Summer 2022

THE CDC’S IMPACT - DESENSITIZED GENERATION - SWEET 16 APPEARANCE - NEW BOOKSTORE

THE VOLANTE Summer 2022

02 Summer 2022

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS

04 - A year in review 06- First Opportunity Center director: Jordan Bonstrom 07- Syphilis cases up 1,877%, other STIs on rise 08- Dispatches from the CDC: Remembering voices of diversity

OPINION Bennett Clary | The Volante

10- Editorial: Gen Z: The desensitized generation 11- Aardvarks are the worst

VERVE

Jozie Hunter | The Volante

12- A year in review 14- Former teacher opens bookstore in downtown Vermillion 15- Aaron Mercado: The man with many talents 16- Wednesday nights at the Wellness Center are now filled with country music 17- Brothers collaborate to DJ, produce for EDM group

SPORTS

Sydney Johnson | The Volante Cover design by Sydney Johnson, Cover photo by Madison Martinez

18- A year in review 20- Coyotes create legacy both on the court and in the stands 21- Eerik Haamer needed an Instagram DM 22- Chloe Lamb, Hannah Sjerven reflect on time as Coyotes 23- New faces and a few old ones added to basketball, football coaching staffs

The Volante Volume 147, No. 25 Summer Issue 2022 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Kyle Miller Sydney Johnson editor-in-chief

Bennett Clary managing editor Allison Horkey news editor

Keeley Thomas news assistant

Rachel Thompson news designer

Madeline Knau verve editor

Rachel Pechous verve designer

Tavin Carncross sports editor

Chloe Fullenkamp sports designer

Emma Daggett opinion editor

Jozie Hunter opinion designer

Bailey Zubke photo editor

Maddilynn Kallsen copy editor social media director

Kaitlyn Kumm advertising manager

The Volante 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.

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Letters Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

During my time as the editor-in-chief (EIC), I have truly been able to experience and appreciate college life to the fullest.

I have gained the cliché homeaway-from-home and chosen family. The newsroom has become both my safe space and the place where I drown in to-do lists.

My staff and I have seen a multitude of change throughout my time as EIC. We cast away masks and social distancing, and re-found our love for in-person interviewing, print night

shenanigans and long office chats. We also underwent technology roadblock after roadblock, hindering us from being able to share our news with you, our readers.

There is no way for me to describe how thankful I am for my staff, especially my second-in-command Bennett Clary for all that they helped me work through in order to get a paper out each week. Not only did my staff provide the journalistic help that was required to produce The Volante, but they also provided the emotional support I needed to uphold my job as EIC. I have both laughed and cried

with my staff. To me they are much more than my colleagues, they are my friends. We have spent countless nights working on articles, standing in the rain to get the perfect photo for our issue, following our Coyote athletics to Sioux Falls, Wichita and much more together. The Volante has become a place where I know that nothing I do will be done completely alone.

In my opinion, nothing can compare to working diligently alongside friends towards the common goal of putting out a weekly paper for the community. The thrill of getting

Summer 2022 03

an email of praise for an article or a thanks from a source will never fade.

The Volante has given me a unique experience to do what I love the most, meet new people and tell their stories, while also showing me what my college experience was really missing; a place to feel safe, happy and loved.

I hope that if you’re a student reading this right now, you are lucky enough to find a place on campus where you truly belong, and if you are a member of the community, I hope you can reflect fondly on a time when you felt the warmth of your homeaway-from-home.

Brock Weidner | The Volante

2022 Spring semester executive staff. Top Row (from left to right): Madeline Knau, Racehl Pechous, Rachel Thompson, Tavin Carncross, Jozie Hunter, Emma Daggett. Middle Row (from left to right): Keeley Thomas, Chloe Fullenkamp. Bottom Row (from lef to right): Allison Horkey, Bennett Clary, Sydney Johnson, Maddi Kallsen. Not Pictured: Bailey Zubke.

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SEPT. 28

AUG. 29

USD’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) brought back the CAB concert with rapper Waka Flocka Flame performing this year. The concert sold more than 1,800 tickets, which surpassed previous CAB concerts like the Plain White T’s and Vince Staples. The concert was held in the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center.

Although there was still a concern for COVID-19, CAB was committed to bringing back the concert and to continue programming for USD students.

AUGUST

The South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) announced the “Opportunity for All” centers and had a listening session for USD students.

The Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) would be removed along with the Diversity office at USD. Over 300 people attended the event, many were there to voice their concerns and support the CDC. USD’s social media coordinator Marcus Destin was very involved with the CDC as a student and wondered what would happen to the students without the CDC.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

OCT. 18-21

For Dakotathon’s 25-year anniversary the group raised over $25,000 during their push week in October 2021. The student-run organization raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network every year and their total for push week was $26,791. The events they had on Thursday included “Pie An Exec” and Disney Trivia Night in the Varsity Pub basement.

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After closing for renovations in 2018, the National Music Museum reopened in the fall of 2021. The museum’s first temporary exhibition, “NMM goes Electric!” featured electric string instruments like guitars and basses. The exhibition was curated by Arian Sheets.

“We have a wealth of instruments here at the museum that had never gotten their time in the spotlight,” Sheets said. “So it was really fun to pull some things out of storage, and maybe tell some stories that people hadn’t heard previously.”

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SEPT. 24

The USD Foundation, which raises money for the university and students, announced two new board chairs, Ryan Taylor and Tyler Tordsen.

The new chairs appointed two new board members while four new members were elected and two members were re-elected. The foundation manages current funds and endowments which are used for scholarships and to help the university with other investments. The foundation manages $330 million endowment used to help USD.

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For Sexual Assault Awareness month, different groups on campus helped to host a Denim Day Panel. The panel primarily focused on how different resources, like the police, Title IX and the Clay County attorney handle sexual assault when it is reported to them.The event was hosted by I CARE, an organization devoted to providing information and resources to people affected by sexual assault.

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The Union of African American Students (UAAS) hosted a panel of speakers discussing race during Black History Month. Director of Native Student Services Megan Red Shirt-Shaw and USD’s social media coordinator Marcus Destin spoke at the event titled “Beyond the Color.” Vice president of the UAAS Ntombi Ngeleka helped plan the event.

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For women’s history month in March, the USD Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program hosted their annual research conference.

This year, the conference focused on themes of care across disciplines. The program chair Sara Lampert said the theme was inspired by the pandemic.

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The South Dakota State Legislature and Governor Kristi Noem addressed the press during the South Dakota Newspaper Association’s Media Day at the state capitol. The governor and leaders of the parties discussed the current bills on the floor, like Senate Bill (SB) 46, which would stop transgender women from competing in women’s athletics at the highschool and collegiate level. Noem also defended opportunity centers, which she said were created to refocus college diversity offices.

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Asain night, a festival which honored Asian cultures was hosted for the first time in the Muenster University Center ballroom this semester by the Asian American Student Association (AASA). This event was meant to raise awareness for the growing number of Asian and Asian American students attending USD. The event, which had food and dancing as well as fashion, showcased different cultures from around Asia.

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The Volante

First Opportunity Center director; Jordan Bonstrom Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Jordan Bonstrom was officially announced as the new Opportunity Center director on April 11. His new position will go into effect on May 23.

As the Opportunity Center director, Bonstrom will use the Opportunity for All framework, collaborate with the USD community and help students find resources for their success.

Bonstrom is the first Opportunity Center director and said he is focused on establishing what the space is and sharing information with students.

Bonstrom said one of his main goals will be helping with student leadership and Coyote Career Kickstart by assessing what students say they need from the school.

“I think the biggest goal that I have is really to just establish the office as much as we can and help people know what it is and know that it really is here to be a resource to help students

hopefully cut through some of the red tape that might be on campus and help people find those resources that are going to help them,” Bonstrom said.

MUC 219 is now a student-centered space with rotating offices. Bonstrom said he hopes to teach students the ways they can utilize the space, conference rooms and organizations that will rotate through the offices.

“Making students aware of when different offices are going to be in there and that they can go find them. So instead of being like where’s Belbas?

Where’s the registrar’s office?

Come here, get your question answered,” Bonstrom said.

Bonstrom’s final big goal for the Opportunity Center includes listening to students, staff and faculty. Bonstrom said when he transitions into a new role, he tries to really listen and figure out what the community needs from him.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of listening to students, what

students are saying and what they want the Opportunity Center to be and also listening to a lot of faculty and staff and how they see the Opportunity Center and hopefully impact their work in a positive way,” Bonstrom said.

Bonstrom said he wants to build on the career services USD offers. Moving forward, Bonstrom wants to help students understand they can start developing their resume and experience their freshman year.

He said this comes with educating students on the services that are offered on campus.

“I think one of the things we really pride ourselves on here at USD is developing the future, well really the current because our students are current leaders, but developing those future leaders for the state of South Dakota,” Bonstrom said.

“I think by creating some really robust and exciting leadership programs, this will become a really important thing for our campus.”

Student-run clinic heals community, teaches students Allison Horkey

Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu

The Vermillion Community Clinic is a free, student-run clinic operating on the second Tuesday of every month from 5-8 p.m. in the Sanford Vermillion Medical Center. The clinic opened January of this year and seeks to provide Vermillion’s uninsured with medical care.

The clinic is run by a steering committee of USD students, Jennifer Lindgren said in a collaborative email interview with Luke Smith and Brock Goeden to The Volante.

Lindgren is a third year medical student and vice president of the committee, Smith is a

fourth year medical student and president of the committee and Goeden is a second year medical student and the community outreach chair.

“The Steering Committee consists of students from a variety of health disciplines.

This includes the medicine, physician’s assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical laboratory sciences, social work, nursing, dental hygiene, addiction, audiology and speech/language pathology programs. This committee works to establish communication and coherence on the side of the student members of the organization,” Lindgren said.

The clinic offers services for acute, chronic and preventative healthcare, Lindgren said.

The clinic, which is funded primarily by Sanford Health and grants from the Dakota Hospital Foundation will also help with some prescriptions and testing too.

“Prescriptions for acute problems, blood and urine laboratory testing, radiographic imaging and more (are) provided free of charge.

We are unable to cover prescriptions for chronic conditions, but we do provide assistance with finding and signing up for programs to reduce the costs of these medications,” Lindgren said.

Submitted Photo | The Volante Jordan Bonstrom will start his position as the director of the Opportunity Center on May 23. Bonstrom wants to figure out what students need to shape his role and the Opportunity Center on campus.

News

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Summer 2022 07

Syphilis cases up 1,877%, other STIs on rise Allison Horkey

Allison.Horkey@coyotes.usd.edu

South Dakota’s Department of Health released the monthly infectious disease summary

for

April

2022.

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), increased 1,877%

percent

in

South

Dakota as of April 26, 2022.

The five year median of cases in the state is 13 cases per year-to-date (YTD). This year, there have been 257 cases reported YTD. Pennington, Minnehaha and Todd counties have seen the most cases, with 58, 55 and 45 cases,

our hope is always that peo-

not seem as concerned with

ple will come to their medical

contracting syphilis as she

provider with that concern

thinks they should be.

ual activity.

going to get an STI,” Tinguely

“People are much just

said. “But that is clearly not

more open to having multi-

reality and that’s fine, but

because, obviously, we want

“I can definitely say it

ple sex partners,” Tinguely

then I think we have to just be

to stop syphilis from spread-

seems that behaviors have

said. “One of the things we’re

honest that, okay, people are

ing further from turning into

changed and the thing that’s

seeing with the rise of syphi-

having sex and they are hav-

stage two or stage three,”

catching me most off guard

lis is just the anonymous sex

Tinguely said.

with my patients, that I’m

partners and so that is con-

Tinguely said stage two is

finding are positive for syph-

cerning, you know, not really

characterized by a rash that

ilis, is they don’t seem to un-

knowing who you’re with or

can appear throughout the

derstand how big a deal it is.

who they have been with and

body, but it will go away be-

Because to me, syphilis is like,

when you have multiple sex

fore the infection reaches the

holy smokes, that’s a rare in-

partners, that’s where the risk

third and deadly stage.

fection. It can kill you and I

increases.”

ing sex with multiple partners. So give them the tools to be safe, which condoms work really, really well.”

In an email interview with The Volante, Rachel E. Olson, the director of clinic operations at Sanford Health, said

“If you don’t treat it, that’s

just don’t think people under-

Tinguely said the best

when we get into tertiary, or

stand that. It can be incredi-

ways to prevent the spread

the third stage of syphilis,

bly dangerous to have it and

of an infection, besides absti-

syphilis is available at the lo-

and that is the one that’s re-

not treat it,” Tinguely said.

nence, are practicing safe sex

cal Vermillion Clinic. Under

and getting tested regularly.

student health, the syphi-

testing and treatment for

ally dangerous and can cause

Tinguely said one reason

respectively. Clay county has

brain damage and death,”

STIs including syphilis, gon-

“I tell my patients; safest

lis test is $23 and testing for

reported 2 cases.

Tinguely said.

orrhea and chlamydia could

way is to just not have sex. So,

chlamydia and gonorrhea are

be rising is the increased sex-

you don’t have sex, you’re not

both $25.

Dr. Jennifer Tinguely is

This rise in syphilis and

the chief medical officer of

other STIs is part of a national

Sioux Falls and a graduate of

trend, Tinguely said. She said

USD Sanford School of Med-

more education is one of the

icine. Tinguely said syphilis is

ways to help stop the spread

a bacterial infection, spread

of STIs

through sexual contact, that

“Certainly with other STIs

comes on in three different

like gonorrhea and chlamyd-

stages, with latent periods af-

ia, there has been a nation-

ter stage one and two. Ideally,

wide trend as well, just seeing

the infection is diagnosed in

this increase across the board

stage one and treatment can

of all STIs,” Tinguely said. “…

be administered before the

Raising concern is the right

infection progresses.

thing to do and we definitely

“In stage one, syphilis is usually just like a sore that

need to be doing some education, I think.”

somebody would see in the

As a health care worker,

genital area and that comes

Tinguely finds herself sur-

in, then it goes away. And so,

prised when her patients do

File | The Volante South Dakota’s Department of Health reports 257 syphilis cases YTD, gonorrhea at 716 cases YTD and chlamydia at 1,238 cases YTD.

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08 Summer 2022

The Volante

Dispatches from the CDC: Remembering voices of diversity Volante Staff volante@usd.edu

This is the ninth and final installment of a series recording the experiences of students and faculty involved with the Center for Diversity and Community (CDC). The series seeks to highlight why this organization was so impactful on the USD community and why the CDC was more than the sum of its parts. The final part of this series was assembled by Allison Horkey, Bennett Clary, Maddi Kallsen and Zadya Abbott.

Voices of the community In August 2013, the University of South Dakota President’s Council on Diversity & Inclusiveness was created to help USD become more diverse and inclusive through purposeful steps. Lamont Sellers came to USD in 2014 and started the Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) on Nov. 5, 2014.

Over the course of his career Sellers said in almost every position he’s held, he has had a hand in creating things.

Sellers said that was part of his draw to USD because creating a diversity center was exciting to him.

The name for the CDC came from student and faculty brainstorming. Sellers said the students almost unanimously wanted the Center for Diversity and Community name and Sellers was able to develop the image of a mosaic from that.

“The idea that each one of us has beauty in and of ourselves, but when you look at a mosaic, each piece has beauty in and of itself, and they’re all different. But when you pull them all together in a piece of artwork, you end up with an even more beautiful piece in the end,” Sellers said. “And that’s what we were really try-

ing to create with the Center for Diversity and Community, bringing all of those voices, all of those backgrounds and things that make us who we are, to that space to learn about one another and to understand who we are as individuals and collectively.”

Kim Grieve, the Dean of Students at USD, said in an email interview with The Volante, the purpose of the CDC was to provide a welcoming space to students.

“The Center for Diversity and Community provided a welcoming space where students, no matter who they were, could come and build strong relationships, develop leadership skills and share their values and cultures while absorbing the cultures of the diverse groups around them,” Grieve said.

Another member of the CDC was Cassidy Geerson, who served as the graduate assistant (GA) from August 2020 until the CDC was removed in December 2021. In an email interview with The Volante, Geerson said her position primarily was helping to organize events and workshops, but the CDC was more than a job for her. Like Sellers, Geerson experienced the community the CDC offered, calling it a “family.”

“I will forever be grateful for how the CDC has affected my life. Before the CDC, I was not a part of a lot of campus activities. After joining the CDC family, I realized how much I was missing out on. I met so many amazing people and learned about different cultures. I also was able to have candid conversations with people about subjects like stereotyping, mental health and so much more,” Geerson said. “These experiences showed me just how important it is to have places like the CDC on campus. The world is a diverse place and as

students, it is our responsibility to push ourselves to learn about other people and their backgrounds.”

From the beginning, Sellers saw the need for the CDC on campus. Sellers said USD was “really thirsty at that point” and wanted to engage with diverse populations which excited him. He wasn’t looking to add to his resume, but wanted to truly impact people’s lives.

“To see all of that dismantled and go away, for me, is heartbreaking because I thought when I left USD to come to North Carolina, I thought that I was leaving a legacy. I was leaving something that people would be able to benefit from for years to come and now to see that completely wiped away, it hurts,” Sellers said.

The students at USD who were involved in the CDC did see and feel the benefits of the community, but since the CDC was taken away, students are now feeling loss. Benedict Odai, an international student graduating this year, said in an email interview with The Volante, the CDC and USD are intertwined, and with the CDC gone, it was like losing a home.

“The CDC was my introduction to USD, it was my starting point and also where I met most of my current friends. The CDC gave me the opportunity to interact with students from diverse backgrounds. Through this, I was able to understand and appreciate other students’ culture, experience and identity.

This improved my ability to collaborate with other people within the community. It was a vital part of my college experience,” Odai said.

The CDC meant something different to each student, but for many it was a home and a safe space. Pooja Modawel, a senior and international

student said in an email interview with The Volante the CDC gave her a space to connect with others.

“The CDC was a safe space where students can make themselves feel comfortable.

It gave students the opportunity to connect with other students and staff easily and naturally. With the CDC being taken away, the place I used to hangout every single day since my freshman year almost feels unfamiliar,” Modawel said.

Like Modawel, Victoria Callegari, USD senior and president of Latino-Hispanic Student Organization (LaHSO), said she used the CDC everyday as a safe space and gathering place, in an email interview with The Volante.

“The CDC was a wonderful place to embrace all those who come from different backgrounds. It was an amazing opportunity to have to show off all backgrounds in events that can teach people about the culture, food, language, etc. Not only was it a place to embrace culture but it was also like a second home to people,” Callegari said. “For instance, I would go to the CDC whenever I needed a break on schoolwork or if I was ever having an off day. It was a place to forget all those things. Along with it being a safe place for me to be in, it also helped me make a lot of connections with people who come from various backgrounds.”

Isabel Young, a junior and president of Spectrum, said the CDC offered a community to LGBTQ students, a group often ostracized. Finding the supportive and affirming community the CDC offered helped her feel more at home in South Dakota, Young said in an email interview with The Volante.

“The first time I was ever in the CDC I was a student at (Vermillion High School), and

I got to see a panel of LGBT+ people. It was the first time I had ever got to hear genuine stories of people who had similar struggles to me, and that is when I decided that maybe there was a space for me still in South Dakota,” Young said.

The president of Tiospaye sophomore Rachel Overstreet, on behalf of Tiospaye, said the CDC created a space for groups to share the gifts of diversity. Just as the CDC was a space for anyone on campus, the loss of the CDC also affected everyone.

“The loss of the CDC is a loss for everyone at USD. While we wish the new Opportunity Center the best of luck, we need to be honest about the impact this loss has had on our campus. That being said, the time that we had sharing our culture and experiences with others in the CDC has not been lost. The CDC paved the way for a more inclusive and equitable campus, and our job as students is to continue the work that the CDC facilitated. USD is made up of a diverse community of students who all have their own gifts. Now more than ever, it is important that we freely share our gifts with each other,” Overstreet said.

Savannah Lukkes, the president of the Cultural Wellness Coalition, said in an email interview with The Volante the university stepped back with the loss of the CDC. Referencing a tweet made by Gov. Kristi Noem, Lukkes said she is disappointed the CDC was the victim of a political move especially when it contributed so much to the students.

“I think that the CDC not existing anymore is really a strong hit at any progress that this university has made for diversity and inclusion. The fact that the word diversity now seems taboo for this university is a major stepped back

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Summer 2022 09

Dispatches from the CDC: Remembering voices of diversity and I am disappointed.

I think this should not have happened, especially because it was politically motivated,” Lukkes said. “Politics should not dictate whether certain groups feel accepted. As a majority white campus, many students of color feel out of place and had this singular place to organize, and that is now gone.”

The tweet referenced was made on Jan. 25, 2022 by Noem’s official Twitter account and read, “we eliminated diversity offices, which were focusing on leftist agendas. We replaced them with Opportunity Centers to help students succeed as individuals.”

With the CDC and Diversity office gone, the Office of Multicultural Affairs is set to somewhat replace the CDC. Now an office in the Student Centered Space, which used to house the CDC, Grieve hopes the office will still be able to continue the work of the CDC. “I hope that the Office of Multicultural Affairs will continue to facilitate strong relationships among students, to foster advanced leadership skills and to educate our community about other cultures,” Grieve said.

Looking back on the impact on USD, Odai said USD was changed because of the CDC. There were more community events and organizations grew.

“Ever since the CDC was created, the collaboration among the students and the organizations on campus has increased considerably. Most organizations became much larger as the community grew and became more involved, and this goes to show that it was a place that brought people together in spite of our cultural differences,” Odai said.

Geerson said the CDC gave USD a safe space for students.

From the events held by the organization to the everyday impact on students’ lives, the CDC was a place of learning and connecting.

“The CDC impacted campus in many ways. Most importantly, it provided a safe space for students. Having a physical place where everyone feels welcome helps set up a foundation where students can flourish,” Geerson said. “I saw students and staff come into the CDC to relieve stress, meet new people and socialize. In addition to the CDC providing a safe space, at every event, I saw how much the campus was impacted.

The events provided an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge base and learn from others with different backgrounds.”

Through the hurt, Sellers said he has been trying to see the positive sides to the CDC’s end because although it is gone, the impact it had and continues to have on students hasn’t stopped.

“There are students that are now out in the world, there are students that are doing great things that were impacted by the CDC in such positive ways that those ripples will continue to reverberate throughout time,” Sellers said.

Voices of the past USD’s Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) was opened on Nov. 5, 2014 and in the following seven years, The Volante covered the CDC’s effects on, not only the students that frequented the space, but campus culture as well.

The CDC was in the works for two years before opening, and was founded as the child of the university’s efforts to nourish diversity and inclu-

siveness on campus. These efforts were highlighted by the founding of the USD President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness in Aug. 2013. This council’s statement of purpose was, according to the 2014-2015 annual report of activities, “to advise the President on issues of diversity and inclusiveness and to promote diversity and inclusiveness as a strength, a core element in academic exclusiveness and a reflection of a caring community.”

Lamont Sellers was hired in 2014 as the CDC’s first Director and Jesus Trevino as the Associate Vice President for Diversity. Under the direction of both Sellers and Trevino, the CDC became a home to the following organizations: Spectrum, Tiospaye, Union of African American Students (UAAS), Association for the Advancement of Women’s Rights (AAWR), International Student Club (now International Club), Latino Student Association (now Latino-Hispanic Student Association, LaHSO), African Student Association (ASA) and Muslim Student Association (MSA).

The CDC became a place for students to find their voices and lead different conversations.

“Those marginalized students have a place and those students that are of the majority can feel as though they can come and be part as well and have those conversations,” Sellers said.

The first of which was a conversation in Dec. 2014 about race relations in the U.S. after Ferguson. The CDC hosted the moderated discussion amongst students that was sponsored by the USD Office of Diversity.

According to the Feb. 1 issue of The Volante, in 2017 the CDC uplifted student voices

again by hosting USD’s first participation in a “story circle,” a national movement by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, in which stories from across the nation were collected and poets compiled them into a “People’s State of the Union.” Then, according to the Feb. 19 issue of The Volante, in 2020 the CDC hosted the first ever Professionals of Color panel, an event that was organized by Laura Chandler, the CDC’s director at the time, and USD CDC alum Saeed Dabbour.

The CDC gave a home to student voices again in 2020 by hosting a student forum in the aftermath of the USD Stroller’s racist tweet in the promotion of their 97th annual show. This forum served as a place for students to address and lead a conversation about the culture of their own campus according to the Feb. 26 issue of The Volante. Then, in Sept. 2020 the CDC hosted its first Students of Color Panel that brought the problems of systemic racism on and off campus to a student-run conversation.

While being a space for students to engage in educational conversations, the CDC was also home to celebrations.

Some of which were solemn commemorations such as the memorial services for, then active, students, Brant Blaha and Diedra Gatzke by the CDC, in 2015 and 2019 respectively.

Others were meant to bring awareness to diverse cultures on campus. In Sept. 2015 the CDC hosted an Eid al-Ahda celebration, and in November of that year over 150 people attended when the CDC organized USD’s first Diwali celebration. Both of those events became annual for the CDC. Then on Dec. 7, 2015 the CDC hosted its first Hanukkah cel-

ebration.

In the following years the CDC kept up their events and collaborated with other USD groups.

On Oct. 31, 2016 the CDC was filled with students celebrating Dia de los Muertos, an event organized by the CDC, LaHSO and Sigma Delta Pi. In Feb. 2020 AASA and the CDC held an event to celebrate the Asian Lunar New Year. Then, in Sept. 2020 the CDC and the Campus Activities Board hosted USD’s first outdoor movie.

The history of the CDC is filled with events and conversations that marked the Center as a safe place where students could learn about a variety of cultures while celebrating their own and defining their own, identities with their newfound collegiate freedom.

Sydney Johnson | The Volante (top row left to right), Bennett Clary, Maddi Kallsen, (bottom row left to right), Allison Horkey and Zadya Abbott collaborated to produce the last installment of the “Dispatches from the CDC series.

10 Summer 2022

Opinion

The Volante

EDITORIAL

Editorial: Gen Z: The desensitized generation In our lifetimes, we have seen the effects of 9/11, we have lived through the 2008 recession, weekly school shootings, racial injustice, the insurrection of the capitol, a pandemic and now we are witnessing a major war between Russia and Ukraine.

We have always arrived at the airport a few hours early to get through TSA. Recently, we have become accustomed to wearing masks, keeping our distance and getting tested to protect those around us. Now a war is occurring and we’re having discussions about how the economy and trade will be impacted worldwide.

All of these topics are regular conversations we have because of major traumas our nation has faced.

Even if they occurred before we were able to comprehend them, our parents and teachers teach us about them over and over again because it would be a disservice to the lives lost. But Gen Z has become numb to it.

We grew up watching news footage of the Twin Towers crumbling. In elementary school, we watched people jump out of a window to their death because it was faster than burning.

From an early age, we were taught how to handle active shooters, especially in schools. Turn off the lights, lock the door, put your phone on silent, sit in a corner and be quiet.

According to the Washington Post, as of March 28, the last school shooting was 66 days ago. More than 292,000 students have been impacted by shootings in 310 schools across the nation. These events are no longer rare and have lost their horrifying aspect.

Having multiple traumatic and major events occur back-to-back during our short lifetimes has desensitized us as a generation. The APA dictionary defines desensitization as “a reduction in emotional or physical reactivity to stimuli that is achieved

“

From an early age, we were taught how to handle active shooters, especially in schools.

Turn off the lights, lock the door, put your phone on silent, sit in a corner and be quiet. ”

by such means as deconditioning techniques.” Our generation is no longer affected by events that would typically be appalling.

There is no easy way to handle emotions after a traumatic event and our generation has been faced with no choice but to conceal the magnitude of the issue and continue our lives.

Every time a major event has occurred, Gen Z has taken to the

internet and created memes, hashtags and jokes to cope with the burden of yet another traumatic event. Even if older generations see this as a poor coping mechanism, at least we are still attempting to process tragic events instead of ignoring them. We have lived our entire lives from one “world changing” event to the next and don’t expect it to change.

The Volante Sydney Johnson, editor-in-chief Bennett Clary, managing editor Tavin Carncross, sports editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

Madeline Knau, verve editor Emma Daggett, opinion editor

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

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 N. 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.

Opinion

volanteonline.com

Aardvarks are the worst

Emma.Daggett

Emma.Daggett@coyotes.usd.edu

I’m sensing a pattern in my articles. I seem to not like large burrowing animals. In the past, I’ve talked about my hatred of anteaters as well as my suspicion of groundhogs. I would like to add aardvarks to my list of burrowing animals I don’t like.

While aardvarks might have cute nicknames like “ant bear” or “earth pig” it is all a ruse for people to like them more.

The first issue I have with aardvarks is the need for two letter “A’s” at the beginning of their name. It feels like they just wanted to be in the front of the dictionary, so they

secretly added another “a.”

They can’t decide which animal they want to copy. They have rabbit ears, a pig’s nose, a kangaroo’s tail and a tongue like an anteater. It’s almost like someone copied and pasted bits of other animals to make an aardvark. But none of the animals they share similar features with are anywhere close to them in species. One of their closest relatives is an elephant.

These creatures are also the size of a human. With their tails, they can get over six-feetlong and weigh 180 pounds.

That’s the size of a full-grown person. Of course, aardvarks also have tongues which would technically make them even longer.

Aardvarks can eat up to 50,000 insects each day. They run around at night just scooping up the insects they see, and of course, you can’t forget that they don’t even

have the manners to chew their food before swallowing.

They don’t even drink water all that much and get their moisture from the insects they eat.

Aardvarks are nasty and hairless. A lot of people don’t like hairless cats but imagine a human-sized rabbit-pigkangaroo-anteater thing that doesn’t have hair. They were awful to begin with, but the fact that they don’t have hair just makes them seem so much worse.

They also have a weird number of toes. They have four toes on each of their front feet and five toes on each of their back feet. These toes look eerily similar to how human fingers look.

Ultimately, aardvarks are just as bad as anteaters. They both make me uncomfortable.

I would prefer to never come across them in my life.

Summer 2022 11

OVERHEARDS

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

“I paid for emotional trauma, that’s college though.”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“I thought we were a nice little tricycle.”

— Coyote Village

“Could I have died by cookie? Yes, yes I could have.”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“I needed validation to know that I was right.”

— Al Neuharth Media Center

“I’m a menace to society... do I grab a paper towel or do I use my sock.”

— Norton

“Gosh, I don’t think I’ve done a cart wheel since the pandemic.”

— Fine Arts

Verve

12 Summer 2022 Be

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lary | The Volante

The Volante

NOV. 07

SEPT. 23 During the September production of Fun Home, director and choreographer Joe Stollenwerk said he wanted to bring more diversity in both the voices and the stories being told in the theatre department. Fun Home was a musical written entirely by women. Some of the actors, including senior Taylor Gravert, said the cast used this musical as a time to learn more about the LGBT+ and queer representation in theatre.

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The Symphony Orchestra was reunited after last year’s COVID-19 precautions which only allowed half of the orchestra to play at a time while the other half remained seated in Aalfs Auditorium.

Luis Viquez, the director of orchestra, is leading the symphony orchestra in three pieces, two of which were commissioned for them to premiere. The final piece was the Symphony Suite from “The Lord of the Rings” films.

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The Percussion Ensemble’s fall concert also featured performances by Vermillion High School’s Percussion Ensemble as well as the Caribbean Coyotes Steel Band. Darin Wadley, director of percussion studies, organized this event and directs the USD Percussion Ensemble. This year’s concert included snare, bass, tom-tom drums, marimba, vibraphone, bells and hand drumming.

This year’s Holiday Concert included performances by the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble I and Chamber Singers, as well as the newly formed Symphonic Choir and Collegium Musicum. The Symphonic Choir is an ensemble of students and community members while the Collegium Musicum is an ensemble of treble voices. Graduate student Justin Harris was featured during the Jazz Ensemble performance as a solo vocalist.

Verve

volanteonline.com

Summer 2022 13

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The USD Opera returned to the stage after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor of music Tracelyn Gesteland directed “Alcina,” while Luis Viquez conducted it. This opera set in medieval times had a balance of serious yet comedic elements that Gesteland said reminded her of “Game of Thrones.”

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the addition of the Dakota Center in January. The Dakota Center includes an arcade, ballroom and conference room that can be booked for events such as weddings. Another feature of Pizza Ranch’s new addition is a golf simulator. Community members gathered at the Dakota Center to watch the Superbowl the following month.

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The One Act performances were put on by graduate and advanced undergraduate directing students. The four One Acts that were performed this year were “Date with Death” by Steven Hayet, “Jack”

by Melissa Ross, “Long Ago and Far Away” by David Ives and “15 Minutes in a Haunted House” by Deidre Girard. Ally Watters, Jeff Larsen, Brittney Lewis and Mickey Morstad were the student directors.

JAN.Pizza 25Ranch announced

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The Union of African American Students (UAAS) and Campus Activities Board (CAB) worked together to host the fourth annual Ruby Ball. The funds raised by ticket sales went towards Dakotathon.

During the event, UNITY awards were given out, standing for Uniqueness, Nobility, Integrity, Tenacity and Youthfulness. Local artists Kobe Jordan and Marcus Destin also performed at the event.

Director Casey Paradies put on the final musical of the semester. Paradies said this play featured aspects of questioning one’s personal identity. “Triumph of Love” is a musical comedy in the form of a commedia dell’arte, which is an early practice of comedy popular in Italy in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries.

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14 Summer 2022

The Volante

Former teacher opens bookstore in downtown Vermillion Jozie Hunter

Jozie.Hunter@coyotes.usd.edu

Outside of a Dog Books

lion community and the Ver-

thank you to the people who

tion varies from two person

events like author events, in-

million Area Chamber and

donated, the store is deco-

games, group games, games

store poetry and open mic nights.

Development Company. By

rated with pictures of dogs

that take an hour and even

& Games is an independent

creating

owned by the donors.

some that might take six

bookstore that sells games,

campaign, Phelan asked for

The name Outside of a

months. To help customers

gifts

different

support from the community.

Dog comes from a quote by

learn more about the games

events for the Vermillion

“We had people donate

Groucho Marx, “outside of

being sold, the store plans to

just a few bucks to help us get

a dog, a book is a man’s best

host game nights.

one more book on the shelf,”

friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too

Phelan said.

dark to read.”

and

hosts

community.

Prior to opening day on Nov.

20,

2021,

bookstore

a

crowd-funding

Customers can stop by and play for free then get a

“We would love for college students to come check us out,” Phelan said.

Outside of a Dog Books & Games invited the community to join in a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 26 to draw

owner Mike Phelan did not

Outside of a Dog was able

Outside of a Dog has a

know that one day he would

to raise over $12,000 to get

large collection of games

Along with game nights,

awareness to the new busi-

be opening a bookstore in

their store started. To say

to play and buy. The collec-

Phelan also plans to do more

ness in downtown Vermillion.

downtown Vermillion.

discount if they buy that day.

For

most of Phelan’s career he was a teacher.

“I spent most of my career as a teacher at all different levels. From sixth grade up through teaching linguistics at Ohio State University for nine years,” Phelan said.

After noticing that there was not a literary bookstore in a college town, it was Phelan’s wife Jennifer who came up with the idea to open one.

There was a lot to learn in the process of opening a store, how to sell the products and finding a physical space.

Phelan was able to receive help from the Vermil-

Keeley Thomas | The Volante The Phelan family was joined by the mayor at a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 26. Outside of a Dog Books & Games opened to the public in November of last year.

Verve

volanteonline.com

Summer 2022 15

Aaron Mercado: The man with many talents Bennett Clary

“On the creative aspect of

up watching Hollywood mov-

Writing and creating mu-

go of that. Whether it’s guilt or

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

it, there’s something about

ies and developed an appre-

sic has become therapeutic

sadness or trauma or whatev-

When he was little, his

using it as an art form, as a

ciation for the art.

for Mercado and is another

er, I just let go of that energy,”

house was haunted. Senior

creative outlet, that I find so

During Mercado’s fresh-

outlet for him to use his voice

Mercado said.

theater studies major and

satisfying at the same time.

man year at USD, he met

former Volante staff member

Whether it’s trying a different

cinematographer Zbyněk Sur-

“I’m someone who doesn’t

his future but said he wants to

Aaron Mercado first got into

lighting technique, a differ-

ovec who helped him get into

really seek help from people

do everything he is doing now

ent style of shooting, there’s

cinematography. From there,

and so I’ve learned to use my

and does not want to be limit-

so many things that you can

Mercado has taken video pro-

writing skills, my songwrit-

ed to any one outlet. Students

continually learn and ex-

duction classes and indepen-

ing skills, as almost my own

can find more information

plore. And I think part of the

dent study courses to help

personal diary and as a way

about the services Mercado

reason why I love it so much

refine his directing and cine-

to express what it is I’m feel-

offers on his website, https://

is just because there’s always

matography skills.

ing and to be able to put out

www.aaronmercadoofficial.

into the universe and just let

com/home.

photography when he picked up the small digital camera his family owned. Mercado said he used the camera to go ghost hunting and would explore his house trying to capture spirits on film. Even though that was his first experience with a camera, Mercado said he always had a passion for pretty photos.

“It’s when I got to high school my freshman year, that I finally got my camera.

And I realized that through photography, I was able to network and meet so many

something more you can do,” Mercado said.

Outside of telling stories

Although Mercado pho-

duces his own cover songs,

tographs different things, he

indie and alternative music.

said his favorite is people.

He said his biggest inspira-

Mercado got his start with

tion is Taylor Swift because a

sports photography and ac-

lot of her music is storytelling

tively learned how to use a

and he tries to emulate that.

camera by using it every day after school.

“We’ve had a guitar in my family for like 10 plus years, and no one has ever learned

when I got my camera, I was

how to use it. So I would say

portunities just in that one

in the yearbook and news-

my second year in college,

year that I started doing it.

paper committee, and often-

I picked it up one day, and I

Through that, that kind of in-

times I would stay behind

said ‘you know what, I’m go-

spired me to continue,” Mer-

almost every single day to

ing to sit down, learn all these

cado said.

photograph

and

chords, and I don’t care how

After taking up photogra-

games while my brother was

long it’s going to take me.’

phy, Mercado said the photos

in practice because he was

And within that week, I had

create a tangible represen-

my ride home,” Mercado said.

memorized all the chords I

phy opened up so many op-

Through

practices

photography,

needed to learn to be able to

allow him to look back on his

Mercado found a love for cin-

start producing my own mu-

experiences.

ematography. Mercado grew

sic,” Mercado said.

tation of his memories and

Mercado is not sure about

behind a lens, Mercado pro-

“Back when in high school

different people. Photogra-

in a positive manner.

Submitted Photo | The Volante Aaron Mercado enjoys photography as well as covering indie and alternative songs.

Verve The Volante Wednesday nights at the Wellness Center are now filled with country music

16 Summer 2022

Sydney Johnson Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

Two USD students have transformed

the

Both Bowar and McAuliffe

other people and you’re like

don’t have to be great at

ther Bowar or McAuliffe at

who act as the president and

‘Yes, there we go.’ That’s the

rhythm or even have rhythm

john.bowar@coyotes.usd.edu

vice president of the club,

best feeling,” Bowar said.

at all. You don’t need a part-

Wellness

respectively, said they began

After a few weeks of meet-

ner. There’s plenty of people

Center into a barn booming

this club because swing danc-

ings, the swing dance club

there that show up and need

with country music.

ing was something they were

organizes a dance for every-

a dancing partner.”

Sophomores Anna McAu-

passionate about and they

one to show off their newly

Bowar and McAuliffe said

liffe and John Bowar, who

have loved watching others

learned skills. The club host-

they encourage everyone to

started the club at the begin-

enjoy the dancing as well.

ed a dance at the Armory in

come and try out the swing

February and March and one

dance club. To learn more

at St. Agnes Gym in April.

about how to join the Country

and anna.mcauliffe@coyotes. usd.edu or follow them on Instagram

@usd_swingdan-

ceclub.

“You can show up and enter into it with no skill at

ning of the spring semester,

“It’s just nice to see people

wanted to bring a country

enjoy (swing dancing) and

swing dance club to USD’s

understand the steps. Then

“Anybody can learn to

Swing Dance Club, students

ter what, you will eventually

campus after having to drive

when you see them go teach

dance,” Bowar said. “You

are encouraged to email ei-

learn something.”

all,” McAuliffe said. “No mat-

roughly two hours to attend similar events at South Dakota State University (SDSU).

“We had a big turnout from the beginning,” McAuliffe said. “We have a pretty big group of people at our church that dance, and we were like ‘hey if we start a swing dance club would you guys come?’ We’ve also had quite a few other students come and join, whether it’s to our meetings or just coming to our dances.”

McAuliffe and Bowar host instructional meetings every other Wednesday in the Wellness Center where students can come and learn how to properly swing dance. “(The meetings are) mostly just a lot of teaching and construction. We let them go out on their own too, and if they want to try something, we will help them out,” McAuliffe said. “It’s pretty self-paced, I’d say.”

USD starts up a new club that teaches students how to swing dance in the Wellness Center.

Bennett Clary | The Volante

Verve

volanteonline.com

Summer 2022 17

Brothers collaborate to DJ, produce for EDM group Miles Amende

Miles.Amende@coyotes.usd.edu

When USD student Liam Mechling was introduced to dubstep by his older brother, he had no idea where it would take him. One year ago, however, he was asked to DJ a pri-

here. It’s really crazy to see.”

tailgate. He said people didn’t

Stupid Happy Collective, said

“It’s always awesome to do

he’s always been interested

what I do and look out into

Liam Mechling also said

really know what to expect

in computers and manipu-

the crowd who’s finally hav-

the EDM scene is booming,

the first night, but on the sec-

lating technology. He started

ing a good time, and they’re

and that there is a demand

ond the bar was jam-packed.

experimenting with lighting

just sort of hypnotized… it’s

for music production. He at-

“It was incredible to see

design and MIDI controllers

quite the spectacle,” Owen

tributes the demand to the

the people starting to match

in his college dorm room and

Mechling said.

pandemic, which he said was

our energy on the second

a double-edged sword for the

night, and I think that was

group.

like a really big proponent in

eventually attended Electric

The collective’s main goal,

Peak in the Black Hills, and

Forest, a four-day electronic

Liam Mechling said, is to

the rest, he said, is history.

music festival in Michigan,

bring the EDM scene to South

“I think COVID had a big

me wanting to continue to

which inspired him to pursue

Dakota. Owen Mechling said

hand in getting everyone into

play here, because as soon

lighting design as a career.

that he had heard about raves

it, but, of course, we couldn’t

as people match your energy,

vate Halloween party at Terry

Liam Mechling is now a DJ and producer for Stupid Happy Collective—a music pro-

“I went to that concert,

taking place in Black Hills

do shows during COVID,”

everyone’s having fun, and it

duction company established

and sort of was just mesmer-

warehouses and in the Bad-

Liam Mechling said. “We had

just becomes one of the most

in part by his older brother,

ized,” Owen Mechling said. “I

lands in the past, but from

a really big year planned and

fun things,” Liam Mechling

Owen Mechling—whose DJs

was watching the people—

2009 to 2017, there wasn’t

a bunch of stuff booked and

said.

throw parties and play a vari-

the lighting designers there—

much of a scene. A few years

then COVID hit and just ev-

Both Liam Mechling and

ety of electronic dance music

do what they were doing, just

ago, he met Cole Schweitzer,

erything shut down, but that

Owen Mechling said they will

(EDM), including dubstep,

programming and having a

a DJ and owner of Nyx Pro-

gave us a lot of time to work

try to get Stupid Happy Col-

drum and bass, house and

good time while they were

ductions in Rapid City, and

on music and work on our

lective to play more shows in

trap, Liam Mechling said.

doing it. I was like, alright,

the collective came out of

own production.”

Vermillion.

“Everyone kind of has

this is the kind of job environ-

their collaboration.

their own genre that they like

ment I really really want to try

to play with,” Liam Mechling

Stupid Happy Collective

“I think Vermillion’s a fan-

“He was throwing these

is based in the Black Hills,

tastic town for the scene…

to do. And here we are, two

little basement parties that

but Liam Mechling said the

and I’m maybe a little biased

said. “I played some classi-

and a half years later, and it’s

were just awesome to watch,”

group is branching out. The

on that because I’d love to see

cal in my last set, and then

finally coming to fruition.”

Owen Mechling said. “I got

group provided music at the

stuff happen in my home-

I played some really clas-

Owen Mechling said that

into light design and sort of

D-Days Tailgate and put on

town,” Owen Mechling said.

sic 2000s hits that were like

during shows, all he really

helped him out there, and

two nights of shows at Hollarr

“But it was really fun to see

mashed up with late 2010s

does is turn lights on and off,

then we started Stupid Hap-

in 2021.

the energy that Vermillion

and early 2000s EDM hits.”

but done in the right way to

py after a couple of bigger

Liam Mechling said the

the right beat, it makes the

shows, and now we have kind

group organized the Hollar

show more captivating.

of a flourishing scene out

shows the night before the

Owen Mechling, lighting designer and co-owner of

was able to bring out for our show.”

Sports

18 Summer 2022 vi Ta

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The Volante

NOV. 27

Over Thanksgiving break, the Coyote volleyball team defended their Summit League Tournament title on their home court against the regular season champions, Omaha. This was the Coyotes’ third Summit League Tournament title in the last four seasons. Junior Elizabeth Juhnke was named MVP of the tournament.

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The Coyote triathlon team finished third in the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship after the 2020 championship was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They finished with 68 points. Former Coyote athlete (redshirt junior) Maddie Lavin had the best individual Coyote finish as she clocked in a time of 1:05.47.7 and placed fifth.

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South Dakota hosted their in-state rival South Dakota State for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started which canceled their 2020 game in Brookings. The Coyotes only needed one second to win the game as freshman quarterback Carson Camp threw a hail mary to redshirt freshman Jeremiah Webb to win the game 23-20. This would become known as “The Catch” and win the Sports Illustrated Play of the Year.

With their win against the Mavericks, the Coyotes punched their ticket into the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

USD went on to play the No. 11 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. The Coyotes eventually fell three sets to none and ended their 2021 season.

Sports

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Summer 2022 19

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After the Coyotes’ historic Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Women’s March Madness Tournament, former head coach Dawn Plitzuweit decided to take a new job at West Virginia as their next women’s basketball head coach.

This decision by Plitzuweit left USD Athletics looking to hire their 11th women’s basketball coach in program history. The Coyotes introduced Kayla Karius as the next coach for USD on April 11. Karius was a former assistant coach at Wisconsin and Drake as well as at USD during the 2016-18 seasons under Plitzuweit.

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The Coyotes ended their 2021-22 women’s basketball season with a shared regular season title with South Dakota State. These two teams met up in the Summit League Tournament championship game which saw the Coyotes defeat the Jackrabbits 56-45. This title was their third consecutive title and the team’s fourth overall. Redshirt senior Chloe Lamb was named the tournament MVP and Tournament First Team.

Redshirt senior Hannah Sjerven was also placed on the Tournament First Team.

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With South Dakota capturing the Summit League Tournament title they were named a 10 seed in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. They first played No. 7 Ole Miss in the Wichita Region of the bracket. They went on to win 75-61 against the Rebels. This was the Coyotes’ first NCAA Tournament win in program history. South Dakota’s next opponent was No. 2 seed in the region and No. 7 in the AP Poll, the Baylor Bears. Baylor had potential top WNBA talent in senior NyLyssa Smith who was later chosen as the second overall pick in the draft.

The Coyotes won 61-47 and moved onto their first ever Sweet 16.

The run for the No. 10 Coyotes ended there however, as the Coyotes fell to the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines 52-49. Michigan had No. 15 overall pick in the WNBA draft Naz Hillmon.

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MARCH 18-26

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APRIL 11

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After their second round exit in the Summit League Tournament to South Dakota State, the Coyotes and former head coach Todd Lee parted ways after four seasons. This left a vacancy in the position which was then filled by former Utah assistant coach Eric Peterson on March 16. Peterson became the 19th head men’s basketball coach in USD history. Peterson was formerly an assistant coach for the Coyotes from 2014-18 when Craig Smith was the head coach.

The three-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Sjerven was selected to her hometown team, the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 28 overall pick in the WNBA draft. Sjerven finished her Coyote career being the all-time leading blocker with 243. Sjerven also averaged 13.9 points and 7.5 rebounds during her time at USD.

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Sports

20 Summer 2022

The Volante

Coyotes create legacy both on the court and in the stands Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

The women’s basketball team made school history March 26 as they competed in the program’s first Sweet 16 game of the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament.

Coyote

fans,

students

and alumni made the trip to Wichita, Kansas to cheer on the women. The Intrust Arena housed roughly 8,540 fans which was much more than the arena was first expecting.

According to Intrust Arena personnel at the event, once it was announced that South

mined to reach the Elite Eight

two players, it’s not just the

“I think that the seniors

round for the first time.

coaches, it’s a whole commu-

we have, including Reagan

made

nity of what we are in Vermil-

and the three super seniors,

the amount of Coyote fans

history throughout this en-

lion. I hope people remember

they were hungry to do some-

that made the trip to support

tire season, but we wanted to

how we were able to create

thing that’s really hard to do,”

them meant more than any-

continue to keep doing things

that and that (the commu-

Plitzuweit said. “What I told

one will know.

that have never been done

nity) keeps showing up for

them was that they’ve had

before,” senior guard Leigha

women’s basketball and keep

the chance to qualify for four

Brown said.

doing that for the next gener-

NCAA tournament, and that’s

ation,” redshirt senior center

almost unheard of at the

Hannah Sjerven said.

mid-major level. To do that,

way to end the season.”

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit and the team said that

“To all of our fans, to Coyote Nation, that came, it was

For both the Michigan

an incredible crowd that we

team and USD, the idea of

had; it was just incredible

making their mark on both

Now that the Coyotes’

that’s hard. And then to go to

support. To not only our fans,

the tournament as well as

season is complete, the pro-

the tournament and to win a

I think we recruited quite a

their respective programs was

gram will be saying goodbye

first round game is really hard

few fans from the region who

in the back of their minds.

to Sjerven along with redshirt

to do…I think what they’ve

came to cheer for us as well.

“Knowing what goes into

seniors Chloe Lamb and Liv

done is nothing short of com-

The state of South Dakota is

getting yourself and your

Korngable and senior Reagan

pete at a very high level.”

really important to us, and

team here, it’s not one or

Sankey.

Dakota would be advancing to the Sweet 16 and the arena

really special time for our

saw the influx of people want-

young ladies,” Plitzuweit said.

ing to attend, they decided to

Prior to the competition,

open the upper bowl to ticket

the Coyote women took down

sales which they weren’t pre-

No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 2 Bay-

pared to do originally.

lor in Waco, TX. The win over

great way for the community

we’ve

a very special thing. That was

I think that was certainly a

“Coyote sports…is just a

“Obviously

Ole Miss became the Coyotes’ first tournament win ever.

and USD campus to come to-

The Coyotes’ Sweet 16 op-

gether, and it’s just such great

ponent, Michigan, was also

entertainment for us I know,”

fighting to make program

Coyote fan and Vermillion lo-

history. The Wolverines came

cal Deb Christensen said. “…

into the NCAA Tournament

To be down here (Wichita) to

seeded No. 3 in the Wichita

cheer them on, we’ve been

region.

watching them play this sea-

After making it to the

son and every season in the

Sweet 16 round of the tour-

past and this is just a great

nament, the team was deter-

Sydney Johnson | The Volante For the first time in school history, the Coyotes went to the Sweet 16. USD ranked No. 10 in the Wichita region, beating No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 2 Baylor.

Sports

volanteonline.com

Summer 2022 21

Eerik Haamer just needed an Instagram DM Tavin Carncross

Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

Eerik Haamer, a native of Tartu, Estonia, is one of the top pole vaulters in the nation. He currently sits in seventh in the NCAA with his season best jump of 18-1 (5.51m).

It didn’t start with just track and field for Haamer,

“But what stuck out to me

of interest on his pole vault-

he said. His transparency and

cern was to solidify my place

most was track and pole vault

ing skills from schools such

him just being very sincere

at the national rankings and

specifically.”

as the University of Minne-

overall.”

to make it to Nationals.”

Even though Haamer is

sota and University of Geor-

Haamer also said that he

USD has had a long list of

top in the nation, it did not

gia. He had his mind set on

could not have made a bet-

pole vaulters and most re-

start out that way as he strug-

Akron until associate director

ter choice coming to USD.

cently Olympic silver medal

gled throughout his first cou-

of track and field and three-

Haamer has found himself

winner Chris Nilsen. Haam-

ple years of trying the sport

time Olympian Derek Miles

getting recognized by the

er is striving to be as good as

out.

sent him a direct message on

Summit League being named

Nilsen both on the runway

Summit League Field Athlete

and with the mentality Nilsen

of the Week twice this season.

holds.

“The first years were kind

Instagram.

of rough. I just didn’t really

“What really made a differ-

understand the vault,” Haam-

ence was when Derek Miles

er said. “But I am really not a

messaged me on Instagram a

“My parents gave me a lot

person to give up, and I thank

few days before I decided to

of chances to try out different

God I didn’t because it really

commit to Akron,” Haamer

sports like swimming, soccer

paid off.”

as his parents let him have the opportunity to try other sports out.

and karate,” Haamer said.

Haamer was getting a lot

“I am not used to that great

“I really look up to him,

honor but definitely really

especially on the mental side

happy about it,” Haamer said.

of things,” Haamer said. “His

“I think that it is good moti-

ability to go to the track and

vation for the entire program

just give his all and not care

said. “For some reason, when

and not just pole vaulters. I

about anything and preform

he talked, I loved everything

think it also shows the quality

at his best every time. It is

of our team as well.”

something that is hard to find

Being seventh in the na-

and that is what separates the

tion comes with a lot of pres-

semi-professionals from the

sure but Haamer does not

professionals and that is what

see it that way and goes into

I’m striving for.”

every meet the same way, Haamer said.

will

contin-

ue training and competing

“I always like to go into ev-

throughout the spring track

ery meet being the underdog

and field season, with the

and then surprising everyone

hopes to make it to Nationals.

because that’s usually when I preform the best,” Haamer USD Athletics | The Volante Native Estonian, Eerik Haamer, finished his 2022 indoor season capturing the gold in the Summit League Championship. Haamer currentlys its No.7 in the nation in Outdoor Pole Vault with his height of 5.50m.

Haamer

said. “I have no pressure in those terms. My main con-

Sports

22 Summer 2022

The Volante

Chloe Lamb, Hannah Sjerven reflect on time as Coyotes Bennett Clary

Bennett.Clary@coyotes.usd.edu

Redshirt

seniors

Chloe

Lamb and Hannah Sjerven

son was a goal that we real-

“She’s very passionate in

would be the “icing on the

opportunities, kind of rise, it

ly wanted to get. So, I think

what she does and I don’t

cake” for all the work she has

became more of an obvious

it was really special that we

think before coming to col-

done thus far. For the Minne-

choice to enter and just see

were able to win not only one

lege I really realized how im-

sota native, Sjerven got her

what happens,” Sjerven said.

portant that was. I was pas-

“icing on the cake” and will

“I think attending a mid-ma-

sionate about basketball and

be returning home to play for

jor (school), it’s not often that

I was surrounded by people

the Minnesota Lynx.

you see even the possibility

both entered the WNBA draft, but two games and advance with Sjerven being drafted in to the Sweet 16,” Sjerven said. the third round as the 28th After all the excitement, pick by the Minnesota Lynx.

Lamb said the team has had Lamb and Sjerven were part time to reflect and she feels of the South Dakota team that really good about the impact took down top-seeded teams in Baylor and Ole Miss.

During

the

conference

season, the women’s basketball team went 17-1, but Sjerven said her favorite part of the season was upsetting Baylor on their home court and seeing the joy on her teammates’ faces.

who are passionate, but she

“I’d always had a kind of

to be drafted and for me and

kind of took it to another level

a thought in the back of my

(Lamb) to be considered is

and I think a lot of people can

mind about it. If it was an

very cool and so I’m excited

see that,” Lamb said.

opportunity, maybe I’d pur-

for the possibilities.”

they made on the community. Lamb said it felt like the Sjerven said prior to the

sue it. As we continued to

WNBA draft that being draft-

win in the tournament and

ed or going to a training camp

(I would) see my stock, or my

entire community of Vermillion was along for the ride even when they lost their last game against Michigan.

Both

Lamb

and

Sjer-

ven said former head coach Dawn Plitzuweit was one of the most important people

“This was the first time

to their basketball journeys.

winning (in the NCAA Tour-

Lamb said Plitzuweit was

nament) which had been a

urgent during practice and

goal for us as seniors for ba-

wanted things done efficient-

sically our whole careers and

ly which translated into how

especially in this last sea-

they played on the court.

File Photos | The Volante Former Coyotes Chloe Lamb (left) and Hannah Sjerven (right) declared for the 2022 WNBA Draft.

Sjerven was selected with the 28th pick to the Minnesota Lynx and Lamb went undrafted.

Sports

volanteonline.com

Summer 2022 23

New faces and a few old ones added to basketball, football coaching staffs Sydney Johnson

Sydney.G.Johnson@coyotes.usd.edu

During the spring semester, USD athletics underwent quite a few changes within coaching. These changes impacted the women’s basketball team, the men’s basketball team and the football team.

After the men’s basketball

for the last three seasons at

adding two assistant coaches.

a Summit League regular sea-

cus primarily on work with

Utah State and Utah. He will

The first being Ty Margen-

son title along with a Sum-

the

serve as an assistant coach in

thaler. Margenthaler has a 20

mit League Tournament Title

whereas Hodge, a former Wis-

the upcoming season.

year coaching career spent at

in 2016-17. She was also an

consin athlete will work with

One day later, on April 13,

places such as Samford, Brad-

assistant coach at Omaha

the inside linebackers.

Peterson added another as-

ford, SIUE, Wisconsin and his

and had a head coaching job

This will be Hodge’s first

sistant coach to his staff in

last stop St. Louis. He spent

during the 2018-19 season

time in collegiate coach-

Patrick Eberhart. Eberhart

six seasons with the Billikens

with Rock Valley College. Ig-

ing. Robbins has previously

holds nearly 30 years of expe-

where they made three WNIT

noto spent her last two sea-

coached at both Miami Uni-

rience in coaching, including

appearances including mak-

sons with Utah State.

versity in Ohio and the Uni-

11 seasons at Summit League

ing the Elite Eight in 2021.

The

Coyote

football

outside

linebackers,

versity of Minnesota.

team fell to South Dakota

competitor Omaha. Eberhart

State (SDSU) in the semifi-

Taylor Ignoto was an-

team also saw some chang-

While there have been

has also been head coach

nals of the Summit League

nounced later in the day as

es to their coaching rosters.

many changes to the coach-

at Colorado State Universi-

Tournament,

another assistant coach for

Head coach Bob Nielson an-

ing staffs for basketball and

the

athletic

ty-Pueblo along with assis-

it

the women’s team. Igno-

nounced on April 8 that he

football, Coyote fans will

tant coach at a few universi-

would be parting ways with

to’s first coaching job was at

will be adding two assistant

expect to see one more face

ties including Adams State

head coach Todd Lee after

Summit League rival Western

coaches to next season’s staff.

added to the Coyote bench to

and Colorado State.

Illinois, where she was an as-

C.J. Robbins and Elijah Hodge

complete the women’s team

sistant coach for two seasons.

are the new additions.

prior to the beginning of next

department

announced

four seasons. This announcement was made on March 10.

Following their Sweet 16 appearance,

the

women’s

Five days after it was an-

During her time with the

Robbins is a former North-

basketball team got similar

nounced that Lee would not

Leathernecks, they clinched

western athlete who will fo-

news, their head coach would

be returning to the program,

be leaving. On March 31,

Eric Peterson was appoint-

Dawn Plitzuweit announced

ed on March 15. Peterson

that she had taken a head

was a former assistant coach

coaching position at West Vir-

at USD under Craig Smith

ginia University.

during the 2014-18 seasons.

The 11 women’s basket-

Prior to taking the head

ball head coach was named

coaching position at USD,

on April 10. Kayla Karius, a

Peterson worked as assistant

former USD assistant under

coach at both Utah and Utah

Plitzuweit from 2016-18, was

State.

announced as the new Coy-

On

April

12,

Peterson

ote head coach. Karius previ-

added Brandon Ubel to his

ously worked as a recruiting

coaching staff. Ubel is a for-

coordinator at Sioux Falls,

mer University of Nebraska at

Wisconsin, Drake and USD.

Lincoln basketball player and worked alongside Peterson

Karius

announced

on

April 26 that she would be

season.

Aaron Packard | USD Athletics Coyotes men’s and women’s basketball has brought in new coaches with Eric Peterson and Kayla Karius (above), respectivley. An abundance of assistant coaches have also been brought in with both the basketball and football team.