12.06.2022

Zadya Abbott Zadya.Abbott@coyotes.usd.edu

News

WEDNESDAY,

SAD most commonly is experienced from the fall to winter months and is worsened by the lack of nutrients from sunlight. Seasonal depression can also be a genetic experience similar to depression as a whole.

Freshman media and journalism major, Alex Kleinschmit said, “Once the weather gets bad it seems like that’s when every class gets harder. It makes it feel like there’s just a constant weight on your chest that you can’t shake.”

The United States’ largest nonprofit which focuses on the needs of people with mental illnesses is called Mental Health America. They cite that over 16 million people deal with seasonal depression on an annual basis. Those individuals experience symptoms that can range from a loss of interest in things they enjoyed heavily in recent history, finding difficulty concentrating or romanticized thoughts of suicide.

“I think seasonal depression in college is a thing that everybody deals with,”

freshman, English major, Kristina Dorsett said. “Most of us have a lot going on in our classes and with the cold and seeing less sun it makes it hard to be motivated to go to classes and do our work and it all just piles on making us less and less motivated to do much of anything.”

According to the Mayo clinic, 44 percent of college students pursue their degrees while living with depression.

USD addresses the mental health of students by providing resources in the form of the Cook House counseling services and the Therapy Assistance Online program. The latter resource provides students with access to more than 150 short educational sessions, some of which are interactive, on various topics in relation to mental health.

Coping with mental health during the season looks different for many students. Junior, social work major, Emma Saucerman said, “The best way for me to combat seasonal depression is by spending quality time laughing with my friends.”

More information about campus resources related to students’ mental health can be found on the USD website. The state of South Dakota also provides constant access to a trained crisis specialist through a call or text to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Dorm Changes: A Common Problem News

Zadya Abbott Zadya.Abbott@coyotes.usd.edu

Thousands of students have occupied the rooms on campus and because of this, those spaces are subject to the occasional damage report. A total of 36 percent of USD’s student body resides within the four residential housing buildings on campus: McFadden Hall, North Complex, Coyote Village and Burgess/Norton Halls.

Most residents of these halls are in their first or second year out of high school in accordance with SDBOR policy. While living on campus has become a big part of the walkable-life the college experience is known for, it has also introduced new adults to new questions, specifically what to do if something is broken.

In an email interview with The Volante, Travis

Hill and Catherine Smith of University Housing staff said, “residents can report pre-existing damages for their room when they first move in. Residents receive a check-in email that they will need to complete within 48 hours upon their check-in to identify any room concerns.”

The information gathered from students after Move-In Day is then transferred as work-orders for Facilities Management and Custodial, who work with the Housing Department to ensure that all concerns are repaired.

Due to various summer camps and classes, the four residential buildings are not fully abandoned during the summer months and therefore potential for existing damages upon a students’ fall arrival impossible.

To try and diminish the amount of damages seen on Move-In Day, there is a Residence Hall

USD Participates in Annual Hult Prize Competition

Zadya Abbott Zadya.Abbott@coyotes.usd.edu

This year USD plans to compete for a one million dollar prize in the global Hult Prize competition. Roughly two million students participate in this annual contest, coined “the Nobel Prize for students,” every year. In 2020, USD became home to a winning team when the student organization Fomeno, dedicated to sustainable fashion, claimed the prize.

Competition for the annual Hult Prize is designed to motivate students to confront global issues. This school year’s prompt is to provide a solution to environmental damage caused by the fashion industry.

Any student regardless of major has the opportunity to participate in the competition, however, it is geared towards sustainability and business majors. The process to compete for the Hult Prize can begin after students register a three to four person team online. Registration ends on Feb. 8.

The participating students will then be required to give a five minute presentation in Feb. on the concept they have chosen to address, the lack of sustainability in the fashion industry.

The students who win in February will be sent to the next level regional competition in Boston, Massachusetts, with hopes of seeing the global round in Paris, France.

USD junior sustainability and political science major and director for this year’s on campus Hult Prize competition, Caleb Swanson, said, “Being a part of Hult Prize has been a great experience. I love the Hult Prize’s mission of advancing sustainable entrepreneurship. I think that the business community has an important role to play in combating the climate crisis and environmental degradation at large.”

More information on the parameters of the contest can be found at https://oncampus.hultprize.org/ universityofsouthdakota.

Director and Administrative Assistant in each building that are responsible for receiving and relaying damage reports. Then before vacating a room, students must also complete a checkout appointment with their assigned resident assistant to evaluate the condition of the room and ensure that any new damages are reported and paid for.

“If they do not agree to any of the damages that they are being charged with, then they have 15 days to appeal their charges to the Director of Housing,” the University Housing Staff said.

Housing reports damages to Facilities Management which is the department responsible for repairs. The Housing Staff did not comment on how students could be assured that repairs would occur in a timely manner or how repairs are financed.

The VolanTe

Volume 147, No. 12 December 7, 2022 www.volanteonline.com

Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069

Adviser Tim Schreiner

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.

Bennett Clary co-news editor

Zadya Abbott co-news editor

Karlee Phillips assistant news editor

Jozie Hunter news designer Keeley Thomas verve editor Madeline Knau verve designer Tavin Carncross sports editor

Brock Weider sports designer Emma Daggett opinion editor

Chloe Fullenkamp opinion designer Madison Martinez photo editor

Rachel Pechous social media director

Maddilynn Kallsen social media director

Kaitlyn Kumm advertising manager

Sydney Johnson editor-in-chief Allison Horkey managing editor

State, National and International Briefs

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Paul Billion Murder Solved, Three Teenagers in Jail

On Aug. 19, Sioux Falls police found the body of 36-year-old Paul Billion in his apartment. Although he was found on Aug. 19, it is believed he died around Aug. 16 from gunshot wounds.

Four teenagers are in Minnehaha County Jail after being accused of a drug-related robbery that escalated. Officers executed search warrants on Saturday and arrested the four individuals.

Gbo Yuoh, 19, is charged with first-degree murder, burglary and grand theft. Thomas Tarley, 18, and Soteemon Poley, 18, are charged with first-degree murder and burglary. Carnell Jimmerson, 19, was only charged with grand theft. Yuoh is being held on a $1 million bond. Tarley and Poley are being held without bond. Billion graduated from USD in 2009 and worked as a teacher in the Sioux Falls School District.

Two Substations Shot Up, Thousands Without Power in North Carolina

Almost 45,000 people in a North Carolina county have been without power since Sunday night. Roughly 35,000 people are still without power as of Monday night.

Two power substations were shot up by one or more people with apparent criminal intent, authorities said. Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said Sunday that authorities have not determined a motive.

Federal, state and local authorities are undertaking a massive investigation of what’s being described as a serious attack on critical infrastructure. Utility officials said it could take until Thursday to restore all power.

Gov. Roy Cooper said state and federal investigators are working hard to find those who are responsible.

“Protecting critical infrastructure like our power system must be a top priority. This kind of attack raises a new level of threat. We will be evaluating ways to work with our utility providers and our state and federal officials to make sure that we harden our infrastructure where necessary,” Cooper said.

About 20 people spent the night in an emergency

shelter at the Moore County Sports Complex in Carthage. Phil Harris, executive director of the local American Red Cross chapter said more people have stopped by for food, warmth and to charge their devices.

On Monday, businesses handed out food and coffee, temporary stop signs were erected at intersections without working traffic lights and businesses without internet conducted transactions in cash.

China’s First Woman in Space, International Space

Station Repaired

On Saturday, astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio floated outside the International Space Station. The two installed a third set of roll-out solar array blankets and isolated damaged circuits in one of the original arrays.

Cassada and Rubio switched their spacesuits to battery power at 7:16 a.m. EST, officially starting the 256th spacewalk for station assembly and maintenance. This was the 11th spacewalk this year.

NASA is installing smaller, more-powerful ISS Roll-Out Solar Array blankets (IROSA) to increase the output of the lab’s eight older blankets.

At 10:01 p.m. EST on Saturday, three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth after completing a sixmonth mission aboard China’s space station.

China is the third country in history to have put astronauts both in space and to build a space station, after the Soviet Union and the U.S.

This mission was declared a success by China’s space agency. Liu Yang is China’s first female astronaut and said she had an unforgettable memory in the space

station with commander Chen Dong and teammate Cai Xuzhe.

The crew left on June 5 to oversee the final construction stage of the Tiangong space station. They also oversaw the arrival of the second and third modules for Tiangong and carried out three spacewalks to check and test the new facilities.

Submitted | The Volante

Bennett Clary

CBS News | The Volante

Volante

Boys and Girls Club Officially Formed in Vermillion

Bennett Clary Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America has been around for over 100 years and serves over four million students across the nation. Vermillion is now part of this na tionwide group with the opening of their local club chapter.

Principal of Jolley Elementary School Samuel Jacobs said in an email interview with The Volante, the club’s purpose is to give community youth a safe place after school and provide specialized program ming to give them different opportunities.

“Students participate in games, home work help, arts and crafts and exercise. There is an after-school homework and tu toring program at the middle school that is run through the Boys and Girls Club,” Jacobs said.

Students involved in the Boys and Girls Club of America have a higher expectancy to graduate from high school compared to the national 86 percent average, accord ing to the National Center for Education Statistics. According to the Boys and Girls Club of America youth outcome data, 97 percent of Club teens expect to graduate from high school and 80 percent have sub mitted an application to a post-secondary education.

Currently, the Club in Vermillion serves students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Jacobs said the tu

toring program at the middle school serves students in sixth through eighth grade.

“Our goal is to extend the tutoring pro gram to the high school and other grade levels at some point,” James said. “I hope students are given a safe place to be after school as well as access to opportunities and resources they normally wouldn’t get in other places.”

Jacobs said as the school year contin ues, he believes the programs provided will continue to improve and partnerships with groups from within the community will grow.

As of right now, the school district is still discussing what the Club will look like after the construction of the elementary school next to the middle school. Jacobs said there is a good possibility that the Boys and Girls Club will run out of the new elementary until a facility is built for them.

Submitted | The Volante

Fall Sports Season Ends with NCAA Tournament

Tavin Carncross Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

The 2022 fall season of sports has ended which means the volleyball and football teams are heading into the off season.

Football Moments

Throughout the Season

Nielson benched Camp for redshirt freshman Aidan Bouman. Bouman then led the Coyotes in a comeback vic tory over Southern Illinois 27-24, main taining Nielson’s perfect winning record on D-Days.

South Dakota’s second to last home game was against Missouri State. South Dakota outscored the Bears 20-3 in the first three quarters. Missouri State how ever, scored 10 straight points to bring the score to 20-13.

The Bears, on their final drive of the game, turned the ball over on downs, giving the Coyotes their third and final win of the season.

to the Missouri Valley All-Academic Team. Camp and Mogensen were named as honorable mentions.

Since the final season game, a few Coyotes have entered the transfer portal including Camp, Lawrence and Eliodor.

Volleyball Reclaims Summit League Title

Mavericks.

In the championship round, the Coy otes won in three sets and secured their third straight Summit League Champi onship and ticket to the NCAA tourna ment.

In the NCAA tournament, South Da kota got selected in the Omaha region to play the No. 23 Houston Cougars.

The Cougars won the first two sets 25-14 and 25-19. USD bounced back to win the next two 25-18 and 25-23. These two set wins for the Coyotes were the first set wins in the NCAA Tournament in program history since joining the D-1 level.

The football team finished their sea son 3-8 after starting the season with the toughest schedule in the FCS.

In their first home game of the sea son, they hosted the Cal Poly Mustangs on Sept. 17. The Coyote offense scored 21 points in the first quarter, all by sophomore quarterback Carson Camp with two throwing touchdowns and one rushing. South Dakota came out on top 38-21 to capture their first win of the season.

Two days before the Coyotes went on the road against Illinois State, South Dakota Athletics and offensive coor dinator Ted Schlafke mutually parted ways. This left the offensive play calling to head coach Bob Nielson.

In USD’s seventh game, the Coy otes returned home for a Dakota Days matchup against No. 14 Southern Illi nois. The Salukis scored on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead over the Coyotes. The Salukis’ score went up 21-7 in the early minutes of the game.

In the last drive of the first half,

The Coyotes have 12 seniors that will be graduating during the offseason.. These players are Josh Manchigiah, John Bickle, Dalton Godfrey, Austin Goehring, Alex Jensen, Isaiah McDan iels, Eddie Ogamba, Parker Rickert, Michael Scott, Trevor Shohoney and Cameron Tisdale.

At the end of the 3-8 season, USD’s athletic director David Herbster an nounced that the university will be ex tending Nielson’s contract.

The Coyotes had one player on the 2022 all-Missouri Valley First team in Godfrey. Junior linebacker Stephen Hillis was on the second team and nine Coyotes had honorable mentions: Jen sen, junior linebacker Brock Mogensen, sophomore defensive back Myles Hard en, Bickle, sophomore wide receiver Carter Bell, Theis, Eliodor and junior offensive lineman Isaac Erbes.

Godfrey also accepted an invitation to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl which will be held on Jan. 28, this is the same event that former Coyote and current Kansas City Chiefs player Jack Cochrane took part in last year.

Four Coyotes were named to the Mis souri Valley All-Newcomer team; Bick le, Shamori Lawrence, Bouman and Scott.

Godfrey and Jensen were also named

The volleyball team saw more suc cess than the football team going 29-4 in the regular season and clinching the Summit League regular season title and Summit League Tournament title.

The Coyotes’ non-conference sched ule had an outcome of 11-1 as they took on No. 4 Louisville (0-3 loss), Northern Kentucky (3-0 win), Missouri (3-2 win), Portland State (3-1 win), New Mexico (3-2 win), UTEP (3-2 win), CSU Ba kersfield (3-0 win), West Virginia (3-1 win), Northern Colorado (3-2 win), Stetson (3-1 win), Cornell (3-0 win) and South Florida (3-0 win).

South Dakota then went 16-2 in Sum mit League play losing to North Dakota State twice. They defeated the eight oth er Summit League teams twice.

With their 27-3, regular season re cord, the Coyotes entered the Summit League tournament as the No. 1 seed and captured a first round bye.

In the second round, USD played No. 4 Denver and defeated the Pioneers in three sets to move onto the champi onship round against the No. 2 Omaha

In the fifth and final set, both teams were tied at 10 each. Houston then went on a 5-1 run to end the Coyotes’ 2022 season in Omaha.

Junior outside hitter Elizabeth Juhn ke was named the Summit League Vol leyball Player of the Year and Summit League Tournament MVP with her his torical season as she broke not only the Coyotes’ single season kills record but the Summit League kills record with 677. She also tallied 392 digs, 22 assists, 19 service aces and 95 total blocks.

Fifth year senior Lolo Weideman was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Weideman averaged 4.65 digs per set which led the Summit League all season. She also dug up 586 kill attempts and had 59 service aces which were both a career best.

Head coach Leanne Williamson grabbed her third Summit League Coach of the Year title.

Junior middle blocker Madison Harms joined Weideman and Juhnke on the 2022 All-Summit League Volley ball Team. Harms tallied 309 kills, five assists, two service aces, 29 digs and 157 total blocks, all career highs.

Williamson will be losing two seniors for her 2023 season in Weideman and Aimee Adams.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante

Tavin Carncross | The Volante

Hempe Happy to See “Familiar Face” in Karius

Brock Weidner Brock.Weidner@coyotes.usd.edu

Redshirt sophomore forward Alexi Hempe grew up in Fredericksburg, Virginia where she started playing bas ketball in first grade. Hempe contin ued playing basketball throughout high school where she started to get recruit ed.

“I was very open in my recruiting pro cess,” Hempe said. “I had lived in Vir ginia my whole life so I kind of wanted to go to a school outside of Virginia.” Hempe’s recruiting process led her to the University South Dakota which is

over 19 hours away from her hometown in Virginia.

“I had no idea I would end up go ing somewhere so far from home, but South Dakota heavily recruited me at the time, and it just felt like home when I first stepped on campus,” Hempe said.

Traveling 19 hours from home was not an easy decision but the support at home made it an easier decision, Hem pe said.

“I’m very close with my family and they were very supportive of my deci sion,” Hempe said. “I would not feel comfortable going to a school so far away from home without their support.”

In her first two seasons at South Da kota, Hempe played in 28 games aver aging 2.5 points per game, 1.1 rebounds, two blocks and one steal.

Last year, Hempe missed the whole season after tearing her ACL for the sec ond time.

“I just tried to do everything I could last year to prepare myself for this year,” Hempe said. “I honestly just missed playing basketball. I am just happy to be healthy and playing again.”

The Coyotes went through a coach ing change in the offseason after Dawn Plitzuweit and her staff left for West Virginia raising uncertainty for the players.

“I was a little anxious when the coaching change was happening. You just never know what is going to happen in those situations,” Hempe said.

A few weeks later, the wait was final ly over for the players, as South Dakota introduced their new head coach, Kayla Karius.

“When they told us they had picked a coach we all just sat in our locker room waiting, which felt like we were sitting there forever,” Hempe said. “When we saw Coach (Karius) and her family walk in, we were all just so happy to see a familiar face. I was very happy when I saw her walk through the door.”

Karius was an assistant coach for

USD under Plitzuweit from 2016-2018. Karius then spent time on Wisconsin’s and Drake’s coaching staffs.

“Most of us knew Coach Kayla or were recruited by her in some way,” Hempe said. “When I committed to USD, she was still a coach here, but she left before I came to USD, so I never got the chance to play for her.”

Hempe has started in every game this season under Karius. She is averaging 10.1 points per game which is second among active players on the team, as well as 3.9 rebounds per game.

The Coyotes wrapped up a fourgame road trip that ended on Dec. 2 against Northern Colorado. South Da kota is currently 4-4 on the season and returned to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (SCSC) yesterday (Dec. 6) for the first time since Nov. 16.

“We have had a stretch of away games and traveling so we are all excited to play on our home court again,” Hem pe said. “There is nothing like playing in the SCSC with all of the fans. The fans make it even more special to play in the SCSC.”

The Coyotes will play four home games before hitting the road again: Montana (Dec. 11), UT Martin (Dec. 14), Kansas City (Dec. 19) and Oral Roberts (Dec. 21).

Sydney Johnson | The Volante Redshirt sophomore forward Alexi Hempe made her return to the floor under new head coach Kayla Karius. Hempe has started in all of USD’s games this season and is averaging 10.1 points per game along with shooting 50 percent from three point range.

From Pine Ridge Basketball to USD Track and Field

Cameron Tisdale Cameron.Tisdale@coyotes.usd.edu

When senior long jumper and sprinter Isaiah Rich ards was growing up on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, track and field was not among his extracurricular activities or interests.

Instead, Richards played video games and worked on his basketball skills at local courts with his friends.

Native Americans love basketball. Amid the harsh living conditions, alcoholism, drug abuse and poverty on the reservation, there is often a basketball hoop not far away, Richards said.

He saw basketball as a healthy outlet and a place to build skills that would help in other sports and later in life. It was also a positive us of his time on the res ervation, Richards said.

When the Richards family moved to Rapid City, Isaiah developed a passion for track and field and wres tling at Stevens High School. The experience carried him to USD, where he competes in the long jump, the

triple jump and short sprints for the track team.

Richards said his time USD has been great and he loves the campus and his teammates on the track squad.

Now, he’s working toward a masters degree in so cial work, where he hopes to help others who live in less-than-ideal conditions and situations.

His life on the reservation gave him empathy for less fortunate people and his Native American culture instilled in him a desire to help others, Richards said “There’s a lot more to being Native American,” Rich ards said,

Coyote Sports Spotlight Dec. 7 - Jan. 18

Submitted | USD Athletics

The track and field team has competed in one event in 2022 where Isaiah Richards finished in 20th place in the triple jump.

One core value or phrase that sticks with me is, ‘mitakuye oyasin,’ which means, ‘we are all related.

“ ’”

OpiniOn

Editorial: The Holidays are a

Once again, the end of a long and difficult semester is here. The end of the semester means exams, projects and papers are due soon, but it also signals the start of winter break. As soon as the semester finally ends everyone will have the opportunity to return home for a few days and spend time with family and friends.

It’s easy to get lost in the motions of life. Finals take over the joy of the holiday season and instead of making plans to meet up with friends and family, we stay up all night des perately cramming for finals However, everything from the

colder weather to the delicious food is a reason to get ready for the upcoming holidays. The days of feasting, merrymaking and celebrating are almost here. The holidays and winter break are the time to step back from stress.

After a long year, it is time to relax and spend time with

The VolanTe

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

EDITORIAL BOARD

CONTACT US

Time of Celebration

movies, cooking or any other holiday activity will create ev erlasting memories to get you through until the next holiday break.

friends and family. Whether the semester went well or poorly, everyone deserves to take a break. There is no school, as signments or exams for a couple of weeks so try and unwind before the next begins.

There is nothing better to do than spend time with those closest to you. Watching

The holiday season is not complete without a board game gone wrong, so whip out the Monopoly board and see how long it takes to spiral out of control.

The holidays hold a spe cial place in everyone’s life. Whether celebrating a religious holiday or just a time to spend with loved ones, it is important to enjoy what you are doing. As we get older it is harder to have the same feelings we

had as children. It might not happen as naturally as when we were young, but take some time to partake in a few holiday traditions or activities and have lots of fun.

Enjoy your time with your family over break and have fun over the holidays. Don’t think about the next semester until you absolutely have to. Your winter break can be spent in many different ways, but the best part of it is it’s yours, so do what you want and enjoy it!

OVERHEARDS

Thomas, verve editor Emma Daggett, opinion editor

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 N. 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.

Whether the semester went well or poorly, everyone deserves to take a break.”

“

Keeley

“She is addicted to crossword puzzles and vacuuming.”

“My professor has unrealistic expectations for this class.”

“I think I’m ready to start throwing things.”

“Have you ever heard of marsupials?”

The Importance of Finding Happiness in Everyday Life

Arend

final projects, graduating and moving through to a differ ent season of life can seem extremely overwhelming, so it is important to find some dedicated time to oneself.

With the end of the semes ter and finals coming up for college students, it is easy to get caught up in the stresses that come with the end of a semester. Exams upon exams,

The college environment can become a big time commit ment, and sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done while also balancing a healthy amount of time spent alone.

Appreciating the happy, small

moments of daily life can lead to more contentment. Enjoying a morning cup of coffee, going for a walk and listening to your favorite song are all ways to find a small piece of happiness during a stressful time.

A lot of times, people will try to find happiness in outlets that are not necessarily the most effective, such as looking for a quick fix in acts like retail therapy. Although it can work initially, it never provides

long-term happiness.

It is important to be present when spending time with those you choose to spend your time with. Be aware of the way cer tain people make you feel, and stick with the ones who bring you the most joy and comfort. Surrounding yourself with positive people is another way to enhance your happiness.

These are the people who will help you overcome the stresses and challenges, and

make bad days a bit more bearable.

Finding ways to be content and happy, even throughout stressful times, allows you to thrive and become a better per son. By taking daily advantage of every small thing that gives you a small touch of happiness, it will eventually lead to much bigger amounts of joy in your life.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

To our readers, my staff and everyone who has supported my journey,

As I close out my time as Editor-in-Chief (EIC), I can’t help but feel a million different emotions. Most of all, I feel proud and lucky. I am proud and lucky to have met and worked with an incredible group of people throughout the last year. A group of creative, hardworking and flexible indi viduals who have taken every single one of my crazy visions for The Volante and executed them beautifully.

We challenged tradition

this semester, while a daunting task at first, it ended up being a huge success. I want to thank my staff for welcoming the change with open arms and accepting each road block we ran into throughout the transi tion from broadsheet paper to tabloid style. I want to thank our advisor Tim Schreiner for jumping in and guiding us through this transitional period and helping me to personally become a better leader and journalist. I want to thank all of our readers for bearing with us and providing us with positive feedback, it made this

transition far less scary.

I’ve had some time to reflect on my year as EIC, and it was jam-packed with amazing moments. Some of my favorites have included losing my voice from screaming chants at the D-Days Parade, getting chills as the Coyote-fan filled arena in Wichita erupted at the wom en’s NCAA Tournament, the many inside jokes and laughs shared and all the friendships I have made both on the side lines and in the newsroom.

As I look towards the future I am purely excited in every aspect of the word. I am

excited to watch the continued success of The Volante and the increased support from readers. I can’t wait to watch my staff remain diligent in fighting for the truth and providing campus with a one-stop shop for all things USD, Vermillion and South Dakota news. I am also elated to embark on a new journey of my own and use all I have learned throughout my time as EIC to be successful in whatever new chapter I begin.

I want to once again thank everyone who has been a part of my journey with The Volante: my staff, my advisor,

our readers and all the outside media personnel I have met along the way. Each and every one of you has had a huge impact on me. I have learned so much about what skills are necessary to be successful in the media industry and without the guidance and support of all those around me, I know I wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun being EIC.

Thanks

for everything, Sydney Johnson

Follow us on Twitter

Elizabeth

is a junior majoring in secondary education.

The Holiday Stroll Brings Joy to the Community

Brooklynn Kahle Brooklynn.Kahle@coyotes.usd.edu

With the holiday season approaching, the small businesses in Vermillion are coming together to create an event for the community to shop, eat and socialize at. The Holiday Stroll is a seven-year annual tradition where local store owners in Vermillion stay open for a couple of extra hours in the evening to offer deals or promotions.

This year, the event is held on Dec. 8 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The purpose of the Holiday Stroll is to highlight the small businesses in Vermillion and emphasize the importance of shopping locally. Amy Christensen, the owner of Blue Monarch, said she brought up the idea to the Vermillion community as a spin-off from something she did at a store in Colorado Springs. She said she enjoys contacting participants and putting the advertising together. “We

have amazing, independent businesses in this small community with great people behind them. It really emphasizes shopping local and shopping small. You don’t need to travel far to find wonderful things,” Christensen said.

During the event, the point is for people to “stroll” from business to business. The Holiday Stroll has grown over the past several years with restaurants and bars now participating in the annual celebration. Pop-up shops like one at Coyote Gallery featuring independent artists will be taking part as well. The goal during the stroll is for people

to get their holiday shopping done, mingle with friends and eat good food. Many businesses offer refreshments and snacks alongside their deals, or they come up with unique promotions to boost buisness Christensen said she created a special idea to boost business in her store. “At my store, I like to make wish lists for many of the women who shop that night and then keep their lists on file. Their family members come back and like to purchase from

their wish list,” Christensen said.

The Holiday Stroll has many ben efits for both businesses and consum ers. Businesses hope to use the stroll as a way for their customers to come out and see what they have in their stores. The goal is to hopefully get them in the doors again before Christmas. Consumers use the stroll to get good deals and socialize with the community.

“It’s really a community event so groups of friends and families come out together to shop, nib ble or sip on refreshments. It’s very fun and social,” Christensen said.

Some businesses that are partic ipating in the holiday stroll are Blue Monarch, Charlie’s, The Bean, Shar ing the Dream, The Treasure Trove and many more. There will also be live performances from Amy Laurs en, Todd Cranson and Kurt Hacke mer outside of Blue Monarch.

Clary’s Critique: The Musical of Musicals: The Musical

Bennett Clary Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Over the weekend, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! premiered in the fine arts building. The musical was a telling of one plot and turned into five different parodies of iconic musical the ater writers. The entire plot was about tenants not being able to pay rent and having to deal with, what I think, is the worst landlord known to man.

This plot is told through the mu sicals Corn, A Little Complex, Dear Abby, Aspects of Junita and Speakeasy.

The musical followed characters Abby, June, Bill and the landlord Jitter in their different variations. In each act of the musical, the characters took on slightly different names that were rem iniscent of their original. If I’m being completely transparent, I knew nothing about any of these plays before walking

into this. I was just looking for a nice night out with my friends. I really did have a great time watching the actors switch their characters depending on the act they were in. It was fun watch ing the four characters go through the same issue in different ways.

I know that sounds like it’d be bor ing, but I enjoyed the repetition because I could focus more on other things. I didn’t have to focus on the story because I knew it was about them not being able to afford rent. In Corn they explored what it would be like to not afford rent and have your daughter pawned off to the landlord instead of her true love just to pay rent. This was a cute way to open the musical because it was set in Kansas, reminiscent of home for many in the audience, and followed the love story of June and Bill as they realized they actually did love each other.

A Little Complex gave the audience a

scary act as the landlord killed all three tenants for getting rid of his art, which truly belonged in the trash. I thought this was the best version of Jitter as we saw how terrible he was inside. The en tire act was him contemplating how he would kill the tenants and singing to the audience why each choice wouldn’t work.

Right before intermission, Dear Abby was easily the most forgettable of all the acts. In this act, Bill was a middle-aged man-child who survived off an allowance his mom gave him. The whole act was similar to what The Great Gatsby would have been like if he couldn’t pay rent, wasn’t in love with the other main character and didn’t know how to take care of himself. Over all, it was the least enticing act but still gave me a laugh.

The final two acts were Aspects of Junita and Speakeasy. Aspects of Junita

was a slight play on The Phantom of the Opera and featured a small moment from Cats that made the audience laugh. The whole act was about June trying to become the best performer to generate more money to pay rent, of course. June died in this act from a chandelier be cause her idol, Abby, killed her out of spite and jealousy

Speakeasy was the final act that ex plored June learning how to sell her body to make money for rent from one of the biggest faces in performing. Ev eryone on stage dressed and danced suggestively which really set the scene. I liked how they set the stage to be rem iniscent of a crowded, smoky bar.

Overall, I would recommend this musical to everyone who is looking for a good laugh. Especially before finals, this helped lift a lot of stress off my shoulders by taking my mind off the projects and tests.

Keeley Thomas | The Volante Amy Christensen, owner of Blue Monarch, brought up the idea as a spin-off from something she did at a store in Colorado Springs.

What Are You Doing Over Winter Break?

Students plan to work, spend time with loved ones and travel over the holiday break before returning to campus.

Ashley Sanderson, Freshman

“I will be sleeping, sledding, and spending time with family.”

Riley Riggs, Senior

“I’ll be working mostly at the library and going back home to Rapid City. And for New Years, I’ll be in a cabin in the woods.”

Josh Styskal, Sophomore

Margaret Meierhenry, Senior

Abbie Bluvas, Freshman

“Preparing [for] my role for the USD opera, working at Scooter’s and preparing for next se

“Studying for the LSAT and preparing for my role in the USD opera.”

“I will be hanging out with friends and family and catching up on sleep.”