The VolanTe
Charlie Prien | The Volante Senior Running Back Travis Theis runs in a touchdown on Saturday September
against the Drake Bulldogs.
Vermillion Community Celebrates New Elementary School’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Elli Kruse Ellie.Kruse@coyotes.usd.edu
Two elementary schools in the Vermillion community have been united as one after two years of development.
The Vermillion Elementary School has been able to open its doors for the start of the new school year. This is allowing the children to learn in a new environment.
Austin Elementary School and Jolley Elementary School have become one, as well as the new school being connected to the middle school. Austin and Jolley Elementary school’s have been sharing services between the two for a while.
This included the music staff, medical services, and other services the school provides. As a result, the Vermillion community members had decided to build a new school to make things easier.
While designing the new building, they had to do a study to ensure that the traffic would not create difficulty for children and families to get to and from the school safely.
Sam Jacobs, principal of the elementary school, said that he is excited for the new facility as there are not as many issues with the structure as there were with his previous employment at Jolley Elementary.
“When families come to look at schools they care a lot about the recreational facilities” Jacobs stated. “There are two large gyms allowing more space for athletic events and parents.”
Along with these additions, Jacobs is also excited about the common spaces available in the new facility. He is looking forward to the members of the community to have the opportunity to visit and see the new school.
On Wednesday, September 25, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the Vermillion Elementary School starting at 4 p.m. Self-guided tours will be available until 6 p.m. In order for Vermillion community members to have the opportunity to show their support and celebrate the new and improved facility.
Clark Street Construction Efforts Begin Phase two
Charles Streeter
Charles.Streeter@coyotes.usd.edu
Students returning to campus this semester were in for a surprise: Clark St. construction.
On July 10, the city of Vermillion closed Clark Street from Prentiss Park to University Street at Slagle Hall. This section reopens this week, bringing an end to a detour from Prentiss St., down to Main St. and to University St.
Per the city’s press release, the project aims to replace the water mains and storm drains, as well as some of the existing curb. This week, the city begins phase two of their construction, working from Slagle Hall down to Dakota Street.
A temporary crosswalk will be available at the Harvard St. intersection for students going to and from Lee Med, but will eventually be closed when construction reaches the intersection.
According to City Engineer Jose Dominguez, this is not the first time the water mains have been replaced.
“We don’t have records of when it was installed originally, but we believe it was installed prior to the 50s,” Dominguez said.
“The water main that we are replacing was not the original, it was a replacement.” He says the project will cost the city over $2.2 million dollars.
As of now, Dominguez says the city has no plans to start similar projects.
A look at the front of the new and improved Vermillion Elementary School.
Elli Kruse | The Volante
Charles Streeter | The Volante
South Dakota Union Opens for Business After Almost two Years of Renovations
Charles Streeter Charles.Streeter@coyotes.usd.edu
After nearly two years of construction, the South Dakota Union is open for business.
According to the Clay County Historical Preservation Society’s Campus & Historic Buildings: Walking Tour, the South Dakota Union opened in 1930 as the student union. In 1965, the building became an office and classroom space when a new student union was built on the site of the now Muenster University Center.
According to Senior Construction Project Manager Brian Muehlbeier, the renovation of the South Dakota Union went smoothly and ahead of schedule.
“The floors weren’t level, and once we took all the old walls out, we had a blank slate to start from,” Muehlbeier said.
The South Dakota Union has three new classrooms on the second and fourth floors, which are expected to be used for classes in early October.
Additionally, the Psychological Services Center will call the South Dakota Union home. Located on the first floor, the PSC
will have a separate entrance on the west side of the building next to Parking Lot 23.
The renovation of the South Dakota Union comes with a price tag of $6.7 million, though.
Construction isn’t done at USD: the next building to see a major renovation will be Churchill-Haines Laboratory.
Muehlbeier says that unlike the South Dakota Union, the tenants of ChurchHaines Laboratory cannot be moved to a temporary location such as Noteboom Hall.
“It will be done in two phases, which will take two to three years to complete,” Muehlbeier said.
Another building slated to receive some improvements is East Hall. This summer, the first floor will be renovated.
“The intent of that project is to bring anthropology from the basement and put them on the first floor,” Muehlbeier said.
Although faculty are still moving from Noteboom Hall to the South Dakota Union, the new building is open to the public.
A ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony will take place October 10.
One of the new classrooms on the fourth floor of the South Dakota Union.
New desks for graduate pschology students on the third floor.
Charles Streeter | The Volante
Charles Streeter | The Volante
Charles Streeter | The Volante
The original stairwell in the SD Uninion remains unaltered after construction.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
The Healing Power of Sound: A New Tool to Contribute to Mental Health
Jozie Kumm Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu
A vermillion resident offers a new way to help students with stress and emotional ailments. Mecia Graham, self-proclaimed Soul Seamstress and the secretary for the USD Theater Department, performs sound baths for community and students alike throughout the year.
Graham started her sound bath journey in late 2023, however, previously, she’s been working with members since 2021. Since then, she’s been on-campus several times performing for different wellness events and is actively planning performances for the next few months.
Graham believes that sound baths help to soothe anxiety as well as other emotional or physical ailments.
“The [Singing Bowls] frequencies and these instruments connect to the body with vibrations and different frequencies,” Graham said. “And these instruments allow a door to be opened, so that the body can then connect to it and release it.”
Psychology Today supports these beliefs. Marlynn Wei, author of “The Healing Power of Sound as Meditation”, states that sound baths have a positive impact for everyday people.
“One study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that an hour long sound meditation helped people reduce tension, anger, fatigue, anxiety, and depression while increasing a sense
of spiritual well-being,” Wei observed.
Graham has also experienced these effects on herself and observed positive effects on friends and family members.
“My father was here visiting during the summer when I had the bowls at the [USD Art] gallery. He had some massive trauma to his leg and a nasty infection in his leg. He asked me if I would play the bowls for him,” Graham said. “Afterwards, he said [his leg] started vibrating and by the time he left the sores were pretty much healed.”
Graham stated that her work is based on community aspects, and in the past, she has experienced concerns with attendance. She hopes to overcome them in the future.
“Being in the Midwest, it’s a little tougher, because this is unknown. Having people be open to something different, and I’m working towards opening doors so that they can understand what [sound baths are] about,” Graham said.
“Typically, I gauge how many new people come in. And every single [performance] I’ve had new people. And to me, that is a gift in itself, because that tells me people are opening up to it more.”
She is currently in the process of creating more content for her clients and continuing to provide a safe place for them to heal.
“I have a package that I’m creating, and it’s geared towards energy work. So it’s not just about sound baths, it’s actually the process of how to help others and get to that
stage of spirituality and being able to love themselves and work through any traumas,” Graham said. “I feel like, in this day and age, so many people need a safe, safe space, and I am working towards providing something for that.”
Graham has created a free private group
information called “Shifting Your Energy Through Sound” and invites anyone who’s interested to join.
Students who are interested in sound baths will receive a discount to attend. She plans to have the next performance at United Church of Christ (UCC) on Sept. 28 from 1-3 p.m.
Sound Baths use vibrations that aim to relax the body and reduce stress.
Sound Baths can be considered singing bowls due to their vibrational patterns and
Graham utilizes United Church of Christ basement for her spirituality practices.
Jozie Kumm | The Volante
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Our Staff
Editor-In-Chief
Charles Streeter
Managing Editor
Jozie Kumm
News Editor
Juliana Oltmanns
Verve Editor
Nathan DeGreef
Sports Editor
Charlie Prien
Photo Editor
Sara Mauszycki
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Ava Sevening Staff Advisor
Janet Davison
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
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IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
SportS
Coyote Football Runs Past Drake
Charles.Prien@coyotes.usd.edu
The USD Coyote football team was in action against the Drake University Bulldogs on Saturday. In a 42-3 winning effort, the team wrapped up nonconference play for the 2024 season with a record of 2-1.
The Coyotes started fast, and remained steady throughout the game in the scoring department. On the first play of scrimmage Keyondray Jones-Logan took the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The return marked the second kickoff return for a touchdown this season, as well as making it the school’s second longest return in its history.
Following the opening score, the Coyotes stopped Drake, and later in the opening quarter of play, scored again. On a five-play, 58-yard drive, Travis Theis took the handoff 25 yards for the touchdown, and Will Leyland made it 14-0 in favor of USD.
The second quarter of action was penalty-filled and slow-moving. Drake would take the ball 62 yards in six plays, and cap off the drive with its only points of the contest, a field goal by Shane Dunning.
The Coyotes then began to dominate in the later part of the second quarter. Going on a seven-play, 71-yard
drive, capped off by a Carter Bell rushing touchdown. They followed up with a seven play, 46-yard drive, which was capped off by a Charles Pierre Jr. 1-yard touchdown run.
The Coyotes went to the locker room at halftime with a comfortable 28-3 lead. Straight out of the intermission, cornerback Mike Reid recorded his first interception as a Coyote. The Coyotes then found the end zone midway through the third quarter, scoring on a six play, 52 yard drive that ended in a Travis Theis 4-yard touchdown run.
The Coyotes began to cycle their second and third rotations beginning late in the third quarter. Fifty-six different Coyotes saw the field on Saturday. However early in the final quarter of action, Charles Pierre Jr. took a 20-yard pass from Aiden Bouman to the end zone for the final score of the game.
In Front of a crowd of 6,529, the Coyotes ended non-conference play in dominating fashion. In the series against Drake, USD now trails by two games in the 20th all-time matchup.
Next Saturday, the Coyotes will take on No. 17 Ranked Southern Illinois, opening up Missouri Valley Football Conference play. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:00 p.m.
Charlie Prien
Charlie Prien | The Volante Wide Receiver Cartel Bell rushes a TD.
USD defense lines up for a blitz.
Carter Bell breaks a tackle after getting a block from his quarterback Aiden Bouman.
Charles Pierre Jr. breaks tackles on the way for a touchdown.
JJ Galbreath gets helped off of the field after a hard hit.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 THE
Volleyball Goes 3-0 in Home Classic
Addison Sporleder
Addison.Sporleder@coyotes.usd.edu
The Coyote volleyball team hosted the South Dakota Classic at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Sept. 13-15, where they went 3-0 in the tournament.
USD’s first game was on Friday, Sept. 13, against Montana State. The match went to five sets, with Montana State winning the first 28-26 and South Dakota winning 25-19 in the second and 25-21 in the third.
Then, Montana State won the fourth set 25-23, but South Dakota
claimed the match by winning the final set 15-10.
Freshman Lauren Medeck earned her second consecutive double-double with 20 kills and 18 digs. Sophomore Avery Van Hook recorded 54 assists and got a personal record of 20 digs.
Junior Kamryn Farris had a new season-best with 23 digs and graduate student Cheyenne Hlady notched a career-high 13 kills.
Freshman Morgan Bode recorded three of the Coyotes’ five aces in the game.
The second game of the weekend was against Iowa State on Saturday,
Sept. 14. USD won the match in four sets: 25-23, 25-22, 19-25 and 25-20 respectively.
Medeck led the Coyotes in kills with 16, followed by freshman Audrey Nelson with 10 and Bode with eight.
Van Hook had 41 assists in the match and Farris led USD with 12 digs. Senior Alaina Wolff had 10 digs.
This was the first time in program history USD has claimed a win against Iowa State.
In the final game of the weekend, the Coyotes faced UTEP on Sunday, Sept. 15. South Dakota lost the first set 20-25, but battled back to win the next
three 25-23, 25-16, and 25-17 respectively.
Medeck, Kylen Sealock and Hlady each recorded double digits in kills with 13, 12 and 10 respectively.
Van Hook obtained 38 assists, and Farris dug 15 balls in the game.
Medeck was named the Classic Most Valuable Player, along with Hlady and Van Hook who were named to the All-Tournament Team.
USD is now 17-1 all-time in the Classic. The women will be back on the court in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 26 against the University of Denver beginning at 7 p.m.
Collage by Nathan Delaney | The Volante
Portland State Game Deemed No-Contest
Charlie Prien Charles.Prien@coyotes.usd.edu
Last week, the USD football team flew to Oregon for their third nonconference game. However, the game did not take place, as early in the morning of game day, Portland State officials called off the game. Through a press release from USD Assistant Athletic Director for Communi cations, Steve Carlson, “A case of pertussis got into the Viking team.” Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, had been confirmed in the Viking locker room.
In a press release from Portland State on the morning of the game, it was confirmed that the case was detected on the Thursday before the game or according to the release, “two days ago.” With the confirmed case of pertussis, “many team members have been exposed to the disease.”
The University of South Dakota foot ball team and its other resources, departed from the Sioux Falls Regional Airport in the early afternoon on Friday. Upon landing in Oregon, the two programs’ team doctors began discussions regarding the situation, and possible solutions.
Through Friday night, both programs, along with their team doctors, coaches and university officials worked through possible solutions to the outbreak. However, according to the release from Portland State, it was decided Saturday morning that “the game would not be played in the interest of
OpiniOn
Bring Peking Plate Back to the MUC
There were several things I looked forward to this semester, including reuniting with professors and friends, taking more creative writing classes, trying new extracurricular activities, and… eating at Peking Plate at the MUC.
Much to my dismay, on the first week of classes, when I walked into the MUC, I could no longer see Peking Plate on the horizon.
It had completely vanished. And has been replaced with Handcrafted Sandwiches.
This is not me trying to shed any negativity towards Handcrafted Sandwiches; I have yet to try it.
I will say, however, that Vermillion already has several sandwich places (Mr. Smith’s, Subway, Jimmy John’s, etc.) for students to eat at but only a few Asian
restaurants (Silk Road Café and Hy-Vee).
After a long day of writing papers, I could always count on Peking Plate to satisfy any Asian food cravings that I might have. They had several options to choose from, including Sesame chicken, fried rice, Lo Mein, and spring rolls.
The best thing, though, was their lemonade. They would offer original or blueberry lemonade with popping boba pearls inside of it. I remember being awestruck the first time I tried the drink. It paired along excellently with the delicious food and made the whole Peking Plate experience that much more worthwhile.
Not only were the food and drinks top notch, but the service was nothing short of immaculate. I could always
count on being greeted with a friendly smile every time I stopped over, which would be one of the many highlights of my day.
The food service was also quite fast and there was hardly any wait time, whether you ordered in person or on Grubhub. As a student with an overwhelming schedule, I appreciated this more than anything.
There is truly nothing worse than being in a time crunch and having to wait for eternity in endless lines for food. They have the famous saying that all good things must come to an end. Maybe in the future USD will bring back another Asian food place in the MUC. For now, we will have to stick to what limited options we have available in Vermillion.
Poll: What Is Your Favorite Restaurant at USD?
Survey conducted by The Volante on Fizz September 22 - 23. The survey received 1,560 responses as of 12 p.m. on September 23. ChickFil-A received 37% of the votes, followed by Einstein Bagels with 22% of the vote. QDoba, WOW American Eats, Hancrafted Sandwiches and Starbucks received 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th places respectively. All responses from verified USD students.
OVERHEARDS
Here you’ll find the weirdest, funniest and stupidest things we’ve heard during the week. Context is for suckers.
“Being a boomer is a mindset not an age group.” - Beacom
“I’m just a free spirit and I like to twerk.”
- Churchill-Haines
“If you are in a threesome, one of you can just watch.”
- Churchill-Haines
Taylor Chasing Hawk Taylor.ChasingHawk@coyotes.usd.edu
“The Volante” welcomes letters to the editor. Letters submitted to the newspaper may be edited for length and AP style, but not for content. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are not those of “The Volante,” its staff, the Department of Media & Journalism or the University of South Dakota, but solely those of the letter writer.
I am writing to address the serious housing crisis that students at USD have faced for a long time.
I am sharing a personal story from this summer to illustrate the point, although since I moved to Vermillion from Elmira, Ontario, Canada three years ago, I have been dealing with it in one way or
OpiniOn
Letter to the Editor
another.
The one issue is that there is not enough housing. The other issue is that the city approves the use of dwellings that do not look like they have any place in a first world country.
Beginning in June of 2022 and ending in June of 2024 I rented a trailer home through Grace Property Management. I had a lot of trouble with communication, repairs, and generally feeling taken advantage of, but the real problem came when I moved out at the end of the lease.
According to USD’s student legal aid, South Dakota law requires the landlord to
send a letter outlining how the rent deposit will be returned and then follow through within two weeks. I didn’t hear anything for six weeks, after which I reached out and asked about my $550 rent deposit.
The manager said that all of it had been used for cleaning and repairs and actually there was an outstanding balance, but the owner wasn’t going to try to collect it.
This had me reeling, as I had thoroughly cleaned before moving out and also fixed quite a lot of things in the trailer since their handyman often didn’t get things done.
An example of something on quote-
which was sent via text message- was $140 of general cleaning, in addition to $100.89 of just floor cleaning alone. (I know that a lot of real estate companies charge about $50 for carpet cleaning.)
I hope that this story can divert students away from choosing Grace Property Management when looking for places to live. Perhaps they will save themselves from having their rent deposit stolen from them, and the anxiety of living under a property management system where they will be misused and mistreated.
- Marcus Klassen
Movie Review: “Spiderhead”
Katie Piper Katie.Piper@coyotes.usd.edu
The 15-minute rule. You have to give the movie fifteen minutes to get good. My personal tolerance window stands at about two minutes. However, this rule was created by my dad to convince my brother and I to watch older films that tend to take a little more time to build.
Now, my brother and I use it as a tool to try something out without committing to a whole two-three hours. It provides a tap out time that signifies we’ve given the movie enough of a chance.
“Escape from Spiderhead” is a short story written by George Saunders that I had read during my freshman year of college. I loved the short story and wanted to watch the movie. I did not expect great things.
We all know how literature does not have the best portrayal on screen. It was more than this though. I had never seen Chris Hemsworth act without a shirt on. I was not confident in his ability to hold my attention and make me believe he belonged anywhere other than Asgard.
This knowledge prevented me from watching it on the release date. Looking at what to watch with my little brother, about a month after the movie came out, we
decided we would apply the fifteen-minute rule to “Spiderhead.”
In its first fifteen minutes, it starts with multiple dad jokes. With the infectious laughter that applied even to a fourtime life sentence in prison, my brother and I laughed along with him.
We were sold from there. The 15-minute rule clocked out at the two minute mark.
Mr. Abnesti presented a villain who was simply a dynamic character. He showed emotion when Heather died (more about his extended complications within his research, but we’ll give credit where it is due).
His villain’s monologue did present itself but did not seem too long or too out of place. During the scene where he and Jeff are high on Laffodil, he seems human.
He exposes himself and his past, his love now and how it impacts the ending. Yet, this conversation is a good callback at the end without having ruined it then.
Lizzy, for not the first time in cinematic history, left a lot to be desired of the love interest. Part of me wanted to blame myself during my first and second watch of the movie; it was my fault I wasn’t connecting with the character because Lizzy showed emotion.
Jurnee Smollett acted with emotion.
Her character told stories that included joy and downfall. She had passions and skills in the kitchen. She wanted to feel the sun again; she had short-term goals. Lizzy fills out the character sheet for any draft.
While she may not give any peeks towards her past traumas, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
There are two main, glaring issues with Lizzy: her reaction to Jeff’s emotional reveal in the blue room (though the color contrast between the moment and the flashback almost makes me want to forgive this one) and the lack of conflict she faces/ deals with.
In the place of developing a balanced emotional connection, Lizzy decides that after Jeff explains his own reasons for being in prison that she will develop their physical relationship.
This seems to be a new and growing cinematic way to comfort(?) men after having an emotional response. Rather than telling men to shut up and quit crying about it, movie women have concluded that sex will work just as well.
It is a sharp turn of emotions that pulls viewers from what they’re watching. It is okay, and it is normal, to let heavy information hang in the air, to not move on, to not know how to proceed.
The only kind of conflict Lizzy deals
with prior to the Phobica is towards Jeff requesting to be taken off snack time. While her reaction is reasonable and direct, it doesn’t do much for the audience. She confronts him about it but doesn’t express how she feels.
Lizzy’s first true reaction is when she explains her placement in this science-pseudo-prison. Smollett does an impressive provision of her lines during this scene in the white room. However, since this is about 20 minutes from the end of the movie, the audience has no other connection to her, they have no real reason built up to care.
She never says her daughter’s name, never hints at this loss sooner or even carries it into the last scene. According to Martha Alderson it would have been necessary to “throw in some sort of disaster, conflict, roadblock… to learn how characters respond emotionally when things turn messy, challenging, and stressful…” This was never effectively delivered for Lizzy’s character.
Overall, the imagery in “Spiderhead” was beautiful, the actors did good and better than expected, the establishing shots took the viewer in and out of an all-consuming world. I really did enjoy this movie, despite my critiques, and think that it did Saunders’ story well.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
The Celebration of Oktoberfest
Ellis Kruse elli.kruse@coyotes.usd.edu
Oktoberfest is back in Vermillion for the first time since 2019.
Friday, September 27, XIX Brewing Company will be hosting Oktoberfest along with other businesses around Vermillion in hopes of making it an annual event. With this festival’s return, Vermillion wants to celebrate the German heritage with music, games and food.
Katie Ulrich, co-owner of XIX Brewing Company, was determined to bring
Oktoberfest back to Vermillion along with Michael Suing, a deputy director at the National Music Museum.
After getting this event approved, Ulrich wanted to get other businesses involved in the festival.
“The beautiful thing about Vermillion is most businesses are super down to get engaged in community events,” Ulrich stated. “It’s a community event that’s featuring different businesses and partnerships but it is for the community.”
The Vermillion Eagles Club will be providing
German-style food. There will be three musical acts sponsored showing different German styles. The Vermillion High School German Club will have a booth with cookies and soft pretzels and the Vermillion Public Library will have library card holders people have the opportunity to decorate. This event is for children and adults. Members of the community will be able to compete in Hammerschlagen, Bohemian Tractor Pull, a steinholding competition and a costume contest. Coaches and staff
members will be judges for these entertaining competitions.
Ulrich shared that Oktoberfest was always her favorite Vermillion event. She hopes it continues and grows with each year to come.
There will be events held all week leading up to the celebration at the Platz. Community Members will be able to find the events being hosted this week on XIX Brewing Company’s or the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company’s Facebook page.
Oktoberfest Crossword
Down
1. Game where contestants push wooden cylinders in a race
3. ______, Loompa, doompa-dee-do
5. Traditional style of folk dance - performers stomp and clap
7. Form of singing from natural tone to falsetto and back
9. Competition were participants hold a liter of beer straight out for as long as possible
Across
2. Leather shorts often with suspenders
4. Game were competitors drive nails into a wood stump
6. Alcoholic beverage made from grain starches
8. Ground meat encased in a skin
10. Glazed and salted bread usually shaped in a knot
And The Verm
Shall Old Acquaintances Be Forgot?
Nathan DeGreef nathan.degreef@coyotes.usd.edu
I have always been one for dramatics. Part of me believes that it also makes me just more observant of the world around me, What I have noticed the most, is the lack of friends around.
For the past few weeks since arriving back to campus, I have felt a bit of a disconnect. It didn’t hit though until I was walking to the game this past Saturday and realized I wasn’t walking to anyone. It wasn’t unusual for me to walk alone to a game and meet up with my friends, but this time I left and realized on the way there that I was walking alone.
When once I could simply walk out of my dorm and connect with anyone down the hall, I am now just waiting for those same people to respond.
Now I don’t necessarily want to hash out all my dirty laundry, but where has everyone gone?
Deep down I recognize
that they will always be there. As Carol King once said, “all I have to do is call”, but the distance between everyone is so vast.
My old friend group hardly keeps in touch with each other, it becomes impossible to be the glue to hold them together.
Each person has a life to live, we only get one. I know it is important to take in the new experiences I could have, it just stings a little.
I have brought up this dilemma a few times to people and there is a similar collective response from everyone - they feel that way too.
That just makes me think if everyone feels lonely, then why are we still alone?
Overall, I of course don’t blame anyone for any of this. Part of me doesn’t even want them to know that this is how I feel. All I really know is that I just have to keep going.
VerVe
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 THE
When Sports and Theatre Come Together
Nathan DeGreef nathan.degreef@coyotes.usd.edu
The USD Theatre Department’s first production of the year will be “The Wolves”.
It is a contemporary play that follows a high school girls’ indoor soccer team through their indoor practices, as well as their personal lives off the field.
Director Chaya Gordon-Bland and assistant director Syara Villarreal, a first-year Master of Fine Arts student, say that this play is a coming-of-age story that can also speak to adult audiences.
“It’s a very beautiful display of female friendship,” Villarreal said.
“[The characters] really find ways to come together throughout soccer and throughout life.”
Not only does this play combine the sport of soccer with the stage, but the actors trained with the USD soccer team. This soccer camp took place the week before school started.
“Every day that week we did a soccer camp,” Gordon-Bland said. “The first chunk would be observing the USD women’s soccer practice. Our young women would then take the field as well and learn warm-ups, do physical training, do soccer drills and get a hands-on
experience.”
On the last day of camp, both the actors and the soccer players joined in a scrimmage where everyone played a game together.
“It was awesome, it was a really fun collaborative experience that I have never had before,” Meg Cook, who plays a swing for #25, #13 and Soccer Mom, said. “They were very, very patient with us which was really appreciated. The fact that they were not only willing to help us but they also seemed really excited about being able to collaborate in this with us, it was just a lot of fun.”
A swing is similar to an understudy. While an understudy just studies one character, a swing is responsible for multiple different characters when the principal actor cannot attend a production.
For both the directors and the actors, one of the biggest difficulties in this play is not even the physicality of the play, but the script itself, which is filled with a plethora of overlapping dialogue.
“[There’s] a lot of overlapping dialogue, it’s really funny though because if you listen on one conversation, you’re like what,” Jade Oswald, who plays #11, said. “It’s a play that you don’t normally see.
There’s never a dull moment and there’s always something happening even if you don’t always see it.”
The central theme of the play is coming of age, offering an intimate look into the lives of the teenage girls, while still resonating with a wide range of audiences.
“I think [the play] can 100% resonate with teenagers, but then it also resonates with adults because these are still conversations people have,” Villarreal said. “These are still such deep topics that maybe people are even still scared to talk about or scared to confront within themselves.”
Additionally, Gordon-Bland says that this is a bold piece of theatre that will offer a unique experience to audiences.
“It’s very different than other theatrical productions, where the audience is going to take a ride with these girls and get to enjoy the exhilaration at the end of that after having gone through all the hard things with the girls,” Gordon-Bland said.
The first showing will be on Sept. 27-29 and then additional shows on Oct. 3-6 in the Knutson Theatre.
Student Counseling Center Plants Seeds of Hope
Nathan DeGreef nathan.degreef@coyotes.usd.edu
There are many different resources for mental health here on the USD campus. September is Suicide Prevention Month and in honor, the Student Counseling Center (SCC) is hosting events such as Planting Seeds of Hope.
SCC Counselor, Ben Severson, says that in prevention they are always looking for opportunities to bring awareness, and
since it is suicide prevention month they are “planting seeds of hope.”
“We just did an open house, and we did rock painting, and then while we were doing that we had this idea that we could do this [event],” Severson said. “We had the paints and we’re like well we can just order these little plant pots”
Events such as these are funded through state grant funds for suicide prevention for mental health first aid.
“This is an opportunity for people to come and sit down, see what is going on,” Severson said. “It’s important because then they’ll pop over and look at what people are doing and hopefully reach more people.”
Severson says that the stigma around mental health awareness has been reduced because more people are willing to entertain the idea of counseling.
“When I started, there was like four counselors and
now there’s like eight fulltime counselors,” Severson said. “We’ve seen more clients in the last year, every year is more and more, but there’s a need for it.”
There are a multitude of resources available here on campus. Coyote Care (833-569-1686) is a 24-hour crisis line that anyone can call to speak to a counselor. Students can also visit the SCC for a same-day appointment or to schedule an appointment.
Sydney Kolln | The Volante
Sydney Kolln | The Volante