right.

Voting is important during any election because you are electing the people who are deciding where your taxes go, what laws affect your life and what rights you have. The representatives you elect hold your life in their hands.

By not voting you are stating that you do not care enough to have your voice be heard.

If you are not voting because you believe that any aspect of the current democracy we operate within is corrupt, how are representatives going to hear you? How do you intend to create change if you revoke your democratic right?

Some constituents make the argument the electoral college is undemocratic or the two-party system is broken. But these institutions cannot be changed without voting.

Democracy is built on the foundations of “We the people”, but if the people do not let their voices be heard, there is no democracy.

Your excuses for not liking either of the presidential

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candidates or not feeling like your vote matters are ignorant and outdated.

Vote for the people who best embody your values because they represent you no matter if you like it or not.

We live in a time where Americans are starting to hear the Gen Z voices. Our generation is one that does not stand down.

If you vote, you are proving all of the people who said young people will never vote wrong.

Be a part of something bigger than your selfish reasons not to vote. Democracy has its eyes on you, Gen Z. So this Tuesday, vote like your democracy depends on it.

Millions of Americans are going out to the polls and mailing in their ballots. Let your voice be heard, no matter what you believe because your opinions matter. Be on the right side of history and the right side of democracy.

Democracy is a system of participants, not observers.

14 The number in millions of eligible Latino voters that did not vote in 2016.

65.3 The percentage of voter turnout among white voters in 2016, up from 2012.

5 The number in millions of Asians that voted in 2016.

45.2

@VolanteOpinion Submit overheards Vote in weekly polls Live tweets from campus Listen to the students’ voice

The percentage of 20- to 24-year-olds that voted in 2016.

From pewresearch.org

find the motivation for.

The Volante

WEEKLY POLL:

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

Have you voted in the election yet?

Yes I voted early.

EDITORIAL BOARD

48%

No I’m voting on Nov. 3.

24%

I mailed in my ballot!

24%

I’m not voting.

4% *Out of 29 voters

Let us hear your voice by voting in @VolanteOpinion weekly polls on Twitter.

Lexi Kerzman, editor-in-chief

Madilyn Sindelar, sports editor

Bailey Zubke, managing editor

Chloe Fullenkamp, verve 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 North 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.

Opinion

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 A5

Roommates: love ‘em, hate ‘em, can’t live without ‘em HEIDI SCHNEIDER is a senior majoring in sport marketing and media Our college and young adult years are filled with thrilling adventures, finding jobs, taking on crippling debt and of course the joys of roommates.

Because it is always cheaper to live with a roommate or two, most college students or young adults opt to have one.

But at what cost?

Some days, it’s fun, other days... it can be a headache.

It’s very different living with a person that isn’t your family. Someone you aren’t expected to love

regardless of how many fights you get in. So when you do get into a fight... it’s weird.

Fights with family, specifically siblings, usually end when supper comes around or one of you needs the other one to bring you a roll of toilet paper.

But fights with roommates... now those can last for a while and how do you know when they’re over? How long do you have to ignore each other in the kitchen? I’ve had a roommate for three years now and I still don’t have those answers.

The best way to try and prevent issues before they even happen is to have open communication.

Being able to talk to each other about cleaning, guests, late night noises, food etc. will make things

easier in the long run.

Do your part in cleaning your shared space. You can’t just go home, crash, trash it and leave the next day for class and work. Nor can you lay around all day and do nothing.

Being roommates with someone who isn’t family takes extra work. Being curtious around your siblings may or may not be a thing but it needs to be a thing with roommates.

If your roommate was a friend, by the time you move out, they may not be anymore.

The biggest takeaway from having a few roommates is just because you’re friends with someone doesn’t mean you can live with them.

So many interesting and potentially aggravating qualities can come out of

the woodwork.

There are a lot of things that should be discussed before living with someone. But not even those discussions can prevent future issues.

You know why? Because it is next to impossible to never get into an argument or a fight with someone you live with. It’s just not possible.

While these issues will arise, I encourage you to handle it as an adult.

You may never see this person again or they may be the maid of honor at your wedding. Regardless, it’s important to treat them as you would want to be treated.

If nothing else, remember, you live with them. They have access to your food. Treat each other with respect.

So I get the anger, I get the frustration. I’ve seen friends of mine in this spot themselves, one of them is waging an instagram war on the entirety of Trump’s campaign. So what’s my point? Well I want to berate some people, and console others.

While I find it humorous when individuals mass tweet or “raid” livestreams of conservatives to deliver a slew of messages that conflict with the political view of the trumpers, or vice versa for that matter, I have a hard time understanding the goal.

Seriously what does it accomplish? In case you missed the 2016 election, progressivism backfired.

We don’t have Trump as a president for no reason, it wasn’t a fluke, no accident here. Trump got elected because the people you are riling up took a stand against your ideology.

You’ve been telling them for years that they are bad people for thinking a certain way or doing something a certain way.

Regardless of whether you’re right or not, it’s

just not a smart way to go about it. You wonder why they hate you? Just a quick one here but please get off of your ivory tower, you look like you’d be very fun to knock off of it.

To those who try their hardest to make a logical argument, I salute you. You might convince one or two people, and hey maybe that’s enough to make a difference, but regardless you’re wasting your time on people who don’t agree with you; certainly, people who will never agree with you.

Another note: people don’t want to agree with you. This isn’t a formal debate, I mean, look at how those turn out here in America. These aren’t the kind of folks who are open to some thoughtful consideration of your opinions, might I add that they don’t care about your opinion.

Please however do not be disheartened, I mean I doubt you would be anyway but bear with me. There are far more productive things you can be doing with your

time

Internet trolls: The bane of Trump ALEXANDER DEIS is a sophomore majoring in English

I always find it entertaining, you know, joining onto a livestream of a Trump rally to see thousands of people spamming messages in the live chat section that say “MAGA” and the like.

When in these chats, I only see one or two people in futility trying to get their own message across.

Maybe entertaining isn’t the right word but I certainly find it interesting.

I’d say I don’t understand it but I do, seeing the people walking around the Trump rally, reading the cringe-worthy things that they say in the chat — of course, it makes you want to scream in their face that if they hate abortion so much then they should be all for universal healthcare.

A reaction like that is common, and it is more than reasonable, even if it’s not rational.

if

you’re

feeling

particularly empationed, dare I say campaigning to more

moderate

people,

because the other side of the spectrum doesn’t take you seriously. Think about it, do you take them seriously? Besides, there are far more moderate people in recent years.

Big takeaway is that “being an ‘internet troll’” is something which can only be followed by “hmph!” and you look very silly; however, if you are trying to

facilitate

a

conversation,

genuine while

I

believe that your efforts are misplaced, good on you.

Please

don’t

‘troll’,

you make it very difficult to

facilitate

discussion

a and

genuine you’re

doing a massive disservice to the cause you claim to support as you reflect poorly upon it.

Dining during a pandemic: A critique MARISSA BRUNKHORST is a first year majoring in media & journalism It’s been over two months of school, and students have had the chance to experience all that USD has to offer — including its food.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you love to eat. But we also need to eat. Which brings us to the main issue at hand — campus dining isn’t up to par.

It is hard to discuss the current state of the cafeteria without remembering that COVID19 is a thing. Whilst being new to the cafeteria scene here at USD as a freshman, I am unfamiliar as to how it was operating prepandemic. The pandemic has put a lot of dining options out of commission for the foreseeable future.

However, that doesn’t make the current options any more promising.

I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly picky eater, but I do have certain reservations about what I eat. With that being said, I will try anything once. But so far, I have yet to pick a true favorite here at our dining hall. There just simply aren’t enough options.

I’m sure many of those reading this know pretty much all of what the kitchen are currently serving. You have the pizza, the burger, the salad option and whatever the main meal for the time is.

I can say that in my first few weeks here, I ate a cheeseburger three times a week, sometimes more. I have found that most of the meals that I’ve tried, truthfully, didn’t have much flavor.

I’d like to see the inclusion of longer

breakfast hours. Currently, it ends at ten in the morning. But most college students have classes at eight or nine that prevent them from getting to eat breakfast at the dining hall.

By no means am I asking for a five-star meal, that would get expensive.

Instead, I think it’d be nice to get excited about having to go to the dining hall, with a reason not to just use flex money at ChickFil-A or Qdoba instead.

And perhaps I’m in the minority when it comes to not enjoying the food.

But the current options make me question if the meal plan was even worth it — although its required for first-year students so I didn’t really have an option.

I’d imagine that those with specific diet restrictions, such as vegetarian and veganism have a very difficult time finding something to eat that fits their needs. If there are diet specific options available, I’m not seeing them, and I’d imagine that many of those with these needs aren’t either.

As someone with a nut allergy, I have to triple check the desserts I choose sometimes, because the ingredients are not labelled. This is a very big issue, as it puts those with more severe allergies at a great risk.

And I’ll be honest, I’m not quite sure what the answer would be in this oddly specific time we are in at the moment. But it looks as if we are going to be in this situation for a lot longer than I’m sure any of us thought. I think our dining could adjust accordingly to fit more people’s needs.

Letter to the Editor To the Editor, I am an education major that attends school at the UDS’s main campus in Vermillion, SD. I am writing to you about the university’s expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic I utilized the USD Wellness Center and attended USD activities, which was included with the activity fees in my tuition.

When COVID-19 hit the university closed the Wellness Center and their canceled events.

This means I lost access to the gym I was utilizing and the sports I would attend as a benefit

of being a USD student and paying the activity fees. The college never compensated students for the activity fees even though we missed out utilizing these benefits for half of the 2020 spring semester, over summer, and for part of the fall semester.

I understand the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on many people and organizations including the university.

I understand that they lost out on funding they would have normally received if those events would have taken place when they were supposed to.

However, I do not feel it is right for the university to have our

student body pay the full amount for these activity fees when we only got to use part of the benefits from being

them. With said,

I

this

believe

that they should have refunded fifty percent or cut the cost of activity fees in half for these semesters.

College is expensive enough with paying for classes, housing, meal plans, books, and we don’t need extra taken out for benefits that we are not able to utilize.

Devon Myers, physical education major

OVERHEARDS Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week.

Context is for suckers.

“Why the f*ck are they getting drunk to ‘New York New York’ on a Wednesday night?”

— The Heights

“Well are we talking about bitches per capita?”

— Yale Street

“I hate communion I wish it was pizza rolls.”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“I’m the least racist person in this room.”

— white man at the Presidential Debate with a black moderator

“Why do they all have the same body type?”

— Newsroom

Check out our Facebook event for updates!

A6 Wednesday, October 28, 2020

News

International student finds success in athletics, academics Sara Cappiello

Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu

Before her first year at USD, Laerke Jensen had never been to the United States. Originally from Denmark, Jensen was unfamiliar with USD and South Dakota.

Now as a junior accounting major, Jensen is an active member of the USD women’s golf team and the Beacom School of Business. Jensen said it was a major adjustment coming to USD, but she has enjoyed it.

“Transitioning to a new culture is not easy,” Jensen said.

“I have had my teammates and coach around me almost every day since my freshman year and every single one of them have helped make my transition to living abroad easier and make me feel comfortable being away from my home country.”

Jensen discovered USD through the former head golf coach, who reached out to her during her senior year of high school. At first, she said she was unsure whether South Dakota was the best place for her to go to college, but it ended up being a perfect fit.

Jensen said the smaller class sizes have allowed her to form close relationships with students and professors, as well as have a high quality business education.

“I chose USD because of the small college feel and because of the people I was in contact with during my recruiting period,” Jensen said. “The staff and faculty at USD are all very open-minded towards

people they don’t know and I appreciate how diverse the student body is here at USD.” Brett Bennett, USD Women’s head golf coach, has been working with Jensen since her freshman year.

Bennett said it has been a joy being a part of her academic and athletic careers at USD. “Her love and passion for the game is what sets Laerke apart from other collegiate players,” Bennett said. “Couple that with her work ethic, and it is not surprising why she has success both in the classroom and on the golf course.”

Aside from her education at USD, Jensen said the thing she has enjoyed the most about coming to South Dakota is meeting new people.

“There is always someone around and most people are always ready to do whatever they can to help other people,” Jensen said. “I think the most special thing about Vermillion and USD is the supporting community and how friendly and welcoming the atmosphere at USD is.”

Denmark and South Dakota are similar in a lot of ways, Jensen said, but there are also a lot of differences between the two cultures.

“Danish culture is really about roots, honesty and trusting each other and most people tend to have their focus on forming long-term relationships with friends and business partners,” Jensen said. “I believe this is a big contrast to the culture in South Dakota and the United States as a whole. From my point of

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Laerke Jensen is an international student from Denmark who is a member of the Beacom School of Business and the women’s golf team. view, Americans are always on the move and most Americans are very good at forming shortterm relationships.”

As a junior, Jensen is already thinking about her future after she graduates from USD. She is planning on becoming a certified public accountant and continuing to explore new places and cultures.

Bennett said Jensen’s future is bright, no matter what she ends up doing.

“The ceiling for her is as high as she wants to take it with the game,” Bennett said. “The next couple of years we are going to see something special with her game and the leadership she provides. What she has provided for the program will

Graduate student holds community composting survey Rachel Pechous

Rachel.Pechous@coyotes.usd.edu

USD is home to over 2,000 graduate students — many of them with big goals for post graduation. One specific graduate student, Jacinda Maassen, has intentions on making the Vermillion Community a healthier environment.

Jacinda Maassen completed her Masters degree for Sustainability Development in Sweden and is currently working on her PhD in Sustainability here at USD. She is currently working on a research project for her PhD program which is focused on community composting.

Maassen said the project initially started as a class project under Mark Sweeney who is also interested in implementing composting to Vermillion.

Maassen set up a survey and said that what she is trying to do is determine the interest of community composting in Vermillion as well as sources of waste and potential roadblocks. It will also help her determine the most suitable kind of composting project for the community and how to implement it.

“With the survey I will be able to get an idea of what people’s baseline ideas and

knowledge is of composting in general because composting can vary in many forms, from being in a backyard or neighborhood to something that is more of a centralized community production,” Maassen said.

Maassen said she hopes information from the survey will help her gain insight into places and organizations that might also be interested in the project.

“I’ve talked with a few community members, members of the community garden as well as the farmer’s market so far,” Maassen said.

Maassen hopes, she said, to build a more sustainable community as well as food systems since community composting can be beneficial to each of us individually as well as for the environment itself.

“Composting can close the nutrient gap that is lost by food scraps and organic waste being thrown out,” Maassen said, “food waste in particular has the highest landfill rate out of all types of waste as well as the lowest recovery and diversion rates.”

By reducing food waste in landfills, Maassen said, can extend the life of the landfill as well as reduce environmental and health impacts.

“If waste isn’t managed

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Jacinda Maassen, a graduate student, is working on research project for her PhD focusing on community composting. properly it can lead methane emissions, water pollution and it can harbor different parasites and pathogens,” Maassen said.

Maassen’s survey has been held online and closed on Oct. 25 at the end of the day. By evaluating data from

the survey Maassen hopes to develop and eventually implement a community composting plan to help keep the community of Vermillion healthy and sustainable.

The Volante | volanteonline.com

CHALK From Page A1

the fetus, not the mother.

“We get a lot of criticism saying that we are only pro-life until the baby is born and then we don’t care anymore,” Martinez said. “We emphasize protect them both, love them both because we care for the mother and the baby and we want to do what we can to help the mother be successful after birth.”

Martinez said pregnancy resource centers across the country are available to help mothers with new born babies by providing diapers, clothing and courses on how to raise a baby. Martinez also said YFL advocates, as several messages around campus stated, adoption is a better option compared to an abortion.

Oppositely, Rhead said SFRR believes women should have the ability to control their own bodies.

With this belief, she said SFRR advocates for a women’s right to choose on whether or not to have an abortion.

“It’s the woman’s body and the government shouldn’t have any control over their body. I don’t know of any restrictions that men have on their body,” Rhead said.

Currently, SFRR has an exhibit on the second floor of I.D. Weeks Library explaining South Dakota’s legislation on abortion and pivotal cases that changed the United States’ laws on abortion.

The display explains South Dakota has some of the strictest regulations towards abortion in the country.

The exhibit also hosts four written testimonies from former USD students who have gone through abortions themselves.

Melody Beaulieu, the president of SFRR, said the exhibit and their chalkings around campus are supposed to serve as a way for students to be properly informed about abortion.

“Our mission is to try to campaign for intersectional women’s choice and combat misinformation by providing medically accurate information,” Beaulieu said. “It is important we have a properly informed campus and that’s what were trying to do.”

Another message written by YFL around campus were statements supporting voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election and supporting the nomination of the supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Both Trump and Barrett support anti-abortion policies.

“We advocate voting pro-life first,” Martinez said. “Abortion should

determine how you vote because if there is no right to life the other rights won’t matter.”

Hours after the organization wrote the messages on the sidewalk on Oct. 20, several of their chalkings had been washed away with water or scraped off by other students.

Some students also wrote pro-abortion rights chalkings in addition to the messages already written by YFL and SFRR. This is not the first time YFL anti-abortion messages have been vandalized at USD. Last year in September YFL, had some of their messages removed.

Martinez said she is disappointed in students erasing the organizations’ messages and wishes students who disagreed with them reached out to the group. She said she believes this will be a better way to discuss the issue rather than violating the group’s freedom of speech.

“It’s kind of sad because it goes against USD’s diversity and inclusivity statement that we can’t have a good discussion about the topic,” Martinez said. “Its being seen which is good, its tugging at people’s hearts and maybe it will make people to desire the truth.”

Michelle Cwach, USD’s assistance vice president in marketing communications and university relations, said USD would not regulate the removal of chalkings in a statement to The Volante on Thursday, Oct. 22.

“The University of South Dakota is committed to free expression and the robust exchange of ideas,” Cwach said. “USD does not regulate the chalking of messages, which by their very nature are temporary, except for the type of chalk and some locations, per USD Policy 3.006. USD encourages all students to engage in civil discourse.”

Beaulieu and Rheade both said SFRR does not promote the removal any person or group’s chalkings.

Rather, both of them said they encourage people to embrace everyone’s right to freedom of expression and civil discourse.

“We will always fight to protect your right to free speech,” Beaulieu said. “Nobody that went chalking for us ever destroyed or pulled water on YFL’s chalkings, because like the right to reproductive health care, your right to free speech is guaranteed by the constitution.”

Verve

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 THE VOLANTE

Top four local haunted houses

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/VERVE

Chloe Fullenkamp

Chloe.Fullenkamp@coyotes.usd.edu

Halloween looks a little different during a global pandemic, but don’t let COVID19 be the scariest part of your 2020. Here is a comprehensive list of the best, socially distanced Haunted Houses in the area.

Terror 29

Located just outside of Sioux Falls off I-29, Terror 29 combines abandoned warehouses with circus freaks in this haunted house. Featuring acrobats, zombies, clowns and haunted lion tamers, Terror 29 is taking many precautions to ensure their guests are safe.

Guests are required to wear a mask along with the cast and crew at Terror 29 and tickets are sold through hour-long time slots so guests are able to safely walk through the twisted warehouse. Terror 29 is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend. Hours vary on day and tickets are $15.

Twisted Nightmare

If you’re looking to give back to charity while getting scared out of your mind, check out Twisted Nightmare. Conveniently located in downtown Sioux Falls, Twisted Nightmare is a fundraiser for the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police and Feeding South Dakota.

Twisted Nightmare lets guests walk directly into their childhood fears with demons, clowns and mad scientists. This haunted house leads tours of guests through the crazed house in groups of four to six people. Masks and socially distancing are required.

Twisted Nightmare is open Thursday through Sunday on Halloween weekend from 7 p.m.Midnight. Tickets are $12 or $10 with a canned food donation to Feeding South Dakota.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Around the World Wednesday featured the International Club and the Asian American Student Association. The event blended culture and food of East Asia on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

INTERNATIONAL CLUB BUILDS A BRIDGE BETWEEN CULTURES Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Scare Central

Those looking for extra scares this Halloween can visit Sioux City’s Scare Central. Located in downtown Sioux City, Scare Central consists of two haunted houses, destined to frighten every guest.

The first house at Scare Central is The Fear Factory which features bloodthirsty zombies looking for their next human meal. The second house is Nightmare on 4th Street where monsters and demons lurk around every corner.

Both Fear Factory and Nightmare on 4th Street state their actors will get up close and personal with the guests. Scare Central is open Wednesday through Saturday during Halloween week. Hours vary per day. Tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis and cost $12 for one house or $20 for both.

Haunted Maze at Heartland Country Corn Maze

If you’re looking for an open-air scare, the Haunted Maze at Heartland Country Corn Maze in Harrisburg is the only haunted corn maze in the area.

Flashlights are suggested for this attraction.

The maze is open 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and tickets are $10.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

The International Club builds connections between international cultures and domestic students.

Promotional Poster | Laika

The International Club works to give international students a place where they are comfortable sharing their own cultures and give domestic students a way to learn about different cultures.

Kenwar Singh, senior economics major and International Club treasurer, said the club simply wants to promote the culture of international students and even promote the culture of more local culture here in South Dakota.

Alice Lunardelli, junior marketing major, said she agrees and said the club strives to be welcoming for students from every background.

“The purpose of the International Club is to build a bridge between cultures and make sure our international students have a place to share their culture and make them feel welcome — as well as for domestic students to learn from international students,” Lunardelli said.

To further build a bridge between cultures, Singh said International Club focuses on working with other clubs and organizations, such as the Asian American Student Association, to help

students find groups they may be interested in based on the exposure they have had to other groups.

“We like to collaborate with other organizations because we’re one of the six large organizations on campus meaning our outreach is big as well as our budget,” Lunardelli said. “So, collaborating with smaller organizations gets our name out there as well as theirs.”

In the spring, Festival of Nations brings together a lot of students to learn about other cultures and eat food prepared by students from those backgrounds.

The International Club doesn’t know if Festival of Nations will happen this year or if it will happen in a different setting because of COVID, Lunardelli said.

Lunardelli and Singh both said the Festival of Nations is their favorite event to experience every year because of the food.

“It’s like a huge potluck,” Singh said.

“The basic idea is people sign up, they cook, they bring it over there and we celebrate.”

Lunardelli said she would recommend every student join International Club.

See INTERNATIONAL, Page B2

Promotional Poster | Laika

Promotional Poster | Walt Disney Pictures

is trying to fix on him. It’s not until they see that everyone in the town is trying to hurt Norman do they stand up for him, do they realize his importance.

The next film I watch every year is “Coraline”. Looking back this movie is, in a sense, the “Joker” of it’s time. The more you look into it, the more layers you see and the deeper meaning becomes clear.

“Coraline” is about a girl who is an only child and is just looking for some attention from her parents and is also looking for some adventure in her boring life. An alternate reality becomes present to her and she is given the choice to leave her boring life and go to the shiny other world.

“Coraline” really reflects how many children feel growing up when ignored by their parents. Children who experience this truly the most scary and terrifying films are the ones that reflect our reality and the state of what our world is in.

Both “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” are made by the same film company Laika. They are known for their stop motion animations and the extreme measures they take to make their worlds reality.

The last film I watch without fail every year is “Hocus Pocus.”

If not anything, Halloween is meant to be fun and an adventure.

“Hocus Pocus”, if you didn’t know, is about a new kid in town named Max who with his little sister and crush accidentally releases three witches upon their town of Salem. Now the responsibility to kill these witches again and save everyone in town falls to them.

It takes the dark reality of the Salem witch trials and brings it to the modern era in a way that is comedic and relates to viewers.

Halloween and “Hocus Pocus” just go together. There has never been a Halloween where I didn’t want to watch this movie.

I wonder what Halloween was like before this film came out because this is what the basis of Halloween is for me. To grab some friends and go on an adventure, to explore and do something out of our comfort zone.

There are plenty more films to watch this Halloween season, just stay safe and have a bucket of candy for yourself at the ready.

Rachel Reacts: Must rewatch Halloween films this season Rachel Thompson

Rachel.R.Thompson@coyotes.usd.edu

The movies at Halloween are the best part of the holiday.

Especially now when this season there is little to do but to stay at home and watch movies. The true Halloween films are the ones that can make you feel true emotions and reflect on the world in a spooky way. The new movies are great but it’s almost better to remember and rewatch the greats.

An underappreciated Halloween film that left an impact and is always a journey to rewatch is “ParaNorman.”

“ParaNorman” is about a boy who can see the dead and everyone around him discourages him and refuses to believe him. He soon finds out about a curse that threatens his town and that he is the only one who can end it.

One of this film’s main themes is believing in yourself when being put down. As the audience we see how every time the main character Norman is put down he uses it as another reason to go it alone in life.

Even when there are people around him and that believe him they still degrade him, putting the blame on a problem he

Verve

B2 Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Volante | volanteonline.com

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

Intramurals such as volleyball, dodgeball and flag football are just some of the sports which utilize student referees.

Student refs keep intramural athletes safe, fun, engaged Kenley Cotter

Kenley.Cotter@coyotes.usd.edu

Peyton Beyers | The Volante

Student referees take weekly quizzes to ensure their knowledge about the games are up to date.

Intramural sports on campus would not be possible without student referees.

Student referees are hired through the wellness center and cover a wide variety of sports.

Each week, student referees take quizzes about the sports they will referee next to stay informed and accurate.

Rylan Craig, a sophomore majoring in vocal performance and sports media and marketing is a student referee for intramural sports at the wellness center.

“As a student referee we try and keep everyone playing sports safe while making it fun for the player,” Craig said.

Student referees take time to learn the rules, regulations and CPR for each sport before refereeing the game.

Shawn Kuhnel is a senior majoring in media and journalism. Kuhnel said the preparation that goes into being a student referee takes time.

“To keep us refreshed on our rules as well as how we see the game we take quizzes on a weekly basis,” Kuhnel said.

“Then we apply those trainings to real scenarios where we get volunteers to come

and play back and forth and work officials into spots to see games at full speed.”

Intramural along with many other organizations, have been affected by COVID-19. The wellness center has set precautions to ensure safety for student referees and players.

By cleaning equipment regularly and referees wearing a mask, the wellness center is implementing these safety measures to continue intramural sports in a secure manner.

“There have been a good amount of changes. Although the players don’t have to wear their mask while they’re playing, all the referees do what they can to wear them when we’re not blowing our whistle,” Craig said.

For students interested in referring for intramural sports, contact the wellness center to get involved.

“There’s a lot of cool things to come out of working as an official. I love working intramurals because you get to work games that are being played by people your age,” Kuhnel said. “It’s fun to make the experience of intramurals fun for the players as well, because if the officials having fun then everyone else should be too.”

‘The Nosebleeds’ are buzzing even without sports this semester Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

Saturday afternoons — once dominated by tailgates, endless finger-foods and football parties, USD students are now finding new ways to keep sports alive on Saturdays.

For some students like freshmen Tavin Carncross and Brock Weidner, this absence of college sports has left them lost and longing for years past. With this in mind, Carncross and Weidner decided to take matters into their own hands.

Weidner and Carncross said they decided to fill Saturdays at 5 p.m. with as much sports talk as possible.

The airwaves in Vermillion and surrounding towns can hear these two students’ views on the MLB, NFL, NASCAR and any other sporting event that took place in the week prior or the coming week.

They discuss player injuries, team outlooks for the season, their favorite teams and Weidner’s “hot takes” for the upcoming week each time their show “The Nosebleeds” is on the air.

The idea to start a sports broadcasting show began for Carncross long before stepping foot on USD’s campus.

Carncross said he wanted to start a radio program similar to “The Nosebleeds” for a while now, and that him and Weidner both agreed that it would be a milestone in the right direction for their future careers.

“We wanted to start the show because we’re two guys who want to be sports commentators in the future and we thought this would be a great way to get our voices out on the air,” Weidner said.

Prior to each week’s show, Carncross and Weidner both complete research on their own, whether it be looking at player injuries, team matchups or watching as many of the baseball and football games as they can.

After finishing their individual research, they get together at least three times to talk about the show as a whole and the things they want to cover.

The co-hosts have been expanding their show to be multi-platform and have created a Twitter account with the handle @USDNosebleeds.

Carncross and Weidner use their Twitter to hold polls and start discussions with the listeners about games in which Weidner and Carncross might disagree about the outcome for.

As “The Nosebleeds” moves into its fifth week on the air, Weidner and Carncross are optimistic about the outcome, and say they are excited to continue producing this show together.

“My favorite part is that I get to talk about sports with one of my friends and have them care about what I’m saying,” Carncross said. “Now that I can have an outlet to talk about sports in a way that I want to, it makes it really easy for me to have fun with it. We’re planning to just keep on doing our thing.”

On Saturdays at 5 p.m. “The Nosebleeds” can be heard on KAOR 91.1, and listeners can interact with the hosts while on air by voting on polls found @USDNosebleeds on Twitter.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante

Freshmen Brock Weidner (left) and Tavin Carncross (right) co-host the weekly radio show, “The Nosebleeds”.

“The Nosebleeds” air live every Saturday at 5 p.m. on KAOR 91.1 FM.

INTERNATIONAL From Page B1

She said that international students may struggle making friends in a new country without their family close by, so International Club is a space for them to be comfortable sharing their culture and the club also gives domestic students a place to experience diversity.

“It brings a lot of different views, different ideas from people from different backgrounds,” Singh said.

With exposure to different backgrounds, Singh said he hopes students gain gratitude, respect and the ability to listen to other people’s ideas and perspectives.

It’s important to have diversity and events people may not experience anywhere else, Lunardelli said especially in a small town in South Dakota.

“We would like to be more involved within the community outside of campus,” Lunardelli said. “We did that during quarantine. We made a big donation to the Vermillion food pantry because our community gives a lot to us and the only way we could give back at that time without doing a big event.”

Lunardelli said she hopes students learn something new or participate in a new activity, but she mostly hopes students make a new friend every time they come to an International Club event.

More information about the International Club can be found on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

On International Night, cultures showcased their talents such as dancing and other traditions.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante

Sports

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/SPORTS

Howling Pack finds new ways to support Coyote athletics Rachel Thompson

Rachel.R.Thompson@coyotes.usd.edu

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Mark Wendt and other Howling Pack members gather for a photo at a past tailgate.

The Howling Pack is USD’s main foundation for athletic funding. The purpose of the organization is to support all athletic programs and athletes during their time in college.

There are tiers to the Howling Pack memberships. It builds up from coaches club, captains club, red club, silver club, gold club, platinum club, diamonds club, presidents club and the top being great expectations.

Mark Wendt has been a member of the Howling Pack since 2007 and has a Captains Club membership.

“I started out simply being a fan and it was just a desire to be more a part of it,

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Dome Euipment Manager Nick Roth fixes a football helmet.

have some skin in the game,” Wendt said.

Each member has certain benefits and perks that grow in amount with your donation. All members do receive 10% percent off at the Coyote shop, recognition on GoYotes.com along with other various perks.

“I receive free tickets to soccer and softball and special parking for football and basketball,” Wendt said.

Right now, due to COVID there are no events for the Howling Pack to help raise money for all athletic programs, Wendt said.

Wendt never went to USD, nor did any of his family. He became a fan to oppose his Jackrabbit family.

“It’s taking that next step from being a fan to actually having a little skin in

the game and being a part of it,” Wendt said. “And, you know, feeling like you contributed in your tiny, tiny way to the success they’re having.”

Wendt, along with his yearly donation, helps spread the word and tries to recruit new members. He lets them know the benefits and that it is just eight dollars and thirty three cents a month.

“For me personally, it’s not about getting into the Dome Club or the CoreTrust Club or special parking. It’s just, being a part of, in whatever small way I can being a part of the team and the student-athletes and helping them. That’s what I enjoy about being in the Howling Pack,” Wendt said.

Madilyn Sindelar | The Volante

Arena Equipment Manager Alexa McMillen sorts women’s basketball jerseys in preparation for practice.

INSIDE THE ATHLETICS EQUIPMENT ROOM Madilyn Sindelar

Madilyn.Sindelar@coyotes.usd.edu

Inside the DakotaDome and the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, Equipment Managers Alexa McMillen and Nick Roth ensure every student-athlete has all the gear necessary to succeed.

McMillen began working with the Coyotes as a softball GA six years ago after concluding her USD softball career. When the athletic department maid the switch to become an Adidas school — McMillen transition to working inside the equipment room, after past equipment manager Sarah Weasley convinced her to try it out.

“I got my undergrad in mathematics and I love finances and love numbers,” McMillen said. “So (Weasley) was like, ‘all right. I know you like numbers. You should check out purchasing the inventory of all this stuff’ and I loved it. I am in equipment for the one percent that actually likes the administrative part of the equipment.”

Similar to McMillen, Roth was also a student-athlete and played collegiate football at Wayne State. He knew he wanted to work within athletics but wasn’t sure at what capacity.

“I stumbled across equipment managers and it seemed pretty interesting to me and

I needed an internship to graduate,” Roth said. “A month before my internship was up I finished it with (McMillen). So it was kind of the right place at the right time. I was doing a lot of the football stuff and just ended up getting hired on full time after my internship was completely done.”

The day to day roles varies depending on what each team needs, McMillen said.

Typically the day starts with a lot of paperwork, organizing inventory that comes in the morning, sorting out boxes and figuring out what teams they are for. In the afternoon they help teams get ready for practice.

Prior to COVID, Roth was in charge of football and making sure everybody’s helmets was set for their shoulder pads and helping with broken equipment. He would also help set up practices.

Now with COVID-19, the equipment managers help out wherever they’re needed.

Together Roth and McMillen spent the beginning of the year putting athletes and coaches’ last names inside every mask. It took about five hours to label 50 masks and they had to label about 2,000 of them.

“We ended up having to buy a heat press over the summer and we spent hours, I mean days printing and heat pressing names on all these masks and gators for all the athletes,”

McMillen said. “That’s a lot of man-hours that we took at the beginning of the year trying to get these ready.”

During the normal season McMillen and Roth both work all sporting events.

“So whether it’s helping with the visiting teams during basketball games or taking the officials outside for softball and soccer it just kind of depends on the day,” McMillen said.

This time of year is McMillen’s favorite time of year because they are getting ready to purchase all of the Adidas gear for next year.

“This is probably my favorite time of year because we figured out what we need to order and the budgets that fit what we do with the athletes’ stuff and making sure we have enough money to provide athletes with everything they need for the next year moving forward,” McMillen said.

Roth said being around the athletes and staying within the realm of sports is what he loves.

“We’re both former athletes. So it’s kind of tough once you’re a former athlete and you know sports are done,” Roth said. “So to still get (to be) around all the athletes and around the sports and stuff (is my favorite).”

When it comes to deciding what the Coyotes will receive gear-wise each year, it’s a trial and error process, McMillen said.

“It was the first year we decided to hand out socks to all the athletes you know, that’s something easy,” McMillen said, “You can just toss in a pair of socks someone with a hat.

This year, we were asking a lot of the athletes what their favorite piece of equipment that we give them and surprisingly socks is the number one. Everyone loves socks because they always go through them. It’s crazy because it’s the little things that you wouldn’t expect.”

However, budgeting for next year will look a little bit different due to the loss of revenue because of the pandemic, McMillen said, but the goal will be to provide everything needed for a great season.

“I think for us the biggest part our job is that we wouldn’t have our jobs if a bunch of teenagers didn’t fall in love with a sport — if Madison Arens didn’t love to shoot hoops we wouldn’t have a job,” McMillen said. “We try day in and day out to make sure (they) get the best experience and I think that’s the biggest part about budgeting. What can we do to make sure we don’t limit your experience for the next four years because of what’s going on in the world?”

‘It is okay, not to be okay’: USD helps student-athletes combat stress, anxiety Tyler Boyle

Tyler.Boyle@coyotes.usd.edu

Student-athletes at USD have faced many unforeseen changes this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the USD’s athletic department is trying to help athletes handle the stress and anxiety that can come along with these changes.

Jenna Uher, an athletic trainer for the Coyotes, said this year the trainers have focused on helping student athletes with their mental health in addition to their physical health.

“Unfortunately I don’t think athletes were prepared for how so much change would make them feel because we’ve never had something like this before,” Uher said. “(Student-athletes) are used to having their schedule, they’re used to having their routine, but now its been turned upside down and that’s been hard for everyone.”

According to a study by the NCAA done in May, it found a majority of student athletes reported higher levels of stress and anxiety since the beginning of the pandemic. Uher said the trainers recognize these feelings among their athletes and want to focus on making sure athletes understand it’s okay to feel this way.

“One phrase we always stick with and try to express is ‘It’s okay, not to be okay,’” Uher said. “I think they just need to know someone else believes it’s okay not to be okay as well and they usually will open up about it, which is really important.”

Jason Mahowald, the head swim and dive coach at USD, said one strategy he has taken to help his athletes handle change is to have a team group read.

“As a team, we read a book at the beginning of the year: ‘Who Moved My Cheese’ and it basically talks about being able to adapt to change.” Mahowald said.

“We talked a ton to our kids about being able to adapt to change, because we knew this year would have a lot of it.”

One of the hardest things about all of these changes, Uher said, is when athletes have to go into quarantine. She said getting back into shape after 14 days of no practices sometimes frustrates the athletes, whether they were sick with the virus or not.

Becky Jensen, an athletic-academic advisor at USD, said she also believes quarantining has been really hard on athletes. Jensen said just not having faceto-face communication with anyone is hard in itself.

“I know one student who has been quarantined three different times and has been quarantined for a total of 42 days and he has never had the virus himself,” Jensen said. “I don’t know how that couldn’t have an affect on anyone’s psyche.”

Mahowald said he has been impressed by his athlete’s willingness to help their teammates who are in quarantine. He said many of their athletes will get groceries, make goodie baskets and face time studentathletes quarantined.

Mahowald said his staff has try to keep his athletes who have been quarantined connected with the team as best they can.

“We’ve been able to livestream our intrasquad meets so the kids not there can still see their teammates competing and still feel like apart of the team,” Mahowald said.

“Sometimes we send them some movies coach thinks are good on Netflix and they quickly respond by saying, ‘I’m old and we don’t have the same taste in movies,’ but we try our best.”

Jensen said changes in teaching styles has also played a role in contributing to more stress and anxiety for athletes.

“Some students are in online classes that I would have never put in an online class

because they don’t learn as well and they see their grades suffer because of that,” Jensen said. “It creates a lot of anxiety because they are not learning as well as they normally do.”

Jensen said because of this the university has made it a priority to make sure students are given resources to reduce stress and anxiety as much as possible. She said the university has a tutoring program and a peer mentorship program helps a lot of students academically.

In addition, Jensen said most studentathletes take a class in their first year on campus that has a day when a mental health professional comes in to talk to the students about stress and mental health resources provided to them at USD. Uher and Jensen said they have both used the mental health services the university provides for students such as the Cook House, Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) and the Psychological Service Center.

“I know the counseling center has seen more people than they have ever before,” Jensen said. “I think that is a good and a bad thing because obviously we want to have our kids as happy as possible here but if things aren’t going well we have the resources that can help with that.”

Uher said she is glad athletes’ mental health has been an issue talked about more in the media and by professional athletes.

Uher said she hopes this will lead to athletes knowing it’s okay, not to be okay and the most important thing to do is to find someone to talk about it with.

“There has been a lot of stigmas in the past that athletes have to be tough and not talk about their feelings but we now know that talking about it is actually super important,” Uher said. “I want to make sure athletes know we care and help with their health on the field or court but also their mental health too.”

Photo Illustration by Tyler Boyle | The Volante

Along with the traditional stress and anxiety that come with being a Division I athlete, the

pandemic has increased the stress on athletes.

The Athletic Department is trying to help studentathletes navigate these new challenges.

B4 Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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