The Volante 3/8/2023

News

Verve

SGA Leadership Candidates Run Opposed

Reporter Writes Book, Vermillion Family Gets Closure

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The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 2 3

Track and Field Summit League Champs

Adam Pearson | USD Marketing

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For the first time in USD history, the men’s and women’s track and field teams both won the Summit League Indoor Track title. The Coyotes will send four athletes to the NCAA Championships in New Mexico.

See more on Page 7

News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023 THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM

Dakotathon Fundraisers are Full of Success When they receive donations or earn

Brooklynn Kahle

Brooklynn.Kahle@coyotes.usd.edu

Dakotathon

is

busy

creating

fundraisers throughout the school year to plan for its big marathon event on April 1.

Dakotathon fundraiser

for

is

a the

yearlong Children’s

Miracle Network’s marathon event.

At the marathon, Miracle Children from around the region are invited to spend the day with the Dakotathon participants. Madison Sundvold, the executive director, said there are many benefits to being involved.

“Not only do we get to meet and interact with the families that we directly support, but it allows students to be in something greater than themselves,” Sundvold said.

“We get to see the difference that we

money from fundraisers, it is added to their Donor Drive. The Donor Drive keeps all of their money stored until it can be donated to Children’s Miracle Network.

“Fundraisers are the key to

our

success

organization.

as

a

non-profit

Without

them

we

would not be able to fundraise the amount we do,” Sundvold said.

Sundvold said Dakotathon gives a large donation to Children’s Miracle Network where they can then spend the money on purchasing medical equipment, providing direct financial assistance to those being treated and funding the Child Life Program.

“Without

the

support

are making, which makes our passion

from the USD community, our

and dedication to this organization

organization would not be possible.

so much greater.”

We make a difference in the lives of

This year, Dakotathon is

the children and their families, and

selling Butter Braid pastries, a new

we need continued support to be able

fundraiser for the organization. After

to continue to provide for them,”

the sale is completed, every member

Sundvold said.

that sold Butter Braids will receive

Dakotathon

plans

to

until

the

part of the proceeds in their Donor

continue

fundraising

Drive, which will help them reach

marathon

event.

their fundraising goal for the year.

partnered with Pi Kappa Alpha for

Every member of Dakotathon has their own fundraising goal.

They

recently

a spaghetti feed and hosted trivia at Varsity Pub.

Adam Pearson | The Volante Dakotathon Executive Director, Madeline Sundvold, poses with a child at the Dakotathon Fundraiser.

News

The Volante

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 3

Swanson, Brust Run Unopposed for SGA Leadership Jozie Kumm and Charles Streeter Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu Charles.Streeter@coyotes.usd.edu

As SGA elections are under way, Caleb Swanson and Elizabeth Brust have announced their run for president and vice president, respectively.

Swanson and Brust faced no opposition in this election. Their platform consists of a three-pillar platform of service, support and sustainability.

“We like students to know that we’re here to represent you and us,” Brust said. “Having a leadership position, especially in this capacity, is to represent students in student needs. So we really want to prioritize those needs first, above our own.”

Swanson, a sustainability major, wants to increase efforts to make USD a sustainable campus.

“Another really important thing we are passionate about is improving campus sustainability,” Swanson said. “So a couple of initiatives with that is establishing a sustainability coordinator office on USD to help establish and coordinate studentwide initiatives with all students to make campus a generally more sustainable place.”

Brust said their sustainability initiative will extend to the dorms with plans for free laundry sheets.

“Not only will it be sustainable, but also very affordable for students,” Brust said. “(Caleb’s) been working really hard on that and we’re both really proud and excited.”

In addition, Swanson and Brust want to focus on student mental health.

“We’re also focusing on support with really trying to improve student health and continuing the efforts of previous administrations with mental health access and expanding that,” Swanson said.

Brust said they have specific ideas they hope to implement.

“We discussed implementing a text hotline. A 24-hour help hotline for students to discuss their mental health, which I think would be a really accessible resource,” Brust said An obstacle student organizations have to go through with SGA is the budgeting process. The budgeting process begins when an organization submits a desired budget amount which goes through finance, then SGA holds meetings to determine how much the organization will ultimately get.

Brust said that her main goal as the current Director of Communications would be to continue to make sure there is as much communication as vice president.

Charles Streeter | The Volante Caleb Swanson and Elizabeth Brust run for SGA President and Vice President, respectively.

SGA has a public drive where students can access their minutes, agendas, senate bills, and other documents.

Another concern students have is the security measures on the campus alert system. Brust said that she would like more information included about campus alerts in the future, while keeping them as confidential as possible.

Swanson said having UPD give more information to keep students safe would also be beneficial.

“Another thing I think might be really valuable is the information that is

“Gaining funds is a difficult process given that we’re only given a [set] amount

given to the university and the University Police Department when such instances

of money to begin with, and which continues to go down every year… So I think

occur is maybe sending out information about how students might be able to best

continuing with those workshops and actually meeting face to face with student

avoid or best protect themselves or generally just make sure that they’re safe on

organizations will be huge for our return and also implementing that virtual

campus and like what instances might be best to avoid,” Swanson said.

reimbursement process because sometimes not only can getting the funding be frustrating,” Burst said.

SGA elections end at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. You can vote by going to my.usd.edu and clicking the link in the SGA Senate Voting announcement.

News

4 | Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Volante

Vermillion Water Safe to Drink Despite Concerns Jordan Grothe

Jordan.Grothe@coyotes.usd.edu

Many residents across Vermillion are bothered by the taste of the water. Fortunately, the water is within all federal, state and local regulations.

“Our biggest complaint would be the taste. If people travel from another town, they’re going to notice the taste difference ... We don’t want to take a lot of the minerals out of the water because some of that is what’s needed for your health,” City of Vermillion Water Department Lead Operator Eric McPherson said. “I think they’re noticing a difference because they’re coming from their town to here.”

Many of the surrounding communities have water supplied by the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, which serves areas throughout South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. This water system has won different taste awards throughout the past few years, but the City of Vermillion cannot pull water from that aquifer.

“All that was put in play many years ago as to who can get water from them,” McPherson said. “We actually tried going further south on the other side of the Vermillion River, testing different irrigation pivots to see if we could find a different water source, but they are all the same as ours.”

The water in Vermillion is sourced from groundwater

in wells south of Vermillion near the Vermillion River and goes through extensive processing once it enters the plant to put the water within all state regulations. Despite the taste, the water poses no health risks. McPherson said, “Even with the taste and odor, it’s safe to drink.”

“We adhere to all the federal, state and local laws. We have maximum contaminant levels that we adhere to … We take lead and copper samples every three years,” McPherson said. “There’s many samples that we have to take every year, but so far, we have not had any kind of risk or anything close to any kind of risk.”

Despite not posing any health risks, many students invest in water filters or bottled water because of the taste.

“It tastes salty and has a weird film to it,” Makenna Sexton, a USD student, said. “I buy water bottles … I’ve tried using those Brita water bottles, where it filters as you drink it. However, it didn’t really do much, and I haven’t gotten a real Brita. I have heard those do taste better.”

Unfortunately, not many feasible solutions exist to fix the taste of the tap water.

“There’s not much we can really do to get rid of it because it all stems from our water source,” McPherson said. Attempts have been made to improve other conditions, and plans are in place to adjust chemical levels.

Jordan Grothe | The Volante Despite the concerns of the drinking water in Vermillion, city officials deemed it safe.

Coyote Classic Climbing Competition to Return this Year Jordan Grothe

Jordan.Grothe@coyotes.usd.edu

The Coyote Classic Climbing Competition will be returning for its second year. Last year, the competition had over forty competitors.

The competition features three different brackets and is accommodating to a wide variety of skill levels.

Climbers can compete in a beginner, intermediate or advanced bracket, with the routes being progressively more difficult.

Alaina Farnik, the climbing wall manager, said that anyone can participate in the event even if they don’t know how to climb.

“It is for everybody and anyone can participate,” Farnik said. “Usually, people who haven’t climbed before don’t come in, but we welcome everybody. The rules will be explained, so they’ll understand it. Last year, we had forty-five people, so we’re hoping to at least get that same amount.”

Farnik, who participated in the competition last year, gets to be behind the scenes in arranging it this year.

“Being on the backside of it all and seeing who is going to climb this year has been really exciting,” Farnik said. “My favorite part is seeing good climbers come, seeing how they do on routes that we’ve made. It’s really

awesome to see.”

The weeks leading up to the competition consist of extensive preparation. This year, the wall will also undergo routine repairs prior to the competition.

“We have El Dorado coming and fixing the wall, and they’re supposed to come March 11. We’ll tear down everything on the 10th, and they’re going to fix the draw bolts on it and paint it,” Farnik said. “We’ll be closed from the 11th until the 25th when everything new will be up.”

The competition typically has many sponsors and has boasted big prizes in the past, including four climbing ropes last year.

“We have reached out to sponsors, so we have a couple big brands. We’re still waiting on some bigger prizes,” Farnik said. “La Sportiva sent us some 25% off coupons, which is a big deal. We also have some punch passes and chalk bags. Lots of little prizes, but we’re waiting on a bigger prize. Maybe a rope, or a crash pad or something like that.”

The competition will be held on March 25 at the Wellness Center. Registration is $30 until March 11, when it will increase to $40.

“It’s a great experience. It’s something new. Be adventurous. It might seem scary, but the climbing community is so welcoming, whether you’ve never done it or you’re an expert at it,” Farnik said.

Jordan Grothe | The Volante The Coyote Classic Climbing Competition returns to USD for the secomd year.

The Volante

News

Award Winning Professor Back in Fine Arts Department Jozie Kumm

Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu

Young Ae Kim has returned to USD as professor in the graphic design program after teaching at SDSU for five years.

In the beginning of Kim’s career, she wanted to be a doctor.

However, she changed her major after realizing that she wanted to do something she enjoyed. In 2000, she graduated from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a specialization in industrial design.

During this time she worked for big companies, including Samsung and LG, as a designer.

She was successful in this field and promoted quickly, but she found her passion in the arts, specifically in graphic design.

“I had a taste of how my design can influence people in [the] general public wise, but I also wanted to influence youngsters like somebody who’s just about to learn something new that doesn’t know anything about. And I found that more meaningful than creating lots of those design products,” Kim said.

Kim said she has always wanted to teach students at a college level, so she made the decision to go to the United States to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, Georgia. There, she graduated with a masters of fine arts.

Then she came to USD where she got her Ph.D. in human psychology.

She was a professor at USD for nine years before moving to SDSU. “I grew up in a metropolitan city with over 10 million people…

But when I came back to USD in 2008, it was very strange. Not only was the whole town like a little dot, but the people were extremely friendly… That’s why I decided to move to South Dakota from the get go,” Kim said.

During this time, she has won many awards. The most recent award she has received was in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic. She collaborated with researchers from California, Texas and New York. They created a method that creates more creative experiences. They pulled COVID-19 data sets and analyzed participants’ emotional values for virtual reality experiences. They were awarded the Extended Reality (XR) as an honorable mention award.

Kim’s favorite award was a phone design for Samsung. There, she created a camera design for people who are blind. Kim did extensive research and gave her phone design to blind children and followed them.

She followed how they engaged with their environment. She wanted to emphasize the different senses in her design. She was awarded first place for her design.

One of the challenges Kim has faced and will continue to face is the constant change within graphic design.

“Graphic design is the area that changes all the time. So even the jobs it is today are not the same in five years, and there are always new positions that require completely new knowledge in that field,” Kim said.

Despite these challenges, she said wants to continue to help and support students, through their passions, if it is through graphic design or another course at the university.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 5

The Volante

Tavin Carncross Editor-in-Chief

Charles Streeter Managing Editor

Volume 148, No. 5 March 8, 2023 www.volanteonline.com

Jozie Kumm

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

Bennett Clary

Adviser Tim Schreiner

News Editor

Rachel Pechous News Designer Verve Editor

Allison Horkey Verve Designer

Brock Weidner Sports Editor

Trevan Rychlik Assistant Sports Editor

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.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023 THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/SPORTS

Run at the Summit League Tournament Ends Early Women’s Basketball Loses in Quarterfinals, First Time in Six Years Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

The women’s basketball team fell 92-69 to Oral Roberts in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament on Sunday.

This was the first time the Coyotes have lost in the quarterfinals since 2017, former head coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s first year with the program. The 2017 loss was also the last time current head coach Kayla Karius was on the sidelines with the Coyotes during the Summit League Tournament. In 2017, USD fell to Omaha 64-58.

On March 5 in the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, Karius and her team fell to the same fate that Plitzuweit did in 2017.

The Coyotes entered the game with a quick 3-pointer but were soon met with Oral Roberts’ full-court press.

The team had six total turnovers in the first quarter, allowing the Golden Eagles to score nine additional points which put them ahead 22-15 at the end of the quarter. Redshirt freshman forward Carley Duffney led the Coyotes in scoring with seven points.

Oral Roberts was led by senior guard Hannah Cooper with five points at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Oral Roberts was able to extend their lead to 14 points with 2:09 left in the half. This quarter saw an additional four turnovers by the Coyotes.

Cooper continued to lead the Golden Eagles in scoring at the half with 12 points.

The half ended with the Coyotes trailing 39-28.

As the Coyotes returned after the

half, the team went on their largest scoring run of the game with eight points. The third quarter ended with a 62-53 Coyote deficit.

“At halftime, we’re sitting on seven points off turnovers, and I think that was a moment for us to collect ourselves and to take a deep breath all together,” Karius said. “We came out in the third quarter much more poised, and I was really proud of the way we handled pressure better.”

In the final quarter of the game, the Coyotes committed an additional nine turnovers and allowed a nine-point scoring run for the Golden Eagles.

The two teams traded baskets a majority of the second half, however the Coyotes were unable to get stops defensively.

“They were able to force a lot of turnovers,” senior guard Macy Guebert said.” I think we were able to figure it out a little bit more towards the end but like (Karius) said, we were trading baskets with them. I think it really came down to defensive stops and you have got to get more of those on the stretch.”

The Golden Eagles ended the game ahead 92-69. They were led by Cooper the entirety of the game. Cooper finished with 24 points. This was her 15th game of the season with more than 20 points. Cooper was followed by junior forward Ruthie Udoumoh in scoring with 19 points. Oral Roberts was also able to capitalize on USD’s 21 turnovers for 28 points.

USD was led by Duffney and sophomore guard Grace Larkins both with 19 points.

Oral Roberts competed against SDSU on Monday in the semifinals and lost 87-60. SDSU went on to win the Summit League Tournament against Omaha on Tuesday 93-51.

Men’s Basketball Falls in First Round to “Baby Bison” Tavin Carncross

Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

The men’s basketball team fell to North Dakota State 70-68 in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament.

The Bison opened the game with a shot in the paint from sophomore forward Andrew Morgan.

Six minutes through the first half, Coyotes sophomore guard Max Burchill hit a 3-pointer to put USD up by two. Senior guard Mason Archambault continued the South Dakota scoring as he hit two free throws and a 2-point jumper to increase the lead to 13-6 with 12:49 to go.

The Bison clawed their way back after being down six to retake the lead with 8:59 in the half, 17-15. NDSU’s Junior guard Boden Skunberg piloted their comeback as he scored eight unanswered points.

USD would regain the lead after a two and a half minute scoring drought that was ended by a layup from sophomore guard Paul Bruns.

North Dakota State repossessed the lead with 5:02 in the first half after sophomore guard Jacari White hit a layup. The Bison held the lead for the rest of the half and went into halftime with a 33-25 lead.

Both teams went into the half with a combined four of 22 from behind the 3-point line.

“In the first half we were one of 11 from three. So at halftime, I was like ‘guys, we’re going to start making some shots. We need to take good shots and we just need to stay with it,” South Dakota men’s head coach Eric Peterson said.

South Dakota came out of the half

and tied the game with 13:40 after a 17-8 run which was led by the USD starting five (Archambault, junior guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt, junior forward Tasos Kamateros, senior guard Damani Hayes and redshirt sophomore A.J. Plitzuweit).

Both teams traded the lead for the rest of the second half.

The Bison were unable to score a field goal for seven minutes of the half until freshman guard Tajavis Miller hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 2:16 remaining in the contest.

Perrott-Hunt was fouled with 56 seconds left in the game and went onefor-two from the free-throw line giving the Coyotes a one point lead.

Miller drove into the paint with 15 seconds and hit a floater to give the Bison the lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Coyotes came out of the timeout and designed a play for Hayes to have an open shot in the paint. This play worked until Miller met Hayes at the rim and blocked his shot.

“You asked how tough that was for these guys… we couldn’t get (Archambault or Hayes) to come out here.

That’s how they’re feeling right now in the locker room. I’m really proud of those two guys, our true seniors,” Peterson said.

Coyotes fouled Skunberg after the rebound and he went one-for-two from the line and gave NDSU a two-point lead with four seconds left.

Plitzuweit heaved a last second shot for the Coyotes but missed and the game ended with a 70-68 Bison win.

Bison’s junior forward Grant Nelson led the game in scoring with 23 points.

He also compiled 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. He was joined in double-digit scoring by Skunberg (17), Miller (12) and Morgan (10).

Story continued on page 7

Sports Continued: Basketball Summit League Tournament

The Volante

For South Dakota, they were led by Plitzuweit with 17 points. Perrott-Hunt also had 16 points and six assists (season high). Kamateros had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bison competed against South Dakota State on March 6 where they defeated the Jackrabbits 89-79. They will compete in their fifth straight Summit League Championship game against No. 1 Oral Roberts tonight at 8 p.m. at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

“This is about as proud I’ve been as a group in my tenure,” North Dakota State men’s head coach David Richman said. “They’ve coined the phrase, ‘The Baby Bison.’ We have seven guys

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 7

that have never been in this building and we just played a team that all their main six or seven guys have been playing multiple games in here.”

As Peterson prepares for next season, he hopes to build the program standard around the mentality of his two true seniors in Hayes and Archambault.

“About two weeks ago, when we had a little diversity with our team, I met with Mason and Damani and said ‘our program is going to be built on what you guys are about.’ To bring it every day in practice. They never complain, they show up, they’re leaders, they’re great people to be around and they love South Dakota,” Peterson said.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante (Top): Seniors Jeniah Ugofsky and Allison Peplowski get emotional on the sideline as they watch Oral Roberts gain a substantial lead in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament. (Bottom): Senior Damani Hayes breaks down on the court after a failed final play, securing USD’s loss in the first round of the tournament.

volanteonline.com

Sports

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 8

Four Field Athletes to Compete at NCAA Tournament Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

On Feb. 25-26, the men’s and women’s track and field teams cemented their first Summit League Championship win since joining the conference.

This was the second straight women’s win and the first for the men since 2015. Both teams haven’t won the conference tournament since 2011 when they were previously in the Great West Conference.

Twenty-five Coyotes placed on the podium throughout the two-day tournament, as well as both a men’s and women’s relay team.

Sophomore Erin Kinney broke a Summit League Championship record in the 60 meter dash with a 7.27 second gold medal finish. This was the first gold place finish in this event since 2016 by a Coyote.

Kinney also placed first in the 200 meter dash.

Alongside Kinney, sophomore Jacy Pulse came in third in the 200 meter dash to round out the podium. She also competed in the 400 meter dash where she placed first.

Sophomore Abrielle Jirele ran a 4:55.02 1 mile run to secure second place. She also got second in the 5000 meter run. Both of these finishes helped her receive the title of Summit League Track Championship MVP. Junior Ella Byers had two third place finishes on the weekend in the 800 meter run and the 1 mile run.

Two Coyotes secured the top spots in the women’s high jump. Sophomore Danii Anglin jumped a 1.80 meters to get the gold. This height was only one centimeter off the Summit League Championship record. Anglin also qualified to compete in the NCAA championships for high jump based off her performance during the indoor season. Junior Carly Haring followed Anglin in second place.

Sophomore Marleen Mülla broke the Summit League Championship record and school record in the women’s pole vault which secured her not only a first-place finish in the event but also made her the leader of the NCAA. Mülla was joined by teammates junior Gen Hirata and sophomore Cassidy Mooneyhan on the podium. Hirata finished second and Mooneyhan finished third. All three women will be heading to Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete in the NCAA Championships.

In the women’s shot put, junior Meredith Clark finished first with a distance of 14.96 meters. Clark’s gold medal finish combined with junior Lydia Knapp’s first place in the women’s weight throw marked the first time that USD has swept the women’s throwing events at the Summit League Cham-

pionships. Knapp was joined by sophomore Delaney Smith who got second place in the weight throw.

The women’s 4x400 meter relay team consisting of Pulse, sophomore Anna Robinson and juniors Madison Jochum and Hannah Young finished first in their event with a time of 3:46.59.

On the men’s side, junior Dylan Kautz began the weekend with two first place wins in the 60 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. Junior Ardell Inlay joined Kautz on the podium for these two events with his third place finishes as well as sophomore Ken-Mark Minkovski who placed second in the 200 meter dash.

Sophomore Luke Olson got second place in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:52.15.

Senior Merga Gemeda stood on the podium in two events. He placed second in the 5000 meter run with a time of 14:28.20 and he placed third in the 1 mile run with a time of 4:10.71.

In the 60 meter hurdles, junior Hugo Morvan came out with a second place finish with a time of 7.93.

The Coyote men swept the high jump event with senior Jack Durst in first, sophomore Joe Lynch in second and sophomore Ethan Heitman in third.

Junior Marshall Faurot got the gold in the men’s pole vault alongside sophomore Eerik Haamer who came in second.

Freshman Bennett Schwenn placed second in both the long jump and the triple jump events.

The final individual event podium finishes came from sophomore Wyatt Lubarski who placed third in the long jump heptathlon and second in the shot put heptathlon.

The men’s 4x400 meter relay team consisting of Minkovski, Olson, freshman Mark Daley and sophomore Thomas Nikkel came in third with a time of 3:18.76.

Kautz and Kinney were voted Summit League Most Outstanding Performers of the Championship and were honored alongside many of their teammates who received All-Summit Performer honors. These honorees include Anglin, Byers, Clark, Haring, Hirata, Jirele, Jochum, Kinney, Knapp, Mooneyhan, Mülla, Pulse, Robinson, Smith, Young, Daley, Durst, Faurot, Gemeda, Haamer, Heitman, Inlay, Kautz, Lynch, Minkovski, Morvan, Nikkel, Olson and Schwenn.

Mülla, Hirata, Mooneyhan and Anglin will be heading to compete in the NCAA Championships on March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. USD is the only school in the Summit League who had student athletes qualify to compete in the NCAA Championships.

For the first time since USD’s transition to Division I, the Coyotes will be sending three women pole vaulters to the NCAA Championships. Currently Mülla is first in the nation, Hirata is ninth and Mooneyhan is 15th. Anglin is currently 12th in the nation for high jump.

Overall, the USD women’s track and field team is No. 23 nationally and has the No. 1 women’s pole vault team in the nation.

The three pole vaulters will compete in the NCAA Championships on Friday, March 10 at 3 p.m. and Anglin will compete on Saturday, March 11 at 2 p.m.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante Marleen Mülla is currently the No. 1 women’s pole vaulter in the nation. She is preparing to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Tournament.

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023

THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

Editorial: Why are All the Seats Always Empty?

College athletics are one of the most distinctive features of school. Sports are a significant portion of USD’s identity and a way to recruit new students.

There are many different teams and sporting events that USD students are a part of. There’s football, basketball, golf, track and field, swimming and others. All of these sports have events that happen on campus, but why are the seats so empty?

A lot of sporting events are in the evening and on weekdays. This is difficult for students because the night is when they are getting home from class and

“

overwhelming. It’s not an environment

These events are more some people want to be in. Sports aren’t entertaining to everyone. There is so than just points, it’s about much entertainment people can get from their computers or phone, there isn’t a the atmosphere that sports need to go out and find something to do.

USD has a lot of different ways to can provide. view the results of games as soon as

”

work or just starting to work on assignments. People are busy, and attending sporting events isn’t at the top of people’s list of things to do.

People go to games to have a good time, but crowds can be loud, rowdy and

they happen. It’s easy to look on Twitter to see who won and by how much. It doesn’t seem like people really need to go to an event if they can see the results.

But these events are more than just points, it’s about the atmosphere that sports can provide. While academics

The Volante Tavin Carncross, editor-in-chief Charles Streeter, managing editor Brock Weidner, sports editor

EDITORIAL BOARD THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

Trevan Rychlik, assistant sports editor Emma Daggett, opinion editor

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

Context is for suckers.

“It’s a memorial to his favorite dead wife.”

— FA

“The syrup is attacking me.”

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Submissions must include the author’s name, address, telephone number, year in school and major or job title. Letters must be exclusively for The Volante.

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Bennett Clary, verve editor

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should be the number one priority in every school, watching a game can be an opportunity to step back from the stress of classes.

Attending college sports events can be fun. If you don’t like basketball, go to a volleyball game. If you don’t know the rules of football, watch a swim meet.

Attending events is a good opportunity to support your school and peers. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, try going to a few games. Drag your friends along with you and see if you’re missing anything.

The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.

— Norton

“I gaslit myself into believing I could do something, but I couldn’t.”

— Beacom

“George Washington is an ally.”

— FA

Opinion

The Volante

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 10

Will Artificial Intelligence Kill the Essay?

Ella Byers is a senior majoring in secondary English education.

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) has become incredibly accessible in recent decades, and with its increasing relevance in our daily lives, many people are starting to question how far we can take it and how healthy it is for group human intelligence. The release of the A.I. platform, ChatGPT, has changed perceptions of artificial intelligence and the implications it presents regarding its future role in education and the effects it will have on classroom dynamics.

The chatbot provides writing

feedback for students and can produce full papers in a span of seconds. While benefits like these are incredible, the system needs to be approached with caution as it has the potential to completely change the methods of essay writing on every level.

Educators are now going to have to sift through works to determine whether or not they are computer or student-generated.

Despite this becoming a potential issue, the benefits of ChatGPT outweigh these problems and the inevitability of

its takeover forces us to evaluate how we can accentuate the good aspects.

Because the tool can be used inappropriately when completing homework, teachers may have to “rephrase” what cheating entails. This is not to say students can rely completely on A.I. for homework completion, but they should be taught how to use it as an aid rather than a crutch where their academics are involved.

For example, some positive ways to use ChatGPT could

be anything from using it for research on work to having it proofread papers. Many people have had to use extensive peer-reviewing, and this could be a more efficient and unbiased way to have your work checked.

Educators have had to evolve with new technology since the 1950s. Now that ChatGPT is here to stay, they will have to alter their work to make artificial intelligence and human intelligence allies instead of rivals.

Group Projects are Worse than Individual Work

Elizabeth Arend is a senior majoring in secondary education.

There is nothing worse than showing up to class and hearing the teacher say you will be assigned a group project, then they proceed to group you up with class members who you know will do absolutely nothing to contribute. Or maybe you are that latter-described class member.

I get that group projects have some beneficial aspects, such as learning how to divide responsibilities, gaining the perspectives of peers and learning how to work well with others, but do they really ever go that

smoothly?

The answer is NO. One student in the group usually gets stuck with most of the responsibilities, while others may try to slack depending on who they are in a group with. Other group members may just be shyer and feel intimidated trying to contribute to the project.

So what is the answer to this dilemma?

A lot of the resolution can come from the teacher’s end of things. Of course group work needs to stay in the classroom,

it has ample amounts of benefits for students, but making sure it is implemented in a helpful way is the tricky part of things.

It all starts with students being taught how to work in a team from a young age. Being able to effectively communicate with those around you is an important skill to possess, no matter the occupation or environment one is in. Another way to improve group work is by having set group roles in order to ensure each person is contributing an equal amount

of effort to the assignment.

Self and peer evaluations are another implementation in the classroom that can provide constructive feedback for the good and the bad of the group work.

As a current student, I understand why other students think group work is the worst.

It can be stressful, intimidating and daunting. But on the other hand, as a future teacher, I understand what the benefits of group work can be if used effectively. Therefore, group work should always have a place in the classroom.

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Novel Revisits Vermillion Cold Case Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

The new novel “Vanished in Vermillion” was released Feb. 21 by KARE 11 reporter Lou Raguse. The novel is about the 1971 cold case disappearances of Pamela “Pam” Jackson and Cheryl “Sherri” Miller who were both seventeen at the time. The teens had been on their way to a party before their disappearance and were last seen following a group of classmates.

Raguse started his journalism career at KELO in 2005 as a cops and courts reporter. Raguse became interested in the case during his time at KELO but was unable to find out what happened to the girls until much later in his career.

“I stayed in contact with the families because I do a lot of crime and court stories and a lot of times I make very good relationships with victims’ families,” Raguse said.

“When it was discovered what hap-

pened to Pam and Sherri, Pam’s brother-in-law called me, and I was living in Buffalo, New York at the time, and he let me know and so I kind of got pulled back into it.”

Raguse was asked by Jackson’s family to write an article to put all the facts in order for their family because there were so many newspaper articles out at the time about the incident. Raguse instead wanted to write a book to do a deep dive and report everything that occurred from that night to when the case was solved over 40 years.

“I think I did a great job of recapturing Pam and Sherry’s last day on Earth, as well as what everybody remembers concerning their disappearance at that time,” Raguse said. “And then my next goal after that was to get behind the scenes of the cold case investigation because they made a lot of mistakes during that and didn’t necessarily own up to them.”

According to Raguse, in South

Dakota citizens are not able to access case files even after the case is closed. However, Raguse said he convinced the Attorney General, the Vermillion police chief and the Clay County sheriff to give his access to case files and copies of reports for his research.

Even though writing the book was still a form of journalism, Raguse said this kind of reporting required more of a plan. He said he’s used to writing daily articles, however the novel was an entirely new challenge for him as it requires more in-depth research and is more time consuming.

“I do articles on a daily basis where pretty much all the work is done in one day. And at the end of the day, what you get you report the best and most that you were able to find in the course of the day because that’s the usual deadline.

And even an in-depth piece that I get multiple days to work on, at the end of the day, it ends up being five

minutes worth of content on TV,” Raguse said.

Raguse said he was able to uncover new information that had never been reported and confirmed and disproved theories through his investigation. He also said he hopes that no cases are ever treated this way again as law enforcement didn’t do a lot when the girls initially disappeared.

According to Raguse, the police searched the farm where the party occurred and found bones, but the Attorney General said the bones still had to be tested and could take months to receive answers. However, the bones were tested and within a week the Attorney General knew they were chicken bones, but that information was never shared with the public and the police still controlled the narrative.

“I hope it opens up people’s eyes of what is possible, and not to take everything at face value. One of the most important parts of the book is

Submitted | The Volante

“Vanished in Vermillion” is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Audible.

where I was comparing what the police were telling the public at the time in 2004 versus what the police reports showed was really going on,” Raguse said.

Student Club Honors Women’s History Month Allison Horkey

Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu

In celebration of Women’s History Month, a new student organization, Activists for Equality, hosted their first event, a trivia night in the MUC pit on March 6.

Anna Bottesini, president of Activists for Equality, said she was excited to host the first event. “(The event is) just to inform people about the impact women have had on history,” Bottesini said. “I feel like we touch a lot on what men do throughout history, especially in public school, pre-college, and we don’t really focus (on

women). There’s like a couple of women and that’s about it.”

Junior Katelyn Privett said they enjoyed the trivia event because she likes to see how much she already knows and it is a good opportunity to learn more.

“I really like Kahoot! But I also find it really interesting to see people like me do stuff,” Privett said.

Senior Nyx Podzimek said they wanted to come to support Bottesini and the organization.

“I don’t get to be on campus a lot so I’m grateful to attend,” Podzimek said. “I suck at trivia so it was fun for me to win something.”

Bottesini said the organization focuses on a range of issues. “(Activists for Equality focuses on) intersectional feminism with a focus on reproductive justice, mental health (and) advocating for healthy relationships,” Bottesini said.

Bottesini said her grandmother was an inspiration to her and her goals for the organization.

“She really inspired me. She had three kids and then she went to college, got straight A’s. She was super smart. She was super talented,” Bottesini said.

Bottesini said she was most excited to get the word out about the

Allison Horkey | The Volante

Students gather in the MUC Pit for a trivia night hosted by Activists for Equality.

organization. Activists for Equality hold their meetings weekly on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in the MUC pit.

“I’m most looking forward to just kind of having more people hear about the organization and see some new faces,” Bottesini said.

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