Issuu oct 4

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

The Dakota Days throwback issue

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

VOLANTEONLINE.COM

VOLANTE University

of

South Dakota

Longest-serving ‘Coyote-in-Chief’ retiring this summer Abbott reflects on his time at USD

By Dustin VanHunnik Volante

Leah Dusterhoff / VOLANTE

USD President James Abbott announced his retirement when he gave his 21st State of the University Address last week in Aalfs Auditorium.

“This concludes my 21st State of the University Address, and it will also be my last,” he said during the address. “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have served my alma mater for 21 years. I’m also very grateful from the support right from the beginning of the students, faculty and staff, the Vermillion community, our alums and supporters from far and near…

I really do feel as if I’ve been blessed to have spent 21 years in my alma mater.”

Abbott has been the president of the university since 1997 and will retire in June of 2018. He’s USD’s 17th and longest-serving president.

Junior Jared Rolland said he’s sad to see Abbott retire, but said he’s done a lot in his time.

“It hurts to see (Abbott) go, but he has done a lot for the community and the university,” he said.

“He has definitely taken USD to another level.”

Tena Haraldson, USD’s director of communications and vice president of marketing, enrollment & university relations, said she thinks

Abbott has set the bar high at USD. “He has set a high standard for all of us going forward,” she said.

“He made it possible for us to grow and inspired future people at USD to keep improving and setting their goals higher and higher.”

Abbott said he wanted to make the announcement early enough so the South Dakota Board of Regents could conduct a thorough and likely nationwide search for a replacement.

“Jim Abbott has great leadership skills, (he’s) a man of integrity and has an investment in USD, as he is an alum,” said Gloria Hensley, a former USD faculty member, on Facebook. “He is the very best of the best, he made USD even better.”

Board of Regents executive director and CEO Mike Rusch was unavailable for an interview before publishing.

According to a USD press release, during the past 20 years, “Abbott has led a vigorous building campaign to repair and refurbish historical structures on campus.” The following buildings were added during his term: Lee Medical Building (2008), Muenster University Center (2008), Beacom School of Business (2010), Coyote Village Residence Hall (2010), the Wellness Center (2011) and the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and Track-Soccer Complex (2016).

He said he had thought about

ABBOTT: Continues 3A

Law students torn about potential move Law school debate continues

By Ally Krupinsky Volante The possible move of the South Dakota School of Law has prompted discussions and some concerns among current law school students.

Morgan Nelson, a third-year law student and president of the Student Bar Association, said she’s in favor of the move.

“As a task force member, I’m leaning towards relocation, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not open to new information,” she said.

One of two students on the task force, Nelson has been putting on presentations for other law students to keep them informed and hear their concerns.

“I’ve been really lucky to have students be very involved and help me a lot… there’s probably been a core group of like 10 people that have stayed kind of up on the issue,” she said.

Trying to represent the views of all students during the task force meetings has been “a lot of work,” she said.

“I think Morgan and SBA here has done a good job of trying to get a sense of what all students feel,” said Alayna Holmstrom, a third-year law student. “And I know Morgan has advocated on our behalf to the task force, but I still think that if the task force was serious about students’ perspectives, they would’ve suggested also maybe having a representative from each class, because Morgan is just one person.”

Holmstrom, who got her undergraduate degree at USD, attended her first year of law school at the University of Minnesota, then transferred back.

“With my background, I’m just really against the law school moving,” she said. “Because, in short, I think our law school, as well as a lot of law schools around the nation, are facing some issues that will not be solved solely by moving where the law school is.”

Kelcy Schaunaman, firstyear law student, said she was initially in favor staying in Vermillion, but now feels differently.

“I see the move as a good thing. I feel like there’s maybe some untapped potential for opportunities in Sioux Falls, that if we stay here we’re just kind of staying and doing the same thing,” she said. “I feel

we might ultimately end up in the same rut that we’re in right now.”

Alternatives One alternative to moving the school to Sioux Falls is renovating the school’s current building. Thomas Geu, dean of the law school, estimated in the last task force meeting that renovations could cost anywhere from $10.4 to $12.2 million.

“I think the whole construction thing while we’re here also might be a bigger turnoff than we would hope,” Schaunaman said. “So that’s also another concern.”

Nelson said determining the school’s location is a necessary first step before a “huge investment” is made.

“The location debate is appropriate right now because if we use taxpayer resources or tax dollars or student dollars, we need to address this ageold question of, ‘Should the law school move to Sioux Falls?’ and put it to bed. One way or the other, we need to know,” she said. “The decision of where we should be is first, because that decision impacts certain donors certain ways.”

Another possibility the task force discussed was splitting the law school between Vermillion and Sioux Falls.

Nelson said that option isn’t feasible for most student groups.

“Most students don’t see that as a solution,” she said. “A lot of people basically gave me letters so that I could illustrate that that option is not feasible across the board.”

Schaunaman is also against a potential split.

“I think it would really be a detriment to 1Ls, not being able to meet other people,” Schaunaman said. “It’s more than just your class, you want to be able to meet everyone.”

Updates and additional interviews for this story will be posted on volanteonline.com throughout the week.

File Photo / VOLANTE

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard gave a speech in the spring celebrating USD’s birthday.

Daugaard grateful for time as governor Daugaard explains how USD shaped his career

By Lauren Soulek Volante Alumnus Dennis Daugaard is in his final term as governor of South Dakota.

Daugaard grew up on a farm between Garretson and Dell Rapids, SD. Daugaard said he went to a small, one-room country school for elementary school before going to high school in Dell Rapids. He decided to come to USD after some persuasion from his sister.

“I have an older sister, Joyce, two years older than I, and she attended USD and when I was trying to decide, she encouraged me to come to USD,” Daugaard said.

“I went down to visit her and she arranged a meeting with Dr. (Doc) Farber, who at that time, was the chair of the government department, which they call the political science department now. He offered me some scholarship support and between that and Joyce’s encouragement, I ended up enrolling in USD.” The governor said politics and

USD weren’t his original plans after high school.

“I had thought about engineering, I had a scholarship at SDSU in engineering, but Joyce was really encouraging me to go to USD,” he said.

Coyote pride

During his time at USD, Daugaard was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, president of the political science league and was involved with Strollers.

He was also a part of the program council, which is the equivalent to today’s Campus Activities Board (CAB).

“I really enjoyed my time at Lambda Chi Alpha, I made lots of great friends there,” Daugaard said.

“Strollers was always a lot of fun. I enjoyed that immensely, both as a cast member and being a member of Strollers.”

Daugaard said that the USD campus is bigger now than it was when he was a student.

“When I went to USD, the football field was where the law school is, the basketball arena was where the Neuharth Center is and highway 50 was much narrower,” he said. “(The campus) has developed north quite a bit with the DakotaDome and the Wellness

Center, the Sanford athletic building, the fine arts building, Coyote Village — all those things are new there.”

Daugaard said President James Abbott has been great for USD. “He’s done so much to attract financial support from the alumni,” he said. “To the university, he’s been such a steady and visionary leader. I really am impressed with what he’s done for USD.” Daugaard said Farber had a lot to do with his start in politics.

“As I was nearing graduation, Dr. Farber encouraged me to apply to Northwestern Law School,” Daugaard said. “I don’t think I would’ve ever thought to apply there, but I did and got in. I ended up moving to Chicago and going to law school there. I think the law degree helped me when I was encouraged to run for the legislature. It helped me understand the process and the statues a little bit better than I would’ve otherwise.”

Dusty Johnson, Daugaard’s former chief of staff, said the governor only has positive thoughts towards his alma mater.

“He clearly had great

CAREER: Continues 3A

A2 NEWS · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

DAKOTA DAYS BINGO

Devin Martin / VOLANTE

Dakota Days Bingo gave students the opportunity to win Coyote gear for Dakota Days Monday night.

Bike share program cruises into a successful second semester Students still utilizing services

By Kelli Susemihl Volante Last April, USD kickstarted a way for students to check out bicycles free of charge.

The bike share program began after receiving a $4,500 grant from the Student Government Association’s Green Initiative Fund.

There are, on average, 10 red cruiser bicycles in use, and

they can be spotted in the bike racks on the north side of the Muenster University Center.

The MUC Information Desk checks out an average of anywhere from 10 to 20 bikes a day.

“It’s a really great way for people to get around and it’s a free, fun thing for students to do here on campus,” Shea Kister, a senior studying ceramic art and a MUC information desk worker, said.

In order to check out a bike, students or faculty can go to the information desk in the MUC, show their identi-

fication card and check out the bike lock key. Helmets are also available for checkout.

Kister said she’s seen great success with the program.

“Sometimes, there are no bikes available,” she said.

Saeed Dabbour, a Jordanian junior from Saudi Arabia, said the program is a great way to get around the town.

“I think it’s awesome because for me, as an international student, I don’t have a car. So it’s nice for if I need to go somewhere,” he said.

“It’s an easy way to get it, it’s

safe and Vermillion is a safe place to bike around. I think it’s a really great program for USD.” Douglas Wagner, director of the MUC and student programming, said he’s seen success with the program.

“There is very rarely a time when all the bikes are available, which means that they are getting used frequently,” he said.

The bikes can be used to get to class, to travel around Vermillion or just for riding around campus.

“It’s a really great way for people to get around and it’s a free, fun thing for students

to do here on campus,” Kister said.

The bike program is useful to students who may not have a car, Wagner said.

“I think the positive things that I have seen from the bike program is that there are students who now have better access to different parts of Vermillion because they have the ability to get there quicker,” Wagner said. “A student who may not have access to a vehicle can now go purchase groceries with ease because they don’t have to haul them back on foot.”

Wagner said internation-

al students have especially enjoyed taking advantage of the program.

“This program has been a huge benefit to our international student population who may not have the ability to drive, but the desire to get involved with the community,” Wagner said.

The bike share program is expected to continue to grow.

“The hope is to expand the program so that there are more bikes available,” Wagner said. “The hope is that we can offer more bikes and serve more students.”

USD alumnus emphasizes importance of education David Jal returns to South Sudan

By Ally Krupinsky Volante Willing and wanting to make a difference in someone’s life has always been USD alumnus David Jal’s philosophy.

Originally from South Sudan, Jal was separated from his family at the age of 10. He lived in a refugee camp until he was 19, when he came to South Dakota.

Jal, who graduated from USD in 2001, currently works as a court services officer in Sioux Falls. He’s also the founder of the Khor Wakow School Project, a nonprofit committed to providing education to Jal’s village.

He first returned to South Sudan in 2010, and has since made several more trips.

Carole Cochran, the South Dakota KIDS COUNT Coordinator, traveled to South Sudan with Jal in 2010. She was there when he reunited with his mother, after more than 20 years of being apart.

“I didn’t know the language, but I think you can

tell when a mother hasn’t seen her child, and especially a son,” she said.

The Khor Wakow program was in its infancy at the time, Cochran said.

“We met with the chiefs and the elders about the Khor Wakow school and building a school, and if they would make some land available for that, and talked about what other things that they needed,” she said.

Cochran said she’d like to go back to South Sudan, but wants to take a longer trip next time.

She said Jal has worked “very diligently” to make his mission a reality.

“There are a lot of people who are involved, not only on the board, but just overall who understand what David wants to do, which is give back to his community, even if he’s living far away. And the biggest thing is education, I think, for everybody. We’re not just talking about kids of school age, but even adults as well,” she said. “It’s gone from an idea to something that’s real.”

A commitment education

to

Jal first came to South Dakota when he was 19, so

he wasn’t allowed to go back to high school like he initially hoped.

“Desire for education was number one. I wanted to educate myself,” he said.

“I didn’t want to do it for me, I wanted to do it for my parents, because I was the first generation to have (this) opportunity to get the chance to be able to go to school in my family.”

He started at USD in 1998 and graduated in 2001.

At first, Jal only wanted to become a teacher. But after a professor in the social work department suggested he take a few electives, he “fell in love” with the major.

“It was quite an experience going through USD,” he said.

USD is where he met his wife, alumna Janeane Jal. They have four kids, ages 13, 12, 10 and 6.

“It was just a blessing, something I will always remember,” he said. “And I hope my kids go to USD, too.”

Jal said he still keeps in touch with many people he met at USD, including associate professor Debra Norris, Cochran and others. He and his family visit Vermillion several times a year, he said.

From cover: Vintage Charlie used with permission. The University of South Dakota holds rights to Vintage Charlie. No other use, in any format, may be made of the Vintage Charlie character without express approval of the USD Department of Marketing and the brand officer.

The support Jal received at USD and in Sioux Falls is what made him who he is today, he said.

“I want to give back that courtesy that was given to me by others. So I wanted to make sure that I’d do what is best to make this community special, or I can extend a hand to somebody who can receive the service I received when I first came here,” he said. “And I think that is what makes social work special for me.”

Cochran has known Jal since he was a USD student, when they attended the same church.

“David is a very good friend,” she said. “He’s real positive and very happy and upbeat, in spite of a lot of the tragedies that he’s had in his life.”

A desire to help

A USD ethics class inspired Jal to want to be a positive influence on children who’ve only known violence and conflict, since that’s also a reflection of his own childhood.

When he went home, he said he saw 6- and 7-yearolds carrying AK-47’s. A child soldier himself, Jal said education has the power to

change perceptions.

“So because of the opportunity of the education that I received here at home, I was thinking about education,” he said.

Brynne Spargur, a firstyear law student, worked with Jal two summers ago as an intern in the Sioux Falls probation office.

“He’s probably like the calmest person you’ll ever meet and he’s very, very nice.

He’ll help you out with anything,” she said. “I just liked his positive outlook on life, especially with everything he’s been through.”

Spargur, who a graduated from USD in 2016 as a social work major, said she and Jal still talk very regularly.

Learning more about Jal and the work he does with the Khor Wakow School Project made her want to help people as well, she said.

“He puts so much work and effort into that, and I think it’s amazing,” she said.

“But he cares so much about the people over there. I just really loved that.”

Though she couldn’t go on the most recent trip to South Sudan because she was just about to start law school, Spargur said wants to go with Jal eventually.

“Someday, I’ll go,” she said.

Jal’s advice for students who want to make a difference and help others is to not make it about themselves.

“I want them to do it for the calling they have in their heart to make a difference,” he said. “Because if you do it for yourself, it becomes selfcentered. You’re looking at you rather than wanting to make a difference in someone’s life. Always, always be positive.”

Spending almost every day at the same desk with Jal for a summer left a strong impression on Spargur.

“He’s grateful of everybody he meets. He loved USD, everything he learned,” she said. “He’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet.”

Jal said now that he’s living in South Dakota, he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

“I don’t know what life would be like for me, to be honest,” he said. “The people here are so nice. You walk down the street, people are waving at you, just – it was home.”

TUNE IN ON SUNDAY

LIVE AT FIVE Tune in to Channel 21 today at 5 p.m. for a story on how the hotels are preparing for the D-Days weekend.

Tune in to KAOR 91.1 on Saturday for special coverage of the D-Days game.

The Volante Volume 142, N0. 5 October 4, 2017 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Chuck Baldwin

Happy Dakota Days from The Volante staff! We created a ‘90s throwback special edition to celebrate homecoming week.

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 Devin Martin news presentation editor Lauren Soulek assistant news editor Morgan Matzen verve editor Rachel Newville verve presentation editor Mason Dockter sports presentation editor Molly Schiermeyer photo editor Seth Gerberding opinion editor

CAREER: Continued from 1A experiences on campus that helped make him who he is today,” Johnson said.

“He has a lot of Coyote pride.”

A political path

Daugaard graduated from USD in 1975. After that, he went to law school, took his bar exam and stayed in Chicago for three years to work.

“I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of Chicago, but it was very impersonal, very crowded, couldn’t see the stars at night, very noisy and I missed the country,” he said.

During his time in Chicago, Daugaard said he reconnected with his high school girlfriend, Linda Schmidt, and they decided to quit their jobs, move back to South Dakota, get married and “start fresh.”

The couple moved back to the farm Daugaard grew up on and raised their three children: Laura, Sara and Chris.

Mitch Rave, a senior political sciences major, said the fact that Daugaard came from a normal, hardworking family inspires him.

“He’s just basically rooted in South Dakota core values of trying to help everyone, help your neighbor, be a good citizen and things like that,” Rave said.

“Hard work will get you anywhere, really.”

Rave interned in Pierre this summer and said he sometimes got the opportunity to work with Daugaard by assisting him on certain projects and events.

“He loves South Dakota, he always wants to make things better,” Rave said.

“He’s not okay with just sitting in static. He wants to improve on basically anything, if he sees a problem, he wants to look for a solution.”

After returning to South Dakota, Daugaard worked in banking and later began working at the Children’s Home Society. In 1996, he ran for legislature and was elected as a senator.

“It was very interesting,” he said. “The legislature in South Dakota meets

“I’ll

go to the parade and after the

parade I’ll go over to the Lambda Chi Alpha house to see some of my old friends.

Dennis Daugaard, SD governor from early January to midMarch, so it’s drive out on Sunday night to Pierre, move into a motel room, have committee meetings every morning and have session every afternoon.”

In 2002, former governor Mike Rounds asked Daugaard to be his running mate, so when Rounds was elected, Daugaard became his lieutenant governor.

The Rounds/Daugaard administration was reelected in 2006. After that, Daugaard decided to run for governor in 2009.

“In theory, when you’re lieutenant governor, your job is to be ready to be governor, so I’d been preparing myself a little bit for eight years,” Daugaard said. “As lieutenant governor, people see you as credible as a candidate.”

Daugaard was elected as South Dakota’s 32nd governor in 2010.

The final term

Daugaard said the role as governor can be challenging because it’s so varied.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit exhausting, but I’ve enjoyed it and it’s a great privilege,” Daugaard said.

“Now I’m just a little over a year away from the end of my second term, I’ll be term limited. I’ve enjoyed it very much. It’s been a wonderful privilege for which I am very grateful.”

Johnson said he believes Daugaard is hardworking and honest.

“He really leads by example,” Johnson said.

“He was often the first governor’s office staffer at the capitol in the morning. He would always do his homework. He was very diligent about getting his work done. I think set a good example for the rest of the staff when somebody works hard and plays by the rules”

always be graduation day.

ABBOTT: Continued There is no one unhappy on

from 1A

retirement a few months ago, but ultimately made the decision after an operation.

“I decided after I had my emergency gallbladder operation that I should probably get out of there,” he said with a laugh.

While many things have changed during his time on campus, Abbott said there was one question he always answered the same way.

“You have all heard me say it a million times,” he said. “My favorite part will

graduation day.”

In his 20 years here, USD has issued 35,148 degrees.

Haraldson said she thinks anyone can see Abbott’s imprint all over the campus.

“I think anytime you have a top executive in the same job for 20 years, his imprint, choices and priorities are really shown in USD’s campus,” she said.

“He is personally reflected in the beauty of the campus because he has always had high expectations for quality and you see that everywhere you look at USD.”

President James Abbott announced his retirement last week.

Johnson worked for the governor for four years, but has known him for 15 years.

“We have this thought in our minds that someone in politics are in it for themselves, that’s certainly not the case for Governor Daugaard,” Johnson said.

“He is incredibly selfless, he really focuses on others, he really believes in the calling of making an impact doing the right thing.”

After his term ends, Daugaard said he and the first lady will move back to the farm.

“The whole state is wide open to the governor, all doors open to the governor, so you really get to see a lot of the state behind the scenes,” he said. “It’s really interesting and I’ll miss that.”

Daugaard said his advice for current students is to set themselves apart from the crowd.

“You can do that by getting internships, work experiences… so you set yourself apart from the mass of folks who have that same degree and who are competing for those few jobs that are out there in that field,” he said.

The governor said he’s looking forward to coming back to campus for Dakota Days this year.

“I’ll go to the parade and after the parade I’ll go over to the Lambda Chi house to see some of my old friends,” Daugaard said. “We maintain those friendships yet today.”

First-year Victoria Hernandez said she hopes Abbott is able to look back at USD with pride once he retires.

“I just hope when he sees what the university does in the future that he is proud of that,” she said.

“And then I hope he thinks he left a good mark on the campus.”

Abbott said he’s looking forward to traveling and seeing his grandchildren in retirement, but will miss interacting with students.

“I will miss the students the most,” he said. “They are the life of the university.

They make it fun.”

File Photo / VOLANTE

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THE VOLANTE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

· NEWS A3

Opinion

4 · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 · THE VOLANTE

Dakota Days is a great experience at USD While it pains me to say this, I actually took a bit of joy in saying “Happy D-Days!” I viciously defend USD to my Jackrabbit family, even more so than before.

SETH GERBERDING ◆ Seth is a sophomore math and philosophy double major.

USD students were criticized last year for leaving the homecoming game early.

File photo / The Volante

Editorial: Students need to attend the full football game The USD Coyotes football team is ranked third in its division, barely falling behind Illinois State and North Dakota State University.

This is a first for the Coyotes since entering Division I. The 4-0 record, three of those wins being on the road, is a fantastic start.

For the first time in a while, the Coyotes are a force to contend with. The games against Drake and the University of North Dakota sent a message to the rest of the league that the moto “FeaRED” is no longer just a catchy phrase. The Yotes have performed to a level where their actions have even warranted a spot on an ESPN top 10 plays list.

For the football to keep their newfound reputation, students need to give them support.

On Saturday, the Coyotes

will face the Youngstown State Penguins in their second conference match. Not only is this the Dakota Day’s game, it’s perhaps the most important game for the Coyotes thus far this season. The Penguins are 3-1, but have defeated schools like SDSU. The pressure is on.

It’s imperative that USD students stay for the whole game on Saturday. We should give our team a student section packed with energy.

Student-athletes have expressed their views in the past about students bailing at halftime. A strong team needs a strong fan base. An empty student section only damages the players’ morale. Students have bemoaned in the past that the team doesn’t win; perhaps if more students stayed, the record would be better.

Student-athletes train hard for these games. For students

to abandon their team and fellow classmates, it’s extremely disheartening.

The football game is an integral part of Dakota Days.

Students ought to stay the whole game, not just until half-time before going off to other festivities. The best party comes after witnessing an exhilarating win.

The energy, the excitement, the camaraderie that will be present Saturday is unmatched in any other game (save, perhaps, for the State game).

There’s a sense of pride walking out of the Dome on a Saturday afternoon after a brilliant win, none more so than after a D-Days victory.

To truly experience a complete D-Days, the football game can’t be missed, not even the last half. Go Yotes, and Happy D-Days!

Many different people have many different takes on Dakota Days. Some see it as a time to party all day (or week).

Others see it as unfettered chaos, a disruption to their school life.

I think both views have legitimate claims. I, for one, take a slightly different approach.

Last year I didn’t do much during D-Days: I went to a barn dance, messed around with some friends and went to the football game. This year is looking to be packed with events.

It was good fun. I like D-Days, but I like for a slightly more nuanced reason.

Underneath all the alcohol and all the partying something goes on: growing up, becoming a member of a community and exploring one’s self. That’s a strange thing to say in the context of what’s basically a week-long party. But I met people last year who are still my friends now.

Had I decided to stay in the library instead of having a little fun on Friday night, I wouldn’t have met these fine individuals. I made connections with people which I would not have made otherwise.

But there’s more. After Dakota Days, I distinctly remember feeling more like this was a home for me.

D-Days, I can safely say, had a part in this change.

There are many reasons why, although I couldn’t name them all. Experiencing new things, growing up with new friends, has something to do with it.

Exploring some perhaps dark things is probably another. At the very least, engaging in the century-old tradition is almost a right of passage. The Coyote spirit, once tapped into, isn’t soon lost.

Either way, D-Days is exciting, and to experience it is to become part of the USD community. Everyone has a D-Day’s story. Ask any alumni about their D-Days experience, and chances are it’ll be a hilarious conversation that lasts a couple hours.

To be a college student, even a successful one, doesn’t simply mean constant studying in the library. Part of growing up and enjoying life means leaving the library and trying something new. And no, that doesn’t mean go drink.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy D-Days which have no attachment to alcohol.

Becoming part of the community, meeting new people and finding out something new about yourself are all important for a fulfilling college experience. Dakota Days is a great way to do all three.

Dakota Days week has a rich, artistic and proud history

JOE VITO MOUBRY ◆ Joe Vito is a sophomore studio art major.

Among the things I didn’t know about USD prior to being a student, the tradition of Dakota Days is probably one of the bigger ones. I didn’t need to know the importance, and now as a USD student, I don’t have the historical context.

Actually, this is no longer true. All I knew was that Dakota Days is USD’s homecoming week and that there’s a parade on Saturday.

Beyond that, I didn’t know when the first Dakota Days was or how the tradition started.

According to the Dakota Days history web page, the USD president in 1914, Robert L. Slagle, presented the idea of South Dakota Day to help promote “campus spirit and harmony.” The web page states that after two years of South Dakota Day, the day “had already become an unequaled celebration.”

Although this answered my

question of why was it created, I still yearned to learn more.

And after going to I.D. Weeks Library, the archives office was able to provide me with several past press releases and other Dakota Days documents.

My inner nerd and I had fun looking at past themes as I thumbed through the files and documents.

According to an issue of The Magazine, the 1966 theme was Salute the Arts. Although this could reference performing arts or the fine arts, it’s fun thinking about the ways that floats could salute the arts.

The 50th Dakota Days theme was Golden Moments.

The Volante THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

EDITORIAL BOARD Ally Krupinsky, editor-in-chief

Seth Gerberding, opinion editor

Cheyenne Alexis, managing editor

Morgan Matzen, verve 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.

A press release from Oct. 7, 1963 states that the Sioux Falls drill team and 26 bands from South Dakota and Iowa provided music for the parade.

A July 11 press release from that year states, “The committee expects parade entries in 1963 to revive some of the highlights of the previous 49 Dakota Days.”

According to a 1970 press release, that year’s theme was “Magical Mystical Tour.” The committee chair Bruce Nolop said the fascination with mysticism at the time would increase student interest in the festivities.

Other themes that piqued

my interest included Dixieland in 1965, Disco Daze in 1994 and Salute to the Arts. After all, who doesn’t like jazz music and occasional disco tunes? And I’m slightly biased towards the arts since I’m a studio art major.

After doing a little research, I’m looking forward to experiencing my first Dakota Days. Between the week of activities and showcasing some Coyote pride, it’s time to experience a 103 year-old tradition.

OVERHEARDS

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

“How are they supposed to have sex in the afterlife?”

— Muenster University Center

“It’s white girl season! Hell yeah!”

— Muenster University Center

“My goal of the night was to unbutton my shirt every drink I had and then re-button it with every drink. I definitely met my goal.”

— Slagle Hall

“Don’t drop your alcohol. That’s alcohol abuse!”

— Prentis Park

“Why be rich when you can marry rich?”

— Muenster University Center

THE VOLANTE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

J. STEVEN MANOLIS PAINTING VERMIL L ION RED AUGUST 21 – OCTOBER 9, 2017 JOHN A. DAY ART GALLERY WARREN M. LEE CENTER FOR THE FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMILLION, SD Dr. Larry Schou, Dean and Professor, College of Fine Arts, USD Curated by Bruce Helander

J. Steven Manolis, REDWORLD Self Portrait Quadriptych, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 144 x 192 in. (365.76 x 487.68 cm). Four paintings, 72 x 96 in.

(182.88 x 243.84 cm) each, Two panels per painting, 72 x 48 in. (182.88 x 121.92 cm) each. Framed: 150 x 198 in. (381 x 502.92 cm). Collection of the artist.

7PM, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017 Nationally-Renowned Art Critics Symposium “Discussion of Color and Design in the Art World” Colton Recital Hall, Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts, USD campus

2PM, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2017 Ceremony to officially accept the J. Steven Manolis paintings donation to USD MUC Pit lounge area President Abbott and J. Steven Manolis to speak.

4PM to 6PM, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2017 J. Steven Manolis Art Exhibition Reception Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts, John A. Day Art Gallery Artist and Art Critic Commentary starts at 4:30pm

· NEWS A5

A6 NEWS · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

J. Steven Manolis: USD Alumnus and Benefactor

BY DR. LARRY SCHOU

J. Steven Manolis standing with his painting, REDWORLD (Four Seasons), 2017. Permanently hung on the second floor of the University of South Dakota Student Union, Vermillion, South Dakota. Photograph by Aaron Packard.

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he University of South Dakota (USD), located in Vermillion, South Dakota, has been a place where students are challenged to articulate their thoughts and dream big, and it is a place where we develop future leaders for the country. Since the establishment of the university in 1862 and its eventual funding by 1883, students have flocked to USD seeking knowledge and inspiration to later move out into the world and make their mark.

South Dakotans long have been known for their tenacity, their drive, and their endurance. The harsh winters and hot summers breed a type of Midwesterner who can persevere and thrive. This is the state where L. Frank Baum, George McGovern, Tom Brokaw, Al Neuharth, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Vine Deloria, Oscar Howe, Harvey Dunn and J. Steven Manolis made their mark early in their lives. Traditions are strong, and ties to family and friends have meaning.

J. Steven Manolis was born into an immigrant family who had moved to South Dakota and established strong ties to the state. Steven was born in Vermillion, South Dakota and grew up in Huron, South Dakota, where at one point during Steven’s youth, his grandfather owned three restaurants; family support was needed to see that these businesses were successful in what was a vibrant town. During Steven’s high school years, he was a member of a musical group called the Torres, and traveled throughout the Midwest playing gigs and making money to help support his family. The band was so successful that eventually they found themselves inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the second largest rock and roll hall of fame in the nation. Even at this early age, Steven was showing his true nature in his artistic quality and business acumen: he was willing to work hard then to achieve his goals, and still is.

Steven attended USD from 1966 to 1970 and was a good student, with many dreams and passions drawing him forward. He originally wanted to be a visual artist, but family pressure kept him from realizing this aspect of his life until years later. The high-quality faculty at USD provided Steven and his classmates with an engaging environment to build a strong educational foundation and to motivate students in their future activities.

The university faculty instilled in Steven his drive to meet challenges in the business arena, and to never give up on an area of interest where one believes they can find success.

After graduating from USD, Manolis spent two years in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant, and eventually receiving an MBA from the

USD-Volante-Grayscale.indd 2

University of Chicago. From there, Steven rose to the pinnacle of success on Wall Street, achieving the remarkable status of youngest general partner of Salomon Brothers, and still maintained that artistic passion within him.

He sought out the tutelage of nationally-renowned painter and art teacher, Wolf Kahn, to provide that inspiration and creativity for the right side of his brain. Steven is one of those distinctive people who blend left- and right-side thinking, and this ability shows in his paintings and in his business expertise.

Steven and I connected a few years ago during my first visit to see him at Manolis Projects. We spent several hours discussing his artwork and his vision for where he wanted to go with his many endeavors. It was exciting to hear about his past, and to see all the innovative pieces he had produced already.

At that point, I knew we had to have Steven come back to USD to talk to our art majors and faculty. We wanted him to showcase his art, and for our students to hear how he uses his talents to present his works to others. Again, he uses both sides of his brain to reach creative heights. After his visit to campus, Steven said that he wanted to donate seven of his paintings to USD to be on display. We were thrilled and quickly accepted his offer. These pieces are at the center of his REDWORLD series, and USD is very proud to exhibit these works made for three specific buildings on campus. His REDWORLD poem is posted next to each of the works.

Students, faculty, and townspeople continue to comment about these amazing paintings.

The university colors are red and white, so each Friday during the academic year is “Red Friday at USD,” and everyone is to wear red clothing. These original works fit well with our campus colors and spirit.

Steven’s message in “Art as Positive Activism” is a call and a lesson to the campus informing us how one alumnus went out from Vermillion, South Dakota to make his mark in the world. Steven’s recent visits to Vermillion are helping our faculty to remind students that they can do it, too. Steven’s enthusiasm and zeal, his artistic talent and years of experience are exciting and inspiring a new generation of students in the College of Fine Arts and the Beacom School of Business.

FULL-ON; ALL-IN. GO YOTES!

— Dr. Larry Schou is Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota. In 2011, Dr. Schou was selected to attend the prestigious Harvard University Management Development Program, an international leadership program. He is a 2002 Sasakawa Fellow who studied the society, culture, and arts of Japan. Dr. Schou serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Music Museum and the Board of Directors for the Black Hills Playhouse. Dr. Schou is listed in the Who’s Who in America’s Teachers, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in the World and the AcademicKeys Who’s Who in Fine Arts Higher Education. As a solo artist, he has performed throughout the United States and Europe.

J. Steven Manolis, REDWORLD Glaze, 2017. Permanently hung in the lobby of the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business, Vermillion, South Dakota. Photograph by Aaron Packard.

9/28/17 7:27 PM

THE VOLANTE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

· NEWS A7

Coming Home

BY BRUCE HELANDER

J. Steven Manolis, Black & White, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 144 in. (213.36 x 365.76 cm). Three panels, 84 x 48 in. (213.36 x 121.92 cm) each. Framed: 87 x 147 in. (220.98 x 373.38 cm).

R

EDWORLD, the historic and news-making solo exhibition of works by Abstract Expressionist painter J. Steven Manolis at the University of South Dakota, was the most talked about show there in years, and will be remembered, among other things, for its distinctive, grandscale interaction of brilliant layers of red-infused pigment, created by one of USD’s most prominent and successful graduates. As the artist was born and college educated in the town of Vermillion, it’s appropriate to refer to the region’s history and landscape, which paints a picture of dramatic inspiration and illustrates the local flavor and subliminal references that have influenced generations of artists, as well as the Native Americans, to express themselves with spirited color and aesthetic intuition and awareness.

South Dakota is a handsome and proudly industrious state that is nearly 400 scenic miles long and ranks as the 17th largest state in the U.S. With its considerable size comes notable geographic variations, in terms of weather and the rugged landscape, including the famed Badlands, Black Hills, rolling prairies, and gorgeous green grasslands, and Mount Rushmore, the biggest and one of the two most famous sculptures in America (the Statue of Liberty being the other), which literally was blasted out of a granite mountainside, fourteen years in the making. Also noteworthy, in nearby Huron, Manolis’ father supervised the construction and placement of the World’s Largest Pheasant (20 ft. H x 40 ft. W) along Highway 14.

There is an honorable tradition, especially in America’s heartland, initiated in the first quarter of the 20th century, of organizing a major “Homecoming” autumn event, where a school welcomes the return of its alumni, students and the entire community to celebrate with often an entire week of activities, culminating in a parade complete with marching bands and homemade floats maneuvering down Main Street bordered by cheering crowds on both sides along the route. The festivities conclude with a spirited rally and bonfire that stokes up school spirit and motivates the varsity football players to bring home the bacon. At the University of South Dakota, this annual occasion that encourages pride and school support coincides with “Dakota Days,” arguably the most anticipated event of the year at USD. The parade is led by the Grand Marshal, a recognized, respected person, an accolade customarily given to someone who demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities or distinctive and valuable professional achievements that enrich the college and its surrounding area.

This year, through a student body recommendation confirmed unanimously by the University Administration (who had only

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seen the exhibition and experienced its communicative art activist symbology and who were positively impacted by Manolis’ REDWORLD poem, which was connected with his gifted Red works for a positive and inspirational impact on these students) and without actually meeting the artist, this prestigious designation has been bestowed upon alumnus J. Steven Manolis for his exceptional accomplishments in the international business realm, his outstanding success and universal recognition as a critically acclaimed artist, and for his latest gift of paintings permanently displayed at high traffic/student crossroad locations on campus. His remarkable color-field works deliberately developed and constructed as communicative positive activism, coupled with his uniquely handsome, layered interwoven messages, are a confirmation and powerful proof of a triumphant historical scoreboard, which has increased this artist’s growing reputation exponentially while substantially securing a strong demand as a reliable and undisputed true market investment value indicator of his work.

From curious explorers such as Lewis and Clark to wagon train homesteaders to the proud tribes of the Sioux, this magical land has an imaginative and dedicated work ethic that has produced an impressive spectrum of successful and influential individuals. From inventors, economists, theologians and Nobel Prize winners to actors and newscasters like Tom Brokaw, Al Neuharth and television host Bob Barker, from international business leaders and scientists to authors, musicians, poets and not surprisingly, a distinguished group of artists, from influential Native American Artist Laureate Oscar Howe to its latest member, South Dakota-born abstract expressionist color field painter J. Steven Manolis.

Coincidentally, Manolis was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, and later graduated, after achieving stunning high school accomplishments as a scholar, athlete and musician, with honors from his birthplace university with a burning desire to become successful in the corporate world, even as he planned to ultimately concentrate all his professional efforts on his first love: painting. Like many aspiring youngsters who want to be artists, but often are persuaded by their parents to aggressively pursue a more “secure” career direction, Manolis majored in business, but minored in his own life-long favorite independent study thesis of exploring the mental and physical process of painting whenever he could fit in the time. He continued to take private art lessons during his exemplary tenure at Salomon Brothers, most often with the legendary colorist painter Wolf Kahn, who had a major influence on the unique qualities of a Manolis painting. With a two decade Advisory role that culminated in the Chairman-

ship of the Advisory Board and NAD Man of the Year Award (2006) at the renowned National Academy of Design, followed by a decade-long Trusteeship at The Vermont Studio Center, Manolis’ professional perspectives on art and the art world also were sharpened, along with his developing style and concentrated professional vision.

Now that Manolis has been working full time as a painter for a number of years without interruption, his art has blossomed into an uncommon, idiosyncratic and attractive style, which follows his true love for and devotion to color, and especially one of his favorite hues, RED, coincidentally the definition of the word ‘Vermillion.’ So, it’s certainly appropriate that an ambitious series of largescale canvases that the artist essentially limited to saturating with his preferred shade of crimson eventually would become the genesis of a major public museum solo exhibition. The critical responses by respected art writers about this collection of harmoniously connected works have been encouraging and enthusiastic, with a selection of these reprinted in this catalog, as well as choice quotes by collectors and art and design professionals.

The hardcover book that accompanies the exhibit was positively reviewed for The Huffington Post by arts writer Elizabeth Sobieski.

In addition, the curatorial staff for the REDWORLD exhibition has assembled select installation photographs that provide the reader with a sharp and realistic perspective on this memorable exhibition titled “Painting Vermillion Red” at the John A. Day Gallery (Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts, University of South Dakota), which continues through October 9, 2017. J. Steven Manolis will be following up this exhibition with “Communicating Through Color,” an epic statewide solo exhibition that will be presented at the illustrious Washington Pavilion Art Museum in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, May 5 - September 10, 2018.

— Bruce Helander is an artist who writes on art, and is the guest curator for the REDWORLD exhibition at the John A. Day Gallery and “Communicating Through Color” at the Washington Pavilion Art Museum in Sioux Falls. Growing up in Minnesota, Helander was a frequent visitor to South Dakota.

He is the former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Rhode Island School of Design, former White House Fellow of the National Endowment of the Arts and the former Editor-in-Chief of The Art Economist. He is a member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and his work is represented in more than fifty public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

9/28/17 7:27 PM

A8 NEWS · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

The Birth Of A World

BY ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST

“J. Steven Manolis: Painting Vermillion Red” currently on view at the John A. Day Art Gallery at the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. REDWORLD (Self-Portrait) Quadriptych (center) is proudly displayed among other breathtaking paintings by J.Steven Manolis. Photograph by Aaron Packard.

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he sky was luminous, hazy, and I was standing outside my hotel in Vermillion, South Dakota, looking out onto a landscape so flat that it might have been unrolled for inspection, when J. Steven Manolis joined me. He was born in Vermillion, and we were off to the opening of the ambitious survey of his paintings at the University of South Dakota, which is located there, and which he had attended. So, this cannot have been an unfamiliar view. But he remained there alongside me for a while, gazing.

“The light is different here,” he said.

That’s what you observe in the Mediterranean. But the Midwest? How so?

“In the Heartland, you are thousands of miles away from any large body of water,” he said. “The water droplets that are in the air on the coast are non-existent. That’s just an opinion. But the midday light on the prairie is totally intense.”

An artist’s exact eye, so this was an appropriate beginning for a significant day in the art career of J. Steven Manolis. It has been a remarkable career, and one which has occurred in a period when the art world’s venerable guild system, if it has not quite gone into melt, certainly is more fluid, more receptive, when talent arrives by an untraditional route.

A long route, too. As a boy, Manolis was set on becoming an artist, but he had respected the prohibition of his grandfather, a Greek immigrant, to whom all artists were Communists, so he went into business instead. He joined Salomon Brothers in 1972 when he was twenty-four, and in due course created and pioneered multiple instruments for monetizing mortgages, an act of business creativity so radical that he likens it to the invention of the atom bomb. How so? Today the global securitized residential and commercial mortgage markets are trillions in size and the largest fixed income sector in the world.

At thirty-three, Manolis became a General Partner, the youngest ever at Salomon.

His art hunger had sprung back to life and was fed by two entities he calls his Guardians.

Has he seen them? “Dimly.” Skeptics should be aware that there is a robust art world tradition of fruitful interaction with such forces; that Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian were Theosophists; and that William Blake regularly channeled Voltaire and John Milton.

Manolis was heading up a division at Salomon, but the artist’s call had become too strong to ignore. A meeting with Wolf Kahn, the landscape painter, was instrumental, and Manolis resigned at the age of forty-two, to make a new beginning. Several, in fact. Now wealthy, he resolved both to look for business situations and to explore the art world, a project that came to involve collecting and a position on the board of the National Academy of Arts on Fifth Avenue, New York.

Most urgently, though, he needed to make art. A decade of regular sketching trips with Kahn followed; his mentor working in

USD-Volante-Grayscale.indd 4

J. Steven Manolis and Anthony Haden-Guest reviewing elements of the “Painting Vermillion Red” exhibit at the John A. Day Gallery at the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts, University of South Dakota.

Photograph by Aaron Packard.

pastel, he in watercolor. Producing both in the field and in his studio, and making artworks of considerable size, he came to handle this medium, so under-used in the contemporary art world, with the controlled urgency it requires. So, he resolved to tackle another medium—acrylics—with the ultra-focus that he had brought to Salomon. “I learned to mix acrylics anywhere from twenty parts water to one part paint, to one part water to one part paint, to pure acrylics right out of the tube,” he said. “Oh my God, it flows. Its transparency, its energy, it’s just like watercolor. Energy is conveyed with movement and action. Not every drop. There’s a contrast between the stuff that moves and doesn’t move that gives diversity and energy to a painting.” Arguably he has developed a multi-faceted approach that once you become familiar with it—and all its variants—you realize that incredibly it has become his own unique signature style in three short years.

Manolis didn’t take his work public until 2010. And it wasn’t that public, just putting a piece into a group show in Easthampton, Long Island, and not even telling close friends. His was the only work to sell and it went for just $6,000, small change at Salomon, but at such a show, a triumph. “I felt like an astronaut must have when he first stepped on the moon. Real, indescribable joy and exhilaration. Because at that moment, I absolutely knew it was going to happen. And happen big time!” he said. He was sixty-five, and his goal was to spend the rest of his life painting, seven days a week, and that he intended to become one of the leading abstract painters of the time.

The world Manolis had abandoned, the business world, has its protocols, its rituals, its codes, but so does the art world, and, as he soon discovered, the bohemian code is one of the strictest. “How can a businessman make art? I keep on being asked that,” he said.

Most successful artists conduct their careers in a businesslike fashion, of course. Indeed, an analysis of the practice of those pragmatic visionaries, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, was published by the Harvard Business School.

But the business side of the art life usually is the great unspoken. That great artist, the late Dennis Oppenheim, told me, “If you give an artist sodium pentothal, you know, truth serum, before you talk to him, and you ask why do you make your art? Most would say for the money.” It’s a subject J. Steven Manolis addresses openly and gladly. Is that the whole truth? Of course not. That truth is in the work that currently hangs in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts at USD. *

*

*

Four large red paintings confront you from the far wall as you enter the large gallery: the giant REDWORLD (Self-Portrait) Quadriptych (12 x 16 ft.); four paintings hung as one.

Manolis much admired Hans Hofmann, a formidable teacher in the Ab Ex period, who insisted it was time for artists to paint what they felt, not what they saw. “People would ask him how that could be done?” Manolis said. “He would say, how nature does it.

Through color.”

Manolis has focused on pure abstraction from the beginning of his mature career. This has been relatively short, a few years, so many will be fresh to his work. Which, of course, makes it question time. Just about any figurative painting offers clues, both as to the artist’s skills—can this person actually draw—and to the singularity of his or her project. You have way less to go on when you look at a competently executed abstraction and are making up your mind whether it (A) belongs in a hotel lobby, (B) is plausible, modish, but unfelt, or, (C), is headed for an exemplary wall.

The case for (C) is made by the energy that

9/28/17 7:27 PM

THE VOLANTE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

· NEWS A9

ON VIEW: J. STEVEN MANOLIS: PAINTING VERMILLION RED THROUGH OCTOBER 9, 2017 JOHN A. DAY ART GALLERY, WARREN M. LEE CENTER FOR THE FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMILLION, SD

J. Steven Manolis, Splash (Pink Sands), 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 120 in. (182.88 x 304.8 cm). Two panels, 72 x 60 in. (182.88 x 152.4 cm) each. Framed: 75 x 123 in. (190.5 x 312.42 cm). 72.120.01

the work both communicates and generates.

And not just slap-happy energy, either. Mark Rothko said, “There’s no such thing as good painting about nothing.”

Artists do not necessarily zip their lips when discussing that inner something. Rothko also wrote “I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.” Ad Reinhardt claimed that he was making “the last paintings.” Barnett Newman told Harold Rosenberg that if his work was “read properly, it would mean the end of all state capitalism and totalitarianism.”

J. Steven Manolis does not indulge in such scenery-chewing, but his Tolerance, a black and white triptych in the show, was an appalled reaction after the American journalist James Foley was beheaded on YouTube by ISIS in 2014. It is one in a series of seventeen black-and-whites painted over three months to give form to his response to the ugly horror. “It was renamed Tolerance…BWG by my stepdaughter,” he says. “Its original title was Black, White and Gray. Because I think we all have to live in black, white and gray. You can’t live in pure black and white.” Indeed, the addition of ‘Tolerance’ to the title gave the series a fabulous, direct meaning honoring the Black, White and Gray concept.

The thinking and feeling that enter the works of Manolis are as varied as they are intense. Splash (Pink Sands), a double canvas in the show, distills his experience of the most beautiful beach he has encountered: Pink Sands, North Bermuda. It’s part of his Splash series of 2016, a very successful series for him in every way, which he painted at a time when he was contemplating the difference between human energy and energy elsewhere in the natural world. It’s only humans, not animals, that have mastered the optimi-

zation of that energy, and that’s why they are so special and rule the earth. And, he saw in each building and breaking wave a positive metaphor. “In my Splash series, that’s what I think about: that moment in time when a wave breaks and potential energy gets transformed to real energy.”

That same year, Manolis spent nine months painting in Key West. “I was analyzing two different things,” he said. “The water and the sunset. Both of those change daily.

There’s no fauna and no flora on the seabed there. It’s just white sand, so it reflects the atmosphere. And if the atmosphere changes, the color of the water changes. So, every five or ten minutes the water is completely different. I’ve never seen a place that capricious.”

Manolis also visited the museum in Key West dedicated to the bird painter, John James Audubon, because the difference between male and female coloration in the natural world is a source material of his. He was enchanted by a painting of a flamingo. It was pink. “Today, it’s a kind of salmon orange,” he said. “We know the water changed. We know that. So, I did a whole series of paintings in which over the surface of the work I went from pink to orange as the predominant color. They sold very well. Because the two colors together were really beautiful.

Manolis has several ways of constructing a picture. They include splashes and pours that reference the first-generation Ab Exes; all-over pigmentation, his glazes and the small set of highly personal symbols, that he first used in the Tolerance series. The piece in the REDWORLD series included in the show is a highly personal work, as its subtitle, Self Portrait Quadriptych, indicates, and it combines several of the symbols, including concentrics and five parallel strokes. He describes the making of this REDWORLD with

fastidious relish. “Think of an Oreo cookie,” he said. “I put five layers of glaze on. Then I put the symbols on. Then I put five more layers of glaze on. So, it’s ten layers. And the symbols are squeezed beneath. The total layer of glaze is probably only a fifteenth of an inch, but no matter how close you get to the painting, the symbols are inside.”

For J. Steven Manolis, REDWORLD is about going for it; being fearless.

Will that come across? No. Or not exactly. Any more than the viewer will know that the five parallel strokes on many of his canvases reference his five grandchildren. Or that his waves splash with human energy.

“There’s no explicit messaging at all,” Manolis said. “There is implicit messaging. Supposedly, Hans Hofmann said that it’s not really important that the recipient feels exactly about the work as you do. But if your feelings can result in the recipient having feelings, if you are imparting emotions that result in emotions, they don’t have to be yours. And this is the ultimate test of really strong art.”

The splendid art of J. Steven Manolis is exactly that. Each and every piece generates an energy that is at once explosively physical and evidence of a sharp mind at work. Like the birth of a world.

— Anthony Haden-Guest is a British-American writer, reporter, cartoonist and art critic based in New York and London. Financial Times, The Art Newspaper, Vanity Fair and The Daily Beast are but a few of the notable publications that have carried his byline, and he is the author of True Colors-The Real Life of the Art World. He also is the news editor of Saatchi Online.

WWW.JSTEVENMANOLISART.COM

Left to Right: J. Steven Manolis, Tolerance… BWG, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in. (152.4 x 121.92 cm). Framed: 62 x 50 in. (157.48 x 127 cm). J. Steven Manolis, Tolerance…BWG, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 72 in. (152.4 x 182.88 cm). Two panels, 60 x 36 in. (152.4 x 91.44 cm) each. Framed: 62 x 74 in. (157.48 x 187.96 cm). 2015.01 J. Steven Manolis, Tolerance… BWG, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in. (152.4 x 121.92 cm). Framed: 62 x 50 in. (157.48 x 127 cm). 2015.03

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9/28/17 7:28 PM

A10 NEWS · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

D-Days attracts alumni, business to Vermillion Alumni come back to USD

By Sara Cappiello Volante Dakota Days is a campuswide celebration of school spirit. With an entire week of events, hundreds more people are brought into Vermillion.

One event so many people come into town for is the football game.

USD is playing Youngstown State for the D-Days game. Bryan Boettcher, sports information director, said he’s looking forward to this game because of the sizable crowd.

“In addition to being one of the great traditions at USD, Dakota Days is special because there is an entire week of events and celebrations that lead up to Saturday’s football game,” Boettcher said. “This is perhaps the Coyotes’ best start at the Division I level, and a game featuring an undefeated USD team against a top opponent with a packed DakotaDome should be an exciting and entertaining event for USD and our community. It will be a great opportunity for our football team.”

Business picks up in downtown Vermillion during the game as well.

Charlie’s, a store full of USD fan gear, is just one of the businesses impacted by the D-Days crowd.

Tena Haraldson, director of marketing, communications & university relations, said she thinks D-Days brings more people to Vermillion than any other event

in the year.

“Our best customers are students, families, fans and alums of USD, and D-Days week is all about those people,” Haraldson said. “They return for festivities on campus and to see old friends, and they enjoy the events that remind them of their wonderful days as students at USD. We encourage everyone to wear red and show their Coyote pride during D-Days week, and the Charlie’s store is there to supply the whole family from kids to pets and everyone in between.”

Owned by Molly and Todd Radigan, Main Street Pub is another downtown business impacted by the amount of people D-Days brings.

Todd Radigan said the restaurant is positively affected by the larger number of people.

“It’s such big deal for business,” Radigan said. “It’s like getting three really good weekends in one day. Morning business is getting bigger and bigger.”

This year’s game marks USD’s 101st D-Days football game. Boettcher said there are three games each year that typically sell out: the home opener, the matchup with either SDSU or NDSU and D-Days.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we match up with Youngstown State, the defending national runnerup and a top-five ranked team through three weeks of play,” Boettcher said. “We have yet to beat these guys, but we have been as impressive as any other team in the nation to start this season. A rowdy and raucous D-Days

crowd will give us the edge we need to take another step forward.”

Radigan said he’s expecting to see around the same amount of people he’s seen come into the restaurant each year.

“Even on slower D-Days weeks, we still usually do pretty well,” Radigan said.

“We’ve got a good staff, so I’m pretty excited about this year.”

In preparation for D-Days, Haraldson said Charlie’s tries to provide a variety of new merchandise to help increase sales. Charlie’s sales help fund scholarships for USD students, so Haraldson said she encourages all Coyote fans to stop by.

“The D-Days crowd certainly increases our sales, but it does more than that,” Haraldson said. “It allows our staff to visit with Coyote friends and fans from near and far. When people come to Charlie’s store, they tell us wonderful stories about their memories of USD. Often they tell us how proud they are to see a USD store in downtown Vermillion and how excited they are to find a great selection of spirit wear.

You can feel the Coyote pride in the air.”

Haraldson said she’s excited to see how many people come out and show their support and spirit.

“Our football team is doing great this year – nationally ranked – and we expect a sold-out crowd for the D-Days game,” Haraldson said. “It’s a great week to be a Coyote.”

“ I’m

looking forward to seeing how we match up with Youngstown state, the defending national runner-up and a topfive ranked team through three weeks of play... A rowdy and raucous D-Days crowd will give us the edge we need to take another step forward.

Bryan Boettcher, sports information director

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Sports

B1 SPORTS · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

The Coyote football team, now 4-0, will play the Youngstown State Penguins Saturday for the Dakota Days game.

Paul Maharry and Logan Rahn / VOLANTE

Winning streak Coyotes prepare for homecoming game Football team looks to remain undefeated

T

By Cheyenne Alexis Volante

he undefeated Coyotes are looking forward to the upcoming homecoming game.

USD will take on Youngstown State, ranked No. 3, this Saturday at 2 p.m. in the DakotaDome.

The team’s winning attitudes are high, now being 4-0.

“Things have changed — we used to be a team that used to hunt people and now we’re being hunted, because this is the first time in a long time we’ve been 4-0, even dating back to my freshman year when we had a losing record, going against NDSU,” said junior wide receiver Shamar Jackson. “We were hunting

them because they were undefeated that year, and now I know what it feels like to be in that situation.”

Head coach Bob Nielson said the team doesn’t do anything differently to prepare for the D-Days game.

“With those homecoming weeks, the most important thing from a football team standpoint is to prepare to win the game,” he said.

Jackson said he’s excited to play such a big game at USD after doing well so far this season.

“I’m looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd,” Jackson said. “(We’re) coming into the game being 4-0 in a long time, so I expect this to be a great game and the crowd to be crazy.”

Jackson’s favorite part of D-Days is the student section, which helps the team do well.

“Attendance-wise, we get a lot of people who are ready to see us this year because of what we’ve done so far, and attendance helps in situations such as kicking field goals in our territory,” he said. “It’s just something about playing

for your home crowd that gets people going.”

Nielson said the environment is the most important part about the D-Days games.

“We’re going to play a highly-ranked team — Youngstown State is going to come in as one of the best teams in the country,” Nielson said.

“Based on how we played earlier on in the year, we’ll be a team that has momentum, so it’s going to be a game that’s going to have a lot of meaning in the Conference race. I hope what we get is a great turnout in terms of people who come back to celebrate the experiences they had at the university, and also a great turnout by our students and fans.”

Jackson said it’s important that the team continues playing their best so they don’t lose that momentum.

“It’s going to be a physical game, we know that,” Jackson said. “It’ll be tougher to practice, so we’ll be prepared for it. A ranking is a ranking, at the end of the day, you still have to play to win.”

Sibling athletes ‘have a close bond’ Kopp brothers and Lundstorm siblings are competitive, but inseparable

By Nikolas Wilson Volante Not many sibling student-athletes attend USD, but those who do love the experience.

Sophomore Nick Kopp and first-year Ben Kopp, members of the swimming and diving team, said they both enjoy encouraging and supporting one another.

“I would say we have a close bond,” Ben Kopp said. “We are super supportive of one another and we push each other to be the best we can be. I like that when I first got here, I automatically had someone to talk to and we were both able to make friends without depending on each other.”

Nick Kopp said their relationship also includes friendly competition.

“We are very competitive with each other, we even have competitions at meets to see who can win the most races and beat the other brother,” Nick Kopp said. “The thing I like most about being on the same team as one of my brothers is that we push each other harder than anyone else can, and that there is always someone around who gets my humor.”

Even though they’re student-athletes, they don’t discuss swimming when they’re away from the pool.

“We surprisingly don’t talk much about swimming outside of the pool, even when we are working out, we are talking about a game

we are going to play later or we’ll casually talk about our scooters,” Ben Kopp said.

Senior Emily Lundstrom and her brother, first-year Erik Lundstrom, are both swimmers at USD. They’ve been playing sports together since they were kids.

“As kids, we played almost every sport available to us. Everything from soccer to baseball to football, for Erik, gymnastics for me, cross country, track and field. In high school, we were usually three-sport athletes every year,” Emily Lundstorm said. “Our parents really liked us to be able to do the things we enjoyed so we focused on our main sport, swimming, and then got to participate in one or two other fun sports.”

Emily Lundstorm said she appreciates the support of being on the same team as her brother.

“It’s great having my biggest fan on the team,” she said. “It’s like my best friend moved to college and now I get to see him all the time and I get to watch him swim again like I used to in high school.”

She believes she has a special bond with her brother because they’re both student-athletes.

“Ever since we were young we developed a very close bond, especially because we both chose to specialize in the same sport,” Emily Lundstorm said. “We both carry very similar traits, competitiveness, motivation, being high achievers and goal setters, that help us succeed in swimming, and getting to use those traits all the time help us be closer as well.”

Erik Lundstrom wasn’t available for an interview before this story was published.

Logan Rahn / VOLANTE

Sophomore Nick Kopp and his brother, first-year Ben Kopp, are both members of the USD swimming and diving team. The pair say they have a strong, competitive relationship.

THE VOLANTE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

SPORTS B2

Alumni coaches committed to USD athletics Once players, now mentors

By Dustin VanHunnik Volante Some athletes get to live out their dreams by continuing to play their sport in college, and even fewer get to say they continued further than that. However, some athletes at USD found luck and earned jobs with their alma mater.

Swimming graduate assistant Jake Knowles and track graduate assistant Teivaskie Lewin were both student-athletes at USD in recent years, and have become graduate assistants in their respective sports.

Head strength and conditioning coach Jevon Bowman was also a former USD student-athlete.

All three former studentathletes have found ways to continue contributing to their sport.

Teivaskie Lewin

Teivaskie Lewin was a hurdler for the USD track & field team from 2013 to 2016.

Lewin became a graduate assistant in the fall of 2016 and now works with the sprinters and hurdlers.

Lewin said he never knew the workload of a coach until he became one.

“From a coach’s perspective, it’s much different,” he said. “I never realized that there was so much work behind everything. There are a lot of things you take for granted as an athlete.”

Lewin said he loves being able to coach.

“Coaching is terrific,” he said. “You get to be with the

kids each day and you’re just basically living your dream through them and trying to get them better each and every day they’re out here.”

Lewin said the best thing for him as a coach is when a player appreciates his help.

“The greatest thing I feel as a coach is when a kid can come up to you and say, ‘You know what, thank you.’ Even if it’s just one kid out of the year that comes up to you and says ‘thank you,’ you feel so much appreciated and just motivated to do your job,” he said.

“It’s not even about them performing, but it’s just them appreciating what you’re doing for them.”

Jake Knowles

Jake Knowles was a swimmer at USD from 2013 to 2017. This is his first year as a graduate assistant.

Knowles said there’s a different of a mindset that comes with being a coach.

“I would say there is a different mindset in the way the coach has to approach practices and meets and stuff like that,” he said. “Before it was just asking yourself, ‘How do I better myself by bettering the team?’ and now it’s, ‘How do I better the team through how I interact and coach and prepare myself to help them through a practice or a meet?’”

Knowles said one of the best parts about coaching is being able to help the team that helped him.

“Just being able to stick around and help a program that helped me through four years of college, and just being able to affect the team from the other side now is definitely something

that I find that I really like about being a coach,” he said.

Jevon Bowman

Jevon Bowman was a football player at USD from 2004 to 2007. After graduating in 2007, Bowman spent two years as a graduate assistant, and was offered the head strength & conditioning coach position in 2010.

Bowman has been with the strength & conditioning program for about 10 years, and said it’s been a “humbling experience.”

“Most coaches want to go back to their alma mater at some point, and I had the opportunity to do it early in my career,” he said. “It’s been a humbling experience to go from having the same weight room that I trained in to coaching in it and then being able to build at one point a whatever million dollar facility.”

Bowman said he’s felt like a big part of the university for as long as he’s been involved in it.

“What is really cool is nothing really has changed as far as feeling a part of something special here,” he said. “I think a lot of that has to do with President Abbott and the athletic directors previous to David Herbster, as well as David Herbster.”

Bowman said being able to work his dream job at the place he competed is special, but also unexplainable.

“The sense of what it means to be here is kind of hard to say,” he said. “It’s kind like why do you ask someone to marry you? It’s hard to explain why. This place is pretty special.”

Edrick Louidor / VOLANTE Head strength & conditioning coach Jevon Bowman assists an injured football player during practice on Monday in the DakotaDome. Bowman said the opportunity to be a coach at USD has been a ‘humbling experience.’

Volleyball team dominates Oral Roberts 3-1 Yotes shows true grit against the Golden Eagles during Summit League play

By Cheyenne Alexis Volante The Dakota Days volleyball game was a success in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Tuesday night. The Coyote women defeated Oral Roberts 3-1 at their home court.

The Coyotes dominated in the first set 25-13. The Coyotes had 18 kills total during the first set. The

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles took the second set, the Coyotes trailing behind a mere 4 points to make the score 25-21, Oral Roberts.

The team had no issue taking the next two sets: the Coyotes took the third set 25-18 and 25-19 the fourth and final set. Junior Hayley Dotseth scored the final point.

USD totaled 66 kills for the game.

The star player of the night was Dotseth, who had 23 kills and 12 digs, which is a career high for her, according to GoYotes.

Junior Kristina Susak had a good game as well, and had 14 kills and 8 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Anne Rasmussen, who was

recently named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week, had the most digs at 17. Senior Meagan Kerns had 10 kills. Senior Brittany Jessen had 58 assists.

Oral Roberts, previously with their four-game win streak, also had high points during the game. Sophomore CeCe Madison had 17 kills and 7 digs. Senior Shelby Cox had 14 kills, and senior Laura Milos had 12 digs and 14 digs. Junior Tori Roe had 14 digs as well.

The Coyotes will travel to Omaha, NE, to face the University of NebraskaOmaha Mavericks on Oct.7 at 5 p.m.

Molly Schiermeyer / VOLANTE

Junior outside hitter Hayley Dotseth dives for the ball in a match against Oral Roberts Tuesday night in the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center.

PLAYER OF

THE PACK Jaycee Bradley YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Nursing SPORT: Basketball

Molly Schiermeyer / VOLANTE

Senior setter Brittany Jessen goes for a set against the Oral Roberts block. Jessen completed her 1,000th dig on Sept. 23.

Karina Dufoe: What started your passion for photography?

Jaycee Bradley: My passion for photography started when I was little. I am intrigued by capturing memories and freezing a moment in time intrigue me.

KD: How is balancing basketball and your

“Balancing basketball and nursing classes takes time management.” nursing major?

JB: Balancing basketball and nursing classes takes time management, commitment and a lot of discipline. I am not in nursing school yet.

KD: How are you feeling about the

season?

JB: I am beyond excited for this season.

We have a very tough non-conference schedule that I think is going to be a lot of fun and an awesome opportunity for our team.

Verve

B3 · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

USD alumni couple finds careers in art Designing, running for city council

By Morgan Matzen Volante The old cliché of meeting the love of one’s life in college was a reality for alumni Zach DeBoer and Molly O’Connor.

Both artists, it was natural the two would find each other and hit it off.

“We were in the same drawing class,” O’Connor said. “We were in art classes together but we didn’t really interact that much.

Vermillion is small enough that when you go downtown, you run into the same people and start talking. We actually didn’t start dating until after we both graduated.”

Studying at USD

During their time at USD, both were very involved on campus.

O’Connor worked as a tech fellow, a photographer for The Volante and also worked in the library.

DeBoer was a member of the Student Art Alliance, which consisted of volunteering at the Vermillion Area Arts Council and organizing student art sales in the Muenster University Center. He also worked in the John A. Day Gallery.

“We did different programs and workshops, like building frames for your art. I was involved at the gallery as well where I helped hang art shows,” DeBoer said. “That’s where I fell in love with doing that, learning how to do it, working with the permanent collection and their collection of artwork.”

DeBoer also created the web series “Vermillion” with his friends and roommates. They created season one as first-years and season two as sophomores. “(Acting or writing) was something I had never done before,” he said. “It was really fun and eye-opening. It was this collective of friends that liked to do creative things and do weird things

Morgan Matzen / VOLANTE

Zach DeBoer and Molly O’Connor are a married USD alumni couple who met in their drawing class. Both have found art-related careers in Sioux Falls. that we would never have been exposed to otherwise.”

One fond memory DeBoer has of living in Vermillion was moving out of the dorms and into a house on Dakota Street, he said.

“The summer being in Vermillion and having all your friends live there was a really influential time for me,” he said. “It felt like having the town to yourself.”

After graduating

After graduating in 2012 with a bachelor’s in art education, DeBoer worked as a middle school art teacher, then opened up his own art gallery.

Located in downtown Sioux Falls, Exposure Gallery is more accessible to an everyday artist or an artist coming out of college, DeBoer said. He’s also involved with the South Dakota Arts Council and previously worked for Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. “I do a lot of different things. I have trouble sitting still,” he said.

“After I taught for two years, I left teaching to open up Exposure. I wanted to open up an art gallery.

In college, that was something I

Tremeres continue to give back to USD

did. I put on art shows and a gallery. I really loved the way that art could bring people together and it was like a celebration. It created a community and an atmosphere.”

O’Connor has worked in several creative positions since graduating from USD in 2011 with English and art degrees. She worked as a graphic designer for the USD Foundation, and now works as a visual designer for the infographic company known as Lemonly and serves as the president of The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

“I worked in creative services for the university, so I made the football posters, the volleyball posters. I was working on doing freelance creative pieces for USD and they saw me doing that, and decided they could use an inhouse graphic designer and they hired me for that position,” she said. “I was there for about two years, so I got to spend some time in just about every facet of USD.” At Lemonly, O’Connor has clients everywhere from the NFL to Netflix, she said.

“We do visual storytelling,

whether that’s in an infographic, animation, video,” she said. “It’s very specialized and designed around our entire business being infographics, so because we specialize in that area, we are able to be one of the top companies doing that in the country.”

O’Connor said she hopes to help foster the needs of designers and artists in the state in her role at AIGA. “It’s very new, but we’re kind of wiping the slate clean and we want to really reach out to the community and figure out what designers and artists want from AIGA,” she said.

DeBoer has decided to run for Sioux Falls City Council in 2018. His experience as a previous member of DTSF, Inc. and his membership of various committees, such as the Visual Arts Commission and the Design and Development Committee, pushed him in a political direction.

“I saw things in the community that I wanted to change, and a lot of those things came down to urban design and walkability.

I have experience with working

with different leaders in the city,” he said. “I worked with the city to redesign (Main Avenue) in a way that one, brought more parking, and two, slowed down cars that were coming up and down that hill.”

The couple is looking forward to the future and hoping for a win in 2018. O’Connor admires DeBoer’s passion, she said.

“You’re good at all these things because you’re passionate about it and you get it done no matter what,” she said to DeBoer, sitting together in Exposure Gallery, surrounded by art. “That’s why you would be good.”

ONLINE ONLY Video See more on DeBoer and O’Connor online and tonight on Coyote News.

volante online. com

Alumnus Tom Brokaw shares Dakota Days memories “I

File photo /VOLANTE

Blair and Linda Tremere are a married alumni couple who met and wed

while attending USD.

Alumni couple dedicated to USD

By Cheyenne Alexis Volante Alumni Linda and Blair Tremere have shared a long life together since they first met, and it all started at USD. Oh, goodness, someone help me.

Finding love on campus

The Tremeres met in 1966 during Linda Tremere’s first year at USD, and started dating after attending a mutual friend’s wedding. They got married in the summer of 1968.

Linda Tremere said she was interested in Blair Tremere because he was “well-read.”

“He seemed knowledgeable on a lot of different things, which I found interesting, and that’s still the case,” she said.

Blair Tremere said he admired Linda Tremere’s school involvement and determination.

“She was good-looking and hard-working,” he said. “What fascinated me was here was a person who had the brains and the personality that attracted me, and she’s put up with me all these years.”

The college experience

Blair Tremere got his bachelor’s in government and journalism in 1968. He earned a master’s in public administration in 1971.

Linda Tremere received her bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1970.

A speech camp during the summer of her senior year of high school led Linda Tremere to choose USD. “I felt very comfortable on the campus,” she said. “It was an instate school, and that was important to me. I just found that the faculty that we worked with were enjoyable.”

While at USD, the Tremeres were very involved. Blair Tremere was an active member of The Volante and eventually became editor-in-chief, Linda Tremere was part of the Dakota Days Committee and both were involved in student politics.

Linda Tremere said volunteering during D-Days was a memorable time for her.

“I think it’s participating in events by being on committees and volunteering, finding out how to do those things is an important part of developing skills,” she said. “I can’t remember

n the fall of 1959 we had a force five blizzard on Dakota Day and I think maybe the parade was cancelled. Maybe even the game (which would have been a blessing because the Coyotes were so bad that in three years my wife, Meredith, never saw them win a game).

For that homecoming I imported a date from the University of Iowa where I had spent my freshman year.

I’m afraid all she saw of USD was The Varsity, the most popular bar in town, and Heck’s, a gas station with a bar and a shuffleboard game.

She was from a prosperous family in the Chicago suburbs and used to the attractions of a Big Ten School. After a blizzard weekend in Vermillion I never saw her again.

In 1961 I was a member of The Dakotans and I think we sold corsages for Dakota Day. We used the proceeds for a keg party at a house I shared with three roommates.

When my parents stopped by on Saturday morning, they were appalled by the condition, so my mother came up with a clever motivational stunt.

When we returned after the parade she announced the university president was coming by with his son, a friend. We raced around the house, stashing empty beer cups, vacuuming spilled potato chips, making beds and doing dishes. When we finished my parents laughed and said, “It worked. The president isn’t coming but if he were he’d be impressed by your housekeeping skills.”

When Meredith and I returned to be parade marshalls in 2012 all of those memories came back – except I didn’t wake up with a hangover and we kept our room neat all weekend.”

– Tom Brokaw

TREMERES: Continues on B4

Photos courtesy of The Coyote Yearbook 1968 (bottom) and file photo (top) / VOLANTE

B4 VERVE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 ·

THE VOLANTE

Top 14 Dakota Days Royalty

Blake Warner

Conrad Adam

Daniel Howe

senior psychology and communication studies double major Windom, MN sponsored by Speech and Debate

senior finance major Pierre, SD sponsored by Coyote Capital Management

senior business administration major Elk Point, SD sponsored by Sorority and Fraternity Life Ambassadors

Rush Milne

Caleb Rector

senior strategic communications major Madison, SD sponsored by Student Ambassadors

senior kinesiology major Sioux Falls, SD sponsored by Delta Tau Delta

“I think everything in Vermillion is just better on D-Days,” Milne said. “It’s just the atmosphere, the environment is so much fun. I love how everything is red. I think it’s cool how everyone comes together.”

“The friendships that I’ve made through Greek and Fraternity Life, it’s been fantastic for me,” Rector said.

“But also the professors I’ve learned from and worked with, it’s also been really nice to do that.”

“Attending USD has been a family tradition for generations,” Adam said. “My great grandfather, George T. Mickelson, attended the USD School of Law in the 1920’s and now I am part of the fourth generation to attend this wonderful university.”

“It was a nice surprise when I found out I was chosen for royalty,” Howe said. “When I was a freshman, I would have never thought it would happen.”

Maggie Squyer

Emma Kays

Meghan Kunkel

Shaniah Koops

Keri Kamphoff

senior sustainability major Sioux Falls, SD sponsored by Alpha Phi

senior kinesiology and exercise science major Watertown, SD sponsored by PrePhysical Therapy club

senior strategic communications major Sioux Falls, SD sponsored by Sorority and Fraternity Life Ambassadors

senior communication studies major Sioux Falls, SD sponsored by Student Ambassadors

senior health science major Sheldon, IA sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer

“I love that here at USD, you really do get the best of both worlds,” Koops said.

“You get the small community feel where you always see someone you know when walking to class or having lunch, but there are so many opportunities.”

“USD provides so many ways for students to get involved and connect with other people,” Kamphoff said.“In addition, everyone here is so friendly, passionate about their area of study and the causes they support.”

“My favorite part about USD is that it offers so many chances to be involved,” Warner said.

“There’s always something going on, whether it be a sporting event, concert, or chance to volunteer - there’s never a dull moment.”

“I love Dakota Days because for one week out of the year, everyone on campus is truly proud to be a Coyote,” Squyer said.

“I love the energy and excitement our university displays.”

“It’s hard to pinpoint my favorite thing about USD,” Kays said.

“What’s not to love about USD? I love the people I’ve met, my professors and the beautiful campus.”

TREMERES:

Continued from B3 what I did for the committee, but it also put me in a position to meet lots of students and people.”

Growing after graduation

Blair and Linda Tremere moved to Minneapolis, Minn. after Linda accepted a job at Price Waterhouse.

“I was the first professional woman staffperson in the Minneapolis office in 1970,” she said.

At the time, Blair Tremere was going through the draft process.

“I went into the army, and lo and behold, after I had been in there a few months, the war was ending and they didn’t need any more soldiers,” he said. “By February of ‘71, I was back in Minneapolis looking for a job.”

Blair Tremere applied for assistant city manager, and got the job after two interviews. He remained in local government in the Twin Cities until the early 2000s. He was also the mayor of Golden Valley, Minn. in 1993.

Linda Tremere also worked as controller for Super Value’s food service department, corporate vice president in taxes at Hubbard Broadcasting and was

“It’s so great to see everyone coming together to cheer on their school,” Kunkel said. “I think Dakota Days really makes everyone fall in love with USD more just because you can bond with others about how amazing this school really is.”

also president of an industry group called American Women in Radio and Television.

The Tremeres said skills they learned at USD led to their successful careers.

Linda Tremere said she “learned to believe in herself” after graduating.

“When I was in the business school at a junior level, out of the 200 students in the business school at that time, I was one of four women,” she said “It was an environment that wasn’t necessarily friendly. It taught me to make up your own mind to what you think is right for you and do it.”

Giving back

Blair and Linda Tremere have committed to giving back to USD with scholarship endowments and other awards for faculty and students, most notably the Blair and Linda Tremere Faculty Service Award established in 2011.

“It named faculty who, in addition to their faculty work, also find ways to contribute to the community by volunteering for different things,” Blair Tremere said.

“We’re very happy about how it’s working out.”

The faculty is what Linda Tremere appreciates about USD, she said.

“I always felt that...there

are quality faculty,” she said.

“Some of our endowments are trying to support providing some assistance in that area to make sure we maintain the standards of the faculty.”

Tyler Sobczak

Jackson Shriver

senior history and communication studies double major Rapid City, SD sponsored by RC Helicopter and Drone Club

senior medical biology and psychology double major Watertown, SD sponsored by Dakotathon

“My favorite part about Dakota Days is the unity that is associated with the holiday,” Sobczak said. “No matter what differences divide our student population, during Dakota Days we are all just Coyotes celebrating our school.”

“My immediate reaction to being chosen for royalty was gratitude,” Shriver said. “I could not be more happy to represent the USD community. In my time at USD I have been a part of so many incredible experiences.”

Teagan McNary

Alicia Khatt

senior political science and criminal justice double major Vermillion, SD sponsored by Student Government Association

senior health science major Worthington, MN sponsored by SERVE

“The people are my favorite part about USD,” McNary said. “It’s a great atmosphere here. The students and faculty are energetic and passionate about what they do.”

“I think D-Days is just the happiest week.

Everyone gets super excited and that just makes me happy,” Khatt said. “Even though we do have schoolwork, we kind of put that to the side and make memories with our friends,”

Alumnus and exhibition juror reflects on time at USD

Heading home

Now in the process of moving back to Sioux Falls, the Tremeres said they’re excited to be closer to USD. “We didn’t make it down often enough, but we’re going to make up for that when we move to Sioux Falls,” Linda Tremere said.

The Tremeres said though they don’t regret moving after graduation, they still miss South Dakota.

“We inevitably have had some conflicts with our jobs or some commitment we made before, and it inevitably fell on Dakota Days weekend,” Blair Tremere said. “There was a time where we made it a point to come down to Vermillion and stay with friends during Dakota Days.”

Blair Tremere said he’s excited for their move.

“USD was a great place to get the start, and now it’s a great place to come back to,” he said. “We’re looking forward to being a little closer again and we’ll see what comes. We want to be South Dakotans again.”

File photo / VOLANTE

Blair and Linda Tremere attended an honorary dinner on April 24 to honor their contributions to the university.

Submitted photo / VOLANTE

Eli Show, a 2009 fine arts graduate, worked in the library’s photo archives, started a band and threw art shows during his time on campus.

Returns to Vermillion, juries show

By Morgan Matzen Volante From playing shows at Carey’s downtown with his band to being featured in art shows in New York, alumnus Eli Show has done a little bit of everything.

Born and raised in Sioux Falls, Show is a 2009 graduate of the USD art program. He lived in New York City for several years and has toured the nation with his band We All Have Hooks For Hands.

He returned to Sioux Falls to live near family and frequently returns to Vermillion for art shows.

During his time on campus, Show was involved in the Student Art Alliance and worked in the library’s photo archives.

“I was in a lot of art shows at USD and

throughout the years. I’ve always felt like applying for stuff and throwing shows,” Show said. “I was constantly involved in the arts community. Arts have connected me with a lot of people I still hang out with to this day. I think a lot of the artists I went to school with, I’ve still connected with.”

One of Show’s projects during his college years was the band We All Have Hooks for Hands, an indie pop group formed of his friends and roommates.

“I knew all the people that were in (Hooks) before college, but we all lived together in college and were around each other a lot more so we basically started Hooks while we were messing around,” Show said. “It was like a big party band to some extent, with a little bit more indie vibe to it.”

Hooks eventually turned into a more serious project, playing the bar scene in Vermillion and touring with bigger bands like STRFKR.

After leaving USD, Show attended Syracuse University in New York, where he received his master’s in fine arts. He said it was hard to gain recognition in the arts scene there.

“It was definitely amazing to be in New York City and see music, art and always have the chance to be exposed but at some point, you get isolated there,” Show said. “There’s so many people and it’s hard to be connected to a community there.”

Show said he knows that he made the right choice going to USD.

ONLINE ONLY Read the full story to know more about the Altered Book Exhibition and Show’s time spent in New York.

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