THE VOLANTE
STDs on the rise in SD Page A7
DECEMBER 11, 2013
REDESIGN COMIING JAN. 29, 2014
More than 60 turn out for SGA meeting
THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887
Stigma of assault Campus SaVE Act requires procedural changes by March “I would take her to the hospital to get checked out; who knows, he may have some STDs.” “Contact counselors. They know what to do.” The previous two statements are examples of advice given to a hypothetical college woman who shared an incident of rape, and were documented in an online survey by USD Associate Professor Yumi Suzuki. Megan Card The Volante
TRENT OPSTEDAHL/THE VOLANTE
Senior Taylor Moore expresses his concern for why the Student Government Association should pass Senate Bill 62 during SGA's meeting Dec. 10.
Senators refer diversity bill to new committee Nathan Ellenbecker The Volante
Senators of the Student Government Association may be in position to act as the representative voice of the student body, but some student were angered by Tuesday night’s meeting to find their own voices cut short by SGA proceedings. “I just wanted to be heard,” said graduate student Lydia Graslie. Graslie was among the largest student gallery in recent memory, with more than 60 people in attendance, as discussion focused on a proposed bill, to reserve four senate seats for “traditionally marginalized” on-campus organizations. If Senate Bill 62, which was referred to a committee, passes through the University of South Dakota SGA, the legislation would save four seats within the student senate for representatives pooled from the 10 designated “traditionally marginalized” student groups, said Alexis Oskolkoff, the senator who proposed the bill. These organizations are required to be open to students of all racial backgrounds. “We always say we encourage diversity and we embrace inclusive excellence, but this is the first
READ BILL 62 Read Alexis Oskolkoff 's legislation to reserve four at-large senate seats for traditionally marginalized student groups at
volanteonline.com
Traditionallymarginalized student groups 1. Spectrum 2. Asian American Student Association 3. Association for the Advancement of Women’s Rights 4. African Student Association 5. International Student Club 6. Korean Life 7. Latino American Student Organization 8. Union of African American Students 9. Indian Association 10. Tiospaye U. time we actually opened up to this subject,” Oskolkoff said. During discussion, Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents Student FederaPlease see LEGISLATION, Page A8
The 2013 Clery report for the University of South Dakota documents four reported forcible sex offenses on campus in 2012. In the past 12 months, Sandie Sullivan estimates 10 to 15 students have reported their own accounts of sexual assault, not to mention anonymous phone calls received by her staff at all hours of the day. Sullivan is the executive director for Vermillion’s Domestic Violence Safe Options Services, and she said the frequency of which college students contact S.O.S. is “hit or miss.” “There are times when you think it won’t stop, and other times, there is nothing for a long period of time,” she said. Sullivan has been working with sexual assault survivors for more than 21 years, and said her first emotional re-
The proposal to bring a multicultural student center to the University of South Dakota is one step closer to becoming a reality. According to Jesus Trevino, associate vice president for diversity, an official proposal has been submitted to President James Abbott and the executive council to be vetted and approved or returned with recommendations. “Ultimately, the vision is to have a central area where there are lots of activities going on around issues of diversity,” Trevino said. Two locations are being considered for the proposed multicultural student center — the former Continuing Education building and the current Commons facility in North Complex.
Campus Activities Board and the university provide 11 days of finals week activities.
Verve, B4
Source: Clery Center for Security on Campus
Please see ASSAULT, Page A7
90 percent of sexually assaulted college women
will have met their offender in the near past Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Remembering Mandela, A8
SEE THE PROPOSAL
The Volante
VERVE
1. Transparency: Expansion of documented crime statistics 2. Accountability: To ensure prompt and fair investigations 3. Education: More provided programming 4. Collaboration: Collection and dissemination
sponse to USD’s Clery report statistics surrounding sex offenses is “that has to be a really low number.” “My viewpoint — it is happening a lot more than just that,” she said.
Multicultural center proposal submitted to Abbott, council Trent Opstedahl
Campus SaVE ACT There are four main aspects to the campus SaVE Act.
Read Trevino's multicultural center proposal online at
volanteonline.com Trevino said the goal of the proposed multicultural student center is to deter away from the traditional perception of diversity. “Diversity has become very complex,” he said. “It is not a problem to be solved, but it is an asset that can be very valuable and used to achieve a variety of educational and institutional outcomes related to teaching, learning, research and the preparation for students to engage in a diverse world.” ASSOCIATED PRESS
Please see FORUM, Page A6
.
volanteonline com Visit The Volante’s website for daily updates of on-campus events.
Please Recycle
Nelson Mandela at the Mandela Foundation. Mandela died Dec. 5 at the age of 95.
SPORTS
USD men's basketball takes on Green Bay Saturday at the DakotaDome.
Sports, B1
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THE VOLANTE
IN OTHER NEWS LIVE AT 5
TUNE IN AT NOON
• Anchor auditions will be Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 1-4 p.m. Students will need to check-in in one of the upstairs classrooms in the Al Neuharth Media Center.
• Tune in next semester for weekly Coyote News broadcasts about local and national news at noon on Wednesdays at KAOR 91.1 FM.
THE VOLANTE
Volume 138, Number 14 Dec. 11, 2013
STUDENT STAFF
The Volante Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069
Megan Card editor-in-chief Austin Ashlock managing editor
PUBLICATIONS BOARD Meghan McCauley-Loof, president Kimberley Andres, secretary/treasurer
Kate Turner advertising manager
ADVISER Chuck Baldwin
Creighton Hoefer co-online editor
HOW TO REACH US Editor-in-chief Advertising manager Business manager Managing editor Advertising News Opinion Verve / A&E Sports Photo. FAX
677-5494 677-4253 677-5493 677-5512 677-6469 677-6894 677-6891 677-6890 677-5511 677-6893 677-5105
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.
Braley Dodson co-online editor Emily Niebrugge news editor Trent Opstedahl A1 editor Katie McGuire verve editor Kayla Prasek asst. verve editor
CAMPUS & CITYDigest Vermillion Crime Log
THIS WEEK IN COYOTE HISTORY
>> Dec.1-Dec. 7
1977 The University of South Dakota's medical school received the largest and most valuable private medical collection in its history at that point in time from a retired Minnesotan surgeon. Dr. George S. Bergh gave the school 1,614 volumes valued at over $24,000 at that time. The books consisted of 24 journals and were published between 1906 and 1977.
1999 A string of emails between University of South Dakota administrators was publicly released after a USD law student filed a complaint that their student file was not transparent under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The emails revealed that several USD administrators — including then Law School Dean Barry Vickrey — exchanged messages conveying their concern that Paul Converse, a 1996 to 1998 law student, would make a scene at the 1998 law school graduation by making an obscene gesture or wear a T-shirt he had made depicting Vickrey riding naked on a hot dog. No such incident transpired.
3 14 3
Check out The Volante's website for an interactive map of the locations from the crime log incidents listed below.
Loud noise complaints Accident without injury Property damage
Dec. 4
1. Police are investigating a theft at a business on Cottage Street. According to reports, a man or woman fled on foot after stealing alcohol from the business.
Dec. 5
1. A man was charged with trespass and resisting arrest after police responded to reports of an unknown man entering a home on W. Main St. and laying down on an occupied bed. When police arrived to the address he was noticeably intoxicated and responded aggressively to police.
3 7
Burglaries Medical assistance calls
All emergencies: 911 From on-campus: 9-911 Non-emergencies university police: 677-5342
2. Police are investigating damage to a car on West Main Street after a caller reported that he found his rear window smashed.
Dec. 6
1. Four people were arrested for possession of marijuana after police responded to a noise complaint on North Plum Street. Police reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from the residence and obtained a search warrant after which the arrests were made. The tenant of the property was also cited for a noise violation.
Dec. 7 1. Police responded to a noise complaint on East Cherry St. where officers found loud music and a large number of people at the apartment. According to reports, when police knocked approximately 50 people fled out several exits to the apartment. The tenant was cited for disorderly house.
*For a complete list of all police log activity, please see VermillionPD.org.
Payton Randle opinion editor Grant Bosiacki sports editor Kristen Madsen co-design editor Sam McMahon co-design editor Cristina Drey photo editor Anna Burleson multimedia director
ITS giving away free Microsoft Office software VOLANTE STAFF REPORTS University of South Dakota students will be able to acquire Microsoft Office ProPlus software for free because to the university’s enterprise agreement with Microsoft. Applications that will come along with the program include: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Out-
look, OneNote, Access and Publisher. According to a press release USD IT hopes to have downloads available by the start of the spring semester. Students can visit myU Portal for future updates. The software will be downloadable for any students, but full-time staff who take classes will not be eligible.
USD Director of Media Relations Tena Haraldson said students are given this offer because of the university’s relation with Microsoft. “We use a lot of Microsoft software in our IT department and we license a lot of software for offices across campus. USD is, in effect, a Microsoft partner,” she said. “So Microsoft is making this
offer to students at colleges and universities that are Microsoft partners at no cost. It’s a freebie from Microsoft.” Students’ Microsoft Office ProPlus subscription will end upon graduation from USD. Once the software package is made available, USD IT will provide instructions for download and activation.
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THE VOLANTE
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
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NEWSBRIEFLY
Campus
USD commencement ceremony Saturday More than 580 students will receive degrees from the University of South Dakota Saturday during the 38th annual Winter Commencement Ceremony at the DakotaDome. The ceremony is set to begin at 10 a.m. and will feature keynote speaker Sen. Corey Brown of Gettysburg, S.D. A member of the South Dakota Senate since 2008, Brown is serving his third term as president pro tem of the Senate. Brown has also served as chairman of the appropriations committee and assistant majority leader. Serving more than a decade in the United States Navy, Brown completed three deployments to the Middle East, two of which were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Brown was awarded two Air Medals and two Navy/ Marine Corp Commendation Medals for his service, which includes 318 carrier landings during two deployments aboard the USS Constellation.
Student musicians take top honors Three University of South Dakota music students will represent the university at the Music Teachers National Association’s regional competition in Des Moines, Iowa in January. Laura Bertschinger, a USD graduate, Blake Proehl, a junior piano performance major, and Abigail Sandberg, a junior cello performance major, will compete in various areas of specialty, based on their previous accomplishments in other
music competitions. Held in conjunction with the South Dakota Music Teachers Association, the MTNA competition begins at the state level and then advances winners through the regional and national levels. In 2013 Bertschinger won South Dakota’s MTNA Young Artist in Voice competition. Proehl won first place in South Dakota’s MTNA Young Artist in Piano competition. Sandberg received first place in South Dakota’s MTNA Young Artist in Cello competition. Additionally, three University of South Dakota student musicians received top honors at the South Dakota Music Teachers Association conference last month in Brookings, S.D. Jordyn Bangasser, a junior vocal performance major, received first place in the Junior/Senior Collegiate Voice competition. Jared Mogen, a senior music education major, received second place in the Junior/Senior Voice competition. Spencer Smith, a sophomore piano performance major, received honorable mentions in the Freshman/Sophomore Collegiate Piano competition. The SDMTA conference featured students from USD, South Dakota State University, Augustana College, Black Hills State University and the University of Sioux Falls.
School of Education awarded accreditation The School of Education at the University of South Dakota has been awarded full accreditation through fall 2018 by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The accreditation announcement followed a review of the School of Edu-
PRE-FINALS JAM
MALACHI PETERSEN/THE VOLANTE
The Ballroom Thieves perform in the Muenster University Center's Pit Lounge Sunday night. The concert, which was sponsored by the University of South Dakota's Campus Activities Board, was the first of many finals week events scheduled throughout the week. From left to right, band members include Devin Mauch, Martin Earley and Calin Peters.
cation’s self-study report submitted in Nov. 2011 and a site visit by a NCATE BOE review team in April 2013. “The USD School of Education is proud to be an NACATE accredited institution – the highest professional standards established for school and colleges,” said Hee-sook Choi, interim dean of the School of Education in a press release. The School of Education has been fully accredited by the NCATE since 1956.
State College investigates student records National American University in Rapid City is investigating whether the
disposal of some student financial records in an outdoor trash bin was handled properly. The Rapid City Journal reports it obtained thousands of records including names, addresses and Social Security numbers that a member of the public took from a Dumpster and brought to the newspaper. No identity theft has been reported.
Bitter cold hits the Dakotas Bitterly cold weather continues to blanket the Dakotas, and the weather isn't expected to warm until later in the week. The cold snap began during the week of Dec. 1, with wind chills over the weekend plunging
to as low as 47 degrees below zero in the S.D. city of Aberdeen and 51 degrees below zero in the N.D. city of Dickinson.
Legislator to propose banning death penalty A Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Steve Hickey of Sioux Falls, who formerly supported the death penalty said he will sponsor a measure in the 2014 legislative session to repeal capital punishment in South Dakota. Attorney General Marty Jackley said he will ask the Legislature to keep the death penalty as an appropriate penalty for the most vile murders.
Nation Colleges blamed for student debt
Forty-two percent of respondents to a survey by the Harvard Institute on Politics blame colleges and universities for rising student debt. Thirty percent of the respondents, ages 18-29, blamed the federal government. The results show Democrats were more likely to blame the universities, while Republicans were more likely to blame the federal government according to USA TODAY. Fifty-seven percent believe the issue of student debt for young people is a major problem.
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The Volante
Contact us
Reach Opinion Editor Payton Randle at Payton.Randle@coyotes.usd.edu or at 677-6892.
OPINION
@VolanteOpinion
Volante editorial
Time to find a voice Act brings sexual assault to forefront
Samson Ptacek/ the volante
It’s estimated between one-quarter and one-fifth of female students experience sexual assault within a four-year college period. But a more sobering reality is of those incidents of sexual violence, 95 percent of victims never report the crime, according to a 2000 Bureau of Justice Statistics/Department of Justice study. Although the University of South Dakota, along with hundreds of other U.S. colleges receiving federal funding, comply with the annual Clery Act requirements to document and disclose forcible sexual offenses that occur on campus, these numbers only reflect what is reported to university officials and local law enforcement. Between 2010-2012, 10 forcible sex offenses — which range from rape to fondling — have been documented in USD’s annual Clery report statistics. What are the odds that on a campus where nearly two-thirds of the student population is female that this number is not underreported? USD is not exempt from the underreporting of sexual assaults, which the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports is the case for a majority of women and girls in the United States, so let’s stop treating the subject like it is a social taboo.
Let’s not mince words, rape — legally the most serious form of sexual assault — happens at USD. It happens, it can have devastating effects on a person’s life and it is underreported. But change is coming, and USD is in the right to follow suit. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which includes the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act provision, finally allows the Clery Act to have some teeth and pushes to keep the survivor’s rights at the forefront of the discussion about sexual violence on college campuses. The SaVE Act establishes procedures for on-campus hearings, innovative staff training and education programs. These laws are finally calling out universities and requiring them to recognize their institutional responsibility to follow through with on-campus consequences of incidents reported on- and offcampus. Most importantly, these laws also push for victims to know their rights, and to know what services they have at their disposal. This is an important time for USD, for a number of colleges, to implement and build on these fundamentals — to make this campus and town safer for everyone.
But this isn’t just about USD officials stepping up. If there ever were a time to speak up about sexual violence on a college campus, now would be it. Student victims are making their voices heard around the country, with last year seeing countless victims from 29 schools filing Title IX complaints. While a room full of reporters can only go so far as to raise awareness of sexual violence in Vermillion on their own, The Volante is here to give every student a voice. We are here to give all students — male and female — a platform to tell their story, to let the university’s administration, faculty and other students know that Vermillion is not exempt from sexual violence. Maybe your story will help someone else seek help, maybe it will encourage them to tell a friend, a parent, a police officer. But this will never happen as long as victims of sexual violence stay silent. Speak up, it’s time. After all, as author Elizabeth Gilbert said best, “If you don’t listen to the whispers, soon you’ll be listening to the screams.” If you want to tell your story — if you want to find your voice — contact Volante reporter Megan Card at Megan.Card@ coyotes.usd.edu.
Holiday wine and spirits pair well with hearty meals, provide health benefits Kelsey slowey is a senior majoring in English.
Most people don’t realize serving the right kind of drink with a holiday dinner can really enhance a meal. For this upcoming holiday, I suggest wine, but if you are not a “vino,” then I suggest getting a nice, full-bodied beer. Lagers are nice and hoppy, stouts are dark and full-bodied, and the pilsner is hoppy yet dry. A typical lager should be paired with a hearty meal, such as soups and burgers. Stouts are best served with desserts, but
you can also have it with any type of dark meat. The pilsner is the oddball; any simple pilsner can be paired with lighter-colored foods such as chicken, pasta or even a salad. If you aren’t completely sold on having a beer with dinner, think about the health benefits. An article featured on eatright.org lists seven health benefits to drinking beer which include less likeliness of heart disease, lowered the risk of kidney stones, it is packed full with a fiber and it provides the body with Vitamin B. Although all of these are great reasons to start drinking beer, you only get these benefits if you drink smart. Do not over-indulge on it. Next is the great area of wine. To start off, there are red wines, white wines and blends. Like beer, not all wine tastes
the same. If you are serving something salty, choose a champagne; the tartness of the champagne helps set off the salty taste of the food. Pinot Grigio, which is not sweet but not too dry, is good with light meals such as salads and fish. Chardonney is another white wine but is much dryer than any other white wine; this is also best with fish. Rieslings are best served with spicy or light dishes; the sweet and bitter combination offsets the spicy-ness of the meal. Heading on to the red selections of wine, we shall begin with a Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir’s are, for the most part, not very heavy and they are not too dry — the perfect in-between — they are also best served with “earthy flavors” like mushrooms, pizza and pastas. A Zinfandel is
The Volante THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887
EDITORIAL BOARD Megan Card, Editor-in-Chief
Grant Bosiacki Sports Editor
Austin Ashlock, Managing Editor
Creighton Hoefer, Co-online Editor
Payton Randle, Opinion Editor
Katie McGuire, 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: Letters, The Volante Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. Vermillion, S.D. 57069 Fax to: 605.677.5105 E-mail to: Volante@coyotes.usd.edu Via our Web site: VolanteOnline.com The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication. Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.
more toward the dry side and can be a mixture of different grapes. Zinfandel’s are best served with pizza or any type of mousse. And finally, the Cabernet Sauvignon; Cabernet is best served with meat, preferably red meat. Cabernet is just about the driest you can go when choosing wine so do not pick a Cabernet if you do not like dry or bitter tasting wines. Wine also has many of the same health benefits as beer. Many people believe that drinking one glass of red wine a day is good for your heart. This is true, but something that many people do not realize is that white wine does the same thing. The trick is, to get something a little drier because sweet wines do not have as many antioxidants as red wines do.
Now if I have yet to convince you to pop open a beer or bottle of wine for the upcoming holiday, I am not sure what there is left to do. Beer and wine are both complimentary to your meal and have several health benefits. You do not have to buy the most expensive thing out there — a $3 bottle of wine is fine. The main point to take away from this is that whether it be beer or wine, whatever you like, is what is important. Do not get a bottle of Riesling because I said it goes well with turkey, get what tastes good to you and that will surely be enough.
Quick Fact: Skouras Anassa wine was voted as one of the holiday wines for 2013
SKOURAS
Reach columnist Kelsey Slowey at Kelsey.Slowey@coyotes.usd.edu
Opinion Poll
Every week The Volante will pose a question for students to voice their opinions on. Go to volanteonline.com to answer the poll question. We will post the results in the next issue. should the university work harder to increase awareness of sexual assault?
1. Yes 3. Maybe
2. No. 4. It doesn’t matter
Nov. 20 results how effective has vermillion’s ban on texting and driving been since its establishment? Editors note: Please visit the poll at volanteonline. com and see the results printed in each week’s issue of The Volante.
Very Effective
9.5%
Mostly Effective
4.8%
Kind of Effective
19%
66.7%
Not Effective 20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
The Volante
Commentary
— Al Neuharth Media Center
“We’re both wearing scarves. When I say scarves, I mean adult bibs.” — Newsroom
“If she doesn’t understand that concept by now, then she just fails at life.” — Muenster University Center
“The next week and a half will consist of me just getting through each day. Hopefully.”
wednesday, december 11, 2013
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YOUR SAY
overheard Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week. Context is for suckers.
“I’m surprised I haven’t gotten drunk yet because I’m usually so compulsive.”
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Letter to the Editor
SGA president reflects on semester’s efforts, successes It’s that time again. Yes, finals week has arrived once again in all of its caffeinated and sleepdeprived glory. I wish you all of the best in your studying and test-taking efforts. When you walk out of that last final, take a deep breath and take it in. You’ve made it through! After that deep breath, do me a favor: Reflect on this semester. Reflect on your successes, mistakes, friendships and every other experience that you’ve had. I’ve always found that before you go forward, you have to acknowledge where you’ve been and appreciate where
you are right now. Take time for yourself over break to do just that. As I reflect on the past semester with the Student Government Association, I can’t help but be pleased with everything that has been accomplished for students. With Student Federation, we have successfully lobbied Gov. Dennis Daugaard to enact a tuition freeze for resident students. We have started “Project Main Street,” a new SGA-facilitated community service project. We also passed comprehensive election reform which will be implemented in
the March SGA elections. Additionally, $20,000 from our reserve funds have been donated towards a new, vastly improved student organization room in the MUC expansion. The Academic Integrity Statement recited at convocation has been enhanced and given greater meaning. Fiscal guidelines are being overhauled to make SGA funds more accessible to student organizations. Diversity and inclusion have become regular topics of discussion at our meetings. But, there is much left for SGA next semester. Soon, we
will see proposals for a new external communications manager position, a strategic plan for SGA, finalized fiscal guidelines, and researched solutions for improving SGA’s accessibility to all students. We will begin lobbying in Pierre for needsbased scholarship funds, the Good Samaritan Alcohol Policy and other important items impacting students at USD. And, beginning with the first SGA meeting of the spring semester, we will see the campaigns for our new executive teams and senator candidates. In the midst of the hustle, it’s easy to forget
what you’ve accomplished and where everything is going. With winter break fast approaching, I wanted to share with you what SGA has done and will be doing to serve you, but to also encourage you to see the positive things in your life in the midst of this hectic week. My hope is that you will have a successful finals week, but also a restful break. Best of luck, Coyotes! Erik Muckey
President, Student Government Association
— Old Main
“I just need something stronger than caffeine that will keep me awake and focused for days.” “It exists. It’s called drugs.” — I.D. Weeks Library
“If he doesn’t text me, I might consider drowning myself tonight.” — Plum Street
“I just want all the STDs.” — Al Neuharth Media Center
IN THE KNOW: The 2013 Clery report for the University of South Dakota showed four instances of forcible sex offenses on campus in 2012. IN THE DARK: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics/Department of Justice, it is estimated that fewer than five percent of completed and attempted rapes against college women are actually reported to law enforcement. IN THE KNOW: The Student Government Association is holding an open forum to discuss a diversity bill recently filed which would reserve four senator seats for students in any of the diversity groups on campus. IN THE DARK: Members of SGA and students are at odds about the fairness of the bill. IN THE KNOW: Temperatures have reached into the negatives for more than a few days this past week. IN THE DARK: Technically, winter doesn’t even start until Dec. 21. IN THE KNOW: USD starts its first split-week finals period. IN THE DARK: Cause people love to go through graduation just to take a final the Monday after. SUBMIT OVERHEARDS AND IN-THE-KNOWS AND IN-THEDARKS ON TWITTER @VolanteOpinion
Volunteer, give back this holiday season Kathleen Serie is a sophomore majoring in contemporary media and journalism. The holiday season is officially upon us, and it’s is one of my favorite times of the year. I love hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree, filling the house with scents of fresh cookies and gingerbread men and wrapping countless gifts with brightly colored bows and ribbons. I will always cherish memories of holidays from my childhood, like the thrill of opening that first red and green wrapped package, or hearing Elvis Presley’s voice fill my house with dreams of a white Christmas. I also love that this season tends to make everyone realize what they’re thankful for: family, friends, food and shelter — the list goes on and on. But the sobering reality of the holiday season is that some people in the world do not have the same blessings to be thankful for. This is where the generosity of soci-
ety comes into play. When it comes to volunteering, there is no easier time to do so than the holiday season. The opportunities to contribute your time are endless: ringing the Salvation Army bell, helping at food pantries and soup kitchens or donating old winter clothing. Even though the holiday season often sparks feelings of kindness and generosity, we need to realize that these good deeds shouldn’t be reserved solely for November and December. Call it cliche, but the ultimate goal is to spread this seasonal goodwill throughout the whole year. So, when you’re walking into your local grocery store this month and hear the familiar clanging of the Salvation Army bell, take a moment to throw some spare change in — every effort counts. But there’s no need to stop there. Volunteer at a nursing home in March, donate some money to the charity of your choice in July or even pick up trash in your community in October. In essence, the holiday season is not the only time to offer help to those in need.
The Rant
Little did I know how
my computer in
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Dear fellow students,
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diagnostic test and
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and gentleman: Don’t
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rely on the ITS Help
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troubles.
computer servicing.
Technology Services Help Desk located in the library can be of great assistance. That is, if you don’t expect too much of them and you don’t mind waiting a ridiculous amount of time for them to complete orders. Not too long ago, I was experiencing some issues with my computer, and after receiving emails from the university about how the ITS Help Desk was at our service, I figured I may as well
Reach columnist Kathleen Serie at Kathleen.Serie@coyotes.usd.edu
Wanting to make
utilize the service I help fund through
Volunteer Opportunities in Vermillion Welcome Table: Help serve a free meal to anyone in the community every Monday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Either individuals and organizations are able to serve. Vermillion Backpack Program: Delivers food packages each week to students at six different schools throughout the Vermillion area. Vermillion Senior Center: Individuals or organizations are needed to assist with or sponsor fundraiser events or social activities. Sources: Vermillion Backpack Program website, Welcome Table website and Vermillion Senior Center Website
my tuition and fees.
up for their first
Best,
diagnostic, the ITS
Trent Opstedahl
Help Desk took
T he Volante Join the opinion section next semester! - Write columns
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Don’t wait for New Year’s resolutions to make a change charlie dalldorf is a junior majoring in contemporary media and journalism.
Tradition is a powerful tool behind all human cultures. In America, we have Thanksgiving dinner, put up Christmas trees and celebrate the New Year. However, there is another tradition I don’t quite understand so much: New Year’s resolutions. The intention behind New Year’s resolutions is to improve
yourself and create a new “you” in line with the New Year. Some of the common changes people aim for include losing weight, eating better and studying harder. These aren’t bad virtues to work toward; it’s always good for people to set goals for themselves. The problem is this tradition of making a resolution also includes failing it down the line. For those who go to the Wellness Center on a regular basis already, January is the worst month for that place. There is an influx of newbies who think that by making a stance on their health will cause them to change almost overnight. And then once February rolls around, it
seems like the Wellness Center itself lost a ton of weight. The newcomers just disappear. It’s fine to start working out and improving your wellbeing. It’s not fine to have unrealistic expectations. That’s the key word here: unrealistic expectations. The people who have been working out for many years know how hard it is to cut weight or gain muscle. That kind of change takes weeks if not months to accomplish. It also takes a lot dedication to acquire that kind of body in the first place. The studying part is also really funny. Any student that makes a resolution to study harder for the next semester missed the finals train already.
Getting homework done and doing well on exams is tough to do sometimes. But when people make that kind of statement after finals week, I feel that they missed an opportunity a long time ago. What I am trying to say is people should change themselves now. People shouldn’t have to wait until the year changes before they can start improving themselves. And it shouldn’t be a group thing either. More often than not, when one person decides to fail on their resolution, everybody else will start to follow suit as well. Groupthink is a powerful thing. As college students, we are already above the curve.
We should be self-motivated to take control of our life and accomplish the goals we set for ourselves before we stepped foot on campus. If people want to improve their life, they should start today. Eat healthier foods when lunch comes up tomorrow. Start running on the treadmill at 8 a.m. the next morning. Buckle down and study hard for those final exams when you are done reading this article. When next year comes around, you’ll be so proud at what you accomplished because you started today. All you need is the determination to keep moving Reach columnist Charlie Dalldorf at Charlie.Dalldorf@coyotes.usd.edu
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South Dakota Board of Regents approves new program minors, cuts Theater M.A. Trent Opstedahl The Volante
The South Dakota Board of Regents approved three new minors at the University of South Dakota to be implemented next spring during their December meeting in Rapid City. The minors, to be offered on-campus only, include Child and Adolescent Development, Inter-professional Disabilities Services and K-12 English as a New Language. Chuck Staben, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the process for implementing the new programs has been in the works for awhile, since the academic governing structure is somewhat extensive. “Faculty are always involved in this process of implementing or terminating these programs,” Staben said. “Typically the provost or a dean will say ‘Hey, this seems like a good idea. Maybe we should be doing this program,’ and occasionally we are asked by the Board itself to review certain programs.” According to the university’s request proposal, the new Child and Adolescent Development minor will benefit students pursuing health careers as well as students pursuing human service careers. The Inter-professional Disabilities Services minor is expected to “enhance the marketability of students entering the job market” and increase
READ THE AGENDA Read the SDBOR's full agenda from their December meeting at
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“Cutting (the program) doesn't affect any students and save any resources. It was a technical cleanup." — Chuck Staben, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Implementing new program curriculum 1. Most likely will undergo review by various committees within the university. 2. The Curriculum and Construction committee will review the request, where they can make recommendations or approve the proposal. 3. The Academic Affairs committee, consisting of a group system of provosts, reviews the proposal and makes recommendations or approves it. 4. The Council of Presidents and Superintendents (COPS) review the proposal and makes recommendations or approves it. 5. The proposal goes to a committee within the SDBOR and it must be approved, where it then goes to the full Board. students’ preparedness to enter graduate studies in the health and helping professions, the same request proposal said. In an effort to prepare students in teaching majors, the K-12 English as a New Language minor is designed to further prepare students who may be teaching foreign learners whose first language is not English. None of the three minors required additional funding from the SDBOR, as all of the courses needed to complete the pro-
grams were already available. “Sometimes there are fairly rough estimates of people who already take the bulk of that coursework (needed to fulfill the program),” Staben said. He added this occurs more often with program minors compared to program majors. The SDBOR also approved USD’s request to terminate the Master of Arts in Theater program, effective fall 2013. Staben said the reason for cutting the masters program was because of low enrollment throughout the past few years. Staben also cited “the expected credentials today of an M.F.A (Master of Fine Arts)” for the low program enrollment, which fulfills much of the requirements needed for the Master of Arts in Theater program. “Cutting it doesn’t affect any students and save any resources,” Staben said. “It was a technical cleanup.” Sports complex approved Other actions made by the SDBOR consisted of the construction approval of an academic and sports performance enhancement facility, arena and an outdoor track and soccer complex. The project, estimated to cost $65 million, could begin as early as spring 2014 if the final fundraising goal of $9.5 million can be met in time, according to a USD press release.
“This is exciting in that it puts us one step closer to making those projects a reality,” said David Herbster, USD athletics director, in the same release. The redesigned sports complex the SDBOR approved includes a 6,000-seat arena for basketball and volleyball, an outdoor facility for soccer and track and a science, health and research laboratory. The entire facility will be located south of the DakotaDome. The new complex will be built east of the DakotaDome, adjacent to the current softball complex and will feature two soccer fields, a nine-lane, NCAA-certified track and seating for 2,000 spectators. Student federation As required by new pieces of federal legislation aimed at improving the way universities handle sexual misconduct on college campuses, the SDBOR approved revisions to their sexual harassment policy. Wording clarifications and procedural technicalities are the most common changes amended to the policy.
READ THE REVISED HARASSMENT POLICY Read the SDBOR's revisions to their harassment policy at
volanteonline.com
Dennis Smith, executive director for the SDBOR Student Federation, said the new policy complements the Federation’s anti-cyber bullying bill, since the policy addresses technology usage in relation to harassment.
What is diversity?
The inclusion of different types of people of different races or cultures in a group or organization.
What is inclusive excellence?
The recognition that a community or institution's success is dependent on how well it values, engages and includes the rich diversity of
“By them implementing this new harassment policy, it creates a safer environment for everyone,” Smith said. He added the anti-cyber bullying bill might need to undergo revision due to the revised harassment policy. According to Smith, the SDBOR Student Federation is preparing two other major legislative pieces for the upcoming 2014 Legislative session — a needs-based scholarship bill and a bill implementing the Good Samaritan Alcohol Policy. The needs-based scholarship bill would essentially
ask the State Legislature for a $3 million buy-down, which would be used as a bond to collect interest. According to Smith, that interest would be used to assist students with lower incomes attend college in the form of a scholarship. In his budget proposal, S.D. Gov. Dennis Daugaard told lawmakers Dec. 3 he wants to provide the six regental universities with about $4 million to freeze tuition for the 2014 school year at current levels. The SDBOR Student Federation’s needs-based scholarship was not accepted into Daugaard’s budget proposal. “We’re going to be fighting for this come Legislative session and Students for Higher Education Days,” Smith said. The SDBOR Student Federation and student representatives from all six regental institutions passed a resolution relaying that the students of their campuses were in support of both the tuition freeze and a needs-based scholarship, Smith said. Letters from each student representative and the SDBOR Student Federation were sent to Daugaard’s office explaining these resolutions. Smith said he is hopeful the upcoming Legislative session will be a successful run for the SDBOR Student Federation, especially since they have recruited help from House Minority Whip Peggy Gibson and Assistant Majority Senate Leader Kelly Sutton of “Both of them have a huge passion for higher education,” Smith said. The 2014 S.D. Legislature will begin its session Jan. 14. Reach reporter Trent Opstedahl at Trent.Opstdahl@coyotes.usd.edu
Forum: Name of new Institutional research center key in relaying indicates 25 percent of facility's core mission students do not return Braley Dodson The Volante
Associated press
Jesus Trevino leads an open forum Thursday, Dec. 5 to discuss the progress of the proposed mutlicultural center.
Continued from page A1 In an open forum between USD students and Trevino Dec. 5, Trevino went over the proposal with students, and afterward students shared comments and concerns about the proposal. Alexis Oskolkoff was among the 15 students present at the forum. “It’s a step-by-step process and it starts with education,” Oskolkoff said. “We need to teach students what the definition of diversity is, what the definition of inclusive excellence is, and then we can start moving forward.” Oskolkoff, Arts and Sciences senator for the Student Government Association, said the basis of her campaign platform was to eventually convince the SGA to pass a resolution in fa-
vor of a multicultural student center. According to Oskolkoff, she received opposition from various constituents concerning her platform right away, as she says some think a multicultural student center would “create segregation instead of inclusion.” “It’s another way to promote inclusive excellence, which is now in the university’s strategic plan, and this is one way we can accomplish those goals in the plan,” Oskolkoff said. A common concern among many who have been involved in developing the proposal, nine names for the multicultural center have been submitted within the proposal. The process of how to develop a multicultural center at USD first began in October 2012, when the Office for Di-
versity brought in two consultants to evaluate the university’s physical and social environments. From there, a subcommittee under the Provost Staben’s committee on African American student success prepared the proposal. Trevino said the last process of the proposal was to report back to USD students on the progress being made on the multicultural center before sending it on for review. Trevino said there is no official timeline for when the multicultural student center would be operational, but he is hopeful the process is headed in the right direction. “Some multicultural centers only focus on race and ethnicity,” Trevino said. “In this case, we’re trying to bring everybody together.”
Emily Endrizzi planned to graduate from the University of South Dakota, but her health had other plans for her. Endrizzi, who would have graduated in May 2015, left USD after her first semester because of medical reasons. “It more or less wasn’t a choice,” Endrizzi said. Every year, 25 percent of students do not return to USD, according to Institutional Research. Endrizzi said she could have chosen to stay at USD and take a bare minimum of classes, but since her hospital was in Sioux Falls, she chose to transfer to a tech school there instead. She is now enrolled at the University of Sioux Falls and said she would like to eventually return to USD for graduate school. “I wanted to stay in school,” Endrizzi said. Endrizzi, who is studying marketing and management, said she was unaware of USD’s University Center, but would have considered attending it as an option if she would have known. Endrizzi said students who plan on leaving USD should weigh both sides to staying or leaving, but should eventu-
“I don't have to live my life by the terms society has set. A degree will not define what I'll do.” — Ashly Linscheid, former student, left after her junior year
ally go with what they decide is best for them. “I didn’t talk with counselors,” Endrizzi said. “Get all the information you can.” Ashly Linscheid, who would have graduated in May, left USD for financial reasons. She is spending her first semester away from USD working in Jackson, Minn. and said she is unsure if she will ever physically return to USD, or will take online classes in the future. Linscheid, who was studying contemporary media and journalism, said she left USD after she was no longer able to pay tuition. She had friends co-sign loans and filled out the FAFSA before running out of financial aid options. “You can’t rely on everybody else all the time,” Linscheid said. Linscheid said she realized she can find work, provide for herself and live life without a degree. “I don’t have to live my life by the terms society has set,” Linscheid said. “A degree will
not define what I’ll do.” For now, Linscheid said she is taking each day at a time. “Life has so much to offer,” Linscheid said. “I’m not scared at all.” Linscheid said for students who have difficulty finding funds for college, to exhaust options such as applying for scholarships and working a few jobs over the summer, but that she was not going to exhaust herself to stay in school. If the focus is on worrying about money, Linscheid said, then it’s hard to focus on classes. “I’m not going to kill myself to be there,” Linscheid said. “I’m taking time for me.” Reach reporter Braley Dodson at Braley.Dodson@coyotes.usd.edu
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STD cases up from 2008 report Malachi Petersen The Volante
Sexually transmitted diseases in South Dakota are on the rise this year compared to the median number of cases from 2008-2012. According to provisional data collected by the South Dakota Department of Health, chlamydia is up 25 percent from the five-year median, gonorrhea is up 76 percent, HIV is up 22 percent and syphilis is up 1,050 percent. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections and spread through sexual contact between an infected individual and another individual. STDs can also go by the term sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Melissa Shefl, a physician’s assistant at the Sanford Health Vermillion Clinic said some signs that an individual may be infected by an STD is penile or vaginal discharge, pain during urination, genital warts or sores. Many STDs, she said, can remain undetected with little or no symptoms. “Sometimes you’ll never know. It’s simply found by screening and that’s the scary part,” Shefl said. Some of the most dangerous STDs such as HIV have almost no symptoms aside from a slight cough, which many people can mistake for the common cold, she said. The World Health Organiza-
tion estimates 35.5 million people in the world live with HIV. HIV can progressively turn into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and AIDS causes major damage to the body’s immune system, which is terminal. Joan Beach, a registered nurse at Family Planning of Vermillion, said while STDs can affect anybody they usually affect younger people in the community including college students at the University of South Dakota. “The majority of the people we see are 15 to 24 year olds, and that is your student as far as high school student to a college student,” Beach said. Recently, a student at South Dakota State University was arrested for intentionally spreading HIV to unsuspecting sex partners, reported the Argus Leader. Patrol Officer Jonathon Warner from the Vermillion Police Department said intentionally spreading STDs such as HIV is a serious crime. “If you have HIV and you are having sexual relations, you are required to tell the other person. If you do not, it is a Class 3 felony,” Warner said. According to South Dakota codified laws, criminal exposure to HIV/AIDS is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and fine of up to $30,000. Intentional exposure to another STD besides HIV is a Class 2 misdemeanor,
punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine up to $500. Shefl said while there is no information regarding how many of South Dakota’s STD cases come from college campuses such as USD, she believes college towns do contribute to the problem. First-year John Wetherington said he does not think STDs are a major problem at USD. “I’m sure there’s some cases, but we’re pretty safe here,” he said. Junior Reese Lewon agreed with Wetherington. “I don’t think it’s too bad of a problem,” he said. “It is a risk that people should be aware of.” In order to spread awareness about STDs to the general community including USD, Planned Parenthood conducts a number of public awareness campaigns throughout the year, including going to residence halls to speak about safe sex. “I’ve went to a couple of halls and sororities already this year to talk about STDs, and we’ve had good turnouts,” Beach said. While Beach does public awareness campaigns at USD, she said she is unable to go to talk with the high school students in Vermillion for unknown reasons. “I can’t get into the high school," she said. "I’ve sent information to the counselors but I’ve never gotten anything back." Curt Cameron, the principal
of Vermillion High School, said the high school conducts its own public awareness campaign for their students. “We do a health fair every spring, and the kids learn how to keep themselves safe and that includes the use of contraceptives. We also have health classes and we’ve had medical professionals come talk to the students,” Cameron said. To prevent the spread of STDs, both the Sanford Health Clinic and Planned Parenthood recommend a variety of different techniques for young adults to use, including abstaining from sexual relations, getting tested regularly if sexually active, wearing a condom during sex and having a minimal amount of sex partners. “My advice is to respect your body, because if you don’t respect your body, no one else is going to respect your body. Also, remember that anyone can get an STD, not just promiscuous people,” Shefl said.
they could be retaliated against for naming the perpetrator.
The numbers provided in USD’s report are compiled by the University Police Department, the Vermillion Police Department and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Yet, their reach, along with law enforcement in college towns across the country, is hinged on whether the crimes are ever reported — and multiple studies state this is not happening. It’s estimated between onequarter and one-fifth of college females and six percent of college males experience sexual assault, according to reports by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Of completed and attempted rapes, it is also estimated that fewer than 5 percent of these crimes against college women are reported to law enforcement, said a 2000 Bureau of Justice Statistics/Department of Justice study. Fear of information getting out and being targeted by different people is part of what leads people to stay silent about their attacks, Sullivan said. The victim, she said, might think no one will believe them, or
“Certainly, the idea is that if it happens to you, people will believe you…that we are going to surround you with resources,” Sullivan said. But these statistics could change, with the latest efforts of federal legislation to make universities take more institutional responsibility of informing victims of their rights.
>> Read the full story online
Fighting for survivors' rights By March 7, the University of South Dakota will be required, along with every other postsecondary institution with Title IX financial aid programs, to make a number of changes to an amended Jeanne Clery Act. USD’s administration is already making adjustments to meet requirements established by the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, a provision of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. Dean of Students Kim Grieve said noticeable changes by the university will be the expansion of documented crime statistics to include sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking within the Clery report. Currently, these offenses are not individually identified in the annual report. Additionally, all new students will receive some form of training to promote awareness and prevention of sexual violence. Grieve said the South Dakota Board of Regents is looking at several software programs that might be options for students to take before attending USD. T h i s would be a one-time training in the fall, but Grieve said there would be ongoing prevention and awareness programs for students and faculty throughout the year — such as some of the options available now and sponsored by the Student Counseling Center and Student Life.
provided by the National Crime Prevention Council on how to prevent sexual assault.
someone will be sexually assaulted in the U.S.
Source: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
students how much of a problem STDs are at USD. Shandra Stillion Sophomore
"I could see it being a problem at all the fraternity and sorority parties where people get drunk and stupid." Landon Hammer First-year
with added interviews about campus policy and procedure around incidents of reported sexual assault from Sgt. William Manger from the University Police Department and Lauren Schuur from the Student Counseling Center.
>> See what kind of research
a USD faculty member is doing to evaluate student perceptions of sexual assault and their awareness, or experience, with it in Vermillion.
>> Check out steps
“We need to be more intentional about the information that is shared,” Grieve said. The campus SaVE Act is also being enforced on the premise of putting the rights of the victim in the forefront, especially in an environment where nine out of 10 victims know their assailant, reports a 2006 investigation published in the journal Violence Against Women. This means when students are attacked on campus, Grieve said, they can know they have the option to pursue a criminal case, they can go through the Title IX officer at the university or they can do both. It also means making the student aware of what resources are available to them, like counseling through the Student Health Center, Employee Assistance and the Counseling Center. Grieve said USD is pursuing to build on transparency, accountability and education when dealing with sexual violence in Vermillion, but applying requirements of the campus SaVE Act to the reported sexual assault in Coyote Village in early October sees limited changes made by the university. “It is by a case-by-case basis,” she said. “If we find out there is a sexual assault, if there is an immediate threat to the community, the person may be removed from campus immediately, but those decisions are made individually by the case.” A student under investigation for an alleged sexual assault will not be made to leave the university, unless they are found guilty of violating USD’s sexual misconduct policy. In this outcome, the student could face criminal prosecution in state courts and may be suspended or expelled from the university, according to the USD Student Handbook. Change in university policy statewide is being implemented as well. The South Dakota Board of Regents passed policy revisions Dec. 4 “to Enhance Protections Against Sexual Abuse.” Grieve said the SDBOR’s work provides more defined procedures and more policy transparency on how to proceed if a sexual assault occurs on campus. Jim Shekleton, general counsel for the SDBOR, said enhancement to Board policy around areas of sexual abuse and harassment have been in the works for a few years, as reports released in the past
three years have shown a need for significant development in protecting students, staff and faculty from “unwanted sexual advances.” The 2011 Dear Colleague Letter, which was released by the Office of Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education, was one such report, Shekleton said, that emphasized the expectations of Title IX compliance practices. The BOR’s policy updates are “policy of procedural matter,” and highlight procedural tools to enforce action by the university to provide students with rights, he said. Revised policy includes establishing that a single instance of sexual assault is enough to establish that a person has made the environment hostile toward the victim, and allowing administration officials to differentiate between severe and pervasive conduct from lower levels to address the prescribed conduct. As local law enforcement and campus counselors will also adjust with the campus SaVE Act requirements, representation from the South Dakota Board of Regents Student Federation said the changes ahead are ultimately about making every
"I've only been here for a semester so I'm not really familiar." Andrew Cooper Sophomore
"I don't have any personal experience, but it seems like it could be going around a lot." Alyssa Krug First-year
What is sexual misconduct?
The subjection of another person to any sexual act against that person's will or without consent, including any conduct that would constitute a sex offense, whether forcible or non-forcible. Persons who are under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other illegal controlled substances at the time that they are subjected to the sexual act shall be presumed incapable of effective consent. *South Dakota Board of Regents Code of Conduct Policy 3:4
student, staff, faculty member and visitor more comfortable on campus. “The biggest problem is (students) are not aware of the outlets they have to get help for sexual assault,” said senior Dennis Smith, Executive Director of the SDBOR Student Federation.
>> Speak up
If you want to speak out about your experience with sexual violence at USD, contact Volante reporter Megan Card at Megan.Card@coyotes.usd.edu.
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STD TESTING
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
Both the Sanford Health Vermillion Clinic and Family Planning offer affordable STD tests that take no longer than 30 minutes to administer. Family Planning also offers free condoms to anyone who comes in and asks.
Assault: Less than 5 percent of crimes reported ONLINE
Every two
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"I know we don't have a breakout like State." Morgan Barnes Sophomore
"It depends on who you're with and what your group is like."
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Students shocked by the death of Mandela “We are all human, and among these groups are people who are qualified to hold senatorial positions. Together, we can make USD a rainbow campus, just like Mandela made South Africa a rainbow nation." — Nicoll Saboukoulou, African Student Association president Emily Niebrugge The Volante
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nelson Mandela, shown in this 1994 photo, dances at a celebration concert in Pretoria, South Africa, following his inauguration as the country's first black president.
When University of South Dakota senior Benson Lang’at attended high school in Kenya, he had the opportunity to listen to Nelson Mandela speak in his country. Lang’at said he was shocked to hear of the death of Mandela, who he considers his hero. “I knew he was not in good health, but I just couldn’t imagine him going at this time,” he said. “I was very sorry to hear about it.” Mandela, who joined the African National Congress in 1944, was a part of the resistance against the National Party’s apartheid policies after 1948. He spent 27 years in prison, accused for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and then elected president of the ANC. He died Dec. 5. Although Lang’at was not able to get close to Mandela the day he heard him speak in Kenya, he said it was amazing to see someone he looked up to so much. “He went through a lot to get South Africa where it is today so everybody can live in peace and there is no longer discrimination when South Africa was fighting for independence,” Lang’at said. “He taught that nothing is impossible.” African Student Association President Nicoll Saboukoulou, from the Republic of Congo, said when he first heard the news of Mandela's death he thought it was a hoax, but then realized it was actually true. "I was sad, because the
world lost an icon, but again not very surprised because of his age and health situation," he said. "We all knew he could pass away at any time." Saboukoulou said Mandela was on his list of 'tomeet people,' an exclusive list of people who impacted the world with their actions. "Unfortunately I never got the chance to meet him," he said. "He's the symbol of humility and forgiveness. He showed to the world that despite whatever you've gone through, despite the bad things that people have done to you, you can still forgive them, and sit at the same table." Raphael Kalechi, from Nigeria in West Africa, who is in his third semester at USD, said he was also shocked to hear the news about Mandela. “Mandela has been vital to the earth all his life,” he said. “I heard the songs of Mandela even before I knew what he did for his country, so he was a man of great dignity and love and sacrificed his years to make South Africa into what it is today, and that makes him a good leader and a mentor for everyone who wants to make their country proud.” Although Kalechi is motivated from Mandela’s actions, he said does not think he could sacrifice as much as Mandela. “But I would be proud to do such things for my country,” he said. “His history will live for generations to come, his stories will be inspiring to young leaders and his words will be made into songs of bravery. Even as he is dead, his legacy lives on
forever.” Professor of Occupational Therapy Moses Ikiugu has been following the events surrounding Mandela’s illness closely. Ikiugu said apart from being from Africa and Mandela being a symbol for Africa’s struggle for dignity, he also read his biography and speeches when he was doing a study for a book in which he discussed some characteristics of people who have made a significant impact in the world in the recent past. Ikiugu completed the study in 2007, and the book was published in 2008. “I became very acquainted with Mandela’s philosophy, history and personality,” he said. “I knew that recently he had been very ill. Therefore, I kind of expected the news of his passing. Nevertheless, there was a big sense of loss. We have lost a truly great human being.” Ikiugu said Mandela was the moral authority not only in Africa, but throughout the world — not so much for what he said, but more so for how he lived his life. “He showed everybody how to care, how to overcome adversity and how to demonstrate dignity through it all,” he said. “This ability to teach fundamental lessons of human-hood, Ubuntu according to the African Bantu philosophy, by example through his life is what will be missed the most about him.” Lang’at has also read many books about Mandela, and said the more he learned about Mandela, the more he realized Mandela was an inspiration to people around the world.
“It will be so difficult to find another person like him, because he was someone that everyone in South Africa was looking up to,” Lang’at said. “So far I’m not sure how much people know about him here, but some people do. The world has just lost one of its heroes.” Although Saboukoulou said people have been affected by the death of Mandela, he said the actions of people like Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi tend to be ignored. "We post awesome quotes from him on social media, but senators at the USD Student Government Association are against a bill that encourages inclusive excellence — a bill that will open four senatorial seats to traditionally marginalized student groups," he said. Saboukoulou said he knows many of the senators are afraid to see other people join their "exclusive" group, but they should not be afraid of people with different skin colors. "We are all human, and among these groups are people who are qualified to hold senatorial positions," he said. "Together, we can make USD a rainbow campus, just like Mandela made South Africa a rainbow nation."
Reach reporter Emily Niebrugge at Emily.K.Niebrugge@coyotes.usd.edu
>> Tweet @thevolante What was your reaction when you heard about the death of Nelson Mandela?
Legislation: Bill requires a four-year trial period EXCEL
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 tion Dennis Smith was allotted nine minutes to speak, as nine SGA members deferred their time to him — audience members were otherwise given 30 seconds for individual appeals. Smith said he spoke directly with members of the South Dakota Board of Regents before the meeting, and according to Smith, the SGA will face major legal troubles if the bill is passed. The discussion led to an exchange on issues such as reverse racism and questions on the SGA’s relationships with student organizations. Reactions ranged from shouts to tears. With approval from SGA President Erik Muckey, senior Tyler Tordsen, another senator, opened the proposal of a task force for work on the bill, which he said will be a more effective way to tackle the issue. “My proposal is to appoint a workgroup consisting of roughly nine individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives to help come together and present a recommendation to SGA on what steps should be made to create a more inclusive senate body,” Tordsen said. Muckey said he approved of the task force during the meeting, and Tordsen said he wants the group assembled so work can begin over the winter break. “Having that task force that Tyler is hoping to bring forward is important, simply because it’s not just looking at physical representation, but looking at how the culture of SGA addresses it in terms of accessibility,” Muckey said. According to Senate Bill 62, the “traditionally marginalized” groups will nominate one member of their organizations for an at-large interview with the SGA senate, which will select four new senators to serve regularlength terms.
TRENT OPSTEDAHL/THE VOLANTE Senior Maddie Warder voices her opinion on Senate Bill 62 at the Dec. 10 Student Government Association meeting.
The bill intends to create a four-year trial period where the SGA will assess its efforts to expand diversity awareness among student organizations and point of views within the senate through the added seats, Oskolkoff said. “Because there was so much opposition to it, I wanted to have it in discussion,” she said. “That way we had more of a chance that I could hear everyone’s questions and concerns regarding the bill before I had my first reading.” According to Tordsen, the plan for the group is to have nine individuals — four senate members, four non-senate members (students, faculty, etc.) and one SGA executive.
He said this group will create more effective conversation with the best chance of creating successful and fair legislation, something Muckey said he hopes will come from the group. “One of the things we still need to address is the internal culture of SGA in terms of how it’s welcoming to traditionally marginalized identities,” Muckey said. “Making sure that all students feel welcome and included in the conversation and being able to access student government is the real discussion now.”
Reach reporter Nathan Ellenbecker at Nathan.Ellenbecker@coyotes.usd.edu
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The university of south dakota
USD golfers making sure they improve over offseason Josh Jorgensen The Volante
With the fall 2013 season at a close, the spring season won’t begin again for the Coyotes until February, however both the men’s and women’s golf teams are continuing work in the DakotaDome. The fall season had notable finishes for both the men’s and women’s teams, but as head coach Nick Hovden said, one the biggest moments of the fall was first-year Brenna Lervick’s first place finish at the South Dakota State Tournament. “Lervick had four top 10
More resources provide best production nathan ellenbecker is a first-year majoring in contemporary media and journalism. Facebook had me convinced a while back that the University of South Dakota was quickly becoming the best university in the Midwest. As soon as plans for a new sports facility and basketball arena were made public, my news feed flooded with shares and statuses from current, former and future students celebrating USD’s advancement. It sounded like USD was injecting their athletic program with human growth hormone. I didn’t really get it at the time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome for any school to have a state-of-the-art facility being in the works. I was just left head-scratching because, from what I knew, sports at USD is/ was/will be focused on the Dome and nothing but the Dome. I thought reactions would be more “What’s going to be happening to The Dome?” and “Why are we leaving The Dome?” rather than “Wooh, we gonna do it big in the new arena!” But with the Board of Regents officially approving the over $50 million project this week, it’s pretty obvious the university is doing the right thing with the arena. Everyone will benefit. USD sports are not simply moving out of the prePlease see GROWTH, Page B3
finishes,” Hovden said. “She also won the (South Dakota State Tournament), which was huge for us, we’ve never had anyone win a tournament since we moved to Division I.” Hovden said that the men’s team also had great individual success, but both teams are working toward getting more consistency with the rest of the team. “Building off that individual success and getting more consistency with the team (is a goal),” Hovden said. “Also, not only finishing in the middle of the pack in these tournaments but being up in contention
towards the last day of each tournament would be a huge goal for us.” One of the biggest obstacles both Hovden and Lervick acknowledged about training in the winter is the DakotaDome’s facilities. “It would be great to have a golf specific building that we could use that would give us more of chance to work on short game, which is often the hardest part to find an indoor facility with a place to putt and chip since that is such a vital part of anyone’s game,” Lervick said. “But in reality, we are lucky to have the Dome
at our disposal to go in and hit balls whenever we really want.” To keep the rust off the team, Hovden said work in the weight room will be crucial to the success in the spring. “Our goals in the next two months before we start traveling again in February is to get in a lot of conditioning and work hard in the weight room,” Hovden said. “We’re going to get our swings and hitting in at night, but for the most part, in the winter months, we’re file photo/ the volante
Please see GOLF, Page B3
The men do not have another tournament for another two months, but they are mking sure to improve the best they can.
Coyotes looking for consistency Josh Jorgensen The Volante
The Coyotes are limping into Saturday’s match-up with Green Bay after three consecutive losses, and Green Bay is no easy feat. Green Bay is coming into the DakotaDome at 5-3, fresh off a victory over the University of Virginia Saturday. The Phoenix are ranked No. 12 in the College Insider’s MidMajor’s Top 25, and head coach Joey James is fully aware of what Green Bay is about. “The best team we’ll see this year, in my eyes, is Saturday against Green Bay. They’re a very good team. I think they’re a top 50 RPI team,” James said. “They’ve got every piece that you can ask for from point guard, to wings, to big kids. We’re going to have our hands full, but we’re excited to get to play them at home.” The Coyotes head into Saturday’s game with consecutive losses against Air Force, Wyoming and Kansas State. Junior guard Brandon Bos said the team feels more confident playing at the DakotaDome. The Coyotes will have an advantage against Green Bay Saturday, as the Coyotes have yet to lose at the DakotaDome, posting a 2-0 undefeated record. “Everybody likes playing at home,” Bos said. “We practice in here every day so it’s just kind of that kind of that familiar environment, and we’ve got the fans here to help us out.” The Coyotes defense struggled in the early season. After a 0-3 start, the Coyotes’ defense sparked, and the team reeled off three straight. In their first three games, the Coyotes were defeated by an average of nearly 15 points per game. In the Coyotes two losses since, the opponents average margin of victory has been only four points. “If you look at St. Bonaventure until the Wyoming game, we’ve come a long ways. Our defense is coming along well,”
Rebecca Kroeger/ the volante
Sophomore point guard Trey Norris goes up for a layup against Utah Valley Dec. 2. USD won 71-67. Norris finished the game with six points and seven assists.
senior Trevor Gruis said. “(We still need to improve on) defense. It’s been good lately, but it can always get better.” James said while the team’s record (3-6) isn’t exactly where he would like it to be, the team has progressed at the pace he expected. “We’re moving at the pace we expected. Obviously we’d like to win more games, but we’re still a young group,” James said. “They’re still trying to learn everything that we’re trying to instill in them as far as our defensive and offensive philosophy, but we’re starting to take steps and you can see that.” The biggest marking point for the Coyotes improvements
early on are the teams two games against the University of Wyoming. USD played the Cowboys Nov. 22, losing 70-53, and again Saturday in Rapid City, falling 67-66 in overtime. Bos said he attributes the difference between the first game against Wyoming and the second to the team putting forth a better effort. “We just put forth a better effort in that second game. There were times in that first game at Wyoming that we got down on ourselves and felt defeated,” Bos said. “In the second game we never counted ourselves out of it. We believed the entire time we were going to win. It didn’t quite work out that
“We’ve come a long way. Our defense is coming along well.” — Trevor Gruis, junior
way, but we put forth a better effort.” The Coyotes continue to work their way through the nonconference schedule over the rest of December and early January before opening their Summit League schedule against Denver Jan. 11. The Coyotes face a tough remaining non-conference schedule before hosting Denver and James said he likes it that
way. “We’ve got a lot of tough games left,” he said. “A lot of your non-conference schedule is tough so your guys are ready when it comes to conference play. We’ll be ready when it comes that time, but we still have to get better offensively and get more consistency from our players.” Reach reporter Josh Jorgensen at Josh Jorgensen@coyotes.usd.edu
Swim and dive set to be meet-free for the next month Grant Bosiacki The Volante
The University of South Dakota swimming and diving team has seen a little more than half of their season go by. Last weekend, Dec. 7-8, the men and women both finished second at the Rochester Invitational. Sophomore long distance swimmer Morgan Barnes said despite not winning the meet, the team was very thrilled with how they performed. “Everyone did really well. The coaches were very happy with the whole team,” Barnes said. “We had somewhere around 180 times be personal bests for our team, so that’s really good.” Junior Colin Krysl was one of the standouts for the Coyotes. Krysl broke the school record in
the 100 M Butterfly and said it was truly a special time for him. “It was really nice to break,” Krysl said. “My freshman year I was 1/100th of a second off and then at this event last year I was 1/100th of a second off again. To finally break it was pretty awesome.” Krysl said it was a big sigh of relief to break it before the Summit League Championships on Feb. 19. The women now head to Omaha this Friday, but the men don’t have another meet until Jan. 17 against Morningside. With a full month off until another competition, the team will make sure to treat winter break as if noting has changed. “We’re going to still be practicing and acting like it’s the normal part of the season,” Krysl said. “We can’t lose focus now because we know we’ve put
in so much work leading up to this point.” The team will travel to Puerto Rico Dec. 29- Jan. 7, where they will train every day and end it with an intra-squad scrimmage. Krysl described the training done over winter break as the toughest part of all their training. The team has put together many faster times this year, and Krysl said it’s clear they are a better team. “We finished last in the conference last year,” Krysl said. “But we’ve been so much better this year. I have a good feeling we can do big things this time around.” Barnes said the team has come a long way, mainly because they’ve become more comfortable with each other, which has resulted in “much faster times.”
Braley Dodson/The Volante
Colin Krysl doing the butterfly during a meet Nov. 22 against St. Cloud State. Krysl broke his own school record for the 100 M butterful at the Rochester Invitational Dec. 7.
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TeamRecap
COYOTEDigest Coyotes take down Panthers
Women’s Basketball Recap: The Coyotes have gotten their record back to .500 after a 1-4 start, winning four of their last five contests. The wins include Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, and the South Dakota School of Mines, with the only loss coming in a 63-48 defeat at Creighton on Nov. 26. Saturday, USD defeated School of Mines 81-49 with five players reaching double-digits in the rout. The Coyotes are 3-0 at home this season, with all of those wins coming in the current streak. Key Players: The Coyotes are anchored by junior guard Nicole Seekamp, who has been nothing less than stellar this year for the Coyotes averaging 16.7 points per game and leading the team in scoring. Seekamp also averages a team high 31.9 minutes per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Arguably her best game on the young season came in a Coyote victory against Utah State where Seekamp flirted with a triple-double, scoring 20 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and notching nine assists. USD also has relied on its bench play this year, most notably junior guard Raeshel Contreras who is averaging 19.1 minutes per game off the bench. Contreras is the team’s second leading scorer with 10.6 points per game and has a team high 14 three pointers made. Contreras scored a season-high 19 points in the Coyote rout of the School of Mines Saturday night, which was a team high for the game. Player to Watch: The lone Coyote senior Polly Harrington will be vital to the team’s success this season and has already made a difference as the team’s third leading scorer averaging 10.3 points per game. Harrington also has 5.7 rebounds per game, which is third on the team. Harrington started in all 35 games last year for the Coyotes, averaging 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Rebecca Kroeger/ the volante
Sophomore forward Heidi Hoff puts up a shot versus the University of Northern Iowa Dec. 10. The Coyotes would go on and win 87-67, increasing their win-streak to four games and bump their record to 6-5.
Athlete of the Week In last Saturday’s game against the University of Wyoming, sophomore Tyler Flack scored 11 points and had ten rebounds to record his first collegiate career double-double. Flack’s efforts earned him the Volante Athlete of the Week.
Record: 5-5 Up Next: USD hosts the College of Saint Mary on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at the DakotaDome.
Men’s Basketball
Year: Sophomore
Recap: USD is 3-2 in its last five, defeating Texas State, Graceland, and Utah Valley. The Coyotes have struggled on the road early this season, going 1-4 early in the year, but are 2-0 at home on the young season. In the last contest against Wyoming, their second meeting of the year, the Coyotes made it much closer game. USD lost to Wyoming 70-53 on Nov. 22, but on Saturday, the Coyotes led until the end of the game, eventually falling in overtime 67-66 in Rapid City. Key Players: Junior guard Brandon Bos has been a big factor for the Coyotes early on in the season, averaging 14.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. While being the team’s leading scorer, Bos is also leading the team with 14 made three pointers and 29 made free throws, a percentage of .829. In the Coyotes’ last game, a loss against Wyoming, Bos had a 22 point effort, including 10-11 for free-throws. He hit three free-throws in the final three seconds to force overtime. One of the team’s only two seniors, center Trevor Gruis has been a staple for the Coyotes down low on the early season. Gruis is averaging 11.0 points per game which is only second to Bos, and a team high 6.1 rebounds per game. Gruis also has the highest field goal percentage on the team with .583 percent. Player to Watch: The point guard position was a question mark at the beginning of the year for the Coyotes, but sophomore Trey Norris has become the guy. Norris is averaging 7.0 points and a team high 5.3 assists per game. Norris is also the team leader in minutes played with 32.8 minutes per game. Record: 3-5 Up Next: USD hosts Green Bay Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Dakota Dome.
Tyler Flack
Hometown: Lakeville, Minn.
Season Statistics
Career Achievements
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Six starts and appearances in all eight games
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17.8 minutes per game
Last year, he was the first first-year player to start a season opener since the 2009-10 campaign.
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6.4 points per game
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4.4 rebounds per game
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Fourth on team in shooting
Averaged 13.4 points per game as a senior in high school, and was named a Top 10 Minnesota College Recruit by rivals.com
Coyotes basketball showing its inexperience Grant Bosiacki is a junior majoring in contemporary media and journalism. Kritenbrink named to All-Region team The American Volleyball Coach Association named junior volleyball player Kendall Kritenbrink to the All-Midwest Region team. Kritenbrink was the Summit League Player of the Year this year, and the Coyotes are lucky to have her for another season next year. Kritenbrink and the Coyotes seemed destined for great things this year when they started off 7-0 in conference play, but struggled after that, finishing 9-5 in the Summit League. It was still a very
successful year for an improving team, especially for Kritenbrink, who lead the conference in total kills with 557. Kritenbrink will look to continue racking up accolades next year and attempt to become USD’s all-time leader in kills. She is currently second with a total of 1,426. Men’s basketball team has had a season of streaks The Coyotes men’s squad has already seen its fair share of ups and downs in the 2013-14 season. The season started off with a three game losing streak, but the Coyotes bounced back and won their next three. Unfortunately, they’re now on another three game losing streak and sit at 3-6 on the season. No one knew what to expect going into this season. Interim head coach Joey James has his guys playing hard-nosed basketball, but at times they’ve been too stagnant
on offense. Junior guard Brandon Bos has been the clear-cut standout for the team thus far, leading the team with 15.6 points per game and second in assists with 3.9. Going into the season, I thought one of the team’s biggest strengths would be its outside shooting, but in fact, it has been its Achilles heel. Right now the team is shooting 31.5% from three, which clearly won’t win you many games. The Coyotes weren’t expected to be a top-flight team this year, but I fully expect them to continue improving as they get more acclimated to James. Women’s basketball goes 6-5 through first eleven games The women’s team came into the season extremely young. What they did have going for them was Nicole Seekamp. Through the first ten games Seekamp did what I expected, leading the team with 16.7 points per game, as well
as averaging 4.1 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game. At the beginning of the season she was struggling with her shot, so her 38.3% shooting percentage doesn’t look too pretty. The lone senior on the team, Polly Harrington, has been a solid presence down low so far for the Yotes, averaging 10.3 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game. The team has many players learning on the fly, so expect to continue seeing inconsistencies throughout the season. Over winter break, the team will finish off its non-conference schedule, with its most notable opponent being the University of Nebraska December 21. Conference play will kick-off right when students come back for the spring semester when they play Denver Jan. 12.
Social Media Highlights
Reach reporter Grant Bosiacki at Grant.Bosiacki@coyotes.usd.edu
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Earl looking to take next step as QB Grant Bosiacki
hard getting ready for next year. GB: You had one win last year and four wins this year. Did the season go as you expected?
The Volante
EDITOR’S NOTE: This week The Volante interviewed sophomore quarterback Kevin Earl. In his first season as the Coyotes’ starting quarterback, Earl threw for 1,920 yards and nine touchdowns. The Volante talked to Earl about the upcoming offseason and what he remembers about the recruiting process three years ago.
KE: There were some games we felt we played very well, and there were others where we didn’t play as well as we hoped, and some games we couldn’t close out. Four wins is good, but it’s not going to get us in the playoffs, and I think that’s our goal for next year.
Grant Bosiacki: What have you personally, and the rest of the team, been up to since the season ended? Kevin Earl: Most of us feel the season went pretty well. We made some improvements, but there’s still a lot more in front of us. A lot of us are excited to get this offseason started especially in the weight room. I think a lot of guys have a lot in store for them, so we’re just working
GB: Coaches are out recruiting right now. What do you remember about that process as a player? KE: It’s a fun time for a lot of kids, but it can also be a tough time for a lot of kids like me. It’s kind of confusing. You’re not really sure where you’re going to go to school or where you’re going to play at. I am excited though for
the recruits we’re bringing in. Our coaches have done a great job of bringing in guys who are making immediate impacts.
Is that tough to adjust to as a quarterback? KE: It’s going to be a little tough to get used to. For me, a first year starter, I just kind of took what was given to me. Now, after a year under my belt, I kind of have a feel for my offensive line. There’s going to be some growing pains, like most offensive linemen, but I think our guys are ready to go.
GB: If you were Joe Glenn, or any of the other coaches recruiting, how would you sell USD? KE: I think our team is growing immensely both on the field and off the field. Also, it’s a start of a new era. We’re getting a lot of new sponsorships like Adidas. It’s a fun place to be at right now.
GB: What’s one thing you’re working on to take the next step? KE: I’m trying to grow as a leader and as a teammate. Also, trying to get better physically, work on throwing the ball, but overall, I’m just trying to step into that leadership role more.
GB: How excited are you to bring back essentially your entire offense next year? KE: I’m looking forward to that a lot; it’s going to help immensely having another year of experience at all positions.
GB: How different will this offseason be in comparison to last year? KE: It’s night and day pretty much. I think a lot of
GB: You’ll have a few new offensive linemen next year.
Lone senior is leading by example on and off court Up next on Harrington’s agenda: Making it to the Big Dance Josh Jorgensen The Volante
Rebecca Kroeger/The Volante
Senior forward Polly Harrington goes up for a layup versus Northern Iowa Dec. 10. USD won 87-67.
The Coyote women’s basketball team will graduate only one senior when the clock strikes zero on the 2013-14 campaign: Polly Harrington. Harrington was a major part of the Coyotes’ run to the Summit League Championship game 2013 where the Coyotes lost to South Dakota State, losing a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Harrington is a unique Coyote senior, not playing all four years at the University of South Dakota. She started her career at then-Big East powerhouse Louisville, before transferring to Johnson County Community College and then landing at USD. Harrington started in all 35 games as a Coyote last year, averaging 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. So far this year, she hasn’t missed a beat, averaging 10.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. However, she said her goals are all on focused on the Big Dance in March. “Of course everybody wants to go dancing,” Harrington said. “That’s our major goal right now is to play our best basketball when March comes around, so we can be playing at our best and win that Summit League Tournament and make it to the NCAA Tournament.” As the only senior on the team, head coach Amy Williams said at media day that she liked the way Harrington was improving throughout the off-season and molding as a leader, especially for the younger players. This is a young team, and early on in the year, it showed with the Coyotes opening their 2013-14 campaign with a 1-4 record. Since then, however, the Coyotes have won five of their last six and have improved their record to 6-5. Harrington said she attributes the improvements to
the team coming into its own and the youth starting to gain experience. “From the beginning of this year until right now, we’ve improved a lot on defense; that was one of our main problems in the beginning,” Harrington said. “Running our system has gotten better for us. People have gotten better at playing at the collegiate level, because we’re so young.” For this Coyote, the only way she will be able to go dancing is by winning the Summit League, which will have to come through conference power-house South Dakota State. The main thing Harrington says the Coyotes need to improve on before making their potential post-season run is rebounding. “We’ve just been working harder,” Harrington said. “Those games we lost, we were getting out-rebounded and not attacking the basket like we should been. We’ve been starting to get rebounds these last few games, and it’s been making the difference.” At media day, Williams also mentioned that at times last year she didn’t like Harrington’s attitude, but this year she’s turned it around improving her as a leader. So far in her second year as a Coyote, Harrington is third on the team in both points per game and rebounds per game, but her goal isn’t finishing her senior campaign at the top of the scoring list. Harrington said that her goal is to walk out of the University of South Dakota with a Summit League Championship. “I just want to win the Summit League Tournament and make it to the NCAA Tournament because it will be the first time we’ve been there as a program,” Harrington said. “It’ll be a big step for our program and a great way to end my career.”
guys look at me differently than they did last year at this time. GB: Are there any players on the team right now who aren’t very well known that in a year from now will be a key player? KE: A few guys, not as many on offense because we have so many people coming back, but a few younger guys. One is quarterback Aaron Ramsey, who might be stepping up at tight end. Also there is defensive back Jacob Warner on defense who will make an immediate impact. GB: How are you making sure not to hang your head after a tough loss to end the year? KE: You just have to forget about it, put it behind you, and look at the positives that you can get from a season.
file photo/The Volante
Sophomore quarterback Kevin Earl throws a pass against South Dakota State Nov. 16.
Growth: USD almost there Continued from page B1 cious DakotaDome. The arena and Dome will be attached to the hip, and athletes are still going to be “heading to he Dome” when practice time rolls around in 2016. Sport sciences, physical therapy and kinesiology labs are going to be included with the arena, actually connecting the arena to the Dome. It’s definitely the ideal situation for students moving into that field of study. But mostly, studentathletes are going to be the ones benefitting. Volleyball’s current home, “The Den,” is inferior to the 6,000 arena they’ll be moved to, and basketball will receive a home court that feels more like a college basketball environment than the Dallas Cowboys stadium.
It’s not that our Dome isn’t sufficient, but when looking at what works for basketball, slapping a court inside a building the Dome isn’t right for college programs. Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, Duke’s Cameron Indoor and Indiana’s Assembly Hall all thrive with packed houses that roar rather than echo. The men’s basketball team received a taste of the arena life out is Rapid City. Flashy introductions and a roaring crowd felt like college basketball. All in all, it’s hard to find anything wrong with the arena, and it’s exciting to know USD athletics are shifting in the right direction. Now to wonder if Dome Dogs will be just as fantastic in an arena. Reach reporter Nathan Ellenbecker at Nathan.Ellenbecker@coyotes.usd.edu
Golf: Looking to better scores for spring season Continued from page B1 just trying to stay loose getting ready for the spring.” Both teams’ goal going into the spring 2014 season is to grow on the success experienced in the fall season. The men finished in the top ten in every tournament during the fall. While the women didn’t finish as high in every tourna-
2013 men’s golf fall schedule Date
Location
Place
9/10
Edwardsville, Ill.
5/12
9/24
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3/8
10/01
Manhattan, Kan.
6/9
10/08
Nebraska City, Neb.
6/8
10/15
Hopkinsville, Ky.
8/13
ment, they did finish third at the North Dakota Tournament Sept. 17. Hovden said the men are trying to repeat success they had last spring, they finished second in the Summit League Tournament behind the University of Missouri Kansas City, who left the conference to go to the Western Athletic Conference. However, Hovden said the addition of Denver to the conference wouldn’t make the Coyote men’s attempts at a first place finish this year any easier. “With Denver joining the conference and UMKC, last years champions, leaving it’s still going to be difficult,” Hovden said. “I think we definitely have the tools to make a run at it again this year.” Both the men and the women’s teams will continue their practicing until February, when the spring season officially begins. Reach reporter Josh Jorgensen at Josh.Jorgensen@coyotes.usd.edu
Reach reporter Josh Jorgensen at Josh.Jorgensen@coyotes.usd.edu
Winter break USD sports calendar DEC. 19
Men’s Basketball
DEC. 29
at Moorehead St.
Women’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
JAN. 2
at Youngstown St.
Men’s Basketball vs. Cal State Northridge
JAN. 11
vs. Denver
Swimming at South Dakota St.
vs. College of Saint Mary
DEC. 21
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball at Nebraska
DEC. 31
Women’s Basketball at Valparaiso
JAN. 4
Men’s Basketball vs. Iowa Wesleyan
Women’s Basketball vs. Cleveland St.
THE VOLANTE
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volanteonline com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
VERVE
Mixing up finals week
@VolanteVerve CONTACT US
Reach Verve Editor Katie McGuire at Katrinia.McGuire@coyotes.usd.edu. THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
USD faculty offer tips for de-stressing during finals Kayla Prasek The Volante
CRISTINA DREY/ THE VOLANTE
Sophomore Kelsey Kading pours paint into the tub to create a splatter paint vinyl record at the Spin Magic event, hosted by the Campus Activities Board Monday night in the Muenster University Center Pit Lounge.
CAB, university offer 11 days of campus activities Anna Burleson The Volante
Finals week might be a little less hectic this year – Campus Activities Board and Student Services will be hosting stress-relieving activities throughout the week. “When CAB originally started booking things, they thought it was going to be a normal finals week,” Assistant Director of Student Life Lindsay Sparks said. “Then we found out it was more like Wednesday to Wednesday, so we have more like 10 to 11 days of stuff.” The week has already kicked off with several activities, like a concert and giant spinning paint wheel, a toy that strikes a chord with most ‘90s kids. But the best is yet to come. Faculty members and the humane society will be bringing in dogs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Muenster University Center. Sparks said this event has always been a student favorite. Another student favorite, the President’s Late Night Breakfast, has a lot of faculty and staff signed up to serve breakfast food. Last year, the event served about 1,000 students. Throughout these events,
students are also encouraged to attend athletic events, like the Saturday men’s basketball game vs. Green Bay at 7 p.m. “We’re really wanting students to go to that one,” Sparks said. “That is going to be their toughest non-conference competition.” But overall, students are encouraged to attend these free events to relieve stress and get away from studying. “We’re giving students the opportunity to go do something that will de-stress them a little bit and relax them,” CAB adviser Nathan Hofer said. Sparks said studies have shown that it is beneficial for studying to get out, socialize and maintain a healthy sleeping and eating schedule to be successful during finals week. Graduate student Luke Granholm said the week takes its toll on him, and these sorts of activities can be a nice break. “Finals makes me feel excited, because I am almost done, like getting presents for Christmas, but then realizing I have a mountain of projects, which feels like getting gift cards from your least favorite places,” he said.
With finals week officially starting Thursday, University of South Dakota faculty are encouraging students to take time for themselves throughout the week. Lauren Schuur, coordinator of prevention services at the USD Student Counseling Center, said she encourages students to take part in the finals week activities held throughout the week in the Muenster University Center. “Students should definitely participate in the events the university sponsors,” Schuur said. “Both the de-stress day and being able to play with the animals are good things the university provides.” She said students should make a schedule noting exactly when they’re going to study and when all their exams are and then take time to themselves. “Whether it be working out, going for a walk or just doing something you enjoy, make sure you aren’t studying 24-7,” Schuur said. “Don’t give up the things you like to do, even if it’s just watching a movie. Take the two hours out of your day to do that. Make sure you’re spending time with other people.” Senior Lacey Leichtnam said she has learned the importance of not spending her whole day studying dur-
ing finals week. “I definitely take time to make sure I’m sleeping enough,” Leichtnam said. “I also make sure I get away from my books and just hang out with my friends and watch movies.” Schuur said students need to make sure they’re eating a well-balanced, nutritional diet during finals week and to make sure they’re sleeping seven to eight hours per night. She also said exercise is a big stress reliever. Wendy Johnson, assistant director of fitness and aquatics at the Wellness Center, said exercise offers many stress-relieving benefits. “Exercise reduces muscular tension, increases endorphins, improves your mood, regulates your sleep and improves concentration,” Johnson said. “These are just some of the reasons that it’s a good way to reduce stress.” As for which type of exercise is the best stress reliever, Johnson said there is not one that is better than another. “Any fitness class or activity is going to reduce stress, as long as it’s something they enjoy,” she said. “Say you don’t like running. If you go run, you’re just adding stress because you don’t like it.” While many people enjoy mind and body classes Please see STRESS, Page B6
Finals Week Schedule
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USD students and members of the Vermillion community participate in a Yoga Level 2 class at the Wellness Center Monday.
Reach reporter Anna Burleson at Anna.M.Burleson@coyotes.usd.edu
Senior columnist reflects on her years at university ANNA BURLESON is a senior majoring in contemporary media and journalism. The time has come for this college student to put down her coffee, stop going to bars, stop eating Easy Mac and breaking into song at random. That’s right, I’m graduating — but who am I kidding? I’ll never stop doing any of those things. I feel a sense of relief, but also sadness by the fact that I’ll never again spend an evening watching Harry Potter with my roommates, raking and jumping into piles of leaves for fun, or spend a sunny afternoon at the river. After graduation,
I’m headed off to work at the Grand Forks Herald, so reallife is going to hit me square in the face pretty quickly. And I’m terrified. It doesn’t help that as I write this, The Volante’s adviser Chuck Baldwin walked into the office and asked, “You still going to graduate?” Of course I’m going to graduate! I’ve taken the Mass Communication department’s exit exam, handed in my portfolio and double-checked my grades. But I’m still worried — I’ve heard tons of horror stories about the university not letting people graduate. Not to mention I have about 20 pages worth of papers to write and hand in, most of which after I walk across that stage in the DakotaDome. And on that note, why did the South Dakota Board of Regents think it was a good idea to have a graduation cer-
emony before a student even knows if they’ve passed all of their classes? Why does it feel like the University of South Dakota is going to find some loophole I haven’t jumped through and tell me I’m not going to get my diploma — about nine months after graduation, mind you. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate everything this university and its professors have done for me. It’s because of them I’ve had amazing internship opportunities, and it’s because of those people that I didn’t even think remembered me from high school talk about me and how awesome my summer at Custer State Park looked by the pictures I put on Facebook and ask me about the time I lived in California. It makes me feel a little famous. And so, in this last blog in
the last issue of The Volante I’ll ever be published in, I have a few confessions. The only reason I passed Spanish 202 was because I chose a character that was drunk for the final presentation and just mumbled incoherently the whole time. I’ve never stayed for an entire football game. I don’t know the school song and I don’t care about any sort of rivalry with South Dakota State University. One time, I told a particularly mean professor my grandma had died so that I could take a long weekend and go pheasant hunting with my family. Oh, and once I used my own hole-punch to fill out one of those cards and got myself a free coffee. So long, USD.
Reach reporter Anna Burleson at Anna.M.Burleson@coyotes.usd.edu
8 THINGS I LEARNED AT USD 1. You know when you’re older and you have a job you hate and a minivan and you’ll look back on the good old days? These are those days. 2. Never, ever, leave anything important unattended at a party because we’re poor, we’re desperate, and we will steal that tin of mints out of your purse. And your credit card. 3. If you’re under 21 and someone yells “Cops!” it’s better to be safe than sorry. 4. Never, ever use a boxed dye to go from brunette to blonde. 5. People do not grow up. In fact, they usually get more and more immature. 6. Don’t kill yourself for a 4.0. Nobody ever asks you what your college GPA was. 7. Time management is important. Just kidding, I’ll get to that later. 8. Don’t forget to tell your friends how awesome they are from time to time.
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CampusEvents Dec. 11 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Pet the Stress Away Location: Muenster University Center Faculty Dining 4 - 7 p.m. Wellness Days Stress Day Location: Wellness Center 9 - 11 p.m. President’s Late Night Finals Breakfast Location: MUC Ballroom
Dec. 12 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Finals Relaxation Program Location: MUC Pit Lounge 9 - 11 p.m. Ugly-sweater Bingo Location: MUC Ballroom
Dec. 13 5 - 9 p.m. Occupational Therapy Hooding Ceremony Location: MUC Ballroom 8:30 - 11 p.m. Movies at the MUC: “Despicable Me” Location: MUC Pit Lounge
Dec. 14 10 a.m. - noon Commencement Location: DakotaDome 8:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Movies at the MUC: “Despicable Me 2” Location: MUC Pit Lounge
MediaSketch Blog about it @ volanteonline.com First-year follies: Don’t complain about the snow, yet Josie flatgard is a first year majoring in contemporary media and journalism. I recently had an experience with an extremely long line while waiting to get my card swiped at the Commons in North Complex. The line extended from the entrance of the Commons all the way south to the doors of the Beede Bump. Never before had I seen or been a part of such a long line to eat on campus. I had to think to myself, ‘this is for the commons, right?’
This occurrence just so happened to be on the day of the first real winter snowfall. My hometown had a late start and an early out. In Vermillion, sidewalks were slushy, and while there was not much snow on the ground, the wind was pesky. It was no wonder why students, myself included, would want to avoid traipsing through the brisk, newfound winter weather if it was not required of us. While standing in line, I couldn’t count the amount of times I heard people complaining about the weather. I could not say I blamed them for wanting to stay indoors, as I didn’t wish to go out into the blistering cold if I did not have to for my meal. No one wanted to walk the block to the
Muenster University Center to get food. Earlier in the day, I experienced just how strong the wind gust was when I did not skip any of my three classes. I mustered up the courage to brave the cold, telling myself things were going to get worse than this so it is really not that bad, and pleasantly reminding myself finals were fast approaching. I was not going to take a step outside of North Complex until the next morning when I really did have to get to a class. For those students from a warmer state or country, they may have been incredibly excited for the very first snowfall. Keep in mind, that was when the temperature was in the double, not single, digits. Snow in general is thought of
in a totally different light simply because of the temperature and the ice that tends to accompany it. The sad thing to think about is it was just the tip of the iceberg. There will be many days below zero, many walks to class bundled up like Randy in “A Christmas Story,” and many more long lines to get into the Commons. What we must focus on this winter when waiting in line or complaining about the weather, is being patient. After all, we are all being pretty patient working toward getting a degree from the university — what’s a few lines added into the mix? Reach blogger Josie Flatgard at Josie.Flatgard@coyotes.usd.edu
Social Media Highlights
Dec. 15 4 - 5 p.m. Christopher Larson, piano recital Location: Colton Recital Hall 9 - 11 p.m. Finals Survival Kits Location: MUC Pit Lounge
Dec. 16 9 - 11 p.m. Cookie Decorating Location: MUC Pit Lounge
Dec. 17 9 - 11 p.m. Game Night Location: MUC Pit Lounge
Dec. 18 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Snacks Location: MUC Info Desk SOURCE: www.usd.edu
Disney adds another classic film to the vault John Dailey The Volante
Disney has given us another timeless classic to add to its resume. Enter “Frozen.” The movie starts with a new Mickey Mouse short “Get A Horse,” except it did not look new. The animation style and coloring is reminiscent of Walt Disney’s earliest days, before Pete throws Mickey out of the screen. That being said, a chorus of
laughter cannot be avoided watching this cartoon. Now, as for the movie. The animation is nothing short of spectacular, with the winter landscape and details of the ice being the biggest highlight. Equally amazing as the animation is the story. For what seems like the first time in Disney history, the protagonist is not the main focus in the film. While the hero is supposed to be the optimistic Anna, voiced and sung
by Kristen Bell, the film concentrates more on her older sister, Elsa. Elsa is born with the power of ice that plagues her with fear and self-doubt from childhood all the way to her coronation. The themes of “sisterly love” and “fear is power” are so perfectly married that they do not resort to predictability. Although Elsa is an antagonist in that she is capable of hurting someone with her power, she is not the villain. Actually, we keep guessing at who the villain really is, which sets the mystery baddie apart from the rest of Disney’s rogues gallery like Scar, Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, to name a few. What is a Disney classic without a memorable side character? In this case, it is an anthropomorphized snowman named Olaf, whose motivation is to feel the heat of summer. That was one irony I have never seen before, so kudos to that. While the story, the animation, and the characters are all solid, the film’s biggest highlights are the songs. While my favorite is definitely the comical love song “Fixer Upper,” the best one without doubt is “Let It Go.” Idina Menzel’s voice was really amazing in that song, and the visuals were just as stupendous. Disney’s “Frozen” is a cold film with a very warm heart.
COYOTE TWIN & VERMILLION THEATRE Delivery Man Coyote I Monday: 7 p.m. Tuesday: 7 & 9:30 p.m. Wednesday: 7 p.m. Thursday: 7 p.m. Friday: 7 & 9:30 p.m. Saturday: 1, 3:30 & 7 p.m. Sunday: 1, 3:30 & 7 p.m.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire Coyote II Monday: 7 p.m. Tuesday: 7 & 9:50 p.m. Wednesday: 7 p.m. Thursday: 7 p.m. Friday: 7 & 9:50 p.m. Saturday: 1, 3:50, 7 & 9:50 p.m. Sunday: 1, 3:50 & 7 p.m.
Frozen Vermillion Theatre Monday: 7 p.m. Tuesday: 7 & 9 p.m. Wednesday: 7 p.m. Thursday: 7 p.m. Friday: 7 & 9 p.m. Saturday: 1, 3, 7 & 9 p.m. Sunday: 1, 3 & 7 p.m.
Tickets Adults: $8 Students and military: $7 Kids and senior citizens: $6
Reach reviewer John Dailey at John.Dailey@coyotes.usd.edu
Reviewer identifies worst holiday songs Andrew Helland The Volante
Love it or hate it, ‘tis the season for holiday music. A time of joy and thankfulness narrated by one’s favorite tunes. Holiday music is timeless and most of it was recorded during a golden age. But with the good always comes the bad, and here are the five most annoying seasonal songs. 5. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” — originally sung by Jimmy Boyd This is a Christmas song that shouldn’t exist. The song is narrated by a kid who is up to no good and is sneaking around the house. We get it, the kid’s father is, hopefully, Santa Claus, but why does he then say, “What a laugh it would have been, if Daddy had only seen?” 4. “Santa Baby” — originally sung by Eartha Kitt This one is just too creepy. If you’re familiar with this song, you know it’s a little too flirtatious for a Christmas tune. Everyone should stay away from someone who refers to Santa as “Baby, cutie and honey.” Not to mention the fact that this song winds up getting played at every holiday party and is typically sung by the most tone-deaf drunkard of the bunch. 3. “Dominick the Donkey” — originally sung by Lou Monte It’s a song about a donkey. I should just end there, but I’ll give some more background. Santa needs to use this don-
key to climb the hills of Italy, because apparently flying reindeer can’t get up there. The repetitive “Hee haw, hee haw” could drive any sane person berserk. If you’ve never heard this before, I’m jealous. 2. “Last Christmas” — originally sung by WHAM! The song has nothing to do with Christmas. Just because you throw some sleigh bells in there and have “Christmas” in the title, doesn’t mean it’s a Christmas song. The song was written by WHAM! and was released in the 80s, which isn’t a surprise. The lyrics are really sappy and don’t rhyme half the time. It’s a slow-paced song that’ll get stuck in your head for hours, so beware. 1. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” — originally sung by Elmo & Patsy Not only is this an annoying Christmas song, but this might be the weirdest song of all time. The song tells us that Grandma was a little too drunk, forgot to take her meds and was killed by our favorite reindeer. It’s pretty cruel once you think about it, and no Christmas song should be morbid. I’m surprised, at the time, no one in the studio said, “Maybe we shouldn’t record this.” Just stick to Elvis singing “Silent Night,” and you should be good for the rest of the season. Reach reviewer Andrew Helland at Andrew.Helland@coyotes.usd.edu
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Students celebrate the holidays away from home Josie Flatgard The Volante
Whether spending the holiday break in the United States or in a different country, University of South Dakota study abroad and international students spend the time off in their own way when they cannot be home with their families. Graduate student Jean Paul Akuma’s parents are still in Cameroon, located in west central Africa. He said he is fortunate enough to have many relatives living in the states. In past years, Akuma said he has gone to Minneapolis to be with his family over the holiday break. He said he helps cook meals akuma and takes part in his native country’s activities, like attending meetings about performing nonprofit activity back in Cameroon. Among many things, Akuma said he misses his country’s local food, fellowship with family and spending time in a traditional Cameroonian community. He said one year, he did stay in Vermillion, visited friends’ houses for Christmas and played intramural soccer with some buddies. However, since most international students either stay with their host family or travel back home for the break, there was not much going on. “It’s very, very difficult; everybody’s gone,” Akuma said.
“It’s very lonely, but having connections makes it fun.” He is involved with the International Student Club and said they are working on getting activities planned for students who are not able to go back to their country for the month. Akuma said he has been living in the U.S. for nine years, and both his sisters live here as well, but he has not been home for the holidays to see his parents since he left in 2003 to go to Ghana. “I call my mom and we talk almost every day,” he said. “I can call my dad any time I want, so I call him often.” Junior Ian Williams, an economics major, is studying abroad in Otaru, Japan and said he will get to see his mother over Christmas break. He said although his mother has been to Mexico and Canada, she has never crossed an ocean. “You get used to spending holidays with your family and so it’s a little bit tough (when you don’t), but it’s really nice that my mom will be here,” Williams said. He said he does not have many plans set for the break, but a day trip to Kyoto, Japan or to Mount Fuji could be in the agenda. Williams said he and his mother might visit some temples around Tokyo, do some shopping, but overall, he wants to make sure they really see the city. “There’s 34 million people, so that should be pretty cool,” he said. Williams said it is a big thing where he is to take a date to Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas, and reservations are typically made two weeks
ahead of time. He said he plans to find somewhere else to take his mother, even if there was not a big celebration. While there may not be snow on the ground in Japan, Williams said he was getting in the Christmas spirit by having a “little bitty” Christmas tree on a shelf in his room. He said he planned to attend a winter festival in a town about 45 minutes away from the campus with Christmas lights hanging in famous parks. He said Otaru is similar in population to Sioux Falls, so it was fairly easy to adjust. Unlike Williams, junior Kelsey Kirby said she would come home over Christmas break. Kirby is studying abroad in Germany for two semesters. She said while the break offered in the winter is only about a week long, she would be back in the United States for three weeks and not attend classes for two weeks. She did something similar for her Thanksgiving break. Germany does not recognize it as a national holiday, so classes went on as scheduled. Kirby said since she does not have class on Fridays, it was easier for her to take off a few more days to make the weekend a vacation. Kirby said she went to visit a friend who attends Augustana, but is studying in Brighton, England. Since her friend’s flatmates had never experienced Thanksgiving before, she said it was fun to make dinner with them and dress up like she would have back home. She said she talked with her family, including her cousins, over Skype while she
malachi petersen/ the volante
Graduate student Jean Paul Akuma plays a game of pick-up soccer with his friends Dec. 6 at the Wellness Center. Akuma plays soccer weekly.
was eating. “It was like I was there,” Kirby said. “They all went around the table and said they were thankful for me; it was so cheesy.” She said they watched the Macy’s Day Parade on TV, which made it seem more like they were back in the U.S. Kirby said she has already met up with another one of her friends who was in Scotland and said it is fairly easy to visit people who are also overseas studying from the area to find people to remind you of home, when abroad. She said she has to travel by train to get to the airport if she
wants to go anywhere, but in the end, it is worth the time. “I’m learning the hard way,” Kirby said. “Easy jet and a bunch of cheap airlines and just go for it.” For the holidays, Kirby said she would make cookies for her Spanish friends so they can decorate them. She said they are planning on having a “family” dinner before she leaves for Christmas break. “The friends I’ve made here are probably some of the closest I’ve ever had,” she said. “It’s going to be so hard to leave.” Kirby said she is looking forward to seeing her dogs again
because she believes they may think she is gone forever. She also said she plans to grab some taco mix while home in the States, because she can’t find any where she is staying in Germany. Both study abroad and international students can agree the holiday break will be needed after the long week of finals. The nearly month off will allow time for students to regroup and recharge for the spring semester, whether abroad or here on campus. Reach reporter Josie Flatgard at Josie.Flatgard@coyotes.usd.edu
Student ambassador leaves South for USD Braley Dodson The Volante
rebecca froehlich/ the volante
Sophomore Olivia Lockert chose to come to USD because she missed the Midwest. Lockert lived in Iowa as a child before her family moved to Alabama.
Although she’s almost 1,000 miles from her parents, sophomore Olivia Lockert feels right at home. “I came out here all the time when I was little,” Lockert said. While her parents live in Birmingham, Ala., Lockert’s decision to attend the University of South Dakota was not unexpected to her family. “My parents knew I wanted to come back to the Midwest,” Lockert said. Even though she spent years living in Iowa, she still experienced a few surprises from the weather. When she went home for winter break last year, she only had to wear a sweatshirt. “I didn’t remember how windy it got,” Lockert said. “It
didn’t take me that long to get used to it. I definitely check the weather more now.” Despite the weather being colder than what she was used to in the South, Lockert said she plans to stay in the Midwest after she graduates. “Everyone is really nice up here,” Lockert said. “It’s a different atmosphere that I like.” It took two days and one car for Lockert and her family to bring her to South Dakota as a first-year. At the end of the spring semester, her father will drive to USD to help her pack, and then the two of them will drive back to Alabama. Lockert said she misses barbecue and the intense tailgating atmosphere of the South, and she also keeps up with the football teams from back home. Another thing she misses is the terrain of Alabama.
“Down there, you’re covered by trees,” she said. As a student ambassador, Lockert is able to interact with other students who travel long distances to visit USD. “I feel like they like the fact I’m far away,” Lockert said. “I knew when I first came to visit I’d want to go here.” Sophomore Bridget Wilds has gotten to know Lockert through her job as a student ambassador and through their membership in Alpha Phi. “She can relate to other girls who are from far away,” Wilds said. Wilds said she has never seen Lockert get homesick. “When she talks of home, it’s always positive,” Wilds said. “She has a good base of friends here.” Reach reporter Braley Dodson at Braley.Dodson@coyotes.usd.edu
Stress: Sleep, eating well important during finals Continued from page B4 which add breath to their movements to increase relaxation, some people just can’t relax to enjoy yoga, Johnson said. “Those people need to be moving, so they should try exercise that engages their
Tips for handling stress during finals week Lauren Schuur, coordinator of prevention services at the USD Student Counseling Center, offers this advice.
Health Sleep seven to eight hours per night Eat well-balanced, nutritional meals Exercise Yoga Breathing techniques
Studying Make a schedule noting when it’s time to study and schedule in breaks Spend time with others Listen to music Go out in nature Watch movies Take time for self SOURCE: www.usd.edu
muscular strength or cardio,” Johnson said. “Other people are motivated by great music and choreography, so they should try a Zumba class.” If students are using exercise to relieve stress, Johnson suggests doing it regularly and doing whatever type of exercise they most enjoy. “Pencil it into your schedule and partner with a friend because they’ll hold you accountable,” she said. “Do whatever you love and get hooked on it.” Schuur recommends yoga or simple breathing techniques to calm high anxiety or panic. “You can escape somewhere mentally and gather your thoughts,” she said. Other tips for students who are already dealing with high levels of stress include using lavender- or cottonscented products, drinking tea and journaling. Schuur said the counselors at the counseling center are also available all week if students would like to talk to a counselor one-on-one. She also said just being out in nature or listening to music can help students relieve stress and escape from their studying. “Coloring and drawing are also huge stress relievers, as childish as it may sound,” Schuur said.
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Instructor Sandi leads her Yoga Level 2 class in child’s pose Monday night at the Wellness Center. Yoga is considered a good way to relax and de-stress, and the Wellness Center will offer yoga classes throughout finals week.
Before students head into their finals, Schuur said they should eat peppermints, almonds or bananas, which are all considered brain foods and will help them focus and concentrate during their tests. As she prepares for her first finals week, first-year Morgan Piehl said she’s already stressed.
“I can’t seem to get enough of the library lately,” she said. “My mom sent me a care package, though, so reading the letter inside was really nice.” Piehl said she has started finding ways to handle her stress and that she will be going to play with the puppies at “Pet Your Stress Away” Wednesday in the MUC Pit
Lounge. “My sorority’s Christmas party was a big stress reliever because it gave me some time off of having to worry about studying all night,” Piehl said. “Even just talking to my family over the phone or texting my mom while I study is some emotional relief.” Leichtnam, on the other
hand, is preparing for her seventh finals week and said she has some advice she can offer to underclassmen. “Realize what’s realistic and practical for studying,” she said. “Give yourself time for sleep and taking care of yourself.”
Reach reporter Kayla Prasek at Kayla.M.Prasek@coyotes.usd.edu