11.09.2022

Sports

Swimmer Finds Success in DakotaDome and Summit League See more on Page 6

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USD Alumni Begin Group for Artists to get Discovered See more on Page 10

The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

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USD Honors Veterans and Their Sacrifices The Coyote community continues to recognize veterans through week’s worth of celebrations. The campus’ Student Veteran Resource Center also provides year-round help to active and former military and their families.

See more on Page 2

Sydney Johnson | The Volante

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USD Honors Veterans and Their Families During November Karlee Phillips

Karlee.Phillips@coyotes.usd.edu

By tradition, November is a popular month for family celebrations, and USD continues to honor this heritage by recognizing the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans and their families.

President Biden issued a proclamation Oct. 31 declaring November 2022 as National Veterans and Military Families Month. USD looks to show support by honoring veterans and their families through various campus events.

USD Student Veteran Resource Center Coordinator Jacob Aus helps active duty and retired service students navigate the diverse avenues of higher education. He also works with dependents of military members to ensure a smooth college transition.

“I’m the one who creates a lot of these programs for the veterans. Our first event is the Hall of Heroes,” Aus said.

The Hall of Heroes is held this entire week, and offers current students, faculty and staff who are service members a chance to share their military and university experiences through a poster hung up in the MUC. On Tuesday evening, the university hosted a veteran panel.

The panel gave students and faculty the opportunity to ask questions about military population and services, and Aus said it had been quite a few years since USD last held this event.

USD also hosted two Military Appreciation Day games this weekend.

“This is probably our third or fourth year that we’ve done this,” Aus said. “We’ve done games in the past, but just called it something different.”

Military members and dependents received free entry to the games, and were recognized during timeouts

and at halftime. The South Dakota Army National Guard also made an appearance in the tailgate section of the football game, showcasing original military vehicles.

As USD continues to honor the strength and sacrifices made by military members, Aus said they also understand the importance of preparing those currently serving for their civilian future.

“I focus on ensuring they have the proper tools and resources to transition from their military service into the civilian world and start

working there. We have various offices on campus all helping make sure they’re successful,” Aus said.

Although the calendar may show the National Veterans and Military Families honoration as a month-long tribute, USD continues to honor active duty members and veterans year round.

The Patriot Plaza, located between the Knudsen School of Law and the Beacom School of Business, honors three USD alumni Medal of Honor recipients, the centennial of USD’s Army ROTC program and other

USD celebrates National Veterans and Military Families Month with several events.

veterans. The feature displays the American, South Dakota, POW/MIA and USD flags.

“It has the six different branches of service so that’s a very unique thing you don’t see on a lot of campuses across the country,” Aus said.

Other events USD students and staff can look forward to this week include the Native American Culture Center’s lecture on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. in Farber Hall and the American Legion’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Vermillion High School.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante

News

The Volante

Wednesday, November 09, 2022 | 3

Construction in the Works on New Elementary School Allison Horkey

Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu

Construction has started on Vermillion’s new elementary school and is on track to be finished in 2024.

The new elementary school is replacing Jolly and Austin elementary schools to accommodate growing class sizes.

Damon Alvey is the superintendent of the Vermillion School District. He said the new elementary school will consolidate the two current elementary schools in Vermillion, a necessary move with both buildings being crowded and outdated.

“We’re going to close Austin and Jolley… We’re really pretty crowded (and) we’ve grown. Our district has grown by about 190 students in the last six years. And so 67-year-old buildings require a lot of maintenance as you can imagine…,” Alvey said. “The (school) board determined it would be better, since we already have buildings that are tight and squeezing our students, that we should just build a new elementary school so we will take all the students from Austin and Jolley and put them into this new building.”

The 117,000 square foot building will be attached to the current middle

school. Austin Elementary School teaches preschool through first grade and Jolley teaches second to fifth grade students. The consolidated schools as well as the new location will hopefully ease the transportation stress for parents, Alvey said.

“If you have a first grader you have to go across town currently. And when that student becomes a second, third, fifth grader, you (have to) drive to the other side of town,” Alvey said. “What it might actually improve is if you happen to have students in both schools. Now you’ll only have one drop off and pickup and if you happen to have a middle schooler with it, you’ll actually have one drop off point for elementary and the middle schoolers.”

Alvey said the school district had unusually large growth last year and this year, 50 and 87 students, respectively.

The new school will be designed to teach more students than currently necessary to account for growth in the future.

“Right now there’s about 407 at Jolly and about 230 in Austin, and there’s also preschool. So with Austin’s preschool, we’re at about 280 kids in that building. So we’re talking over 700 students between the two buildings will

Allison Horkey | The Volante

Constuction begins for new elementry school, and will be finished by 2024.

now be moved into one,” Alvey said.

On top of having more room, the school district is bringing back art for the elementary schools, providing a space for the preschool program Headstart and the ability to partner with other community members including USD, Alvey said.

“We brought art back to the elementary schools about 10 years ago or 15 years ago, the district lost its elementary art program and so we were doing art, virtually doing some other things. We’ve put out a brand new art room in this building and hired a new art teacher to run the room,” Alvey said.

Alvey hopes the new school will have a positive impact on the community as a whole, adding this project would not have been possible without the community’s support.

“Whether it’s a business owner, or our partners in education, and really just the families who send their kids to us so this school will be state of the art and it will be a community based school where kids and families get to use these facilities,” Alvey said. “And I think it’ll just be a great enhancement for the kids and for our entire school district.”

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Veterans and Military families gather in the DakotaDome for Veteran Day honorees.

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News State, National and International Briefs

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Zadya Abbott

zadya.abbott@coyotes.usd.edu

Republican House Canidate Faces Child Abuse Charges Republican state District 26 senate candidate Joel Koskan made his first appearance in Mellette County Court last Monday after being charged with child abuse on Nov. 3. His campaign was run in opposition to incumbent Democratic House legislator Shawn Bordeaux.

The charges of the alleged class four felony carry a possible $20,000 fine and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

While the South Dakota Democratic Party did call for Koskan to end his campaign, due to state law it was too late to take him off the ballot.

The allegations Koskan is faced with say that he used GPS to track a woman without consent and engaged in acts of the sexual nature with her over an extended period of time, including when

the woman was a minor.

Brent Kempema, of the South Dakota Attorney General’s office, stood for the state at Koskan’s Monday hearing.

“It became clear to us after discussions with (the victim) that her desired outcome of the case would ultimately almost be a non-prosecution,” Kempema said to Dakota News Now reporter Austin Goss.

Presiding Judge Northrup, after determining Koskan as not a flight risk, listed a $100,000 bond, and scheduled Koskan’s next court appearance for Dec. 12. The agreement proposed by the state and the defense is scheduled to be announced later this week.

U.S. Debates Leaving Clocks Alone As a result of the clocks changing Sunday morning, conversations and legislation in favor of making Daylight Saving permanent were reinvigorated in several states across the United States.

With the exception of those that reside in Arizona and Hawaii, several million Americans biannually change their clocks. However the movement to end the practice entirely has seen pointed growth in recent years.

USD students have varying opinions on Daylight Savings. Two juniors, Ryan Conover and Maggie Erickson think Daylight savings is not necessary.

“I think we should get rid of it, I don’t think there’s really a point,” Erickson said.

Sophomore Enerel Crosslin said, “I like Daylight Savings, I like being reminded of the relativity of time.”

Junior Scheriden Allen agreed with Crosslin.

“(We should) keep it. Time should correlate with the seasons, (but) I see both sides of (the argument),” Allen said.

However, senior Kana Kaneiwa said whether the time changes or not does not matter to her.

“I don’t really care, my phone does everything, so it doesn’t really matter to me,” Kaneiwa said.

The following states currently have legislation in place to make daylight saving time permanent: Wyoming, Washington, Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, Montana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Maine, Louisiana, Kentucky, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Colorado and Alabama. Of the previous list, 15 states have legislation that are dependent on the federal government to pass a similar measure.

Currently The Sunshine Protection Act, the act that makes daylight savings permanent, is stalled in congress.

Submitted | The Volante

Climate Activists Take New Approach On Nov. 5, the day before the COP27 U.N. climate meeting in Egypt, several hundred climate protesters held a demonstration by preventing private jets from taking off from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace protestors rode bikes and sat surrounding planes to prevent takeoff. Many protesters there to call for fewer flights were arrested on the grounds that they did not have the proper documentation to be on airport grounds.

This display from climate protestors comes in the wake of the viral Climate Change awareness video of Just Stop Oil activists throwing soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

While the glass-encased painting was not harmed, the protest sparked several conversations and criticisms in question of the protest style.

Beginning last Sunday, over 120 international leaders attended the 2022 U.N. climate talks in Sharm elSheikh, Egypt.

Submitted | The Volante Allison Horkey | The Volante

News

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Wednesday, November 09, 2022 | 5

FGSO Celebrate Being First Generation Students Maddie Martinez

maddie.martinez@coyotes.usd.edu

It is National First-Generation college students’ celebration day on Nov. 8. The university began celebrating the national day in 2018 and it became a week-long celebration in 2019.

The vice president of the First-Generation Organization sophomore, Emily Williams said First-Gen Organization is a resource for any student. The organization’s meetings are every other Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in MUC 219. “(As) a student organization, we provide a lot of resources for not only first-gen students, anyone can join...specifically for first generation students we answer questions and provide information through workshops that first generation students’ parents may not be able to answer (about) financial aid [and] resumes but also fun workshops like painting tote bags and yoga,” Williams said.

Alex Arango, a graduate assistant for TRIO Student Support Services, is a first-generation college student and said his parents did not have the answers for many of his questions involving higher education.

“I was unaware of the resources that were available on campus. There were a lot of career fairs and opportunities for me to find

out more about the resources here that helped me be successful during my undergraduate studies,” Arango said.

The faculty advisor of First-Generation Student Organization, Dallas Doane said the organization will host different events throughout the week.

This past Monday, there was “number one” cookie decorating in the MUC pit. That evening the First-Gen Organization partnered with the Cultural Wellness Coalition and showed a movie titled Becoming about Michelle Obama at the Coyote Twin Theater.

Then, on the evening of Nov. 8 there was a speaker in MUC 219, Dzenan Berberovic, who is a first-generation USD alumni and Chief Philanthropy officer at Avera Health.

Doane said for the upcoming events on Wednesday Nov. 9 and Thursday Nov. 10 the student organization will be partnering with Charlie’s Cupboard.

“We’re going to do a tote decorating event, (because) students must bring their own tote (to use at) Charlie’s Cupboard...Thursday when the first-gen students volunteer at Charlie’s Cupboard, students can then bring their totes and be able to bring food back with them,” Doane said.

Gainz 4 Girlz Provides Support in the Gym Brooklynn Kahle

brooklynn.kahle@coyotes.usd.edu

One of the newest groups on campus is Gainz 4 Girlz, an allfemale workout group created to help girls feel comfortable and safe when going to the gym.

The purpose of this group is to create a network for females that is supportive and encouraging when promoting fitness. Imogen PrellwitzAude, one of the creators of Gainz 4 Girlz, said this purpose speaks to her.

“Unfortunately a lot of girls like myself have struggled to feel comfortable in a gym setting and we want to help change that,” PrellwitzAude said.

Prellwitz-Aude said a big focus of this group is to eliminate the judgment that surrounds working out. Instead, they hope to create a positive and supportive environment.

“There is guaranteed to be no judgment as that is our first bylaw and we intend on making that stick,” Prellwitz-Aude said.

The group works out at the Wellness Center at 8 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays and takes at least one group fitness class together each month. Also, they have a monthly meeting where they teach the group about different things relating to working out, such as mental health, exercise, nutrition and self-care.

The group started with four friends and it has started to grow. PrellwitzAude said there are many benefits to working out with a group.

“The benefit of working out with other girls through our group is to make connections and really just make the scariness of going to the gym alone nonexistent,” PrellwitzAude said.

The four creators of this group hope to see the group continue to grow and thrive for many years to come. Kenzie Fichter, one of the creators of Gainz 4 Girlz, is hoping to build connections with others through this group.

“I wanted to create Gainz 4 Girlz because I was scared going to the gym by myself and I didn’t have anyone to help lead workouts,” Fichter said.

“When I met my group of friends, we realized we all kind of felt the same way and we created it. We want to help girls make connections to others who have a similar interest in working out.”

Prellwitz-Aude said if people are considering joining, they should meet the group at the Wellness Center to try it out and see if it’s for them.

Sodexo announces $25 Flex Reimbursement for Students Sodexo announced on Nov. 1 that they would reimburse students with $25 in Flex dollars on their Coyote Card. Dean of Students Kim Grieve said it was due to certain food vending machines not being available to students when school started. Students with a meal plan can expect to see the money appear in their account this week.

Sports

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2022 THE VOLANTE

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A Child’s Want Turns into Summit League Honors Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

Sophomore Emily Kahn is making a name for herself inside the DakotaDome pool roughly 14 years after she found herself enthralled by her brother’s ability to jump off the diving board.

Kahn said her mother still tells the story of her being a 6-year-old little girl wanting so badly to follow in her brother’s footsteps and jump off the diving board.

Now that Kahn has mastered the ability to go off the diving board and has even wound up in first place in her fair share of USD swim events, she has found a new appreciation for swim: as a coping mechanism.

“It really just calms me down,” Kahn said. “It’s really a place where I can be by myself with my thoughts, while still being around friends and other people.

It just kind of brings me to my center.”

The swim and dive team competed on Nov. 4-5 in the Coyote Extravaganza in Sioux Falls where Kahn fought to four first place finishes, winning two individual and two team events.

Kahn joined freshmen Tatum O’Shea and Taylor Buhr and fifth year Cassie Ketterling to win the 400 Yard Medley

Relay. Ketterling and Kahn also competed together in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay for a first-place finish, this time alongside sophomore teammates Skyler Leverenz and Christina Spomer.

As for her individual wins at the meet, Kahn beat out her opponents in the 100 and 200 Yard Freestyle events.

While Kahn had success competing in both the individual and relay team events, she said she enjoys the team atmosphere of relay events more due to the energy her teammates bring to the race. She also said the relay races bring her more incentive to do well. “(There’s not really a different mindset for individual versus team relays,) I really just want to go fast,” Kahn said.

“With a relay though, you are able to see all the people around you better and where your team is at. It’s just more motivating and (gives me the mindset of) ‘I need to get off the blocks as best I can to try and catch up.”

On top of her many podium finishes throughout the season, Kahn was also named the Summit League Women’s Peak Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 11. Kahn said receiving an honor like this helps her feel like her dedication is paying off.

Coyote Sports Spotlight Nov. 9 - Nov. 15

“It just reaffirms all of the hard work that I’ve been putting into my swimming so far,” Kahn said. “It’s a kind of boost telling me to keep going since I’m already starting off this strong.”

While the swim and dive season continues, Kahn said she set some goals for herself at the start of the season.

“I’m just trying to improve my times and be a more supportive role for everybody on the team,” Kahn said. “I hav-

en’t really reached those goals yet but it’s also pretty early into the season so far, so I hope to keep working towards those goals as the season progresses.”

Kahn and her team are now preparing for their next meet which will take place Nov. 17-19 at the Augustana Invite in Sioux Falls. After that, the team will have four additional meets prior to the Summit League Championships in Minneapolis Feb. 22-25.

Aaron Mercado | USD Athletics Sophomore Emily Kahn competed in the Coyote Extravaganza where she captured four first place finishes. Two solo and two with a team.

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Sports

Wednesday, November 09, 2022 | 7

Men’s Basketball Motto Representing Their Season Brock Weidner

Brock.Weidner@coyotes.usd.edu

Sydney Johnson | The Volante Junior forward Tasos Kamateros had six points in the Coyotes’ season opener as they fell to the Badgers in Madison. The Coyotes will head back to Vermillion to host the Lipscomb Bison on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. for their first game inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

The men’s basketball team went through a coaching transition this off-season after USD parted ways with Todd Lee and hired Eric Peterson to be the new head coach of the Coyotes.

Peterson was an assistant coach for South Dakota from 2014 to 2018 before leaving for Utah State for three seasons.

He then spent last season on the Utah Utes coaching staff.

“Coach (Peterson) brought a new philosophy to the team and we needed some time to adjust,” junior forward Tasos Kamateros said. “After we have been practicing since June, I feel that we have adjusted to the new system very well and there is something really good that is in process.”

The Coyotes lost eight players from last year’s squad, five of which entered the transfer portal. Peterson replaced them with six true freshmen (guard Cade Kandolin, forward Jevon Hill, guard Steven Kramer, forward Felix Broström, forward Miles Branch and guard Jeremiah Coleman.) Peterson also

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guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt led USD in scoring, ending the day with 21 points.

Redshirt sophomore A.J. Plitzuweit dropped eight points and four rebounds in his first game back on the court in 613 days, after missing all of last season due to a knee injury.

South Dakota will have a quick turnaround as they host Lipscomb in their home opener at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Nov. 9.

The rest of their non-conference schedule includes games against Dakota State (Nov. 12), Mississippi State (Nov. 17), Coastal Carolina (Nov. 26 and Dec. 14), Mount Marty (Nov. 28), BYU (Dec. 3), Air Force (Dec. 6) and UC Irvine (Dec. 10).

They will also compete in the Fort Myers Tip-Off in the Palms Division on Nov. 22-23 where they’ll face Long Island University in the first round and either Sam Houston or Northern Illinois in the second round.

USD will then start their Summit League schedule on the road against the Kansas City Roos on Dec. 19.

The Coyotes were selected to finish

Our team this year is definitely representing our coach’s motto, GATA -Get After Their ‘Butts’-

brought in two sophomore transfers (forward Mihai Carcoana from Toledo and guard Paul Bruns from North Dakota.)

“I am really happy with how well they have adjusted so far and how close we are with each other. A big difference from the previous years is that all our new guys are either freshmen or sophomores and they are all very hardworking and determined to get as much playing time as they can possibly get,” Kamateros said. “I think our team this year is definitely representing our coach’s motto, GATA -Get After Their “Butts”- and we bring that energy on the court every single day.”

The Coyotes fell in their season opener on Nov. 7 against the Wisconsin Badgers 85-59 in Madison. Sophomore

”

third in the Summit League’s Preseason Poll and Kamateros said he is looking forward to playing the two teams ranked above South Dakota.

“I am looking forward to playing in the conference against the teams that were picked above us, Oral Roberts and SDSU, because I know what our team is capable of,” Kamateros said.

Kamateros is playing his fourth year at South Dakota this season and wants to accomplish some team accolades by playing postseason basketball.

“My goals this season are to win the Summit League and get to the NCAA tournament,” Kamateros said. “We really want to win a ring here at USD and leave our footprint on this school.”

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2022 THE VOLANTE VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

Editorial: Students Should be Allowed to use Flex as Coyote Cash

“

We should be able to use it on more than ordering bulk options of oftentimes unhealthy food.

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College is a big step and brings about a lot of stress.

Moving away from your support system is nerve-wracking and adding the stress of college makes things worse.

The confusion around Coyote Cash, flex dollars and meal plans is just another stressful part of college to figure out.

Coyote Cash is pretty simple. It can be used for printing, laundry machines, vending machines and a few businesses around Vermillion like HyVee, Pizza Ranch and Subway.

To get Coyote Cash you just transfer money from a credit or debit card. Ultimately, Coyote Cash is just a debit card students can use at some places.

Flex dollars are differ-

ent and they come from the meal plan students pick at the beginning of the semester. Students can get meal plans that have credits for the MUC Dining room as well as flex money. There are also meal plans made up of just flex money.

However, these particular meal plans are not the best because they cost more money to use flex money.

For example, one meal plan costs $463 per semester and

you get $434 of flex money. All the restaurants on campus accept debit cards so there is not a need to buy flex money when you can just use your money.

Flex money carries over from fall to spring semesters.

If you don’t use the flex in the fall semester, you can use it in the spring but leftover money in a flex account at the end of the spring won’t roll over to next fall.

When the end of spring

The Volante Sydney Johnson, editor-in-chief Allison Horkey, managing editor Tavin Carncross, sports editor

Keeley Thomas, verve editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

Emma Daggett, opinion editor

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

semester comes students often find themselves buying things in bulk from the pod stores around campus.

If students do not use all of their flex money it expires and is not returned to them.

Although some students are able to use all their flex, this is not always the case.

If students have a surplus of flex at the end of the academic year, we should be able to use it on more than ordering bulk options of oftentimes unhealthy food.

Generally, students have to buy a meal plan if they live on campus and first year students need to pay at least $1,670 per semester. On top of this, SDBOR mandates students live on campus their first and second year after highschool. Due to the

lack of options we have and the expense of meal plans, students should have more options for using flex.

Although the ability to buy clothing from the Charlie store might be a better way of spending money for some students, this might not be realistic because clothing is not always considered to be a cost of living.

If students were able to transfer their flex to Coyote Cash they could use it for laundry, printing, buying groceries from HyVee or getting dinner from another restaurant around Vermillion. All of these seem like better options of using extra flex money than buying a 20-pack of Monster Energy drinks or being forced to let the money disappear.

OVERHEARDS

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

Context is for suckers.

“I want to be a Vespa boy, why can’t I be a Vespa boy?”

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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.

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“Another day of soul sucking bureaucracy.”

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Wednesday, November 09, 2022 Opinion Never Kettle for Second Best, Tea is Superior

The Volante

EMMA DAGGETT is a junior majoring in English.

Tea is by far the best drink. Hot or cold, the drink is delicious. There are a bunch of different types of tea: green, black and oolong tea, caffeine-free or herbal infusions and you can never forget about purple tea.

The process of making tea can be relaxing. Boiling water, putting the tea bag or infuser into the heated water then watching the color seep into the water is fascinating.

You can also get adorable little tea infusers or teapots if you need lots of tea. There are a bunch of different kinds of tea infusers. There is the basic metal one that looks like a strainer, but there are so many more. I have a sloth

tea infuser that hangs onto the side of the mug while my tea steeps. I’ve seen so many more, like the Loch Ness monster, a walrus, snails and rubber duckies.

There is no end to all the adorable tea infusers you can find. The teapots also have these cute designs, I’ve even seen one that looks like a mushroom.

As the phrase “too much of a good thing is a bad thing” goes, drinking too much tea can be bad. Sup-

posedly, if you drink more than five cups of tea in one day there can be “negative” side effects like anxiety, headaches and disrupted sleep patterns. But the same thing happens if a person drinks too much coffee.

Tea does have health benefits. College students need caffeine and tea provides it. It has enough caffeine to help someone stay focused and alert but not so much that it disrupts sleep. Antioxidants found in

tea, especially green tea, can improve blood pressure and cholesterol and balances blood sugar.

Tea is hydrating because it is just water with a little flavor. Drinking it, hot or cold, replaces fluids and hydrates your body and skin.

If you need a soothing and gentle beverage to help with stress, there is nothing better than tea. P.L. Travers called tea “a balm for the soul,” and I’d have to agree.

Are Colleen Hoover’s Books Going to be Classics Someday?

ELIZABETH AREND is a junior majoring in secondary education.

Colleen Hoover books have been the new rage in the past year, many of her titles going viral through TikTok. Arguably one of the best books Hoover has written

is titled “It Ends With Us”, and the sequel to that novel just released this past month, “It Starts With Us”.

This book has publishing companies saying they have not seen any success like this in years, and thousands of people pre-ordered this novel in anticipation of hearing more about the love story of Lily and Atlas.

Hoover has made a large positive impact on reading culture, as many people,

older adults and young adults alike, have been rediscovering, or even discovering for the first time, their love of reading.

Although Hoover’s books are skyrocketing on the charts this year, and she does not seem to be getting any less popular, her books still cannot compare to classic literature from F. Scott Fitzgerald or Jane Austen.

This takes us into what classifies a book as a classic.

Classic novels tend to have a large contribution to literature, and they typically need to be read with the same amount of excitement and relevance at the time they were published as they are when read decades later.

Hoover’s books are almost solely romantic fiction. She gets her plots moving quickly, and she just has a way of making the reader feel connected to the protagonists and their

lives within the novel. The appeal is how addictive her books are.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a Hoover novel as much as the next person.

They are filled with suspense, romance, social-issues and well-developed characters. But the reality is, 100 years from now, will people really connect with Colleen Hoover’s books like they do today?

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Artists and Community: Painting a Bridge Alexis Johnson

Alexis.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

Two recent graduates of USD have come together to create a platform called Untitled .10 for upcoming artists to share their work.

Tyson Schultz and Levi Sternburg former USD art students, who specialized in graphic design and art, respectively. The two of them have come together as partners to create an organization for students in the Sioux Falls area, and around the state of South Dakota.

They said their goal is to create an opportunity for young and emerging artists to show their work in art shows outside normal means. Untitled .10 is a social media platform for artists to get their name out there and get opportunities to be showcased in a pop-up show run by Schultz and Sternburg.

Using resources around them, places and people, they put on pop-up shows throughout the fall, winter and spring for people to come enjoy. Most of these pop-up shows are in the Sioux Falls area and have artists from around the nation present their work.

As artists themselves, Schultz and

Sternburg understand what it is like to be a young new artist and want to help alleviate some of the struggle that comes with starting off in the industry.

“Being an artist is an uphill battle, we are trying to smooth that hill for artists in South Dakota” Sternburg says.

They both said that making art for a living is a risky commitment, but they hope to make it easier for those up-andcoming artists.

Their next big show is on Nov. 26 at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls.

This show is for students to have the opportunity to share their art with the community.

Both Schultz and Sternburg said they are incredibly excited to show art in a space like a zoo, it is different from anything they have done before.

They will have two headlining artists, along with engaging other undergraduate student artists, in this gallery.

As part of the art show, the zoo hopes to raise awareness for conservation efforts for animals. They hope that there will be a lot of support for not only the artists but the zoo as well.

Based out of Sioux Falls, Schultz and Sternburg want to expand to the

entire state, specifically artists from USD. They said they feel like there is a “giant wall” between Vermillion and Sioux Falls that they hope to tear down.

They want people, specifically students, to feel comfortable coming to shows and branching out from galleries in Vermillion.

Their ultimate goal with this program is to get a space of their own

where they can show art, and help upcoming artists become known in the real world.

“It’s just artists supporting artists,” Schultz says.

They do not take any commission for any art sold at their pop-up shows, it is mainly for the public to enjoy art and for artists to share their work.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

USD graduates Tyson Schultz and Levi Sternburg partnered up to create an organization for students in the Sioux Falls area.

Submitted Photo | The Volante

Untitled .10’s upcoming art event will be at the Sioux Falls Zoo where they are inviting artists all across the state to take part in the exhibit as well as raise awareness for the conservation of animals such as those housed in the Great Plains Zoo.

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Nikolaus Conquers Disliked Part of Music: Performance Alexis Johnson

Alexis.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

Cheyenne Nikolaus is preparing for her last hoorah as a USD student where she will be performing in a recital featuring her saxophone skills prior to graduation.

Nikolaus has been playing the saxophone for eight years and cannot see herself doing anything else.

“I’m too far in to quit,” Nikolaus said.

She grew up with music in her household, specifically the saxophone. Her sister played the alto saxophone which began Nikolaus’ love for music from an early age.

She said she felt that her sister was so cool for being able to play an instrument and Nikolaus grew an interest as well.

To start her musical career, Nikolaus took her sister’s old alto saxophone and

started playing it in her school band and she said “the rest is history.”

Her upcoming recital is on Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the recital hall of the Fine Arts building.

She has been preparing all semester for this recital, due to the fact that she had to learn new music which is different from what she is used to.

“This music challenged me, but in a good way,” Nikolaus said.

Nikolaus said the most intense piece of music she had to learn was Diversion by Bernhard Heiden, which is approximately seven minutes long.

She will be accompanied by piano player Deanna Wehrspann, as well as a chamber group throughout her recital.

She said she is both excited and nervous. This is

something she has been thinking about since her freshman year.

“It’s a stressful part of being a music major, the fact that you have to do a recital, it is constantly looming over you,” Nikolaus said.

She said that the process was made easier by the professors and music lesson teachers she has had over the years. Part of the reason Nikolaus is nervous is because she sees music as her passion and the performing part is just a caveat of the passion.

“I wouldn’t call myself a performer, I am not interested in being the best saxophone player ever,” Nikolaus said.

As a music education major, Nikolaus plans on using her talents as a beginning band teacher, or a middle school band teacher. She would like to move to Colorado or California to teach

music to kids after her time at USD. Even though Nikolaus has been practicing for her upcoming recital for months, she said performing isn’t her biggest musical interest, she would rather teach as a way of continuing her love for music.

“You don’t have to be the greatest performer to be the best teacher,” Nikolaus said.

She wants kids to know that anyone is capable of playing music or making music.

“You just have to set aside time to practice and practice a lot, but it is worth it,” Nikolaus said.

Just like Nikolaus was inspired eight years ago, she hopes to go on to inspire a new generation of children Submitted Photo | The Volante to begin their musical jourCheyenne Nikolaus has been ney and help them explore practicing for months for her all their opportunities as upcoming recital their teacher.

USD Health Sciences Department Hosts Pet Toy Drive Samantha Hartje

Samantha.Hartje@coyotes.usd.edu

For the first time ever, the department of Public Health and Health Sciences is collecting pet toys and treats during the month of November.

The pet drive will have donations and pet items available for students at the University of South Dakota to pick up from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m. Dec. 6 in the new Health Sciences Campus building on the second

floor at the breezeway. The items will include dog toys, cat toys, treats and other pet items. There will be totes for donations in Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building, the MUC and the Wellness Center until Nov. 22.

Professor Wynette Mockler, an instructor in the Public Health and Health Sciences department, started the pet drive event at USD. “I got the idea when I won an online auction item from the Heartland Humane So-

ciety,” Mockler said.

Mockler received a large basket of dog toys and planned to have students help hand the items out.

“I thought it would be fun to see if we could collect more toys and treats and give them to as many students as we could. The people of USD want to give something unique to the students and gift their fur-Yotes a special treat,” Mockler said.

Mockler said she hopes an event like this proves to students how much USD

cares for them and the wellbeing of all involved in their support system.

“We know many students who have a pet here in town or back home where they will be traveling to at the end of the semester. We want the students to know that we care about them as part of the USD family, and that means their whole family, pets or fur-Yotes included,” Mockler said.

Mockler said this was also organized to wind down the semester and give students

a pick-me-up after all their commitment to their education.

“We wanted to give something unique back to the students after working so hard and finishing the semester.

A double appreciation gift for them and for their furYotes who have supported them daily or waited patiently to see them after a long semester,” Mockler said.

Mockler and the department of Public Health and Health Sciences hope to make this a yearly event.

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Wednesday, November 09, 2022 | 12