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Archaeology dig reveals history in Vermillion River The third annual Susan Tuve archaelogy Field School 2021 will begin in May and uncover historic Vermillion history. Read more about the class on B3.
Swim & Dive looks to end the season strong at Summit League Championship Coyote Swim and Dive team will compete in Fargo, North Dakota on April 15-17 for the Summit League Championship. Learn more about the team and the upcoming meet on B1.
POLAR PLUNGE BEATS FUNDRAISING GOAL BEFORE EVENT STARTS
Rachel Thompson | The Volante
The Polar Plunge raised over $16,500 for Special Olympics athletes. Participants included nurses, Dakota Brickhouse employees, law enforcement groups and the fraternity Delta Tau Delta. Rachel Thompson
Rachel.R.Thompson@coyotes.usd.edu
Before the event had even started, the Vermillion Polar Plunge had already raised $15,000 for Special Olympics athletes. John Cole is the assistant director for the law enforcement torch run for the state of South Dakota and also a police officer for the Vermillion Police Department. Cole helps out with events across the state, but his hometown, Vermillion, is where he ran the Polar Plunge Saturday. This is Vermillion’s 12th annual Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics athletes across South Dakota. This event helped 100 athletes locally and 2,700 statewide. Usually the event takes place in February, but due to COVID-19 it was pushed back until April 10.
“The warmer weather helps people to spread out, and for it being outside. Also to allow COVID vaccinations to kind of get underway and for some restrictions to loosen up,” Cole said. With the nicer weather, the pool was still 42 degrees and was just four feet deep. Two Vermillion firefighters geared up in diving gear and were in the pool to assist people getting out of the water. “Also, the USD Special Olympics club came, South Dakota National Guard came and law enforcement officers from the area helped out.” Cole said USD’s Special Olympics organization showed up in holiday-themed costumes and jumped in the pool together. Members of the USD Special Olympics did their own separate things to raise money for the event and collectively raised $9,500 dollars as of Saturday. Vermillion businesses and residents sponsored the
event. Usually, friends and family donate for the polar plunge and were able to leave cash or checks at the event when attending. “The most efficient way is to sign up online at plungesd.org,” Cole said. “When they register, they create a fundraising web page and they just plug in their social media and people can donate online, and the nice part about that is it generates fundraising from outside areas as well.” Many groups jumped in the water, from nurses to Dakota Brickhouse employees, a seven year old and the fraternity Delta Tau Delta. “It’s awesome that people can kind of find their way and be a part of something, so it’s a meaningful organization,” a participating Delta Tau Delta member said. Proceeds from the event are still being counted. Cole said as of the current count, the plunge had raised $16,500.
ASA hosts celebration of African cultures at USD Allison Horkey
Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu
The African Student Association (ASA) hosted the annual African Night celebration Sunday in the Muenster University Center (MUC) Ballroom. The event included a fashion show featuring traditional clothes from different African countries, two dance performances from the East African dance team and Afrobeat dance team, a short skit, poetry, singing, traditional African food, a Parade of Nations and Nigeran comedian Aphrican Ace as Emcee. Betty Fanta, president of the ASA, said the event is one of the organization’s largest. “This is the event where we do our dances, culture, music, food, everything in a very grand scale,” Fanta said. The African Student Association is part of the University of South Dakota’s Center for Diversity and Community, which also includes organizations like the Spectrum and Union of African American Students. “ASA is an organization where it’s like home away from home for students who are coming from Africa to stay here. And for students here it’s a learning place where they can meet people, friends from different countries, learn about different cultures and, you know, just have fun in forming that life-long lasting friendship with people,” Fanta said. Rachel Nwogo, the vice president of the ASA, said the main goal of African Night is to showcase the culture of African nations, and to educate people about the continent as a whole. “African Night is about sharing the African cultures that international students bring with them with each other and other USD students. It also offers a little bit of home to the African studying here,” Nwogo said. “Personally, when I was a freshman, and I attended the first Africa Night, I was just like so happy to have people from my country in the same place, and us just enjoying like home for that night. It was just really nice, so I feel like this event just kind of brings everyone together and kind of just makes them feel that they have each other,” Nwogo said. The event was catered by Aramark and Eats with Ashlely, a local Vermillion African catering business, Nwogo said. Fanta said one of the hardest challenges in planning the event were COVID-19 regulations. The MUC ballroom, which usually has a capacity over 300 people, has been cut down to a capacity of 107. “It’s kind of a new experience with COVID, so it’s just like, you don’t really know if you’re doing it right or wrong, but you know that we’re going to do our best,” Fanta said. Tickets were sold before the event for $3 for students and $10 for faculty and community members from the table in the MUC.
Allison Horkey | The Volante
African Night, hosted by the African Student Association, showcased the cultures of various African nations.