The Volante: Sept. 27, 2023

News

New Service Offers Students Rides to Local Stores See more on Page 5

Sports

Freshman Setter Playing Critical Role with Volleyball See more on Page 6

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Family Farm Brings Fall Feels to Yankton The Mazing Acres Fall Festival in Yankton will run through Oct. 29. There you can find a four-mile-long corn maze, a pumpkin patch plus snack and food options.

See more on page 12.

Madison Martinez | The Volante

News

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 THE VOLANTE

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Planning Phase Done for Dakota Days Jozie Kumm

Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu

Dakota Days is right around the corner and USD is putting final touches on plans for the week. Dakota Days will be held from Oct. 1-7 with events meant for all USD fans.

Trevor Sinclair, President of the Dakota Days committee, said they have been working for 10 months on planning events for the USD community.

“We met over the summer. We met every two weeks over the summer; We met every week last semester. It’s a lot of work,” Sinclair said. “The point is, we work very hard on this, and it’s not just me. It’s a whole team of people… I’m very proud of them, and the student body should be proud of the team that put this together and hopefully they enjoy the week.”

The Dakota Days committee has worked together to create a more welcoming environment for all USD students, alumni and supporters.

“We’re doing that through our event planning by planning events that all students can come to and hopefully enjoy regardless of their age, or regardless of where they’re at during their university journey,” Sinclair said.

The Dakota Days committee is also pairing with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) to have a networking event on Oct. 6.

“Students are able to connect with alumni that are passionate about the university. They can build that connection on Friday afternoon and maybe continue that connection over the weekend,” Sinclair said.

This is the second year pairing with USD athletics to make Dakota Days more memorable for students and staff. The Dakota Days Kickoff event will start with a student or community celebrity basketball game.

“We want to celebrate the beginning of the Dakota Days with students, community

members and alumni to try and create a really positive atmosphere to kick off the week,” Sinclair said.

Although they have new events, the committee wanted to maintain old traditions throughout the week.

“There’s things that are always going to be there right like you have the royalty process, the football game, the tailgate, the parade, the street dance, all that staying the same. We’re doing some new things this year, and we’re really excited about them,” Sinclair said.

The week of Dakota Days will also include a Paint the MUC Red where they will make signs to be hung up in the MUC. Following Painting the Muc Red, there will be the Kickoff held in the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center. This event will feature USD men’s and women’s basketball skill competitions, performances by the Sound of USD and the USD Spirit Squad, a Dakota Days royalty reveal and a performance by the Electrick Jumpers.

On Oct. 4, there will be a Coyote Campout which will be held on the MUC lawn. There will be food, snacks and a movie will be played.

Oct. 5 a Street Dance in downtown Vermillion on the Platz.

Following the street dance, the First Friday in the MUC Pit at 11 a.m. presented

by OMA including food and a DJ. The two final events will be held on Saturday as the Dakota Days Parade will take place at 9 a.m. and will go through downtown Vermillion. The second is the football game against Missouri Valley Football Conference newcomer Murray State at 2 p.m.

To find more information about this year’s Dakota Days or to view the schedule, visit https://usdinvolved.usd. edu/organization/ddays/events or their X account at USDDakotaDays.

Submitted Photo | Dakota Days Committee

Dakota Days Committee sent out the full schedule of Dakota Days. These events include Paint the MUC Red, Dakota Days Kickoff, Coyote Campout, the Street Dance and the Dakota Days Parade to end the week.

News

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 3

Student Counseling Services Moved to East Hall Jozie Kumm

Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu

September is nationally known as Suicide Awareness Month. In honor of this, USD’s Student Counseling Center (SCC) held suicide prevention week from Sept. 10-16. The week started with the Field of Memories Exhibit.

Madison Harrington, the SCC’s prevention and addiction counselor, said it was a tribute to students who lost their life to suicide.

“This was one of the events where students could decorate a flag for someone that they’ve lost due to suicide, or write a inspirational message of hope,” Harrington said. “There was around 1,100 flags that represented the number of college students that died by suicide each year.”

SCC held another event on Sept. 15 called Holding Hope. This is where students could create luminaries, write messages of hope or in honor of a friend. Then they had a moment of silence for those who were lost.

Harrington said that mental health has a stigma around it and the best way to fight it is to be open around it.

“The more we talk about it, and have an open dialogue with one another, could help end the

stigma, as well as educating people. Even whether it’s professors, people on campus or just people in society in general,” Harrington said.

SCC also has concern forms for students who are concerned for their loved ones on campus.

“If someone is concerned about their classmate, friend or roommate, they can call the Student Counseling Center or write a form that’s anonymous,” Harrington said.

Sheila Johnson, a mental health counselor at the SCC, said they can assess students who are having suicidal thoughts and help based on their current situations.

“We just fully assess whether they’re having suicidal ideation, and it just depends on the level of where they’re at with those with those thoughts,” Johnson said. “If they just cannot make sure and ensure that safety, then we might have to look at some kind of a long-term treatment or just make sure that there’s some place where they can be safe, have some support and services put in place. We just have to provide them with the support of some friends or family and make sure that they have someone there with them to keep them safe and supportive.”

With the new location of the SCC, they offer a Zen Den, a place for students who need a place to

decompress and relax.

“If someone needs a separate location or a space outside of their dorm they can come here and have a place of solace where they can relax… During the winter time we can really help the seasonal aspect disorder,” Harrington said.

Another resource for students is an organization, Lost and Found. Lost and Found is a nonprofit organization in USD. Their mission is to raise awareness about suicide and signs leading up to suicide.

Paige Pollreisz, the vice president of Lost and Found and a junior at USD, said they are very prevalent on campus and want to include everyone in their organization.

“We want to create an open environment across campus and just facilitate healthy communication about mental health,” Pollreisz said. “Hopefully we can curb that suicide rate and other factors.”

If you are having suicidal thoughts please reach out to the SCC or call the 24-hour 988 suicide and crisis hotline. To learn more about suicide awareness from the SCC email them at scc@usd.edu or visit online at https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html.

Textbooks Problems Due to “Supply Issues” Jackson Struck

Jackson.Struck@coyotes.usd.edu

Recently, the USD bookstore has had some issues obtaining textbooks and other resources. A number of students have experienced textbook delays or received them later than expected.

Scott Pohlson, vice president of enrollment, marketing and university relations said that many of the issues were due to some of the key book suppliers.

“There were some key supply chain and operational issues that we experienced this year that we will be addressing with our campus partner Akademos, who recently was acquired by VitalSource,” Pohlson said.

Students around campus have been complaining about the delivery of their textbooks. Pohlson apologized for the delays and said that they are working hard with Akademos and VitalSource to fix all the issues that they had this year.

“I would like to start by apologizing to our students and faculty that were impacted by these delays and let them know that we can do better and truly appreciate the emails and calls about these issues,” Pohlson said. “It is hard to pinpoint what exactly was the problem without

more insight into the processes behind the scenes with VitalSource.”

Pohlson said that he is looking forward to meeting with VitalSource and seeing the data provided.

“We look forward to getting that insight when we meet with VitalSource over the next couple of weeks,” Pohlson said. “Our goal moving forward is to increase the transparency in shared data for when course materials are purchased and thus delivered with VitalSource.”

Pohlson said that this has been a problem in the past. These issues commonly arise when working with online bookstores and other digital material.

“Having an online bookstore, along with increases in digital material, brings with them new challenges each year although this semester had more concerns than last fall, ”Pohlson said. “I do know that some of the issues lasted beyond the first week of courses, which is unacceptable and frustrating for all parties involved.”

Students who have questions about their textbooks Britta Birznieks | The Volante can contact Charlie’s through their website or send an The USD book store located inside the campus Charlie’s are having issues with outside suppliers not sending in email to customerservice@usdcharliestore.com. the books.

News

4 | Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The Volante

Sigma Delta Pi Hosts Spanish Tutoring Madeline Knau

Madeline.Knau@coyotes.usd.edu

Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society at USD, began hosting free Spanish tutoring for students learning Spanish in the library Lilian Shari, president of Sigma Delta Pi, said she wanted to make the organization more known on campus. Her first thought was getting a group together so they can speak Spanish and talk about what they’ve been learning in class.

“I thought that was really helpful because I put myself in these people’s shoes. If I was a freshman or sophomore thinking about Spanish, I would want somebody who’s been through this program, talk to them and receive help,” Shari said. “There’s not that many resources to receive help in the Spanish program.”

Angela Helmer, faculty advisor for Sigma Delta

Pi’s Spanish tutoring program and professor in the modern language and linguistics, said when Lillian presented the idea of tutoring students, she thought it was a great idea. Helmer went with it and was willing to offer any help.

“I’m offering any help they want. They are having snacks,so that students can know it should be a relaxing atmosphere and students should feel welcome and we don’t judge if they make mistakes,” Helmer said.

Shari said the best takeaway from the entire experience is the leadership and the act of balancing everything, not only as a person to look up to, but also to remind herself that she is still growing and learning.

“I need to be open to everyone and everything because I’m not going to necessarily know what’s going to come through everyday, and that’s the beauty of

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Jordan Grothe Managing Editor

Jozie Kumm

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this,” Shari said. “I feel like that’s what’s going to be big for me.”

Helmer said her favorite part of the tutoring are the officers of Sigma Delta Pi and how they really want to make a difference and want to get involved.

“They excel in the language, and they’ve done really well. That’s why they were admitted into this honor society,” Helmer said. “I have them in most of my classes, if not all, and they are great students, great people to work with.”

Sigma Delta Pi’s Spanish Tutoring is free to all students, whether they are taking a class or just interested in learning the language for fun. Spanish tutoring is held in the library in room 205 on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

News Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 5 Coyote Assistance Offers Rides to Local Stores

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Juliana Oltmanns

Juliana.Oltmanns@coyotes.usd.edu

Students at the University of South Dakota now have the opportunity to sign up for scheduled and assisted rides to grocery stores within Vermillion through Coyote Assistance.

Kasie Heiden, the associate director of the Gallagher International Center, said Coyote Assistance helps all students with access to stores around Vermillion so they can purchase things they need.

“This is a service for all students on campus, and we hope that students utilize it especially as the weather turns,” Heiden said. “It is important to recognize that there are a lot of reasons why someone may be without a vehicle, even if it’s for a short period of time, so the program is really about providing a simple service that is regularly available if you need it.”

Heiden and the Gallagher International Center were contacted last year to see if they would be able to help students that don’t have access to these locations.

Unfortunately, they were unable to help and started reaching out to other groups on campus.

“Last year, when the weather got really intense, the Gallagher International Center was contacted by other departments who wanted to see if we had

Cali Conners | Coyote News

provided any transportation services for international students, Heiden said. “Unfortunately, we did not have this service, so we started reaching out to different student services on campus to gauge interest and put together a pilot proposal.”

This is the first year Coyote Assistance has begun providing rides to local grocery stores for students in need. These assisted trips to the grocery store make it possible for students with no off-campus form of transportation a safe and convenient option for travel.

Local grocery stores available to visit through Coyote Assistance include both Walmart and Hy-Vee. Scheduled grocery store visits will take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday for the fall and spring semesters. Having multiple days to participate guarantees any students in need of rides will have a variety of opportunities to choose from throughout the school year.

Spots available are limited per grocery store trip, meaning any students wanting to take advantage of these assisted trips are asked to fill out a sign-up form in order to participate.

Sign-up forms are located on USD Involved and are open to all undergraduate and graduate students up until noon of the same day. There will be no waitlists

held for those wishing to attend.

Therefore, students must sign up for these trips on the day before or the day that they will be taking place. Available times are listed in the USD involved website at https://usdinvolved.usd.edu/event/9215824.

Heiden hopes this new service will impact students and grow more than expected.

“It would be great if the program made enough of an impact that it could grow and be an expected, recurring service just like a bus system,” Heiden said. “It’s important that we continue to evaluate our student services as our student population grows and evolves.”

Students are expected to be at the Burr House ready and waiting at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time with their student ID available.

Students are also required to be ready 10 minutes before the bus is to go back to campus.

To learn more about Coyote Assistance or get help with any questions or concerns, email coyoteassistance@usd.edu.

The Burr House is home to a new service called Coyote Assistance allowing students to catch rides to local stores for supplies they might need.

Sports

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 THE VOLANTE

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New Athlete Sets the Coyotes up for Success Trevan Rychlik

Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu

The Coyotes’ volleyball team unveiled a new starting setter for the 2023 season. This year, head coach Leanne Williamson put the duties into a freshman from Marion, Iowa, Avery Van Hook.

Van Hook had to win the position battle against senior Brooklyn Schram and sophomore Madi Woodin, who shared time as the setters last season for the Coyotes. Schram started the 2022 season but got injured early in the season which led Woodin to have the starting role.

This season, Van Hook has 382 assists to lead the team by 341, and she averages 8.3 assists per set. Van Hook is also tied with two other Coyotes in junior outside hitter Kylen Sealock and senior outside hitter Mattie Johnson with 12 service aces to lead the team. She is second on the team with 113 digs as she has six double-doubles in 12 matches played so far this season.

While Van Hook is having a great season statistically, she did not want to play volleyball as a kid as she didn’t want to follow in her older sisters footsteps.

“My sister is eight years older than me, so she has always been around the game. So when I got older and started to show interest in sports, she was playing volleyball… I actually didn’t want to be

like my sister, so I was trying to get into basketball more,” Van Hook said. “Volleyball just kept coming back to me, and it was more natural for me, and I loved it. There was nothing else I wanted to play more.”

Van Hook started to come to college camps at USD as soon as her freshman year of high school, and she said that’s why she wanted to come play in Vermillion.

“I came here for a camp. When I came to this camp, I fell in love with the campus. We have an amazing facility, and the coaches and the girls are amazing,” Van Hook said. “From my freshman year of high school, this was my dream school, and the rest is history.”

Van Hook mentions her early success this season due to knowing the other players on the team.

“Knowing all the players and the coaches along with the campus made the move to college easier, and I think it helped with volleyball,” Van Hook said.

Van Hook looks forward to the rest of the season and being able to play the conference schedule. She hopes to win the Summit League Championship as the Coyotes have the last three seasons.

Mia Vodicka | The Volante Freshman Avery Van Hook, a native of Marion, Iowa, is the new starting setter for the volleyball team this 2023 season.

Mia Vodicka | The Volante Freshman Avery Van Hook has recorded 382 assists on the season and averages 8.3 assists per set.

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Sports

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 7

Abby Ripperda Back for One Final Season Tavin Carncross

Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu

Hannah Owens | USD Athletics Abby Ripperda returns for final season after missing all of the 2022 indoor track and field season with a leg injury.

After missing the 2022 indoor track and field season due to a leg injury, graduate student and current cross country runner Abby Ripperda came back to run for one final semester.

Ripperda, a native of Sioux Falls, received a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA. The waiver is given to student athletes that missed more contests or dates of competition than they competed in. Ripperda said there were a lot of reasons for her to accept the waiver but one stood tall, her love to run.

“There’s probably a lot of different reasons why I’ve (kept running) this whole time, but I just really like to run,” Ripperda said. “I use it as a mental break from school and just life in general.”

Before Ripperda committed to USD, she was a soccer player, but due to her middle school not having a soccer team, she and some of her friends decided to join the cross country team.

“In middle school, we didn’t have a soccer team, so me and all my friends went out for cross country. In the first year, I absolutely hated it,” Ripperda said. “My eighth-grade year, I started to like it a little bit more, I started to get better at it, and it was a little bit more fun.”

While Ripperda was in middle school, she had an opportunity to run with some of the high schoolers due to storms canceling some of the middle school meets.

“The high school coach asked if I wanted to run some high school meets because we didn’t have any middle school meets.

I was kind of hooked after that,” Ripperda said.

Ripperda would go on and compete in high school and started running for South Dakota in 2017.

In her first three seasons with the Coyotes, Ripperda was all-Summit League first team honors, broke the South Dakota school record for the indoor 5,000 meters with a clocking of 16:26.68, won three events and was a five time Summit League Honor Roll. All these awards happened before the COVID-19 pandemic, which didn’t allow the 2020-21 cross country team to compete.

“When we came back, it was really hard because we were supposed to isolate ourselves a little and not interact as much.

Team activities were way down and it was a lot harder to get to know everyone on the team,” Ripperda said.

Now, Ripperda is on track to graduate in May and plans on getting a job in physical therapy with her degree in medical biology.

She has also competed in two events this year the first being the SDSU Classic where she finished in third place with a time of 18:02.60. The second meet was the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota where she finished in 45th place.

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Sports

Women’s Basketball in Big Sky-Summit Challenge Niko McKeever

Nikolas.McKeever@coyotes.usd.edu

The South Dakota Coyotes women’s basketball team has revealed their nonconference schedule for the 20232024 season. The Coyotes will play 16 games out of conference before Summit League play begins in late December.

The Coyotes will open the season with an exhibition game against Wayne State on Oct. 30 at home in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (SCSC). On Nov. 6, the Coyotes will play their first regular season game against Division-II Northern State.

The Coyotes will then face Big East foe in the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha on Nov. 10. Creighton qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2023 and advanced to the Elite 8 in 2022.

Creighton defeated the Coyotes 74-51 in their last contest in Vermillion last November.

The Coyotes will then host Northern Colorado at home on November 14.

This is the second part of a home/home agreement for the two as Northern Colorado took last year’s matchup 72-65.

The Coyotes will then travel to Sydney Johnson | The Volante Junior guard Grace Larkins, one of the returning members to the Coyote women’s basketball team, will compete in the non-conference season opener against Division-II Northern State on Nov. 6 in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament featuring Michigan, Middle Tennessee and Depaul. The last time the Coyotes played Michigan, the game was apart of the 2022 NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 where the Wolverines were victorious 52-49.

After Thanksgiving, the Coyotes season will continue with a game against South Carolina State. This game will take place at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. Northern Iowa comes to Vermillion to face the Coyotes next. Then South Dakota will travel to California to face Loyola Marymount and come back home to face Dickinson State.

Mount Marty will take the 30 minute drive to face the Coyotes. The team will then travel to Tennessee to face UT Martin.

The Coyotes will then return home to play Bradley Dec. 20.

After two conference games against North Dakota State and Omaha, the Coyotes will participate in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge where they will head on the road to play Montana (Jan. 3) and host Idaho State (Jan. 6).

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 8

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

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Editorial: Combat Suicide with Meaning

“

September marks National Suicide Awareness month since its inception 15 years ago, mental health has continue to make an impact on not only certain people full generations groups.

Mental health arguably ranks as one of the most important issues for Gen-Z. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists South Dakota as having the fifth-highest suicide rate in the United States. Only New Mexico, Montana, Alaska and Wyoming have higher rates.

Suicide rates have consistently risen in the United States over the past 20 years. The COVID-19 lockdown did not do the suicide numbers any favors. While suicide rates temporarily dipped in 2020, they spiked above pre-COVID-19 levels in 2021.

Society is more connected through the internet and social media than it ever has been, but at the same time we are

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists South Dakota as having the fifth-highest suicide rate in the United States. more isolated now than many previous generations. This is especially seen in the decline of committed romantic relationships. Nearly half (47%) of Americans aged 18-29 reported being single, including 62% of men aged 18-29. Only 34% of women in the same age group reported being single. Moreover, 57% of single adults reported that they were not looking for relationships.

We’re also less satisfied with our jobs than ever before: 39% of Americans aged 18-29 describe their jobs as ‘fulfilling,’ compared to 65% of seniors. Every one of us needs to do something giving ussome purpose, either in our jobs or not.

Gen-Z reports being lonelier than previous generations. According to a Harvard research study in 2021, 61% of people aged 18-25 reported being ‘frequently’ lonely. Human beings are social creatures, as much as some may not want to admit.

With higher rates of these societal trends, it’s not challenging to reasonably infer all of these factors are negatively impacting the suicide rate in the United States. Although we have many societal problems, suicide research and awareness has come a long way. In the early twentieth century, depression was “treated” on

The Volante Tavin Carncross, editor-in-chief Jordan Grothe, managing editor Trevan Rychlik, sports editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

Sydney Kolln, verve editor

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

Context is for suckers.

“What do you want me to do? Stab you?”

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887

— Spruce Street

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.

Fax to: 605.677.5105 Email to: volante@coyotes. usd.edu Via our website: volanteonline.com

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CONTACT US

Send letters to: Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. Vermillion, S.D. 57069

”

occasion by lobotomies. Thankfully, we do not remove part of someone’s brain to treat neurological disorders anymore.

We have many opportunities at USD to bring purpose and a sense of meaning into one’s life while keeping isolation at bay. There are dozens of clubs to join, where one can meet other like-minded people.

USD has some different resources for mental health. One can also volunteer with different organizations such as Dakotathon. The student counseling center provides free counseling for students located in Dakota Hall.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, you can contact the national suicide hotline by dialing 988. If you are at USD, you can email the Student Counseling Center at scc@usd.edu to set up a meeting.

The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.

“Can we make it 10 times instead of 15?

Because I might throw up.”

— Spruce Street

“I should probably put a frown on her because it’s not going to go well.”

— Beacom

“Why is it so hard for you to sue someone in South Dakota?”

— Beacom

Opinion

The Volante

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 10

The Impact of Online Learning on Students

Elisabeth Kluin is a senior majoring in history and English.

As I enter my final year of college at USD, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my studies as a student.

Many recent graduates and seniors entered their introductory college years during the COVID-19 pandemic and four years later, the education system is starting to see the impacts online learning had on its students.

When classes were hybrid or completely online and could be completed from the comfort of one’s own room, the question of

how much learning took place arose.

Most exams were taken online, the structure of the typical classroom setting was disrupted, and professors and students both had to balance the learning curve of completing and conducting classroom discussions.

As a freshman, I admired my professor’s ability to maintain an engaging classroom environment when confronted with technological issues. I did not feel I lost out on any opportunities within

the classroom except getting to build connections early on.

I found this the most difficult aspect of college during my first years as I struggled to connect with students and meet people in my grade.

While the rigor of the classroom expectations has risen as classroom settings operate as normal, I do appreciate what was learned from such an experience. Professors have adapted to using Zoom in the classroom when students are feeling ill and

using online resources to connect individuals throughout the state and globally.

While there were undoubtedly those few instances where students took advantage of the opportunity to stay in bed and watch lectures via Zoom, I also think the disrupted classroom environment that resulted from the pandemic ultimately reshaped our views of how one can learn and where one can learn.

Should USD Bring Back Paper Towels?

Charles Streeter is a senior majoring in political science and psychology.

When I transferred to USD last year, one of the first things I noticed was the complete absence of paper towels in the restrooms. Instead, USD has hand dryers installed in every restroom.

Should the school bring paper towels as an option to dry your hands? In order to answer that question, we need to look at the associated costs and benefits to each, and how much value is placed in each cost.

We first need to look at

sanitariness. There’s much discussion about the effectiveness of paper towels compared to hand dryers. Even scientists can’t universally agree about which is more effective at reducing germs.

Some studies suggest hand dryers with hot air increase bacterial growth, while others suggest bacteria growth only occurs if you rub your hands together while drying them.

Another aspect is the cost: Hand dryers have a larger

upfront cost, but use fairly little electricity. Paper towels have a consistent substantial cost.

The University of Florida uses 500,000 pounds of paper towels annually. We can extrapolate based on population and estimate that USD would use around 80,000 pounds of paper towels per year.

Perhaps the largest cost would be paying individuals to restock the paper towel machines and to clean up the inevitable mess of paper towels.

Even with all of these factors, we still fail to take into consideration what the people want.

I would vote for paper towels since they are better at actually drying my hands than our lukewarm hand dryers.

Do you think the school should bring back paper towels?

Verve

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

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Graduate Student Directs Shakespear Nathan DeGreef

Nathan.DeGreef@coyotes.usd.edu

The USD Theater Department will be putting on Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” starting on Sept 28. This event will take place in the Knutson Theatre, until Oct. 1.

Graduate student Jeffrey Larson is directing the show.

Larson works with a company in Sioux Falls called the Bare Bodkins Theater Company and has done well a dozen shows.

This play will serve as Larson’s thesis project in directing for the Master of Fine Arts program.

“Every year, the graduate directors compile plays they are interested in performing,” Larson said. “We pitch the shows to the faculty, and then they decide what is best for me and my growth as an artist, educator and also what will be best for the student population.”

The show follows cousins Rosalind and Celia. After Rosalind is banished from the court, she and Cecilia flee and find refuge in the Forest of Arden. There, the characters take on new identities, and hijinx ensues.

The play includes many scenes, characters and typically runs on the longer side, around three hours.

“I did cut the script down. Normally it would be around three hours; I cut it down, so it would fit in a two-hour block of time,” Larson said.

Larson said he wanted to keep the production accurate to the source material but did make changes such as where and when the play takes place.

“I’m setting it in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1934, in the midst of the great depression,” Larson said. “1934 also saw a lot of escapism in that time, so that’s something I’m really interested in pursuing with this production.”

So far, the play has been coming together on schedule for its first showing on Sept. 28. The cast is working hard and making the production run as smoothly as possible Larson said.

“Everything came together really cohesively in a cohesive production,” Larson said. “I’m very happy with where it’s at.

We’ve been able to see how the show has been progressing.”

Auditions for USD plays are open to all USD students, and roles are not limited to only theater-majoring students.

Sophomore Brooke Hilding is the only actor who is not a theater major; Hilding is double majoring in English and musical arts. Hilding will be playing the roles of Lord Amiens, Le Beau, Dennis and Hymen.

Although she is not involved with the theater department, Hilding is familiar with drama and how a show runs.

“In high school, theater was all I did. All four years, I was obsessed with doing it, so going into college, it was also something I wanted to participate in,” Hilding said. “In the

audition, they encourage anyone who wants to try out to try out.”

Logan Kehoe is a senior musical theater major who is also in “As You Like It.” He will be playing the part of Orlando in the play.

“Typically, I don’t go in with a part that I’m really set on,” Kehoe said. “I just want to be involved in a show no matter what. It was definitely a very happy surprise getting Orlando.”

Considering the source material being Shakespeare, the actors have found it to be coming together surprisingly well, Kehoe said..

“Everyone seemed like they got it really quickly. It was a surprise to me how engaged everyone was especially since it was Shakespeare,” Kehoe said.

Tickets are free for all USD students and are available at the box office Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and also on show days from 12 p.m. until the show.

“I think this play is for everyone. We’re inviting the audience in, and we want people to understand what we are saying,” Larson said. “Whether you love Shakespeare, never encountered Shakespeare or you disliked him in high school, this show is still for you.”

Submitted | The Volante

Graduate student Jeffery Larson is directing the theatre department’s production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”. The show will run from Sept. 28 through Oct. 1 at the Knutson Theatre

Verve

The Volante

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 12

Mazing Acres Family Farm Hosts Fall Festival Juliana Oltmanss

Juliana.Oltmanns@coyotes.usd.edu

The Mazing Acres Fall Festival will take place every Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 6 p.m. from now until Oct. 29 in Yankton. This is the fourth year of the family friendly fall festival.

The festival includes over 30 attractions for people of all ages and interests; including multiple fall photo opportunities, a four-mile-long South Dakota themed corn maze, a pumpkin patch, offered hay rides through the farm, live farm animals, food plus snack options and even a 150 ft featured slide.

Owner Molly Nedven said having entertaining activities can be amusing for any and all in attendance.

“We hope to be a fall destination for many years to come, which is why we add new and unique attractions each year,” Nedven said.

Tickets for the event can be purchased both online and in person, with online tickets costing $14.95 and in-person tickets costing $18.95. Children ages two and under

attending have free admission.

Admission tickets allow guests access to the Mazing Acres Farm, pumpkin patch, live music as well and all other attractions besides both the potato cannon and availability to pick pumpkins within the pumpkin patch. As participating in these two attractions will result in a price increase that can be added on at any time while visiting.

Tickets are all one time single use only, with the exception of season passes. Individual season passes are available to purchase online only at the price of $34.95 per pass.

The fall festival is a tradition Nedved said will continue for many years to come.

Nedved also said it brings her much joy to bring guests to the farm as she is able to watch them make Mazing Acres a part of their fall traditions.

“We love getting to know new faces and watching them make memories with their friends and family year after year,” Nedved said.

Brewery Construction Continues Sien Hermans

Sien.Hermans@coyotes.usd.edu

XIX Brewery Co., located at 113 W. Main St. in Vermillion, hopes to open its doors in late October or early November after being in construction since last April. The brewery was founded

by USD alumni Katey Ulrich and Ed Gerrish.

XIX Brewery Co. will be the first brewery to open in Vermillion. Even though downtown already has many bars, a brewery has never been among them. Katey Ulrich, co-owner of XIX Brewery, said the community is very interested in their project.

“We received a lot of support from the community when we announced the start of this project,” Ulrich said. “Many community members have told us that this is something that Vermillion needs. We will also be the closest brewery to USD so it will be easy for students to find their way to us.”

Ulrich said that the opening day not only depends on the construction inside the location but also the suppliers.

“Our opening date depends on suppliers,” Ulrich said.”Our goal right now is to open at the end of October or early November.”

Madison Martinez | The Volante

(Above): The Mazing Acres Farm Located in Yankton, South Dakota is currently hosting their fourth annual Fall Festival. This event has rides and activities for children including train rides, zip-lines and slides. (Below): Along with rides and activities for children, the Mazing Acres Farm offers many photo opportunities including the pumpkin display below. There is also a South Dakota themed corn maze and a pumpkin patch

The brewery will not only consist of a brewing facility but also a tap room, which will be the drinking area. Both units are connected to each other, so visitors can see where the beer is being fermented, brewed and filtered. There will also be a patio to give customers the opportunity to drink a cold beer outside during the summer.

Ulrich said that she wants XIX to be a place where people can come together.

“Our taproom there will be a cozy area with couches and low tables,” Ulrich said. “We want it to be a place where everyone can come together.”

While beer will be the main product of the company, it’s not the only beverage they will serve.

“We will serve different kinds of beer, from APA beers to lighter beers and blondes. It will be a little bit of everything,” Ulrich said. “There will also be non-alcoholic drinks. We want to make sure that families and young people who are not allowed to drink yet can also enjoy their time in the brewery.”

For more information about XIX Brewery Co. and when they open, check out their website at https://www.xixbrewingco.com/.