The VolanTe
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025
Student Org. Fair Hosts Over 60 Organizations
From Women’s Rugby to the Literacy Love Club, All Were Welcome
The Dakota Days Committee Is Seeking New Student Members
Juliana Oltmanns
Juliana.Oltmanns@coyotes.usd.edu
The Dakota Days Committee is gearing up for the homecoming celebration of 2025 by selecting new members for their staff. The committee is currently in the process of selecting new members who will bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to the D-Days events.
As the planning process for Dakota Days begins, committee leaders are eager to bring on students who are excited and ready to take on the challenges of organizing a week of spirited activities.
Dakota Days Committee Co-President Zena Aragon emphasized that the ideal applicants will possess a mix of organizational skills, creativity and the ability to work well in a team environment.
“We look for individuals who are enthusiastic, can independently plan and execute tasks, and thrive in a team setting,” Aragon said. “Since Dakota Days involves a
log of moving parts, applicants must also be able to stay organized and excel under high pressure situations.”
The committee is especially keen on students who can bring fresh ideas to the table. When it comes to creativity and innovation, Aragon explained that they assess how applicants approach challenges and generate new concepts for the event.
“We look for people who can think outside the box, adapt to changing circumstances, and contribute innovative ideas that will make Dakota Days even more exciting,” Aragon said.
The committee carefully reviews candidate’s past experiences, such as group projects to leadership roles, and evaluates how they describe handling conflicts and collaborating with others.
“Dakota Days is all about collaboration, so we need people who can listen, communicate effectively and contribute
File | The Volante
positively to the team,” Aragon said.
Applicants chosen to join the committee will have the opportunity to work on various aspects of Dakota Days, from parade coordination to event planning and marketing efforts.
“New members will be involved in brainstorming ideas, handling logistics and making sure the event runs smoothly,” Aragon said. “They’ll have the chance to contribute to both old favorites and exciting new additions to the festivities.”
The Dakota Days Executive Committee typically selects six to 10 new members each
year, though the number can vary depending on the needs of the team.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the new team will build on past successes while adding their own creative touch,” Aragon said. “Dakota Days is such an important tradition for USD and this team will play a huge role in making it special for the whole university.”
The application deadline is Sunday Feb. 2 at 11:59 p.m. and students interested in applying can find more information on the Dakota Days website or by contacting the committee directly.
File | The Volante
File | The Volante
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025
Cold Temperatures Leave Students Questioning Their Safety While Commuting to Campus
Juliana Oltmanns Juliana.Oltmanns@coyotes.usd.edu
Strands of below freezing temperatures have left some students on USD’s main campus concerned for their safety while traveling to class. With wind chills dropping to dangerous levels, some students are questioning whether the university’s cold weather policies are enough to ensure their well-being during extreme conditions.
“First and foremost, community member safety is a top priority,” University Police Department (UPD) Chief Bryant Jackson said. “USD carefully considers all weather conditions and how they might affect the institution and our campus community. Each situation is evaluated on the unique circumstances and conditions related to the pending weather event.”
On Monday, Jan. 20, the University Police Department sent out a message to students and faculty members through the Everbridge Mobile App, warning of dangerously cold weather to be expected.
“Please be aware that an extended period of dangerously cold weather will continue through noon on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Widespread wind chill values between -25 and -35 degrees are expected, with wind chills dropping to -40 degrees in portions of Eastern South Dakota.”
The message went on to emphasize the severity of the situation, “Community member safety is a top priority. Please take appropriate precautions for how you dress and how long you remain outside. Frostbite may occur in less than 30 minutes and as few as ten minutes without proper clothing.”
While USD has taken steps to inform students about the dangers of extreme weather conditions, many are left wondering how the university decides when to close the campus or delay classes.
According to university officials, decisions are made by a designated group of administrators who evaluate weather conditions and their potential impact on the community.
“This group includes the Vice President of Finance and Administration, the Dean of Students, the Chief of Police, and others, depending on the situation,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, after consulta-
tion, a recommendation is made to President Sheila Gestring about whether the campus should remain open, close or transition to remote learning.
Despite harsh winter weather being common in South Dakota, the university strives to remain open unless the conditions are extreme enough to impede safe access to campus.
“During extreme weather, our departments work together to make sure everyone
stays safe,” Jackson said. “We also maintain communication with local authorities and emergency services to ensure we’re prepared for any situation.”
However, despite these regulations many students are still questioning the practicality of commuting to campus under such harsh conditions.
“I think that in extreme weather conditions, it’s not safe for students to be outside, especially when frostbite can occur within 10
minutes, USD student Brook Roozen said. “I know a lot of friends who don’t even have winter coats. I just worry for their safety, while they’re trying to get to class on cold days.”
The university urges students to prioritize their safety and contact faculty members if they feel unsafe to travel to campus. Faculty and staff are advised to work with students who may be impacted by weather-related conditions.
Volante | File
Student’s walking across campus after a major winter storm swept through Vermillion, South Dakota encasing it in snow and ice.
Student Org. Fair Hosts Over 60 Organizations
Juliana Oltmanns Juliana.Oltmanns@coyotes.usd.edu
The atmosphere of the Muenster University Center was buzzing with excitement on Monday night, at the spring student organization fair. With the 2025 academic year already in full swing, USD student organizations are busy recruiting members and planning a semester’s worth of engaging activities and events.
From Environmental Club to PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment), the fair offered a wide variety of in-
formation for students, with over 60 student organizations in attendance.
Emily Lesser, Secretary of the USD Climb Club, expressed her excitement about meeting new students.
“I was so excited to interact and meet some new students and some new potential climbers. You know we’re really trying to reach out to as many people as possible,” Lesser said. “We have roughly 80 members on USD involved, but I’d say we proba-
bly have only about 20 active members though. We’re really hoping to get a lot of new climbers in and really bump up those numbers.”
The Women’s Rugby team was also in attendance at the event, working to promote a healthy and fun activity for women on-campus.
“I didn’t know anybody in South Dakota when I first came in, so this is where I kind of found my people,” team member Sydney Saroma said. “It’s a great way to stay in shape, meet girls, talk with people and get some aggression out. I think if I had to say anything to women looking to get into rugby, it’s to just do it.”
The fair also highlighted a variety of other organizations, including the Literacy Love Club, which focuses on improving literacy skills. Christina Dorrsett, a representative of the club, explained that the group isn’t just about reading, but also
enhancing how students absorb information.
“We’re really building our club from the ground up, so we’re just trying to reach as many people as we can to help them understand what literacy is and learn to love it,” Dorrsett said.
For Greek Life organizations, such as PIKE, attending the fair was less about a specific recruitment goal and more about spreading awareness.
“Being at the table today, we weren’t worried about how many people would join us,” fraternity member Ben Partridge said. “We don’t like to put a number on how many people we would like to join because we want everyone to feel as though they should join.”
With such a wide variety of clubs and causes to get involved in, the spring student organization Fair provided an opportunity for students to connect on campus.
Abby Saylor | The Volante
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025 THE VOLANTE
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Our Staff
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SGA Elections Are In Full Swing
Elli Kruse Elli.Kruse@coyotes.usd.edu
Candidates have announced their running for the Student Government Association’s upcoming presidential and vice presidential election. Mohamed Mohamed and Tewobistya Burhanu are running against Keegan Baker and Ellie Hart.
Ethan Gladue, current President of SGA, says that anyone running for an executive position had to announce their interest at the first SGA meeting on Jan. 14.
“The Election Steering Committee creates a timeline for a petition,” Gladue said. “Between Jan. 14 to Feb. 4, each candidate needs to submit 250 signatures in order to get on the ballot. After the Election Steering Committee confirms that the signatures are good, the candidates move on to having a debate or public forum.”
The senators also have the same type of process. Mady Fleckenstein, chair of the Election Steering Committee, gave insight on how senators are determined from each school.
“Twenty of the seats are split between the undergraduate schools based on enrollment numbers, and the other three
are equally allocated to the graduate school, med school and law school,” Fleckenstein said. “The amount of signatures they have to get is also based on the enrollment in their school or a minimum of 15 signatures, which is why you will see senators needing different amounts of signatures.”
The debate for the president and vice president positions has not yet been scheduled, however, in years past the it has beenheld a week prior to voting. The voting will be opened to part-time and full time students on Feb. 25.
Following last year’s voting process having unexpected problems, Fleckenstein ensures that will not happen again. Move the bottom of the quote.
“Last year we were not familiar with how the software worked,” Fleckenstein said. “This year we are going to do a lot better job communicating with students so they are aware of how the software works ahead of time.”
SGA moved the voting process up one week from last year to allow time for the new president, vice president and Senate to transition into their new roles. The positions will be slated on Mar. 18.
The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication. Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words
Bob Nielson Steps Down, USD Names New Head Football Coach
Charlie Prien Charlie.Prien@coyotes.usd.edu
After guiding the University of South Dakota football team to back-to-back playoff appearances, head coach Bob Nielson announced his retirement, closing out a 32year coaching career. Nielson, who took over the Coyotes in 2016, announced his decision following USD’s deepest postseason run in program history.
Nielson wraps up his time in Vermillion as a three-time Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Coach of the Year with a 53-48 record, ranking fourth all-time in program wins. This past season, the Coyotes went 11-3, earned a share of the MVFC title, and made it to the FCS semifinals. USD also finished a perfect 8-0 at home, marking its first undefeated home season since 2011.
The Coyotes have named Travis Johansen as the 31st head coach in program history. Johansen has been with USD for six seasons, serving as defensive coordinator
since 2019 and associate head coach for the last three years.
He’s coached two MVFC Defensive Players of the Year, Brock Mogensen and Mi’Quise Grace, and two Buck Buchanan Award finalists. In 2023, USD’s defense ranked No. 8 nationally in scoring defense and No. 18 in passing defense.
Before joining the Coyotes, Johansen spent six seasons at Grand View University in Iowa, where he helped lead the Vikings to five conference titles and an NAIA national championship in 2013. Johansen was a finalist for National Coordinator of the Year in 2015.
Johansen, played linebacker at Concordia University, St. Paul, where he was a four-year starter and later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2021.
USD will begin a new chapter with Johansen at the helm, as the program looks to build on its historic success.
USD Women’s Tennis Wins First Duals of the Year
Trevan Rychlik Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu
The Coyote Women’s Tennis team competed twice in Sioux Falls last weekend going undefeated against Missouri State Bears and Sioux Falls Cougars.
The first match was against the Bears as the Coyotes won 5-2, claiming four singles victories and two doubles victories.
Then against the Cougars, USD claimed all six singles matches and three doubles to win 7-0 over USF.
Senior Bea Havlickova went undefeated over the weekend to improve to 3-0 on the season while picking up her 60th career victory, just the fourth Coyote to reach that mark.
Junior Selena Bird and senior Grace Chadick both went 2-0 as well.
Bird, along with freshman Natalia Alves de Lima, won two doubles matches as well as sophomore pairing Sorcha Caves and Amanda de Oliveira.
The Coyotes move to 2-1 on the season in dual matches and face Utah State and Montana State in Bozeman, Montana next month.
Senior Grace Chadick went 2-0 against Missouri State and Sioux Falls in the single competition.
Jon Schemmel introduces Travis Johnsen as the 31 Head Coach of USD Football.
Sydney Kolln Sydney.Kolln@coyotes.usd.edu
The Coyotes women’s basketball team faced off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at home on Jan. 25.
The Jackrabbits led with a 27-10 advantage in the first quarter. South Dakota State shot 50% from the field during this, while the Coyotes only managed to shoot 28.57%.
The Coyotes responded with a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, cutting the Jackrabbits’ lead to single digits. USD outscored SDSU 23-17 in the second quarter. However, at halftime, the Jackrabbits continued to lead 44-33.
South Dakota State picked it up in the third, putting up 21 points compared to South Dakota’s 11 points.
South Dakota would go on to outscore South Dakota State in the fourth and final quarter 15-12.
SportS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025
Coyote Women Fall to In-State Rivals
It wouldn’t be enough as SDSU defeated USD 77-59.
Junior guard Haleigh Timmer and junior forward Brooklyn Meyer each led SDSU with 15 points. Timmer also put up three rebounds and three assists. Meyer added three rebounds and one block.
Senior guard Grace Larkins scored 27 points, and added eight assists and seven rebounds. Behind Larkins was junior forward Carley Duffney with 17 points, her third straight game in double figures.
South Dakota State remains in first place in Summit League standings with a conference record of 7-0 and an overall record of 17-3. South Dakota’s record is 3-4 in conference play and has a 9-12 record overall. The Coyotes fall to fifth in Summit League standings.
The Coyotes will play next on the road against Kansas City on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m CST.
Records Fall in DakotaDome Pool’s Final Chapter
Charlie Prien Charlie.Prien@coyotes.usd.edu
The University of South Dakota swimming and diving teams wrapped up a historic weekend in the DakotaDome Pool, setting multiple school records and celebrating a farewell to the facility with dual victories over Omaha and St. Thomas.
The Coyotes won both duals, with the men’s team earning a 155-145 win over Omaha and a 194-106 triumph against St. Thomas, while the women’s team posted victories of 168.5-131.5 and 199-98, respectively.
Senior Jack Berdahl, who was named the KwikStar Summit League Men’s Swimmer Peak Performer of the Week, headlined the weekend with six first-place finishes, including two school-record performances. Against Omaha, Berdahl touched the wall in 1:04.11 to win the 100 breaststroke, shaving three-tenths of a second off the previous record. He also swam a leg on the 400 medley relay team that set a new school and DakotaDome Pool record with a time of 3:46.03.
Freshman Alex Parkinson broke the school record in the 800 freestyle with a
time of 8:39.91 and added a victory in the 400 freestyle. Other men’s team highlights included wins by Ethan LaBounty in the 200 individual medley and Joaquin Contreras-Fallico, who erased a 2018 school record in the 200 backstroke with a 2:07.45 finish.
The women were equally successful, winning 11 of 14 events against St. Thomas, with 10 different swimmers earning individual victories. Freshman Emily DiProspero led the charge, taking first place in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle, while Gabbie Ahrendt added wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. Senior Sara Mayer and sophomore Madilyn Gehrke also delivered strong performances, with Mayer anchoring a 200 freestyle relay victory and Gehrke claiming first in the 100 breaststroke.
The duals marked the final competitions in the DakotaDome Pool, a facility that opened in 1979. USD will transition to a new 50-meter competition pool in the Wellness Center starting in the 2025-26 school year.
South Dakota returns to action on Friday and Saturday, hosting the two-day Coyote Invitational at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls.
Sydney Kolln
The Volante
Sydney Kolln
The Volante
Junior forward Carley Duffney scord 17 points in a 77-59 loss against state rival South Dakota State.
SportS
USD Track Teams Host Annual Alumni Meet
Addi Sporleder
Addison.Sporeleder@coyotes.usd.edu
The Coyote men and women competed in the USD Alumni Meet in the DakotaDome on Saturday, Jan. 18. Three athletes climbed the record charts in the meet, while USD earned 12 titles and the alumni added four more.
In women’s pole vault, graduate student Cassidy Mooneyhan went up in to third in the Coyote Top 10 with a vault of 14-6 ¾. She moves to fourth in the NCAA for the season. She placed second overall at the meet.
Junior Landon Olson’s jump of 7-2 ½ resulted in a tie with Jack Durst (2019) in men’s high jump to share the second rank in the Coyote Top 10 and third in the NCAA. Olson placed first overall in the meet.
Also on the men’s side, freshman Ethan Baessler ran a time of 6.73 seconds in the 60-meter dash to tie for second with Ardell Inlay and Tom Green in the Top 10,
placing first in the meet overall.
Graduate student Erin Kinney was the only competitor to win multiple titles. She won the 60-meter with a time of 7.34 seconds and the 200-meter with a time of 24.26 seconds. Senior Averi Schmeichel finished second behind Kinney, with times of 7.79 and 25.32 seconds, respectively.
Schmeichel claimed a title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.48 seconds, and graduate student Calli Davis earned first in the 400-meter dash 1:00.16 seconds.
For the women’s field events, three Coyotes claimed titles. Senior Dani Anglin won high jump 5-foot-7-inches, senior Delaney Smith in weight throwing 63 feet 5 1/2 inches, and junior Matayah Yellowmule in triple jump 38 feet 6 3/4 inches.
In the men’s field events, junior Bennett Schwenn won long jump 23 feet 7 1/4 inches, and senior Jayden Green claimed the triple jump title at 40 feet 1/4 inches.
One title was claimed on the track for the men, which was senior Ken-Mark
Minkovski in the 200-meter 22.19 seconds.
The four Coyote alumni claiming titles were Chris Nilsen in pole vault 19 feet 1/4 inches, Emily Grove in pole vault 15 feet 1 inch, Meredith Clark in shot put 47 feet 7
3/4 inches, and Joe Anderson in 3,000-meter run 8:38.88 seconds.
The Coyotes will compete next at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Manhattan, Kansas.
Coyote Men’s Basketball Defeats UND
Niko McKeever
Nikolas.Mckeever@coyotes.usd.edu
The South Dakota Coyote men’s basketball team defeated the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks 102-93 on Thursday, Jan. 24 at The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The Coyotes are 3-3 in Summit League conference play and 12-9 on the season. It was another high scoring affair for the Coyotes, as six players ended the night with double digit scoring figures.
Senior Guard Chase Forte led the team with twenty five points, three assists and three rebounds. Forte is also the leading scorer on the season, averaging 16.3 points per game.
Forte’s twenty five point night ties his season high, which he set earlier this season in an 82-81 victory over Wyoming at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
Sophomore Isaac Bruns finished the game with twenty points. Bruns has scored 20+ points in the three of the last five games.
The Coyotes found themselves down early and faced a deficit as big as nine
points in the first half. The Fighting Hawks lead for much of the game before the Coyotes pulled away late in the second half.
After being down by two points at halftime, South Dakota would outscore UND 53-42 in the second frame. With the twelfth victory of the year, the Coyotes have now matched their win total from the 2023-24 season.
The Coyotes shot .621 percent from the field, and went 14-for-17 in free throws.
This is the fourth time in the last five games that the Coyotes have scored more than ninety points. This includes an unprecedented 119-104 showdown against St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota earlier this month.
The Coyote offense continues to shine this season, as their 86.6 points per game are tied with Cornell for fifth highest in the NCAA. Despite the offensive power the Coyotes have shown this year, the team still finds itself at only 3-3 in Summit League play.
The Coyotes will face the University of Denver on Thursday, Feb. 6 in Denver.
Graduate Vaulter Cassidy Mooneyhan clearing 14-6 and 3/4 to move 3rd in VSD history.
Senior gaurd Kaleb Steward dribbling the ball up court.
My Stance with New Year’s Resolutions
Taylor Chasing Hawk Taylor.ChasingHawk@coyotes.usd.edu
Right before the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, many people pondered in deep thought and began to set resolutions on what they wanted to achieve in 2025. I have always been very intrigued and fascinated by New Year’s resolutions. Why must a person wait until January to make an improved change to themselves and their lives? Why can’t we appreciate the present and take informed steps towards self-success right now? After all, isn’t every day a new day, a chance to start over and be a better person than you were yesterday.
Maybe it is the whole appeal of it all; a new year brings new opportunities and experiences. The first of January is the beginning of what could be an exciting and eventful time frame of a person’s life. As a human population, we tend to put too much emphasis on certain numbers, whether you want to admit it or not. When we see the number one, we immediately think of new beginnings, fresh starts and do-overs. Surprisingly enough, I did happen to set a New Year’s resolution for myself this year. I want to be more present in my life and try to savor every second, especially since this is my final semester in college. I want to treat every night as if it is New
Year’s Eve since every day is a new chance to start over and begin again. Basically, I want to get the notion out of my head that you are supposed to start over at a certain time and day because you have the ability to at any time.
This is not to say that I think that setting New Year’s resolutions is necessarily a bad thing. Many people set resolutions on New Year’s Eve and are able to obtain amazing and incredible results which benefit them throughout the year.
Instead, it’s more like, if it is a random day in the middle of the year, and you suddenly want to make an improved change in your life, then I don’t think that you should
wait six more months to finally act on it. You should take advantage of the present and remember that you can set resolutions at any time, not just the final day of the year.
One of my favorite sayings of all time is “Someday is Today,” and I think it perfectly sums up my final thoughts on New Year’s resolutions. So many people of us live in the future and we forget to focus on today. Please don’t wait until someday to accomplish your goals and dreams. Think about what you can do today and how that will better guide you to a brighter tomorrow and future.
Two-Factor Authentication Has Gone Too Far
Charles Streeter Charles.Streeter@coyotes.usd.edu
Duo two-factor authentication is totally out of control. While we were away from campus and enjoying winter break, the university quietly made a major change for every student, faculty and staff member.
In an email on Dec. 19, Information and Technology Services announced “Increased Account Protection with Duo App.”
“Due to the increasing sophistication and success of phishing and account compromise attacks, we are enhancing our login security. Effective immediately, all logins will require Duo Verified Push. This method ensures that an added layer of protection is in place to keep campus accounts and systems secure,” the email read.
Rather than occasionally pressing a button on the Duo App to confirm a sign in, we now have to enter a six-digit code nearly every time we want to sign in to use D2L.
Some may dismiss me as a cranky student who is too lazy to open his phone, but I have some concerns. Side note: my prior university did not use such an app, and two-factor authentication was one of my largest deterrents from attending this university.
I am not here to say that the person or people who made this decision are bad people or had malicious intentions in doing
this, quite the opposite.
In economics, there is something called the Laffer curve. It is used to represent the relationship between tax rates and revenue.
If the tax rate is 0%, there is no revenue for the government, but if the tax rate is 100%, no one would work and the revenue would also be zero.
Thus, there must exist a theoretical tax rate where the government can collect the most tax dollars. Making the tax rate higher would result in less overall revenue.
How does this relate to Duo? There has to be a point where creating additional security measures would hurt users more than they would make users safer.
So, the question should be asked, how much security is enough?
Why shouldn’t we be required to use fingerprints on our phone to confirm we are logging into D2L? Retina scans?
Also, the email references “increasing success of phishing scams”, but I do not recall any warnings from the university about such an issue. Do you?
I ask that the university repeals the recent decision to increase account protection and take Duo back to how it was before. We deserve a more robust explanation for a decision that brings such a change to the way this university operates.
VerVe
OVERHEARDS
Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week. Context is for suckers.
“Bro there’s so much ketchup in my pant’s, like It’s bulging.”
- MUC
“Like how a calculator changed the lives of mathematicians, Chat GPT changed mine.”
- Coyote Village
“Do you think that nuns are secretly just lesbians hiding from society?”
- Slagle Hall
“Don’t worry, I’ll just eat my WOW in the corner while I drink my tears for hydration.”
-MUC
“I don’t mind hitting on old women, sometimes they need a little boost of confidence.”
- Patterson Hall
“They won’t even look at me in my eyes, Is this what It’s like to be ugly?”
-C-Store
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025 THE VOLANTE
Movie Review: The Original Vampire Rises Again
Quinn Gienapp quinn.gienapp@coyotes.usd.edu
In our modern entertainment age, it is easy to be cynical about the number of remakes of older films there are over wholly original stories. Nowadays, I find myself far more interested in watching original movies over these remakes unless they truly do something unique with the source material. Robert Eggers’s film “Nosferatu” achieves that by adapting one of the oldest horror films in history to fit the interests of a modern audience.
“Nosferatu” is a film centered around the vampire, Count Orlock, that reimagines the 1922 silent film also titled “Nosferatu”. Count Orlock is considered the first depiction of vampires in cinema and is
cemented as one of the most important horror movie monsters. With so much history behind the original story, adapting it to a modern audience is a big undertaking that was pulled off successfully. The film primarily follows Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) a salesman who must leave his wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) to travel to Transylvania and meet with the reclusive Count-Orlock (Bill Skarsgard). Unbeknownst to Thomas and Ellen, the dark vampiric powers of the Count seek to control their lives and bring newfound horrors to Germany.
When I saw this film in the theater, the first thing I noticed was its stellar production design. The setting of
1830s Germany looks and sounds extremely appropriate for the era, with gothic buildings covering the city and large fields surrounding it populated by windmills. Moments where you get a larger picture of the world feel appropriately beautiful and haunting. These feelings are assisted by the heavy use of shadows that out any colors making for an oppressive viewing experience that feels appropriate. The dim lighting also hides many horrors in the film, for example, the Count himself. For most of the movie, you never get a good look at the vampire as he remains bathed in shadows, leading you to speculate what he actually might look like.
The performances across the board were stellar with extra kudos towards Lily-Rose Depp who delivers a performance that captures the madness of her character very well. Willem Dafoe’s role as a crazed occultist does a good job of adding minor levity to a film that is pure gothic horror.
I had faith in this film going into it, based on Robert Egger’s previous films having stellar productions and acting. “Nosferatu” is a film that masterfully retells some of the oldest forms of horror, a type of horror not commonly seen anymore. I thought this was a perfect film to ring out the new year and would happily encourage any horror fans to check it out for themselves.
Our Mascots Name
The Mount Rushmore state
Vex And The Verm
A Room Full of Strangers
Nathan DeGreef nathan.degreef@coyotes.usd.edu
It’s hard to be happy for others when you’re not. I am used to it at this point, though it still pangs. Being single, and to have never been in love, at least to never have that love reciprocated. All of this is, of course, non-platonic love which I am referring to.
Most of the time I manage. I am fine. There are those standstill moments, ironically where I am usually in a room full of people, where I can tend to feel the loneliest.
I love people,well, most of the time. I love to be single though, the independence of it all, the ability to go anywhere and to not have to share, but I don’t know if that’s actually what I enjoy or if I have just become so accustomed to it that it’s hard to imagine life any other way.
I can say I am this independent person who doesn’t need or want to be tied down, but that’s because I’ve never had the shoe on the other foot. I don’t know how it feels. Maybe I have two left feet. Maybe after all that crowded room, I want someone to take me home. In a room full of people I may know, who know me, but have no idea what I actually think: strangers.
Just last night I saw someone (of whom I have no desire to be with and have never seen in a
romantic way honestly) and they were conversing with someone. I don’t know what it was, but there seemed to be a subtle spark between them. I went up to a mutual friend and asked if the two were now a thing, to which she said yes.
I played it off as if I was happy, and for them, I am. As I mentioned, it’s not as if I wanted that relationship, but seeing it got my gears moving and they seemed to be spiraling downward. So much so that I had to remove myself from the situation.
Subtly, I left and suddenly I just thought, when is it going to be my time? Why can’t it be now? Am I meant to be alone? Yes, we die and are born alone, but we don’t have to live alone. I’ll admit I have had these thoughts before, as I’m sure almost everyone has, and I’m sure I will continue to have them.
When they do occur, I think about Nathanial Hawthorne’s “Happiness is a Butterfly,” as well as a similar line from “Under the Tuscan Sun,” the romcom from 2003, which is surprisingly good in my opinion.
In both, they state that when chasing butterflies and ladybugs, they will fly away as they are just beyond your touch, but if you just stand still and wait passionately, just maybe, they will come to you.
