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Students juggle classes and productions. VERVE B1
EARLY ARRIVALS
Freshmen benefit from extra practice. SPORTS B3
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A campus debate Students and faculty react to sanctuary campus resolution
U
Devin Martin
Devin.Martin@coyotes.usd.edu
SD’s Student Government Association has recently been debating a resolution that, as it was originally written, supported making USD a ‘sanctuary campus,’ which wouldn’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement officers in deportation proceedings. The resolution, which is currently in the SGA state and local committee, has since had its sanctuary campus language removed, and currently is worded as a request for clarification on the university’s standing regarding immigration policies. While in committee, the bill could still be revised any number of ways, and the sanctuary campus wording could return. SGA senator Josh Arens, the sponsor of the resolution, said he put a lot of thought into it. “The vast majority of us, this does not effect. There is still a large number at USD that are international that are undocumented,” Arens said. “They will be affected by these policies either right now or in the future. I think it would be better to have the administration on top of this (and See CAMPUS, Page A3
Mason Dockter I The Volante
Recycling pilot programs to start this month
211 Helpline now available in Clay County Ally Krupinsky
Ally.Krupinsky@coyotes.usd.edu
Rachel Newville
Rachel.Newville@coyotes.usd.edu
Clara Kirkvold, a first-year earth science major, was assigned a project in her sustainability class this fall. When looking around her North Complex dorm, she realized there weren’t resources for recycling on individual floors, so she decided to set a recycling bin in her kitchen. When it gets full, about once a week, she hauls it to the recycling center. Kirkvold said the best way to recycle across campus is for individuals to take it upon themselves. “Right now we kind of have grassroots recycling, there’s no university-wide policy, but everyone does it on their own anyway,” Kirkvold said. That is set to change soon. The university is launching two recycling pilot programs after years of ‘grassroots recycling’ around campus. Scott Pohlson, chair of the president’s committee on sustainability, said the first pilot program will start on Feb. 27 and run five weeks, ending March 31. The program will run in Slagle Hall. Slagle Hall was chosen by President James Abbott as the site for the program for multiple reasons, Pohlson said. Slagle is regularly visited by students and administration,
Submitted Photo I The Volante
Greendrops like the one above will be located in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for a recycling pilot program.
and houses the IT department in the basement, so there’s a wide variety of recycling needs. There will be four totes on each floor. One bin will be for No. 1 and No. 2 plastic items, one for aluminum cans, one for white paper and another for mixed paper. Occupants of Slagle will also be surveyed as part of the pilot. “Everyone in Slagle has been notified. They will get a survey before it starts,” Pohlson said. “They will get a survey in the middle and another in the end.” Pohlson said if the pilot goes well, the next step would be to expand programs to the Muenster University Center and the I.D. Weeks Library. “The first (place) that we would go to for sure, unless something goes really wrong in the pilot, would be the MUC and the library because that’s the highest traffic area for students,” he said. “We want to try a residence hall, and I think we want to try North Complex.” Starting a program in North Complex, however, will prove challenging, as there are no elevators for totes to be transported. Pohlson
said a program in North Complex would require a lot of work with students on finding a solution to get all waste to a main floor. In addition to the pilot program in Slagle, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center is starting a pilot program this month. The pilot started unofficially on Feb. 11 during the men’s basketball game against South Dakota State University. “The reason we did it for the SDSU game is because that’s the biggest volume that we will see,” Pohlson said. For recycling in the SCSC, Pohlson has been working with Dan Gaston, the senior associate AD for operations and facility management. Gaston said 31 percent of waste was diverted through the greendrops at the state game. Greendrops are stations around the arena that have four bins for each type of recyclable. “Thirty-one percent isn’t the greatest, but it’s a lot better than See RECYCLE, Page A3
Clay County residents now have access to the 211 Helpline, a 24/7 service that provides access to information and support. A partnership between the United Way of Vermillion and the Helpline Center, the helpline launched on Feb. 11. People can call 211 for information on government questions, where to find food or addiction services and more, according to a press release from the Helpline Center. Kelsey Collier-Wise, executive director of the United Way of Vermillion, said 211 is something the United Way board has talked about for years, but just became financially feasible. United Way pays 75 cents per person in the county per year to run the system, she said. For Clay County, this amounts to around $10,000-$11,000. Additional donations to United Way made the launch possible, Collier-Wise added. “So you kind of have to have a commitment of that going forward,” she said. Students are “absolutely” encouraged to utilize the free resource, Collier-Wise said. “A lot of students know their campus pretty well, but they don’t always know their community pretty well,” she said. Collier-Wise said 211 will hopefully help address the many needs of Vermillion residents, 37 percent of which are living in poverty. “I think that 211 is helpful
By the Numbers $0.75 per person that United Way pays in the county per year to run the helpline.
$10,000-11,000 total amount paid in Clay County for the helpline.
16th Clay County is the 16th county in the state to get the helpline.
wherever it is, it’s almost all over the country and in many places it’s statewide because they recognize how important it is,” she said. “For us, when people are in need, they spend a lot of time looking for resources, they might call one person and then be sent to someone else, then be sent to someone else. And it uses up a lot of their time and energy.” The community’s population turnover rate is about 20 percent each year, Collier-Wise said. “There’s never a time where you can just say, ‘Well everybody in Vermillion knows where this is, or where that is.’ Because you just always have new people coming in that you have to introduce to your services,” she said. Every person that answers 211 calls is a certified crisis counselor, Collier-Wise said. “If people are depressed, they need someone to talk to, they’re in crisis, they can also use the 211 number for that,” she said.