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The Volante

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7

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Task force cacauses on fate of law school Maria Potratz I The Volante

More than 100 people attended “After Charlottesville: A CampusWide Conversation” Sept. 6.

USD hosts discussion to address racism Dustin VanHunnik

Dustin.VanHunnik@coyotes.usd.edu

Clay Conover I The Volante

Thomas Geu, dean of the law school, (left) and Eric Young, assistant dean, (right) both attended the Sept. 6 meeting to discuss the possible law school move.

Clay Conover

Clay.Conover@coyotes.usd.edu

The fact-finding continues after a task force established to investigate the possible move of the South Dakota School of Law met Sept. 6 in Sioux Falls.

The 13-member task force had its second of three meetings at the Sioux Falls School for the Deaf, where they heard testimony from USD students and faculty and community members.

The law school is considering the move due to a drop in applicants and low bar passage rates.

Established by USD President James Abbott in May, the task force will present him with a recommendation accompanied by a report once its members conclude their research. Abbott will then decide if he wants to make a recommendation to the South Dakota Board of Regents, who can make a request to the gover-

nor to put the necessary funds in the budget proposal to be voted on by the legislature.

“I was for a task force to look at a possible change because we will probably need to go back to the legislature this coming year for money,” said Thomas Geu, dean of the law school. “As a donor and a tax payer, before we sink a few million dollars, I’d like somebody to do some due diligence because See LAW, Page A3

More than a month after the events in Charlottesville, VA sparked controversy across the nation, a conversation about racism, prejudices and education was held on USD’s campus.

Students and experts in fields such as law, health sciences, political science, history and Native American studies gathered in the Muenster University Center Sept.

6. More than 100 people attended the event, “After Charlottesville: A Campus-Wide Conversation,” which was hosted by the Office for Diversity and the Office for Student Rights & Responsibilities.

Lamont Sellers, associate

vice president for diversity, facilitated the event.

“We as an institution need to continue to have these conversations,” he said. “Frankly, this is the place to have t hose conversations.”

Some of the topics discussed included previous conflicts between cultures, institutionalized racism, racially-biased education and how to better inform people about issues taking place across the nation.

Minji Cho, a second-year graduate assistant at the Center for Diversity & Community, said she saw the conversation as just the beginning of USD’s efforts towards promoting diversity.

“We see this conversation See CDC, Page A6

CAGE aiming to increase study abroad interest Sara Cappiello

Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu

The Center for Academic and Global Engagement (CAGE) staff is hoping to increase enrollment in global learning programs by 10 percent this year.

Virginija Wilcox, assistant director of study abroad and National Student Exchange, said she’s going into this school year with a new purpose.

“We’re thinking about getting out of our offices and being in different areas on campus and having open advising sessions and information sessions to show students what the opportunities are,” Wilcox said. “Now we have more time to bring in fresh ideas, more memberships and better marketing.”

CAGE recently became partners with the Diversity Abroad Organization, an international organization which advocates for students from diverse backgrounds and provides them with scholarship opportunities for studying abroad.

Søren Peterson, assistant director of faculty-led programs, said 185 USD students studied abroad last year.

“Our membership helps us think more about diversity in general and how the diversity of the study abroad offerings and participation by students meshes or doesn’t necessarily with USD,” Peterson said. “What we want students at USD to understand is that study abroad is for them. It’s for literally any student here.”

CAGE has also initiated a study abroad student ambassadors program. So far, there are 15 study abroad student ambassadors who will help with marketing, organizing events and getting USD students involved and seeing the programs available for global learning.

One of the student ambassadors, sophomore Matias

Sophomore Matias Kowang (front) studied Arabic and Arab culture in Fez, Morocco this summer.

Kowang, studied in Fez, Morocco this past summer. Kowang studied Arabic and Arab culture.

“I lived with a Moroccan host family, so I was living exactly like a local Moroccan,” Kowang said. “That hands down had to be the best part of my whole experience. I went to Morocco during the month of Ramadan, so the religious customs were a cool thing to be a part of and learn.”

Benefits to studying abroad In the last few years, CAGE has sent students anywhere from Spain and France, to Lithuania and Canada.

Besides studying in a different country, students can also travel across the nation through National Student Exchange and attend other schools.

Wilcox said USD is the top school in the state for NSE. “With the numbers we recruit for National Student Exchange, we are way ahead of other schools,” Wilcox said. “There’s not only career value, but also academic value and cultural value, so we really try to emphasize to students that there are a lot of benefits. Your study abroad experience will definitely set you apart from other students.”

Peterson said he’s also mak-

ing a concerted effort to show how affordable studying abroad can be, and that there’s a program available for just about anyone, regardless of their major.

“There’s this myth that study abroad is more expensive than a semester here and that’s not always the case,” Peterson said.

“Reading about another country or culture is one thing, but actually experiencing it and living it brings a whole new reality to it.”

After studying in Morocco, Kowang said any students interested in studying abroad should try it.

“The studying abroad experiences can be used in every as-

Submitted photo I The Volante

pect of your life,” Kowang said.

“Studying abroad will truly challenge you and show you who you are.”

Wilcox said one of the benefits of studying abroad is networking with people all over the world.

“The world is so much bigger than South Dakota,” Wilcox said.

“You’re going to make connections and make lifetime friends that live all around the world.

You can touch another country somehow by living there for just a few months. You become a part of another culture.”

News

A2 Wednesday, September 13, 2017

The Volante I volanteonline.com

FOOD AND FESTIVITIES

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante

The annual Ribs, Rods & Rock ‘n Roll took place in downtown Vermillion over the weekend. Hundreds attended live music and the BBQ Championship.

City of Vermillion Police Blotter Highlights >> Sept. 3 - 9

4

underage consumption citations

Sept. 3 Officers responded to a report of suspicious activity. They located a male passed out in the reporting party’s back yard.

The male was woken up, was identified and released.

Sept. 3 An officer stopped a vehicle for speeding.

The driver was cited and released.

Sept. 3 Officers received a dog that had run away from its home. The owner of the dog was found and the dog was returned to its owner.

Sept. 4 An officer was flagged down for a person in need

1

of assistance. The officer’s investigation revealed that a subject had driven while intoxicated despite being told not to by friends.

The subject was arrested for DWI. Sept. 4 Officers received information of a person trespassing on private property. The suspect was found and arrested for trespassing.

Sept. 5 Officers responded to a call for medical assistance. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived on scene.

Sept. 5 Officers responded to a report of a fraudulent bill passed at a local con-

open container citation venience store. Officers identified the individual and vehicle involved.

An individual was later stopped and arrested for forgery and theft.

Sept. 5 Officers received a report of shoplifting from a local business. The suspect was identified and found to have outstanding warrants.

The suspect was located and arrested.

Sept. 7 Two young men were contacted in a city park.

The men had been consuming alcohol and were underage. Both were cited.

Sept. 7 An officer saw a man in a local bar who had a

1

public urination citation

warrant for his arrest out of Clay County.

The man was arrested without incident.

Sept. 8 A vehicle was stopped for speeding. The driver didn’t have insurance and his license to drive had been suspended.

The driver was arrested and the vehicle was impounded.

Sept. 8 Officers responded to a 911 hangup call. Investigation revealed that a boyfriend and girlfriend had been arguing. The man had tried to call 911 and the woman broke his phone. The man then assaulted the woman by threatening her. Both were arrested.

1

Sept. 9 An officer stopped a man walking down the sidewalk drinking from a can of beer. The man was underage and was cited.

Sept. 9 Officers investigated a report of a group of young men throwing things at a drive thru window and trying to get into the window. When officers located the group they fled.

Two were located and stopped. One was underage and had been consuming alcohol. He was cited.

Sept. 9 A local business reported the theft of tobacco products. The incident is under investigation.

DWI Sept. 9 A local liquor establishment turned over a fake license they had taken from a man attempting to purchase alcohol. The fake license had the man’s real picture. A check of South Dakota records showed the name on the license came back to an man under 21 who was going to USD. The man was contacted and confessed to the attempted purchase. He was cited.

Sept. 9 While on foot patrol downtown, an officer came across a man standing near a parked vehicle urinating. The man was standing about 40 feet from a Porta-potty that was there for a special event. The man was city under city ordinance.

Dedication site for USD veterans in the works Kara Tesch

Kara.Tesch@coyotes.usd.edu

Despite the color red plastered around the USD campus, it’s not usually found alongside white and blue. One student is trying to change that.

A committee of 84 USD students, faculty and alumni have proposed a plan for the construction of a site to honor veterans at USD. This plan was inspired by a student’s protests towards the lack of a prominent flagpole on campus.

There are only two flagpoles on the campus of USD that display the American flag: one on the main campus in front of the Al Neuharth Media Center and one in front of the DakotaDome.

During his first semester at USD, junior nursing major Krisztian Fasi decided he wanted to do something about the situation. Fasi first took action during the past school year by doing what he called a “passive protest.”

“I carried an obnoxiously large, 2-foot-by-4-

foot American flag,” Fasi said. “My buddies could see me across campus. It was kind of nuts.”

Fasi, a Navy veteran, wanted more people to be aware of the fact that the stars and stripes weren’t being represented enough at USD. He attached his flag to his backpack.

“Some days I had to hold the flag so it wouldn’t smack people in the face with patriotism,” Fasi said.

Fasi’s efforts gained traction when he came across a group of people looking to create a dedication site on campus for past, present and future USD veterans. The group also hopes to show special recognition for the three USD alumni who’ve received the Medal of Honor.

The idea for a dedication came when USD alumnus Gary Conradi pointed out to USD Foundation president emeritus Ted Muenster during the previous school year that the campus lacked a recognition site for the Medal of Honor recipients that graduated from USD:

Arlo Olson (1940), Joseph Foss (1939) and George Day (1949).

“It seemed to make sense to combine the flag display and the Medal of Honor display with recognition of all veterans affiliated with USD,” Muenster said.

There are no set plans for what the display will consist of or where it will be located, but the committee hopes to have the monument built in the grass area in between the South Dakota School of Law, the Beacom School of Business and the Al Neuharth Media Center.

According to the committee’s proposal submitted on Aug. 3, this location would be highly visible and easily accessible, with shelter provided by the surrounding buildings.

The area is also set to include seating for students to sit and reflect on the dedication.

The committee has looked at other dedications in the state for ideas.

Muenster said the committee thinks the state’s

COYOTEHistory 1917 A national need of trained men caused young college men to question whether they should enter the draft or stay in school. One man’s father telegraphed the war department for advice and received the answer that young men under the draft age should stay in school.

1967 Two former USD students were murder suspects that entered pleas of not guilty.

William W. Stand and Thomas J. White Hawk were charged with the murder and rape of James Yeado, a Vermillion jeweler.

flagship university should have its own memorial.

“There’s one at South Dakota State University,” Muenster said. “They have two Medal of Honor recipients among their alumni. We have three, so we have 50 percent more than they do.”

While funds for this project will have to be raised privately through contributions, the USD Foundation has agreed to include the dedication in its fundraising goals if requested by the university.

Muenster said it could take two years before the construction of the dedication begins.

“If I leave South Dakota before it’s finished, I’ll have to come back to look,” Fasi said.

Kara Tesch I The Volante

A committee of 84 USD students, faculty and alumni have proposed a plan to construct a site to honor USD veterans.

The Volante Volume 142, N0. 2 September 13, 2017 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Chuck Baldwin 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.

Ally Krupinsky editor-in-chief Cheyenne Alexis managing editor Heather Egbert advertising manager Dustin VanHunnik news editor Clay Conover news presentation editor Lauren Soulek assistant news editor Morgan Matzen verve editor Rachel Newville verve presentation editor Devin Martin assistant verve editor Chance Mullinix sports editor Mason Dockter sports presentation editor Molly Schiermeyer photo editor

The Volante I volanteonline.com

USD recycling program expands across campus

Rachel Newville

Rachel.Newville@coyotes.usd.edu

After more than two years of planning, a university-wide recycling program is finally starting to spread around campus.

Scott Pohlson, chair of the president’s committee on sustainability, said after ending the pilot program in Slagle Hall last spring, they evaluated options for expansion over the summer.

One area of debate was whether the university should use the Missouri River Valley Recycling Center or take recycling to a single stream center out of town.

“We just decided that we just want the partnership locally because while that might make us more efficient, from all the research I did, I found that actual single source you do less recycling,” Pohlson said. “But there’s a view that because it’s easier and you can kind of throw whatever you want in there that you’re actually recycling more but in fact, what happens is there is more contamination and if there is a lot of contamination it just gets thrown away.”

The university currently has recycling in Slagle Hall,

LAW

From Page A1 this is a 25-year decision.”

The task force will meet again on Oct. 6.

While moving the law school to Sioux Falls would require the construction of a new building, another option being considered is the renovation of the law school’s current building, which would be much cheaper.

Geu estimated during the Sept. 6 meeting that it would cost $10.4 to $12.2 million to renovate the current law school, whereas building a new one in Sioux Falls could cost $20 to $25 million.

Along with a move or renovation, the task force may also propose institutional changes to the law school.

“Regardless of location, we need more resources to devote to student services,” said third-year law student Morgan Nelson, president of the Student Bar Association and a member of the task force. “We currently don’t have a dean of student services. Our academic dean is currently in that role, and those two hats she’s wearing are too much for one person.”

Evaluating the move Keeping the school in Vermillion would allow law students to continue to pursue other degrees while in law school. Since 1996, 9.9 percent of all graduates of the law school graduated with a dual degree, according to a PowerPoint presented to the task force by faculty.

Representative Ray Ring, D-S.D, and former USD faculty member, testified at the Sept. 6 meeting.

“The cost of moving, direct, indirect or otherwise, is a high price to pay for an experiment,” he said during his testimony.

Three students testified

the Muenster University Center, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and the DakotaDome.

Over the summer, senior Scott Clabough was hired to remove recycling from the buildings.

“So essentially, I use the MUC truck – it’s a state fleet vehicle – and I go to Slagle Hall and I collect all the recycling from each floor. And then I come here (to the MUC) and collect all of it and then load it up and take it to the recycling center and put it in their corresponding bins,” Clabough said. “It takes me just under two hours.”

Pohlson said more student workers will need to be hired as recycling programs are implemented across campus.

“We need students that want to do this and we will pay them,” he said. “So if they have work study, great. If you don’t have work study and just have a passion, I think we can probably give five to six hours a week and you’re doing a good thing for the university.”

Vermillion solid waste director, Bob Iverson, said with the new recycling program, he expects to see more recycling at

“

News

the center.

In 2016, USD recycled 200,819 pounds of waste.

The university is looking to surpass that mark this year – they’ve already recycled 181,793 pounds of waste since January.

“We have four months left, so they are well on their way to surpassing last year’s number,” Iverson said.

Pohlson said the USD community has been very supportive of implementing a program, and there are hopes for expansion as soon as next semester.

“I mean, everybody wants it. I haven’t run into one person that doesn’t want it,” he said. “Do they get frustrated with some of our processes at times? Absolutely, but overall everybody wants it.”

Depending on how the program in the MUC goes and how many students the university can hire, Pohlson said he would like to see recycling in the dorms next semester.

“If we felt confident enough we’ll probably expand to North Complex and Coyote Village this spring,” he said. “Now if we get a decent-sized team, we could expand it faster.”

There are enrollment issues nationwide. Some say that’s because of the debt you have to incur.

Some say that’s because they’re able to effectuate their goals with a J.D. Morgan Nelson, president of the Student Bar Association at the meeting. Two said they didn’t have an opinion about the school’s location, but Rachelle Norberg, a third-year law student, said she’s pro-Vermillion.

“While Sioux Falls provides a lot of opportunities for law students and potential law students to work for a firm, or work for a trust company, or a bank or a nonprofit, there are other areas in the state that desperately need interns,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gone to law school had it been in Sioux Falls.”

One advantage to moving that was discussed during the meeting is that prospective students may be more attracted to a larger town.

Sioux Falls offers more opportunities for internships and externships, which can be important in starting a law career, Geu said.

Many law students already live in Sioux Falls, where some have spouses and children, and commute to Vermillion, Geu said.

Some also have to commute to their externships in Sioux Falls.

Evaluating the bar USD is unlike most law schools because it’s the only

law school in the state. One of its stated missions is to populate the legal infrastructure of South Dakota.

With fewer applicants and a lower bar passage rate, the state is starved for lawyers, especially in rural practices, Geu said.

Dropping bar passage rates have become a national phenomenon. One possible reason is a lack of applicants – a smaller applicant pool means that law schools must lower their admission standards.

Passing the bar is required to practice law in the state of South Dakota, so students who fail are often left with significant debt.

Nelson said she believes students are choosing law school less and less because they’re uncertain about employment after graduation.

“There are enrollment issues nationwide,” Nelson said. “Some say that that’s because of the debt you have to incur. Some say that that’s because they’re able to effectuate their goals without a J. D. Whereas before, law school was that safe route of, ‘I’ll be able to make money.’ Students are less likely to think that.”

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 A3

Lexi Kerzman I The Volante

Nikki’s Run is an annual event that was created to help individuals and famillies affected by suicide. This year’s run saw 61 participants.

Lost and Found hosts annual Nikki’s Run fundraiser Lexi Kerzman

Lexi.Kerzman@coyotes.usd.edu

Despite a thunderstorm, 61 people showed their support for suicide prevention at the annual Nikki’s Run event on Sept. 9.

The Nikki’s Fund 5k run/walk promotes suicide prevention awareness in honor of Nikki Harris, who passed away 12 years ago. Janine Harris, Nikki’s mother, started the run in 2006.

The annual event allows groups like USD Lost and Found, a suicide prevention organization, to raise awareness along with pay their respect for those individuals who have lost their lives to suicide.

“It has been important to the Student Counseling Center and the Lost and Found team that we properly honor the individual, family and friends that this run is dedicated to,” said Maggie O’Brien Lost and Found vice-president.

This is the first year Lost and Found has organized Nikki’s Run. This event was the kick-off event for suicide awareness month.

“We are doing meet the executive and sharing our own stories about why we’ve joined Lost and Found and why we’re passionate about it,” said Kylie Johnson, Lost and Found president. “We’re going to be doing a lot of tabling and giving out information on different resources that we have on campus. We do a lot of stuff on awareness of mental health and different types of things.”

“

The run continues to raise funds.

This makes sure students have the resources they need of they are struggling with mental illness...

Maggie O’Brien, Lost and Found vice president

O’Brien said Lost and Found splits the profits with Nikki’s Fund, which ensures that the proceeds directly benefit USD students as well as Nikki’s Fund.

Johnson said they decided the change the run from a traditional 5k to a fun run, with the theme “Keep Glowing for Suicide Prevention,” in hopes that more students would participate.

Held on Sept. 9, racers were only able to participate in a one-mile walk rather than the 5k run because of poor weather.

About 130 people participated in Nikki’s Run last year.

Despite the rain, there were still 61 participants at the glow run, including former Vermillion resident Danielle Cook.

Cook has been participating in Nikki’s run for the last three years in remembrance of her sister,

who committed suicide in 2013.

“Rain or shine, I’m here,” Cook said. “It’s that important.”

O’Brien

said

she

thinks the run provides a reach-out to people if they are struggling with mental illness. Although the run had lower numbers than anticipated, Lost and Found was still able to raise more than $1,000 at the run.

“The run continues to raise funds,” O’Brien said. “This makes sure students have the resources

they

struggling

need

with

if

men-

tal illness whether that be

counseling,

ication

or

med-

supportive

groups (such as) Lost and Found.”

Take Mandarin online at NSU

Introductory Chinese 101 & 102 offered year-round Satisfy graduation requirements Learn an in-demand language & boost your resume Open up travel and study abroad oppurtunities Have fun and impress your friends 605.626.3293 confucius@northern.edu facebook.com/confuciusnorthernstateu

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

THE VOLANTE

VOLANTEONLINE.COM/OPINION

MLI retreat showcased importance of social justice

VOLANTE EDITORIAL

JOE MOUBRY is a sophomore majoring in studio art.

Cheyenne Alexis I The Volante

Events like the Multicultural Leadership Institution, which was held over the weekend, play an

important role at inclusive excellence at USD.

USD continues to make strides in education, inclusion Pride, tolerance and acceptance are part of USD’s commitment to inclusive excellence. More importantly, these traits are embodied by the Center for Diversity & Community and the students involved in it.

Since opening in November 2014, the CDC has undoubtedly gained more student participation.

Last weekend, more than 50 students from many backgrounds attended the fifth annual Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI).

Students participated in open dialogue, shared stories and gained leadership skills.

This is just one example of how USD’s diversity & inclusiveness strategic plan becomes truer and truer each year.

This retreat allowed students to come together and appreciate each other despite differences in religion, sexual orientation, race, economic status and more. Students heard the stories of their peers and embraced the fact that USD values diversity and inclusion.

As pointed out in a blog from Great Value College, diverse college campuses have many advantages. Being exposed to, and empathizing with, people from many backgrounds will only benefit

students as they get ready to graduate into a diverse world.

“It’s okay to have different opinions, but it’s important to respect everybody and treat everybody the same,” said Sophia Lima, a sophomore accounting major, on Sunday.

The CDC takes this seriously and makes sure its programs are well put together and available to everyone.

Besides having students participate in a free retreat like the MLI, the CDC frequently hosts events that allow students and the USD community to learn about other cultures. These events gain more involvement each year.

For example, the Eid al-Adha dinner last year had such an increase in interest that it was moved from the CDC to the Muenster University Center Ballroom this year to accommodate more attendees. Other popular events include the Spectrum Drag Show, African Night, Festival of Nations and the Wacipi, among other things.

This demonstrates that students and the USD community care about getting involved and exploring different cultures. They feel connected and are willing to learn new things.

During a group reflection on the last day of the MLI,

Amanda Quenemoen, an adult and higher education graduate student, said this learning and storytelling shouldn’t stop once the retreat ended.

CDC events like the Multicultural Leadership Institute help eliminate prejudices and discrimination, and allow students of all backgrounds to showcase that they’re proud of their cultures.

USD students have many ways to learn and discover other cultures, and that’s something not many universities, especially those in the Midwest, can say.

The CDC isn’t only an outlet to connect and learn about other cultures, but it’s a home away from home for many students. It’s a place where students feel they can be themselves while appreciating the different cultures around them.

It’s important that USD embraces the fact that there are so many different people on campus. While there’s still a long way to go, USD and the CDC are making strides toward making diversity and inclusion an important focus on campus.

USD is a university that prioritizes diversity and inclusion, and as the CDC approaches its third anniversary, this is only going to get better.

The Volante THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

EDITORIAL BOARD Ally Krupinsky, editor-in-chief

Morgan Matzen, verve editor

Cheyenne Alexis, managing editor

Chance Mullinix, sports 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: Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. Vermillion, S.D. 57069 Fax to: 605.677.5105 Email to: volante@coyotes.usd.edu Via our website: volanteonline.com The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.

When I heard about the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI), I knew I wanted to attend. After all, its theme was storytelling in a digital era.

I believed the weekendlong trip would just focus on how social media affects portrayals of people of different backgrounds than mine. I expected the weekend to focus on exploring minorities affected

by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or international students or something.

But before we jumped into exploring social justice or diverse groups, we first focused on ourselves.

We did this in one of six “families.” These groups were a metaphor for how we didn’t get to pick our families. The metaphor also applied our ethnicities, genders and sexual orientation.

The discussions I had with my family and in the large group had an amazing effect on me. It seemed like with each discussion, whether it was on hopes or fears or how I identified myself, I started realizing the cracks in my wall. This came from the willingness to be vulnerable with this amazing group of students.

Many of us found it easy to allow ourselves to be vulnerable throughout the week. Not because we thought we’d get symphony or pity, but because we knew that members in our families would understand our vulnerability. More importantly, we knew there wouldn’t be any judgment.

By feeling comfortable with each other, we where more open about discussing social justice topics.

We spent the latter part of Saturday in four groups creating a social media

“

The discussions I had with my family and in the large group had an amazing effect on me.

campaign for a social justice issue of our choice.

The group I was in landed on how DACA affects transgender immigrants.

It was amazing how my group could take our individual educational backgrounds from USD to create a cohesive campaign.

We decided the hashtag #NDMD would get more clicks to find out what it means: No DACA Means Death. The hashtag would predominately be used on Twitter.

Although there’s nothing in the works to execute this plan, it was a great way to learn about creating a social media campaign, especially because it was under the broad topic of social justice.

This retreat opened my eyes to social justice.

It showed me how it’s important to use your social media presence to bring attention to the issue in a constructive way.

The retreat allowed me to understand both myself and fellow USD students. I came to realize how complacent I’ve become as a global citizen in context of social justice issues. I also found out that my fellow retreat attendees are willing to assist me in becoming a more globally-aware person.

Cheyenne Alexis I The Volante

More than 50 students attended the Multicultural Leadership Institute over the weekend.

OVERHEARDS

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

“Those things are the Olympic runners of the animal kingdom.”

— Muenster University Center

“Sometimes when I’m sad I meow and pretend my cats are here.”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“Recently my favorite emoji is the honey pot.”

— Muenster University Center

“No porn in my office, please and thank you.”

— Volante newsroom

“As long as you have a hole somewhere on the front of your body, you can get into the frats.”

— North Complex

Opinion

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 A5

Philosophy has economic, intellectual benefits for students SETH GERBERDING is a sophomore majoring in math and philosophy.

Across the country, college is back in full swing. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of students with their heads stuck in books or trying to stay awake in lecture halls.

Millions and millions of dollars are spent on tuition. One thing most of us don’t think about: what’s the purpose of college?

For Gov. Dennis Daugaard, the purpose of college is for students to get a good job. The governor wants “students to think seriously about the economic value of their desired career path,” according to an Argus Leader

article. Students should think more about the economic potential of their degree rather than become worldlier.

“God bless philosophers. And if people want to educate themselves to become more worldly... that’s great. ...But they shouldn’t confuse that with something the economy will have in demand,” Daugaard said.

Well, as a philosophy major, I’m going to have to disagree with the governor.

While economic potential is important, college is meant for something more — intellectual and personal maturity. I think we can all agree that there’s more to life than just making money.

While I personally enjoy money, I also enjoy intellectually-stimulating projects, thinking about

big ideas and coming up with creative ways to solve larger-thanlife problems. While engineering certainly is a fantastic career path, it won’t educate people when it comes to political or cultural questions, questions we all have to deal with at some point or another in our lives.

While working for a U.S. senator in Washington D.C., a deputy chief of staff told me that one of the most important skills for a staffer to have, one in high demand, is to be able to write.

He went on to say that there are two majors that really teach students how to write: philosophy and English.

Some of the best job creators in our modern era are philosophy majors.

Peter Theil,

“

I think we can all agree that there’s more to life than just making money.

co-founder of PayPal, is one. Carly Fiorina, President and CEO of Hewlett- Packard, is another. One couldn’t doubt the serious economic impact these innovators have had.

Yet, even with these immense economic benefits, there’s something about studying philosophy that can’t be quantified.

My life has been greatly impacted by my study. I’m far more content with my life.

I love what I’m doing, something which a dollar sign can’t account for. I’ve met incredibly

intelligent people. My life is more rewarding, more interesting and far more fulfilling. One can only experience this phenomenon: no statistic can explain it.

Philosophy — and humanities degrees in general — do have something to offer, and are far from useless. Are some degrees better than others? Of course.

Should everyone come to college? Of course not.

There are plenty of ways to lead fulfilling lives, many of which require no degree.

It’s important to remember that college

isn’t meant to be job training — it’s meant to be a personal and intellectual experience.

There’s a dimension to education that goes beyond how many dollars it brings in.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, philosophy majors make more money, on average, than business marketing majors. In fact, philosophy graduates make the most money of any humanities degree over the course of their career. So yes, thank God for philosophers.

Be yourself: How to find rain when in a mental drought AUSTIN LAMMERS is a sophomore majoring in media & journalism.

This summer, I hit a creative clouding. Maybe it was the 40-hour work week. Maybe it was no outlet to contribute to. Maybe it was just summer, when no one is really required to think.

Nonetheless, thinking is hard, and when you want to do it better than anyone else, pressure creeps into the back of your brain and distracts you from using it correctly.

Determined to halt the mental drought, I gravitated toward art

and literature. If there was anything to ail the creative void, it would be the creators themselves.

So, I hunkered down and read — books and articles and essays and lyrics — not particularly searching for answers, but hoping they’d find me.

I attempted to get inside the minds of those I admired, seeking the same currents that ran through their cortexes and trying to replicate them in mine.

Would George Saunders walk through my front door and teach better sentence structure? Would Tyler, The Creator let me hop into his McLaren and converse about

“

When it comes to creation, artists and authors can only assist so far.

emotional intactness as “Flower Boy” played in the background? Would David Foster Wallace call and ask if I wanted to get Qdoba?

No, they wouldn’t, because George Saunders doesn’t know I exist, Tyler is probably at a Tesla dealership and DFW is dead.

When it comes to creation, artists and

authors can only assist so far. Each one has their own mind, and if it were easy to enter and observe the configurations, they wouldn’t be worth exploring.

The creative mind is like the deepest sectors of the Pentagon. Few can enter.

Regardless of mood, they all hold brilliance.

I observed the creators,

trying to break into their inner workings. But I couldn’t interpret their coding, and instead lustrously stared at the vault, wondering what lie inside. I flipped the pages and jotted my notes, and it worked for awhile. Until it didn’t.

Creativity can’t be duplicated — that would be imitation. You may hold the steel, but if someone else strikes the flint, that’s their fire. Not yours.

Luckily, I rediscovered a system of thought that I knew my way around.

Instead of breaking and entering into another’s psyche, I started using mine again.

Anxiety drained from my brainstem,

confidence took its place and I took back the flint.

That’s the beauty of humanity: we function, learn, create and connect in 7.5 billion ways.

Learn from the minds around you, but don’t latch to them like a parasite. Each mind finds fulfillment in different ways, and imitating one will leave you empty.

Most of us will never write like Hemingway, calculate like Einstein or paint like Warhol. And that’s okay, because they are them, you are you and I am me.

As much as I want Qdoba with David Foster Wallace, I no longer want to be him. And that has made all the difference.

Be more than a statistic and learn to stay focused SARAH JONES is a senior majoring in English.

Ally Krupinsky I The Volante

Students at the Multicultural Leadership Institute focused on team building and sharing stories.

Guest column: Leadership retreat worthwhile KEVIN NAM is a junior majoring in economics and computer science.

I’m not a fan of leadership camps.

It usually feels artificial, manufactured just for the sake of its lofty, almost impossible to reach end goals.

Perhaps being part of similar programs made me a bit cynical about such activities.

However, I can say that the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI) this past weekend was different from the rest, succeeding from the beginning to the end. In fact, I can confidently say the MLI helped me rekindle my trust in our communities again, especially within our campus.

The MLI eased us into an atmosphere where we were free to contribute or discuss important current events and issues,

without making it feel forced. Whether it was through ice-breakers or discussing the subject on hand with different “families,” the entire process felt organic, like how I would normally converse with my friends.

What shocked me was the subject matter that was being handled. Usually, we see organization-led activities steering clear of sensitive social topics or current event for sake of staying out of the limelight. The MLI didn’t hesitate to dive deep into the core issues such as social injustice and discrimination.

I’m not saying the conversation lacked direction by any means.

Each subject topic had specific objectives in mind, and each group did an excellent job of creating dialogues that brought unique perspective and insight into a subject that was extensively covered already.

The scope is

a difficult metric to precisely set or measure. It’s why we see countless programs overpromise, but underdeliver.

This wasn’t the case for the Multicultural Leadership Institute, which clearly communicated its scope to the participants and delivered accordingly.

This was mainly because of the lead coordinator and intercultural program coordinator for the Center for Diversity & Community, Lena Tran. Her passionate, kind demeanor helped quickly break down the barriers between the leaders and the participants, helping us understand what was needed to be said and to be discussed.

I would say her focus toward building relationships between students helped vitalize both our activities and conversations in a visible form.

People who avoided conversations started to share their experiences

and their emotions.

People who stood off to the side began to actively participate in the activities.

The overall result of Tran’s vision was something tangible: a closer, tightly-knit community. What Tran and her crew created through this program is something to be applauded for, and be imitated.

That isn’t to say it was without its shortfall. While the activities were paced appropriately, I felt that some participants were left behind whether that was through social interaction or stamina.

However, what I saw with great delight was that each time this happened, the community stepped in to help, despite having no obligations to do so.

While I’m not a fan of many leadership camps, I can now say that I would recommend the Multicultural Leadership Institute to anyone.

The days of barely scraping by and still being able to move on to the next year in high school are long gone, and for some students this is a shock. Some classes are a lot harder than others, and many crumble under the boulder of pressure and decide to leave.

Communication plays a major role in a student’s success.

Humans aren’t meant to be solitary creatures. It’s OK to lean on each other when necessary.

Faculty members and other students are available to provide extra help, as long as that help is asked of them. There’s no need to sit staring at the same math problem for hours on end wishing that the answer will just magically appear.

Many first-year students don’t make it to their sophomore year because they think college isn’t for them.

Often, without a degree, people are stuck working jobs they hate because they have no other option.

Sticking with the trials of college will be its own reward, eventually. The ability to have the dream job, the one that seems more like a hobby than

a chore, will finally be made possible.

We all come to college with some dream in mind. Some of us want to become doctors, scientists, dentists, nurses, world famous musicians or just have enough money to survive in a world with ever-growing prices on necessities, like having a home.

Whatever the reason, the goal is to maintain a degree in order to achieve those dreams.

What’s truly sad is when those dreams are tossed away before they’re even given a chance to truly become some semblance of reality.

Everyone learns the same information in different ways.

What’s great about USD is that there are tons of tutoring opportunities available, particularly those in the math emporium and the writing center. Faculty and staff are more than willing to make time for students that need and want the extra help with their classes.

The experiences in college will not only open the doors to that dream job, but will give experiences that will aid people in becoming who they are meant to be.

USD is more than willing to help students succeed, all they have to do is ask for help from the many resources available to them.

A6 Wednesday, September 13, 2017

News

The Volante I volanteonline.com

D O W NTO W N V ER M I L L I O N Maria Potratz I The Volante

Lamont Sellers, associate vice president for diversity, lead the conversation between students, faculty and staff in the Muenster University Center Sept. 6.

CDC From Page A1

as a start and are hoping to continue having this type of conversation to promote the importance of diversity on campus,” Cho said.

Event attendees discussed how the issues many people face today are similar to power struggle in the ‘60s when African-Americans attempted to gain rights and equality in a previously segregated nation.

Students and staff also talked about how racial issues aren’t covered enough in classrooms.

While there was a nice turnout to the discussion, Sellers said he was hoping more students would’ve participated.

“We had quite a few faculty and staff that were there and participating, and it was good to hear their voices, but I really did want to hear more of the students’ perspectives,” he said. “But I also realize that even if someone isn’t actively speaking, it doesn’t mean that it’s not still having an impact.

So even though there were many silent voices in the room, I think those voices spoke to the difficulty of having these types of conversations, but also that it

“

The way I see it is it might not impact the global scale, but it impacts our community in Vermillion...

Angel Jones, senior takes some time for people to really internalize and consider all that really is at stake here.”

Sellers said it’s important for USD to have these types of discussions because diversity-related issues happen everywhere.

“We have students that come from literally around the world, and these issues are not things that are relegated to any particular place in the country,” Sellers said.

“Things are popping up and it makes these conversations even more important because — while it may not look the same as Charlottesville, VA — there are still some things bubbling here that we just haven’t seen explode.”

Senior Angel Jones, who attended the discussion, said he thinks USD’s

direction surrounding these conversations is a step forward for the campus.

“The way I see it is it might not impact the global scale, but it impacts our community in Vermillion and in this area of the state,” he said. “Small things like this can make big changes in the future.”

The Office for Diversity plans to host similar events for students and community members, Sellers said. One will be the screening of “More Than A Word,” a documentary made by a USD alumnus that “analyzes the Washington football team and their use of the derogatory term Redskins.”

The screening will take place on Sept. 28 in Farber Hall.

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Verve

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

THE VOLANTE

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Volante staff I The Volante

More than 50 students attended the fifth annual Multicultural Leadership Institute over the weekend.

Annual retreat inspires student leaders Cheyenne Alexis & Ally Krupinsky volante@coyotes.usd.edu

After three days of team building, discussing and storytelling, USD students left Irene, SD with a sense of closeness and inspiration.

More than 50 students connected and reflected on topics relating to social justice, leadership and diversity over the weekend at the fifth annual Multicultural Leadership Institute.

“What I really liked about the retreat was that despite all of our backgrounds, and our knowledge and struggles, we were all willing to be reminded to come together in this space where we could teach one another and learn from it,” said senior Xuyen Nguyen.

Lena Tran, the intercultural program coordinator for the Center for Diversity & Community, led the MLI. “Each year we have different students, and that’s the beauty of it,” she said. “Each year as we go, we always learn something new. Even if we have the same activities, you’re going to learn something new. I think the amazing thing is you see a lot of growth and confidence.”

Tran said this growth and confidence is due to the relationships students develop with one another.

“The CDC has grown and has gained a lot of traffic because of the friendships that have been created here, that are authentic and genuine,” she said. “We really pride on that. I’ve known just from conversations from each year, they’re get-

ting more and more comfortable in expressing themselves, and I think that’s a remarkable feeling for everybody that is here.”

Kayla Garrett, a first-year education administration graduate student, attended the retreat for the first time this year, and said she made a lot of friends.

“I feel like (the MLI) is really important because it shows you that you’re not alone in some aspects, but also introduces you to different walks of life that you’re never really going to be accustomed to seeing unless you make yourself interact with these people,” she said.

This year had the highest number of applicants, which Tran said is because she “listens to students.”

“My audience are the students I work with,” she said. “And when we all got together last year and I had a good amount of ownership over the program and curriculum, it was really well done and executed, but I heard the voices of the students who participated.”

One retreat theme Tran said was imperative was open dialogue.

“I hear the feedback this year and from people already at this institute, and it’s an amazing feeling that they’ve grown so much,” she said. “We have diverse voices sitting at the table.”

When it comes to which event stood out the most, Tran said it was late night activities where students interacted freely with each other.

“After a long day of activities, we’re really getting to know each other through understand-

ing our social identities, but also understanding ourselves,” she said. “The late night activities is where you really feel comfortable, and to be able to just have these conversations, interact and just have fun — this is a safe environment, a brave space.”

Jeickson Pichardo, a sophomore media & journalism major, said although there was a lot to focus on throughout the weekend, he was eventually able to take it all in and listen to people’s stories.

“The biggest takeaway is the bonding – getting to spend time with everybody here, getting to know them, getting to hear their stories,” he said.

Tran said brave spaces was another topic emphasized during the MLI. “It’s a really important component to this institute to feel like you can share something about yourself that you may have been hesitant (about) for a long time, and know that it’s a huge contribution to the learning community,” she said. “That you are being brave, and we appreciate that bravery.”

Gabbi Revolorio, a senior criminal justice major, said the sense of community made the biggest impact on her.

“Coming to the retreat I didn’t feel like I’d belong, but now I feel like I do,” she said as the group was getting ready to leave.

Storytelling is an essential component to bring these conversations back to USD, Tran said.

See MLI Page B2

New music department professors ‘pushing tradition and excellence’ Claudia Miller

Claudia.Miller@coyotes.usd.edu

Two new faces in the music department faculty have high hopes for the bands of USD. Director of bands John LaCognata and director of athletic bands Todd Cranson both have their sights set on growing the bands’ skills and retaining music and non-music majors for the several ensembles offered by the band program.

Junior band member Eric Sanchez said Cranson and LaCognata are dedicated to the program.

“Both directors are very talented, hardworking individuals.

They see high potential with the band program and they expect us to raise our standard every day,” Sanchez said. “I see a very good

future for the USD band program.”

The two new faculty members met long before joining the music department at USD — LaCognata was the assistant band director for two years at Louisiana State University, where Cranson received his undergraduate degree.

“It’s always constructive and positive, and (LaCognata) is fantastic to work with,” Cranson said.

“He has been one of the greatest colleagues I’ve ever had.”

A musical background

LaCognata plans to travel outside of the university to work with other band programs in the region, both to help those programs and to recruit future USD students.

“We want to direct those people that have had a background in music, that love making music

and that want to continue making music at the collegiate level,” LaCognata said. “A lot of my purpose as the director of bands in a flagship institution is to get out and serve the needs of all those band directors and all those students, regardless of if it’s a big program or small program.”

LaCognata grew up in Chicago, IL, where his father also worked as a band director. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, then continued his education by attending Auburn University for a master’s degree and completing a Ph.D. at the University of Florida.

“I grew up around music, and specifically bands,” LaCognata said. “I quickly found that I had a See EVENT, Page B2

Maria Potratz I The Volante

Equip Campus Ministries hosts meetings on Tuesday nights in the Muenster University Center ballroom.

Equip Campus Ministries provides support for faith Kelli Susemihl

Kelli.Susemihl@coyotes.usd.edu

Claudia Miller I The Volante

John LaCognata, director of bands, conducts the symphonic band on Aug. 30.

A new religious student organization on campus is trying to make a lasting impact on students’ lives.

Equip Campus Ministries, a nondenominational organization supported by Grace Baptist Church in Vermillion, is beginning its second year of ministry at USD. The group’s weekly meetings consist of worship, games, biblical teaching, small group discussion and fellowship.

The mission statement of Equip Campus Ministries is “to equip students to humbly proclaim, explain and defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Ashley German, a first-year kinesiology and exercise science major, said she’s excited to become involved with the organization.

“I’m excited to experience the same passion and joy with

the rest of Equip through prayer, songs and soulful speaking,” German said.

Tori Tobin, a first-year Spanish and business communications major, said she is looking forward to having a stress-free outlet for her faith.

“My favorite thing about Equip is that we’re all able to come together at the end of a stressful day and praise his holy name,” Tobin said.

A different emphasis

Brandon Pedersen, the collegiate pastor of Grace Baptist and the USD Equip director, started the organization as an SDSU student in 2004. After seeing how USD has few religious groups to choose from, he brought the Equip ministry to campus last year.

“The main message, of course, is for the students to have a chance to hear the real gospel.” Pedersen See EQUIP, Page B2

Verve USD Special Olympics Club doing ‘rewarding’ work B2 Wednesday, September 13, 2017

The Volante I volanteonline.com

‘Lion’ lives up to its name Maria Potratz I The Volante

Kelsey Koupal, the USD Special Olympics Club president, addresses members at the first club meeting Aug. 31.

Maria Potratz

Maria.Potraz@coyotes.usd.edu

When sophomore Kelsey Koupal came to USD, she couldn’t find a student organization that suited her interests. That’s why she started the USD Special Olympics Club this year.

Working with people with disabilities has always been an interest for Koupal.

“You walk out of it so rewarded,” she said. “For me, if I have one athlete come up to me and say, ‘Thank you, I enjoyed the day,’ or ‘I had an awesome time,’ it’s totally worth it.”

The first of its kind in South Dakota – the clubs’ goal is to connect college students and individuals with intellectual disabilities through intramural sports.

Club members cheer on athletes and also have the opportunity to play sideby-side with them in sports such as softball, basketball and volleyball.

Seth Pierce, a senior sport management major and an executive committee member of the club, said he’s hoping to increase interest in the organization.

“I’m excited to introduce our campus to all the athletes, which is a whole new world that they’ve never seen before,” Pierce said. “This is a great organization that is extremely selfless and has all these

MLI

From Page B1 “I really plan on incorporating everybody that has (attended) this institute to utilize in our activities and programs through outreach and ensure you have skills that you were able to develop,” she said.

“If I have buy-in from 60 people and their networks, that’s a huge deal.”

Tran said the MLI is “important to all students.”

“Everyone can come

wonderful athletes to meet, grow relationships and make friends with.”

The club has many events planned for the year, including Night to Shine and fundraisers like Unified Sports Day Events and Spread the Word to End the Word.

In third grade, one of Koupal’s best friends had Down syndrome, so she’s always had a personal connection to people with disabilities, she said.

“Every person changes your life in a different way,” Koupal said. “I think that it’s so important for every (college) campus to be able to interact with those individuals because they’re becoming more and more a part of our society.”

Koupal’s passion for working with people with disabilities goes beyond her leadership for the Special Olympics club — she’s worked as a mentor for students with Down syndrome, taught in a preschool for children with intellectual abilities and volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“It’s really taken off,” she said. “I have always known these are the people I wanted to work with and be around.”

Despite being one of the newest student organizations on campus, Pierce said there’s been plenty of interest from students and

community members.

“We already have 150 members interested. We’ve got a lot of ties in Sioux Falls as well as other towns that want to help out,” Pierce said. “The athletic department and President Abbott are already expressing interest. There’s a lot of good we’re looking forward to doing.”

Pete Sternburg, a sophomore accounting major, is one of the group’s new members.

“I’ve heard it’s lifechanging. It’s good work, and I definitely want to be involved in that and see how the actual process works,” Sternburg said. “I think that new members can do good work here, get good experience and help kids who could use it.”

Koupal said she’s optimistic about the year and excited to see so many members open to learning about the club.

“I understand it can be a little intimidating working with someone who may have not had the same life experiences as you,” she said. “I truly believe that once you give it a shot and see what we’re about, you’re going to love it.”

“

Everyone can come here, because diversity is all about the different experiences...

Lena Tran, intercultural program coordinator for the Center for Diversity & Community here, because diversity is all about the different experiences and the different narratives,” she said. “We as students, we as leaders, we as Coyotes

have to realize that this is part of our family, and we are all in this together at the end of the day.”

PEOPLE OF

THE PACK

Parker Oleson

Parker.Oleson@coyotes.usd.edu

Known by many for its presence at the Oscars, Garth Davis’ film “Lion,” an adaptation of Saroo Brierly’s autobiography “A Long Way Home,” tells the incredible true story of a young Indian boy estranged from his family by hundreds of miles.

Nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, “Lion” is critically acclaimed, but not widely known. With a small marketing campaign, the film became popular when it was highlighted at the Oscars.

However, its recent appearance on Netflix has opened the movie to a much broader audience, and it’s definitely worth the two-hour running time.

“Lion” is tightly packed, but never wastes time. It showcases powerful performances and beautiful settings, all while telling a compelling narrative.

Impeccable cinematography introduces the audience to the hidden beauty of rural India and the adventurous spirit of a young boy named Saroo.

Played wonderfully by child actor Sunny Pawar, Saroo is left at a train station one night by his brother, and awaking to find him gone, searches in an abandoned locomotive for him. Falling asleep in the train, he awakes in the morning to find it moving.

Taken away a distance of nearly 15,000 kilometers, Saroo is lost in the city, unable to speak their language or find his way

MUSIC From Page B1

passion for making music and was blessed with some talent as a trumpet player.

Those things led me into this profession.”

In addition to overseeing all aspects of the band program, LaCognata conducts the symphonic band, teaches applied trumpet and both undergraduate and graduate conducting.

He’s been teaching music courses for more than 30 years.

“The opportunity to work with talented music students and then to share the process of music making and performing with them — that’s why I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” LaCognata said.

EQUIP Natalie Etzel YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Health service administration Devin Martin: What are some of your hobbies?

Natalie Etzel: I work at Qdoba, I work there a lot (as) a student manager. I love working out at the Wellness Center, I love being outdoors. I am originally from Minnesota.

I love the lakes, the forests and stuff like that.

I just loved the feel of

“They just keep everything really nice here and it’s personal.” the campus and how small it is and how everything is together.

DM: Lastly, because you are from Minnesota and you came to USD, what could you say to potential students who are interested in attending the

university?

NE: USD really cares about its students.

They just keep everything really nice here and it’s personal.

From Page B1

said. “God is the one who will bring us the greatest joy and happiness. Christianity sometimes seems like a really drab and boring thing, and it’s not. You’re actually choosing the thing that will bring you the most happiness.”

Cru, another religious group on campus, focuses on different teaching points, Pedersen said.

“Week to week, we do a lot of the same things, but we might also emphasize different things,” he said.

“For us, we really emphasize discipleship and local church connection. Our goal would be that every student have a mentor, someone who is pouring into them very deeply” Pedersen said Cru and Equip may collaborate on events throughout the year, but nothing is official yet.

A deeper meaning

Equip prides itself as being a “deep ministry,”

home. Ending up in an orphanage, Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. When Saroo grows up, Dev Patel portrays him as a young man struggling with his identity and searching for his home.

“Lion” is often described as Oscar bait — a movie released toward the end of the year that portrays serious, usually tearjerking material through somber cinematography and intense performances

by Academy Award-winning actors for the goal of receiving an Oscar nomination. The nominations often help with marketing and box office success.

The Weinstein Company, “Lion’s” production company, is commonly accused of producing movies falling into this category. The term, however, is often used loosely and inaccurately, and “Lion” is a perfect example of this.

The film is exceptional.

It’s visually astounding, with bright colors and stunning direction.

“Lion” portrays the dusty yet vivid rural village where Saroo is born with a delicate eye, the bustling and colorful city he is lost in with care and caution, and the incredible natural beauty of Tasmania with enthusiasm.

The soundtrack allows the viewer to experience the atmosphere of the film, and captures the emotional peaks and valleys of the story.

The performances by the cast allow the movie to truly soar. Sunny Pawar’s

breakout performance carries the first act of the film. With a less talented child star, “Lion” would undoubtedly fail. Nicole Kidman’s Academy nominated portrayal of Sue Brierly is as powerful as it is heartbreaking. Dev Patel makes a performance to even surpass his past role in “Slumdog Millionaire,” earning him another nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Even if the film falls into certain Oscar bait tropes, it defies many other Hollywood tropes. The first half hour of the film, and nearly the entire first act, is spoken in Hindi. The filmmakers resisted studio pressure to move the Tasmanian setting to America to appeal to a broader audience. The filmmakers truly understood the importance of the setting, and staying true to the story.

Those looking for a quality movie night, seeking a heartfelt tale about the plight of Indian youth, or just wondering what the Oscar hype was about should make sure to watch “Lion.” As someone who was simply checking it off my watchlist, I went in expecting stars and was given the moon.

“It’s great fun.”

Cranson grew up in New Orleans, LA. He studied at LSU for his undergraduate degree and attended the University of Arkansas for his master’s degree. Cranson then spent a year studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He completed his doctorate degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign while also teaching there.

Along with working at the collegiate level, he directed students at a high school level for five years – totaling 20 years of experience overall.

“I’m happy to be here and to be teaching,” Cranson said. “I love teaching and I love being involved in an academic institution.

This place is going to grow.”

Preserving tradition

Cranson also plays multiple roles in the music department – teaching classes and lessons and directing The Sound of USD. He plans to preserve USD tradition.

“Since I got here, I’ve been trying to tease out traditions and make them matter,” Cranson said. “Really pushing tradition and excellence, I think, is going to help people want to stay, and help with that retention. The better you are, the more fun it is.”

Cranson has reincorporated the USD alma mater song and the fight song, “Get Along Coyotes” into the marching band’s show, which haven’t been featured in years past.

“

We hope to dig into theology and who God really is.

Brandon

Pedersen,

Ministries director

Pedersen said.

“Deep translates to mean a deep relationship with God and a deep understanding of his word — things that actually give life,” he said. “We hope to dig into theology and who God is.”

Equip will also assist students with other struggles in their lives. The organization will offer an anxiety support group this fall and a depression support group in the spring.

“You leave your family, you leave what you’re used to, you find out college is a lot harder than high school… we just want to be able to help students deal with that,” Pedersen said.

Equip is also planning an “Atheist, Agnostic and Christian” event where the three belief groups can

USD

Equip

Campus

have a place for conversation.

Pedersen, a former atheist himself, said the program is necessary.

“We can be friends with people that radically disagree with us,” he said. “We like to model that we can leave at the end of the day and completely and absolutely disagree with someone, but still love them anyways.”

Pedersen said it’s good for students to have a club devoted to faith, because student have different struggles and needs.

“Sometimes one can do better at serving a student than the other,” Pedersen said. “We want to walk with each student as an individual and help them with their specific struggles.”

Sports

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

THE VOLANTE

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USD to host Summit League Championships

By Chance Mullinix

Chance.Mullinix@coyotes.usd.edu

U

SD will host two Summit League championships this year – one this fall and one in spring.

The cross country championship will take place at The Bluffs golf course on Oct. 28, the same day the football team takes on Southern Illinois.

Spring will see the Coyotes travel to Sioux Falls Feb. 14-17 to host the swimming and diving championships at the Midco Aquatic Center.

Cross country This is the first time USD is hosting a cross country Summit League championship. David Herbster, USD’s athletic director, said member schools rotate who hosts.

With the success the teams have had so far, it could be a capstone for senior runners.

The women’s team has won three years in a row, and are looking to extend that to four in front of their own crowd.

Senior Erin Wetzstein said she’s looking to end her collegiate career with a perfect 4-for-4 in Summit League Championships.

“It’s really exciting,” Wetzstein said. “I’ve been really thankful to be a part of each year that we’ve been able to win. Each year, it hasn’t really been expected, but the pressure gets more and more to win.”

With the support of teammates and the community, she thinks the team will be able to bring a fourth championship to Vermillion.

“We’re always up for the challenge and it’s our goal to bring home the win this year on our home course, and I think we’ll be able to,” Wetzstein said.

The season got off to a good start for the team at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls: the women won and the men came in second. They’ll travel to Lincoln, NE, for the Woody Greeno Invitational.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the USD cross country team’s national championship win.

Swimming With Indiana University-Perdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) out of the Summit League, they’ll no longer host the swimming and diving championships at their Natatorium.

The championships will move from Indianapolis to Sioux Falls, where the newly-built Midco Aquatic Center will play host.

Senior swimmer Kassidie Cornell said the move is positive for the Coyotes and others.

“I think many Midwest recruits could come down for one of the days to watch us compete at the championships,” she said. “I think it’ll also save the program money, because we’re not spending however much with plane tickets and whatnot. It’ll be great allaround, especially being able to say we get to host.”

The Midco Aquatic Center is considerably smaller than the Natatorium in Indianapolis. Cornell said that’s for the best.

“Because IUPUI was bigger, it wasn’t as loud with the crowds,” she said. “I know we have an amazing parent support crowd at all of our championships, so I think it will be a really cool environment.”

USD was already looking into hosting in Sioux Falls before the Summit League announced it was looking for a new host after IUPUI left the conference.

“When conference let us know that they were going to move the championships away (from IUPUI), we piped up and raised our hand and said we’d be willing to host,” Herbster said. “They were exploring sites at the University of Iowa, in the Twin Cities. Once it came down to decide, I think they realized we were willing to provide the bodies and the organization for the championship. They have a relationship with the city anyways, with the Summit League basketball tournament being there.”

USD will have to wait and see if it becomes the permanent home of the swimming and diving championships, like IUPUI was, Herbster said.

“IUPUI was the permanent host because they had the best facilities,” he said. “We would certainly advocate (to be permanent hosts), and I think a lot will depend on how the championships go this year.”

Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante

Pierce Libbey, a junior cross country runner, competes at the Augustana Twilight Invitational in Sioux Falls on Sept. 1.

Golf teams looking forward to solid seasons after invitationals

By Shawn Henley

Shawn.Henley@coyotes.usd.edu

The USD men’s and women’s golf teams are ready to take to the course once again for the 2017-18 season.

“I am really looking forward to traveling with the guys and girls again,” said Nick Hovden, the head coach for both teams. “The fall season is exciting because it is setting the tone for the rest of the year.”

Throughout the summer, players on both teams competed in various tournaments across the region.

Junior Tommy Vining said he had a solid summer on the course.

“I played in quite a few tournaments this summer,” Vining said.

“I ended the summer with a win in the South Dakota State Amateur Tournament. It was nice to see patience and hard work pay off.”

Vining met many personal highs last season. He placed eighth at the Tiger Invitational and tied for ninth at the Summit League Championships. He was also named to the all-Summit League first team and was named Newcomer of the Year.

“I tried improving my entire game this summer,” Vining said.

“You can always get better at every aspect of the game.”

The golf team as a whole also broke several program records last season.

Junior Jennifer Vincent placed 15th and Breanna Lervick placed 19th at the Summit League Championships last season. The Coyotes finished seventh overall at 100-over par.

The men’s team is returning all but two seniors who graduated this spring. Vining said he’s “ecstatic” to be back and playing this fall.

The fall season began Monday, Sept. 11 with the Washington State Itani Quality Homes Collegiate Tournament in Pullman, WA. “I am really excited for the team this fall,” Vining said. “I am looking forward to seeing how we stack up against the best teams and players in the country.”

Hovden said he’s looking for both teams to perform well this season.

“We’re looking for juniors Lexi Peterson and Jennifer Vincent to make a big impact for us,” Hovden said. “Right now, they’re playing number one and two heading into the UNO tournament.”

The women’s team is also returning all but two players. Recently-graduated Lervick qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in Chula Vista, CA, over the summer.

Sophomore Karli Kerrigan is coming off a torn ACL from last season and will be playing number three for the Coyotes.

Vincent is also coming off of an injury — she spent much of the spring as a spectator, sidelined

Paul Maharry I The Volante

Jen Vincent, a junior, placed 15th at the Summit League Championships last season. Vincent said she plans to “try to stay on top” this season. with tendonitis.

Vincent said she and the team are feeling confident about the year.

“We have a couple of new freshmen in that are really (helping) build the team,” she said. “Me, personally, summer was a good baseline for me, not being injured, which is the first time in a long time.”

Vincent said her goal is to “try to stay out on top,” while the team looks to be more consistent.

“Last year, we struggled a little at times,” she said.

The women’s team kicked off their season in Nebraska City, NE, for the UNO Invitational.

“We have such a fun group of players,” Hovden said. “I am ex-

cited to see how prepared we are and how great we can become on and off the course. Every day is a new learning experience and a new chance to push us into the right direction.”

The women’s golf team finished in sixth place at the Missouri State Payne Stewart Memorial Tuesday in Springflied, Mo. Vincent finished the three rounds with 230 strokes, tying for 37th place.

Also on Tuesday, the men’s golf team tied for fourth at the Washington State Itani Quality Homes Collegiate in Pullman, Washington. Vining finished in second place. He finished with 202 strokes and shot -11 in the threeday tourney.

B4 Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Sports

The Volante I volanteonline.com

Legacy of coach ‘will live on’ in retirement

By Kobe Moldrem

Kobe.Moldrem@coyotes.usd.edu

Edrick Louidor I The Volante USD students play a game of basketball at the Wellness Center on Sept. 9. A new South Dakota Board of Regents policy is expected to increase student participation in several intramural programs.

BOR policy expected to draw students into intramural sports

By Nikolas Wilson

Nikolas.Wilson@coyotes.usd.edu

A new intramural sport policy is expected to increase student involvement this year.

Last fall, the South Dakota Board of Regents passed a policy which prohibits colleges from charging students for participating in intramural activities.

Connor Singhisen, assistant director of Wellness Center intramurals & sport clubs, said he believes this policy will attract more students.

“We anticipate an uptick in the number of teams and participants, as cost was one of the deterrents to student participation,” Singhisen said. “There are still a few events that students must pay to participate in, such as golf, archery and trap shooting, as those events are held off campus at a location that charges us to use their facilities and equipment.”

Before the policy was put in place, large teams like basketball, volleyball, softball, volleyball and soccer would have to pay $25 per team. Smaller teams, like dodgeball, floor hockey and 3-on-3 basketball paid $20.

Sophomore Kevin Lee said he enjoyed the competitive nature of intramural basketball last year.

“We took it not as a joke,” he said. “We were pretty serious about it and wanted to win, but it was still like, if you lose, it’s not the end of the world, so it was fun that way.”

Now that students aren’t paying for intramurals, money had to come from elsewhere.

“Per the Board of Regents Policy, we request additional funding from GAF (General Activity Fee), that all students pay based on the credit hours they are enrolled in,” Singhisen said.

“Previously, we were not allowed to request fund-

“

We anticipate an uptick in the number of teams and participants.

Connor Singhisen, assistant director of Wellness

Center Intramurals

ing from the GAF for the intramural program. In a roundabout way, students are still paying intramural team fees, but it is now split among the entire student population, whether they participate or not.”

Singhisen said he hopes if students know they’re already paying for it, more will take advantage of the 34 events offered this year.

Along with eliminating fees, the Wellness Center revised its policy to simplify the process of joining an intramural team.

Singhisen said the Wellness Center may limit how many intramural teams it accepts so other students are able to use the facilities.

“We have employed tablets for game check-in, which will allow players to join teams up until game time, making it easier to avoid forfeiting a game and incurring the $20 forfeit fee,” Singhisen said.

Students will also be allowed to check in with any type of government-issued photo identification. Singhisen said that should help students who want to participate in outdoor sports.

The Wellness Center also removed pre-season rules meetings, which team captains are required to attend for 30 minutes.Instead, intramural teams will now learn the rules through online quizzes via the IM Leagues website.

Sophomore Tanner Steineke, captain of his intramural basketball team last year, said he appreciates the new policy.

“For the basketball teams, I sat through the preseason rules meeting and at the post-season meeting they went through more rules regarding ties and schedule,” Steineke said. “I think it is a good change, because now every player must take the quiz. For the meetings, only the captain has to attend and they had to disperse the information to his or her teammates.”

Singhisen is expecting different challenges to come up as more students become involved in intramurals.

“The most important issue in my opinion is going to be facility space,” he said. “We, just like many other programs on campus, are limited in the space we have for programs to operate in. As all intramurals are free, we expect to max out every league offer, maxing out our facility space in the meantime.”

Lee said the cost was the only aspect of intramurals that students disliked, and said he “likes how it’s free this year.”

“That’s honestly probably the one thing I would’ve wanted changed and they changed it, so that was about it,” Lee said. “It’s perfect now.”

A constant in USD track and field for the past 33 years announced his departure from the program over the summer.

Dave Gottsleben, who coached both men’s cross country and track and field, announced his retirement in July.

Senior sprinter Joe Reagan said he was shocked when he heard the news.

Edrick Louidor I The Volante “Obviously I wish he Dave Gottsleben, who coached the track and field and was with us for one more cross country teams for 33 years, retired in July. year, but I’m thankful for what he did for us,” Reagan “I have been fortunate from within the current said. “He truly cared and enough to not only have staff. went above and beyond for Dave as my coach, my The future structure of his athletes.” mentor and my colleague, the coaching staff has yet to Gottsleben, known but as my good friend for be determined, said Lucky by many as “Gotts,” the past 30 years,” said Dan Huber, director of track and has racked up team Fitzsimmons, the head field and cross country. achievements in his time cross country coach. “He “We still haven’t decided at USD. is truly one of the most whether we want a girl’s Between men’s cross decorated coaches in USD and a men’s coach yet, country and men’s track history.” or if we want to just have and field, he’s coached Despite his retirement, individual event coaches,” teams to 20 conference Gottsleben said he plans to Huber said. “Once we championships, and still help out. figure that out, we look to helped 52 athletes and 12 “USD athletics, and have everything in place relay teams achieve Allespecially (the cross hopefully around January.”

American status. country) program really David Herbster, USD’s Along with the success means a lot to me, so athletic director, said of his teams, Gottsleben I expect to be around Gottsleben has impacted was voted Division II the team helping coach many students and faculty Coach of the Year twice, Fitzsimmons whenever I members in athletics.

Regional Coach of the Year possibly can,” he said.

“He has brought eight times and Conference Gottsleben, who Coyote track and field to a Coach of the Year 17 times. lives in Yankton, said his national level of relevance He was also inducted retirement plan includes and has shaped the lives into the South Dakota traveling and working on and careers of thousands Sports Hall of Fame in his golf game. of student-athletes,” he 2015, Howard Wood A replacement coach said. “(Gottsleben) will be Dakota Relays Hall of Fame still has yet to be named. missed as a coach, mentor in 2016 and the Sioux City Gottsleben said he believes and teacher, but his legacy Relays Hall of Fame in a coach will be promoted will live on.”

2001.

PLAYER OF

THE PACK Eldon Warner YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Vocal performance Molly Schiermeyer I The Volante

Karina Dufoe: What brought you to USD? Eldon Warner: I wanted to do all of things I enjoyed in high school; drama, running, singing and some schools don’t allow you to do both. The choir director called me and said that USD actually encourages it. They want you

Sport: Cross country

“i wanted to do all of the things i enjoyed in high school.” to experience everything that you want to experience.

KD: How do you balance classes, athletics and the opera program?

EW: Very carefully!

It gets pretty hectic. If I’m doing something

with running I’m involved with choir or the opera. I start classes at 8 a.m. and go until 3 p.m. then I go straight to cross country practice, go to dinner, and then do homework at night.