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Vermillion Celebrates Veteran’s Day with Event at High School
Inaugural Unity Ball Celebrates Diversity within Community
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THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1887
W E D N E S D AY, N O V E M B E R 8 , 2 0 2 3
Larkins Named to the Becky Hammon Award Watch List Junior guard Grace Larkins is the fourth Coyote women’s basketball player to be named to the watchlist. The three previous were Ciara Duffy, Hannah Sjerven and Chloe Lamb. See more on page 6.
Sydney Kolln| The Volante
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023 THE VOLANTE
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Seasonal Parking System in Vermillion Tavin Carncross
Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu
On Oct. 27, the city of Vermillion released a statement about the seasonal parking measures that are now being enforced. The odd-even parking restrictions will be between north and south streets between Clark and Main, which include Harvard, Yale, University, Willow and Pine, and it will also include streets east and west of Dakota and Plum, which include Cedar and National. “This protocol allows for the streets to be plowed from curb-to-curb. Plowing curb-to-curb is crucial, because when snow is allowed to accumulate in the street, the freeze-thaw cycle can be very damaging to the pavement,” the city of Vermillion said in an email. “Drainage problems also occur when the gutter area is clogged by snow and ice. The most important factor is safety. Many streets are bordered by parking spaces. Allowing snow to pile up in these areas can create hazard by
Tavin Carncross | The Volante
forcing parked cars closer and closer to traffic as subsequent storms deposit more snow.” For parking, on days the number ends with an odd number, parking will not be available on the streets Harvard, Yale, University and Pine between midnight and six a.m. The city of Vermillion also wants to inform residents that some months end in 31 days, which implies there won’t be parking on two consecutive days. As for even days, parking won’t be available on the streets of Cedar and National between midnight and six a.m. The city of Vermillion also set another public notice about the weather, which includes the removal of snow and ice, unlawful depositing of grass, leaves and snow, 24-hour parking, keeping fire hydrants clear, the odd-even parking and winter storm safety and parking. For more information about the odd-even parking or snow removal contact the city of Vermillion at Info@cityofvermillion.com.
With the season parking measure, roads Clark, Main, Harvard, Yale, University, Willow and Pine will be blocked off certain days depending on the odd-even number.
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News
KKK History Explored at Local Library Tavin Carncross
Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu
The Vermillion Library held an event on Nov. 1 called the “‘Strengthening Our Democracy by Remembering Our History’: Shining a light on the KU Klux Klan in South Dakota.” The adult service supervisor at the Vermillion Library, Kendra Brewer, said the whole point of this presentation was to inform people about the history of South Dakota. “We got lots of questions just from the title of the presentation, which was on purpose, as it is a bit of a jarring, attention grabbing title,” Brewer said. “I tried to emphasize that this program was about South Dakota history, and that it was an author presentation about the research they had done about this topic.” This presentation was by Arley Fadness about the Ku Klux Klan and how they have impacted South Dakota throughout many different ways. On the South Dakota Humanities Council website, they further explain Fadness’ presentation that was held at the library. “Fadness exposes the Invisible Empire of the KKK in the Rushmore state. The murder of a Catholic priest in Lead, the recruitment of KKK members at the Homestake Gold Mine and the role of Gutzon Borglum as a white supremacist in the Ku Klux Klan are but a few eye-openers in this power point presentation. In contrast to the tenets and practices of the Ku Klux Klan, we celebrate our Democracy – equality, diversity, freedom and voting,” the South Dakota Humanities Council website said. During the event, Fadness also talked about Submitted | South Dakota Humanities Council Arley Fadness was the presenter at the Vermillion Public Library where he talked about the history of the Ku Klux Klan in South Dakota. Fadness talked to people in person and on zoom about the certain topics such as recruitment, Gutzon Borglum and democracy and how democracy should be celebrated.
the influence of the Ku Klux Klan during the time frame of 1892 to 1933, along with his research in the identifying towns, churches, leaders and communities, which unwittingly sang the songs of white supremacy, antisemitism, anti-Catholics and nativism. Following the event, Fadness will be releasing a book in March about the same information also called “Strengthening Our Democracy by Remembering Our History” Towards the end of Fadness’ presentation, he talked about how remembering history can also strengthen democracy today. “Lastly, we remember our history in order to strengthen our treasured democracy,” Fadness said. “Democracy and its ideals cannot be taken for granted. Liberty, equality, self-governance, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, the press and the right to vote. These are our treasures beyond the golden door.” After Fadness’ presentation, he left room for questions for the audience in attendance and also on zoom. “A lot of questions about this program were more surprised that there had ever been a presence of the KKK in South Dakota, and we had several people share their own experiences of remembering when the KKK was a more prominent group in South Dakota,” Brewer said. If interested in Fadness’ presentation visit https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo9FHDk4vFU and for any other information about Fadness and his other writings, visit https://sdhumanities.org/arley-fadness/.
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 3
The Volante November 8, 2023 www.volanteonline.com Al Neuharth Media Center 555 N. Dakota St. University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Adviser Janet Davison
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 6775494. The Volante is distributed Wednesdays during the academic year free of charge locally with the cost of $1 for each additional copy. One year subscription rates are $40, which solely covers the mailing costs. The Volante does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any production service advertised in this paper. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Volante disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The Volante reserves the right to refuse any advertising.
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Club Sets Up Drive for Men’s Mental Health Jozie Kumm
Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu
Jozie Kumm | The Volante The Social Work Club currently has a drive for men’s mental health with drop off locations located around Vermillion.
The Social Work Club set up a health drive for men all over Vermillion. The drive started Nov. 1 and will continue until Nov. 14. Ellie O’Connor, the president of the Social Work Club, said the club saw a need in Vermillion and wanted to meet it. “We try to find things that can impact our community directly and something that’s relevant. That’s why we chose Men’s Health Drive. Men’s Health Awareness Month is in November,” O’Connor said. “We talked to United Way and they said that they could benefit from receiving some men’s health items. We thought that would be a good opportunity to get involved in the community.” All the donations given to the Social Work Club will go straight to United Way. United Way is a citizen run organization in Vermillion who meets the needs of the community. This
Jozie Kumm
Jozie.Kumm@coyotes.usd.edu
USD is hosting a week long event in honor of Veterans Day. Each day of the week holds a new event that community members and students can participate in. The activities will be ongoing from Nov. 6 through Nov. 11. On Monday, Nov. 6, The Vets Club placed small flags around Patriots Plaza, outside of the Al Neuharth Media Center, the Beacom School of Business and in front of the MUC to kick off the week. The flags will be up until the end of the week. On Nov. 7, USD is hosting Anthony Anaya-Gorman, a Navajo actor, photographer and speaker. He will hold a seminar in Farber Hall from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m where he’ll speak about his grandfather, a Navajo Code Talker during World War II. The Vermillion Eagles Club, a nonprofit organization, is hosting Trivia Night on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. This will be held at the Eagles Club in Vermillion. Community Voices: South Dakotans in Military Service will be present on campus on Nov. 9 at the Al Neuharth Media Center. They will perform in tribute to veterans within South Dakota. South Dakota’s Symphony Orchestra and Dakota Wind Quintet will perform from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Thursday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. The American Legion and Post 1 will have a ceremony in honor of Veterans Day at the Vermillion High School. USD’s ROTC will serve as the color guard and the VFW Post 3061 will serve as the Honor Guard. After, the Vermillion’s Eagles Club will hold the annual dinner at their club at 5:30 p.m. There will be no fee to enter but free will donations are welcome. On Nov. 11 the USD football team will play against North Dakota. The football game will be at noon and during half time the Sound of USD will march in appreciation of the veterans. All community members and USD students are welcome to join in the festivities.
Tavin Carncross | The Volante The city of Vermillion and the University of South Dakota will be hosting many events during the week of Veteran’s Day.
is the first time the Social Work Club has partnered with United Way this year. “Here in Vermillion, United Way does a food pantry and they have clothing drives and different things,” O’Connor said. “They adapt to what the community needs. If that is access to affordable food,that’s why they run the food pantry, they just adapt to the community’s needs. They do what they can to assist in that way.” O’Connor said after the drive is finished, they will count up the items and send them to United Way and give them to the Vermillion Community. “We start counting up all the items and seeing what the success rate was of the drive and then bringing those items into United Way and helping them get set up,” O’Connor said. Anyone can donate to the drive. Boxes are located at North Complex, Hy-Vee, Vermilion Public Library, Austin Elementary and the Civic Center. The items they are looking for include items like clothes, brushes, socks, razors and toothbrushes.
Veteran’s Day in Vermillion
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News Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 5 Esports Competes in Mankato LAN Sydney Kolln
Sydney.Kolln@coyotes.usd.edu
USD’s Esports team competed in LAN, an in-person Esports competition, on Oct. 21 in Mankato, Minnesota. The event was hosted by the Minnesota State University of Mankato and Rockstar Energy. “USD Esports sent our Rocket League Junior Varsity team and our Super Smash Bros team to compete,” President of Esports Emma Johnson said. “Both teams did not make it to finals, but they were able to grow as a team while also getting competitive experience at an in-person tournament against other universities and colleges.” The team has other LANs coming up, more specifically the CCL LAN hosted by Dakota State University. Depending on how the teams do in the upcoming weeks, they will have a chance to play in -person in Madison, South Dakota. “In-person competition is something that we strive to reach for our teams as it gives them different opportunities to be involved,” Johnson said. “It also allows them to engage with other students and have the ability to compete at a higher
level.” Esports does not have scheduled meeting times for casual players. They do, however, have monthly meetings where players are required to come. At the meetings, the team announces their upcoming events, as well as team updates and reminders. “We also partner with the Esports Arena on campus where any USD student who’s interested in playing on any of their consoles or on any of their PCs is welcome to come by,” Johnson said. The Esports arena is located in the McKusick Technology Center Room 202, right above the speech and hearing clinic. Anyone interested in joining Esports can stop by the arena. “Everyone is welcome to join and be a part of our events,” Johnson said. “Whether you’re a professional player, a casual player or just someone who is starting out in the world of gaming, we’re the place for you.” For more information about Esports, you can join their Discord which is found on the USD Involved page. Students can also email Esports@usd.edu, or even just stop by the arena.
Editor’s Picks These are The Volante staff picks of events happening this week
Sports
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023 THE VOLANTE
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Grace Larkins Chasing Coyote History Again Trevan Rychlik
Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu
Grace Larkins, a junior guard on the women’s basketball team, is starting the season off with big headlines before she even steps on court. Larkins was selected as a preseason First Team All Summit League as well as being placed on the watchlist for the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award, being only one of two Summit League players placed on the list. Larkins, an All Summit League First Team performer last season, averaged 17.5 points per game along with 8.0 rebounds per game and 4.4 assists per game. Larkins was one of two players in the nation to finish last season averaging at least 17 points per game along with eight rebounds and four assists per game. The other player to average those stats last season were Iowa Hawkeyes senior guard Caitlin Clark. Clark and Larkins, both coming from Iowa, have previously played against and with each other before. “She was in my conference so we played twice a year during high school, and she was on my AAU team so we know each other,” Larkins said. The Coyotes are no strangers to the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award as former Coyote guard Ciara Duffy won the inaugural award in 2020. Former center Hannah Sjerven was a finalist in 2021 and was joined by guard Chloe Lamb. While awards and recognition are meaningful, Larkins said she just cares about the team performance at the end of the day. “It means a lot to be recognized by the coaches and others in the conference, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how we play, and those rankings won’t matter in March,” Larkins said. Larkins thanks her teammates for assisting her in her success and thinks the team is ready for the season. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my teammates helping me along the way,” Larkins said. “I think we are going to come out with a fire, and we are ready to go this season. I am excited for the season to start.” Larkins said she didn’t think she would be where she is today before joining the Coyotes squad. “We are doing new things and playing more of a team game,” said Larkins. “I never thought I would be where I am today when I got here.” In the Coyotes first game of the season against Northern State, Larkins scored 13 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out five assists and had a team high of four steals. Larkins will be in action on Nov. 10 as the Coyotes travel to Omaha to play against the No. 22/23 Creighton Bluejays. Sydney Kolln| The Volante Junior guard Grace Larkins was selected as a preseason First Team All-Summit League member and was placed on the watchlist for the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award. Larkins is one of only two Summit League players on the Hammon watchlist.
The Volante
Sports Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 7 Fall Sports Season is Wrapping Up Tavin Carncross
Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu
The South Dakota football and volleyball teams only have a few games left on their schedule before their respective playoffs or tournaments arrive. South Dakota Football: 7-2 overall and 5-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference record The football team currently sits tied for second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) only behind in-state rival SDSU. The Coyotes are also ranked No. 6 in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Performance Poll. This has been the Coyotes best start to a season since 2017 when they started the year winning five straight games and eventually making the FCS playoffs. On the season, the Coyotes have only lost to two teams, one being the first game of the season to No.16/15 in the FBS the Missouri Tigers where the Coyotes lost 35-10 and the second loss coming form No. 1 in the FCS the South Dakota State Jackrabbits where they won 37-3. However, despite those two loses, the Coyotes have won against three FCS ranked opponents in, at the time, No.2/2 North Dakota State Bison in Fargo 2419, No. 23/20 Youngstown State 34-31 and last week against No. 10/11 Southern Illinois in Carbondale 14-7. In his first full season at quarterback, sophomore Aidan Bouman has completed 132 of his 194 (68.0 completion %) passes for 1603 yards with 10 passing touchdowns compared to only three interceptions. He currently ranks No. 9 in the FCS in completion %. In the backfield for the Coyotes, five different running backs have scored this season with junior running back Travis Theis leading the way with five total touchdowns. He also leads the Coyotes with total rushing yards with 635. Theis is followed behind in touchdowns by redshirt sophomore running back Nate Thomas with four, redshirt freshman Charles Pierre Jr. with three, freshman running back Keyondray Jones with two touchdowns and Bouman with one. For the Coyotes, both junior wide receiver Carter Bell and junior tight end JJ Galbreath have been Bouman’s favorite targets on the season, each having 30 receptions. However, Bell just edges out Galbreath in total yards as he has 520 compared to 403. Both also have four touchdowns. On the defensive side for the Coyotes, senior linebacker Brock Mogensen leads the team in total tackles with 86. He is followed behind by junior defensive back Dennis Shorter with 68, senior linebacker Ste-
phen Hillis with 57 and sophomore defensive back Shahid Barros with 45. Mogensen is tied with five other Coyotes in total interception, each having one. The other five are Shorter, Barros, junior defensive back Josiah Ganues, junior defensive lineman Blake Holden and junior defensive back Myles Harden. Senior defensive lineman Brendan Webb leads the team with 8.5 sacks on the season. That is four more than second on the team. The Coyotes only have two games remaining on the schedule, the first being against No. 10/12 North Dakota on Nov. 11 in Vermillion. The second will be against Western Illinois on Nov. 18. South Dakota Volleyball: 15-9 overall and 9-4 Summit League record The South Dakota volleyball team has taken a new shape this season without former outside hitter Elizabeth Juhnke, libero Lolo Weideman and outside hitter Aimee Adams. In a tight Summit League race this year, the Coyotes are currently sitting tied for third place with North Dakota State and Kansas City. The only two teams above the Coyotes are Omaha and Denver. After a rough start to the 2023 campaign, losing five of their first six matches, the Coyotes have turned it around only losing four of their next 18 games. The Coyotes are led by senior middle blocker Madison Harms and junior outside hitter Kylen Sealock as they both lead the team in total kills. Sealock is just two ahead of Harms with 282 compared to 280. However, Harms leads the team in total blocks with 123 on the season. Graduate middle blocker Brynn Paumen is second on the team with 85. The Coyotes also have a new setter this season as head coach of the Coyotes Leanne Williamson brought in freshman Avery Van Hook from Marion, Iowa. This season, Van Hook has 728 assists for the Coyotes including 68 kills, 23 service aces, 45 total blocks and 209 digs. Two other freshmen are getting playing time for the Coyotes this season are middle blocker Amanda Loschen and outside hitter Samantha Laird. This season Loschen has contributed with 114 kills and 49 total blocks. As for Laird, she has 109 kills with 17 blocks. In digs, sophomore defensive specialist Kamryn Farris leads the team with 328 on the season. Following behind Farris is junior defensive specialist Alaina Wolff with 250, Van Hook with 209, Sealock with 205 and senior outside hitter Mattie Johnson with 137. In the service ace category, Sealock leads the way
with 37 in total which leads the Summit League. She is followed behind by Farris and Wolff with 26, Van Hook with 23 and Johnson with 22. The Coyotes only have three remaining games on the schedule with their first being against Oral Roberts on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The next game for the Coyotes will also be at home this time against North Dakota State on Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. Their final game will be against South Dakota State on Nov. 14 in Brookings. This will end the Coyotes regular season. The Summit League Tournament will be held in Vermillion starting on Sunday, Nov. 19 and will go until Tuesday when the Championship will be.
Mia Vodicka | The Volante Middle blocker Amanda Loschen has tallied 114 kills and 49 total blocks so far this season. She is one of three freshmen getting substantial time on the court.
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Sports
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 8
Forty-Two Years of High School Football Champions Trevan Rychlik
Trevan.Rychlik@coyotes.usd.edu
The 2023 South Dakota High School Championships are back inside the DakotaDome for the 42nd year. The championship games for each class have been held in the DakotaDome since 1981 when South Dakota first introduced playoffs in football to the state. The Championships started off with the All-Nations State B and A games on Nov. 4. In the All Nations B championship, the No. 1 seed Lower Brule Sioux (9-0) defeated No. 2 Tiospa Zina Wambdi (7-1) 42-0 in a shutout. In the All Nations A championship game, No. 1 Todd County (8-0) defeated No. 3 Winnebago Indians (7-2) 28-13. Todd County defeated Winnebago twice this season after that game. The next action in the DakotaDome will be on Nov. 9 with 9B, A and AA. In the 9B championship game, the No. 1 Avon Pirates (9-2) will face off against the No. 2 Faulkton Area Trojans (10-1). Avon’s path to the DakotaDome started with them defeating No. 16 Faith 54-14 in the first round. It was then followed by a quarterfinals victory over No. 8 Hitchcock-Tulare 38-14, and they secured their spot in the championship game with a victory over No. 4 De Smet 46-19 in the semifinals. Faulkton Area started the 9B playoffs with a shutout victory over No. 15 Jones County 50-0 in the first round. Their next matchup was against No. 10 Kadoka Area in the quarterfinals where they pitched another shutout, 48-0. In the semifinals matchup, the Trojans defeated No. 11 Potter County 42-0 for their third straight shutout. Avon defeated the Trojans last year in the first round of the playoffs 74-48 before the Pirates lost in the quarterfinals. Avon is looking for their first title since 2013, and Faulkton Area looking for their first ever title after finishing runner-up in 2014. In the 9A championship game, the No. 1 Warner Monarchs (11-0) faces off against the No. 7 Deubrook Area Dolphins (8-3). In the first round of the playoffs, Warner defeated No. 16 Colman-Egan 57-0 in the first round. They pitched another shutout in the quarterfinals this time against No. 9 Castlewood as they won 560. In the semifinals match, the Monarchs defeated No. 4 Canistota 37-16. The Dolphins defeated No. 10 Estelline-Hendricks 45-6 in the first round. They then went on the road to play No. 2 Alcester-Hudson where the Dolphins
upset the Cubs 14-10 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Dolphins went back on the road this time to play No. 3 Philip where they got another upset, 18-14. The Monarchs, who lost last year in the championship game to Gregory 36-23, hopes to claim the title this year. Both teams were looking for their first state title after Warner has three runner-up finishes. In the 9AA championship game, the No. 1 Parkston Trojans (11-0) will face off against the No. 3 Howard Tigers (10-1). In the first round, Parkston defeated No. 16 Viborg-Hurley 42-0 in the first round, No. 9 Hanson 28-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Hamlin 26-3 in the semifinals. Howard defeated No. 14 Ipswich 60-14 in the first round, No. 6 Elkton-Lake Benton 28-8 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Platte-Geddes 36-0 in the semifinals. Parkston lost in the championship game last year to Wall looking to climb to the top this year for their first title. Howard is searching for their first title since 2008. Following class 9 football, 11 man football will begin on Nov. 10 with the 11B, A and AA championship games. In the 11B championship game, the No. 4 Elk Point-Jefferson Huskies (10-1) will face off against the No. 6 Hot Springs Bison (10-1). In the first round, Elk Point-Jefferson defeated No. 13 Groton Area 48-13 in the first round. They then hosted No. 5 Tri-Valley where they won 14-7 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals match, the Huskies went on the road to play against the top seed in Winner where they defeated them 21-16. Hot Springs only went on the road for one game this postseason. Their first matchup was at home against No. 11 Bridgewater-Emery-Ethan where they won 55-7. They then traveled on the road to play against No. 3 Sioux Valley in the quarterfinals. There, they upset the Cossacks 49-13. In the semifinals, Hot Springs traveled back home to face off against No. 10 Rapid City Christian (who defeated No. 2 Deuel 13-8), where they punched their ticket into the DakotaDome with a 28-10 victory. Elk Point-Jefferson is trying to claim back-toback titles after winning it all last year. On the other side, Hot Springs is trying to get payback against the Huskies after losing in the semifinals to them last year. This is their first time reaching the title game. In the 11A championship game, the No. 1 Dell
Rapids Quarriers (11-0) faced off against the No. 2 West Central Trojans (10-1). Dell Rapids’ path to the championship had them only play two games. Their first match was a shutout against No. 8 Madison 52-0 in the quarterfinals. They then faced No. 4 Sioux Falls Christian in the semifinals where they won 22-14. West Central defeated No. 7 Chamberlain 45-13 in the quarterfinals and No. 6 Lennox 57-22 in the semifinals. This is a rematch of last season’s championship where Dell Rapids defeated West Central 24-7. West Central is looking for their 11 title and the first one since 2013. In the 11AA championship game, the No. 1 Pierre T.F. Riggs Governors (10-1) will face off against the No. 2 Yankton Bucks (10-1). Pierre T.F. Riggs only had two games leading up to the DakotaDome as they defeated No. 8 Spearfish 49-26 in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Watertown 35-14 in the semifinals. Yankton defeated No. 7 Huron 17-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Tea Area 33-25 in the semifinals. Yankton’s only loss of the season came to Pierre in a 27-14 home loss to the Governors. The Governors are hoping to win their seventh straight title and the Bucks are hoping to win their first title since 2015. The last game of the championships takes place on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. with the 11AAA championship game between the No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots (11-0) and the No. 3 Sioux Falls O’Gorman Knights (9-2). In the first round of the playoffs, Sioux Falls Lincoln defeated No. 8 Rapid City Stevens 56-21. They then hosted No. 4 Brandon Valley, where they secured a 28-21 victory. Sioux Falls O’Gorman defeated No. 6 Sioux Falls Roosevelt 46-27 in the quarterfinals. They then went on the road to play No. 2 Harrisburg in the semifinals where they upset the Tigers 49-34. O’Gorman’s losses on the season came against Harrisburg and Sioux Falls Lincoln. The Knights are now looking for revenge against the Patriots in the championship game. Both teams missed out on the championship game last season as they both lost in the semifinals matchup. Lincoln won the first two titles in 11AAA in 2013 and 2014 and haven’t made it back to the championship game. O’Gorman is looking for their second title and their first since 2019.
Opinion
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023
THE VOLANTE
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Editorial: Be an Informed Voter at the Polls Yesterday marked election day for some parts of the country. Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi held statewide elections for governor, executive offices and the state legislature. Most other states held local municipal elections for races such, as school board and city council. While we didn’t have any elections in Vermillion yesterday, the country is one year away from the 2024 general election. Not only will the country vote on the next president, but the country will vote for control of Congress, state legislatures and voter initiatives. Elections in democracies function best when there is an informed electorate that goes out to vote. One criticism of the United States’ elections is that voter turnout is low. The 2020 election had a turnout of 66%, although the average for past elections is around 60%. Having high-voter turnout can be good, too, but only when the voters are
“
Our local elections impact us a lot, even if they garner far less attention than national races.
informed and able to choose between different candidates. High turnout for the sake of high turnout doesn’t fix the fundamental problem of people not caring about issues. North Korea holds elections every five years with high turnout, due to the country’s policy of mandatory voting. However, there is only one party on the ballot, and the Korean Workers’ Party wins all 587 seats in the North Korean parliament. Australia has multiple parties, but it enforces compulsory voting for all adults with the threat of fines. A $180 penalty may be enough to get someone to a polling location, but that doesn’t force
The Volante Tavin Carncross, editor-in-chief Jordan Grothe, managing editor Trevan Rychlik, sports editor
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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:
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someone to care about the issues. You may be thinking, “That’s great, but who actually cares about any of this?” It turns out, you do! You already care about most issues because they impact your life, whether you’re aware or not. For example, signatures are being gathered in the state for three voter initiatives that you might see on your ballot next November. They relate to abortion, grocery taxes and who may vote in a primary election. Perhaps you don’t care about primary elections, but most of us have opinions on abortion and all of us care about the cost of groceries at WalMart or Hy-Vee. Our local elections impact us a lot,
even if they garner far less attention than national races. Voters can decide how much money goes toward schools or EMS services through property taxes. This seems meaningless to university students until you realize that an increase in property taxes has an impact on the cost of rent. Some people choose not to vote because they believe voting doesn’t matter and won’t change anything. Unfortunately, that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re only guaranteed to lose when you don’t show up, even if the odds are against you. Hopefully, you’ll start to pay attention to issues as candidates and interest groups bombard the public with ads and smear campaigns. While this country is divided and polarized, almost everyone can agree that changes should be made in some capacity and that our country is worth caring about.
The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication. Letters must be typed and fewer than 300 words.
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Opinion
The Volante
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 10
Why Using the Writing Center is Important
Elisabeth Kluin is a senior majoring in history and English.
Writing serves as the foundation of communication and language. Writing fuels critical thinking, creative stories and clear conversations. It’s through writing one can better understand their critical and creative capacity. Luckily, at USD, services to aid students in their critical and creative capacity exist on campus. Students can attend the Writing Center in an effort to gain a better understanding about citation formats of MLA/APA/Chicago and can even attend workshops exploring ways a student can go about effectively researching a
topic for an upcoming essay. The Writing Center includes a diverse group of consultants. The faculty consists of undergraduate, graduate and professional staff. Additionally, the faculty cover a wide range of different disciplines from history to medical sciences, to English, to political science. All of these consultants are available and eager to help aspiring writers. As students look towards completing their essays, writing consultants are able to provide feedback on any form of written work. Whether a student has completed an essay, just started,
or has yet to think of an idea, consultants help students brainstorm and review any written material. Through conversational based language, consultants and students work together to edit written works and explore possible avenues an argument may take. Moreover, as finals approach for students, the Writing Center offers a Write-In where students can work with consultants, write on their own and immediately receive feedback, or simply enjoy some goodies as they work on their final assignments for the year. These services are available
to students every semester. Studies have shown students who attend the Writing Center walk away equipped with better strategies as to how to formulate and defend an argument or guide readers through a creative piece. Consultants will work with students on all aspects of writing whether that be creative, critical, or an application for a future job; the Writing Center seeks to engage and educate students in all aspects of writing. As such, I highly recommend students to attend and explore the educational opportunities provided by the Writing Center!
Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent
Charles Streeter is a senior majoring in political science and psychology.
Last Sunday, we all enjoyed an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour of staying up (depending on how you look at it) thanks to Daylight Savings Time (DST) ending. However, do we need to change our clocks twice a year in 2023? I don’t think so. The first person to propose the concept we change time depending on the time year was Benjamin Franklin, although the concept was formally introduced by a New Zealander scientist named George Hudson in 1895. The first nation to adopt DST was Germany in 1916 during World War I. Their reasoning: to save fuel. The United States introduced DST in 1918 for similar reasons after their entrance into World War I. After the war ended, DST varied by region un-
til Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Today, every state except Arizona and Hawaii follow DST. Proponents of DST argue that changing the clocks actually saves energy. However, the evidentiary data is not clear. A meta-analysis of electricity consumption found a 0.3% reduction in electricity use per day that DST was in effect. The primary explanation for energy saving DST was so that we have more daylight in the evening hours and thus use less electricity during the evening. However, most households use LED lights instead of incandescent lights that use a fraction of the energy. While we enjoy the extra hour to sleep in every fall, the worst
part of DST comes in March when we lose an hour of sleep. Not only is it unpleasant, but a 2014 study recorded a 24% increase in heart attacks reported in Michigan hospitals the Monday after DST began from 2010 to 2013. The call to end DST, or rather, to make DST permanent is not new. In 1974, Congress passed a bill allowing for DST to remain through the winter as a trial-run of year round DST. Most of the public opposed year round by springtime. Since 1974, most countries have stopped using DST. Last year, nearly all of Mexico stopped switching clocks. Some of the largest countries: Brazil, India, Russia and China all ceased DST. Only the US, Can-
ada, Western Europe and a few scattered countries continue to adhere to DST. Even if the sun would rise an hour later during the winter, which for Vermillion would be 8:55 a.m. on Dec. 21, we still have the same amount of daylight regardless of what time zone we’re in. If I wanted a time change, I would go on vacation. Maybe I would visit Hawaii and not worry about the time changing twice a year on a random Sunday. Considering the trials and hardships humanity has faced over the last thousand years or so, I think we are resilient enough to keep the same time zone during winter as during summer.
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Unity Week Highlights Different Cultures Tavin Carncross
Tavin.Carncross@coyotes.usd.edu
Throughout the week of Nov. 1 through the 4, the College of Fine Arts hosted the inaugural Unity Week that ended with the Unity Ball. The week consisted of four different events held in the MUC to celebrate different cultures at USD. The president of the Union of African American Students (UAAS) Bennett Clary said they had a great turnout for all the events throughout the whole of Unity Week. “Unity Week was fantastic! We had a great turnout for the Unity Ball at the end of the week,” Clary said. “I was so proud of my team and all the volunteers because it looked amazing.” Clary said she knows her and the team around her will continue to be better throughout the year. “This being our inaugural Unity Week and Unity Ball, we can only get better from here,” Clary said. The Multicultural Affairs Coordinator Marcus Destin was also very happy with the turnout and was just happy with the whole week. “Unity Week was amazing for our inaugural week of celebration,” Destin said. “We were excited to provide so many different pockets of experiences to a diverse group of students from across campus and we hope it only gets better from here.” At the Unity Ball, people in attendance Tavin Carncross | The Volante
were able to enjoy finger food that was provided along with live music from a musician and composer based out of Los Angeles in Daniel French. There was also a special performance from Destin. Other events throughout the week included the first event on Nov. 1 called the Shades of Excellence: A Conversation with Rasheena Nash and Tazbah Chavez. Nash and Chavez are both leaders in the entertainment industry who have worked with companies such as Hulu, Netflix and Disney. On Nov. 2, French hosted an event called Until Lions Write Scripts Workshop: Unleash the Power of Your Story. Clary said this event held by French is to help attendees find their poetry throughout their own journey. “An interactive workshop to help attendees reclaim their narrative and find poetry in their journey. This is also an opportunity for team building for all organizations,” Clary said. The final non-Unity Ball event was on Nov. 3, where there was a First Friday Native American Heritage Month Kickoff event as November is Native American Heritage Month. For more information about UAAS, there are meetings every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the MUC pit. For more information about their events visit their USD involved page or email them at uaas@coyotes.usd.edu.
(Top): Marcus Destin, the Multicultural Affairs Coordinator, made a musical guest appearance, sharing some of his own songs with the crowd. Destin was one of the many USD staff members who helped the students organize the annual Unity Ball event. Destin was also awarded the Dr. Kim Grieve Legacy Award. Sydney Johnson | The Volante (Bottom): Bennett Clary, the president of the Union of African American Students, and Ntombi Ngeleka, the social chair for UAAS, handed out the Unity awards to students and faculty from USD who embodied the attributes outlined by UAAS including tenacity, youthfulness and more.
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Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 12
Jazz Ensemble Explores Swing and Latin Styles Sien Hermans
Sien.Hermans@coyotes.usd.edu
The USD Jazz ensembles held a concert Wednesday, Nov. 1 in the Colton Recital Hall. The ensembles played different styles of jazz, ranging from the swing era of the 40’s to Latin jazz. The ensemble consists of two bands with saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section. The latter is composed of the piano, guitar, bass and drums. There are two ensembles, and each ensemble has their own director. The repertoire of the ensembles contains different styles of jazz. Christopher Kocher the director of the jazz ensemble one said the music will be a bit of a mix of everything.
“We play pieces from the swing era, which was in the 40s,” Kocher said. “But we also play Latin jazz and contemporary. It will be a mix of everything.” Even though Kocher said everything will be a mixture of everything, there are some difficult pieces to perform, one of them being a song by Radiohead. “The most difficult piece might be “Idioteque” by Radiohead. The arrangements are made by Patty Darling. It’s more different than the other music we will be playing, and the difficulty is in its rhythm. It’s challenging,” Kocher said. One of the musical pieces that Kocher looks most forward to during the concert was “That Shy Girl” by Roger Neumann.
“It reminds me very much of a dear friend who passed away a while ago. The music sounds like him, so whenever I hear it, I’m reminded of him,” Kocher said. Other songs the ensemble will play are “A Blues Grows in Brooklyn” by Jeff Beal, “A Cool Breeze” by Sammy Nestico and “Samba Kinda Mambo” by Michael Philip Mossman. The next time the Jazz ensemble will take the stage is on Dec. 3 for their USD Holiday Concert. They are then accompanied by the choir. In February, they travel to New Orleans with the marching band.
International Club Brings Taste of Brazil Nathan DeGreef
Nathan.DeGreef@coyotes.usd.edu
USD kicked off Brazil night on Nov. 1 in the MUC pit. The event consisted of traditional Brazilian foods, an informative powerpoint and a murder mystery. The USD International Club hosts monthly events called around the world, where each month the club teaches students about a country’s culture and brings in traditional food. This month’s event was in celebration of Brazil and was organized by Manoela Mattos, director of marketing for the International club. Mattos said the main goal for the events is to teach people about the different cultures around the world. “We try to teach different people about different cultures and different backgrounds, and then we bring in a little food to try and make it a little more fun,” Mattos said. Many students came out to attend the event. While there is no exact count, Mattos said at least 50 people, if not more, were in attendance. “It was a pretty nice event, I’m happy,” Mattos said. “It had a good turnout.” With the high growth in international students at USD, it’s impactful to learn about different cultures and their influences. Graduate student at USD Julia Lobo Paes said just getting to talk about different cultures that are represented at USD feels good. “We have such a big group of international students, and I think it’s interesting to have an opportunity to get to know a little bit of the culture for everyone,” graduate student Julia Lobo Paes said. “Just talking about our culture feels good.”
Lobo Paes is originally from Brazil and found it interesting to try brazilian snacks and share with other students. “My favorite food was probably Pão de queijo,” Lobo Paes said. “It’s bread made out of cheese and it’s really good.” USD students get opportunities to try new things and experience specialties that may not be available to them regularly. “Students should use this opportunity to know more
about other countries without leaving Vermillion,” Lobo Paes said. “We Understand that not everyone can afford traveling, but what the international club does here at USD is an opportunity for everyone to get to know a little bit more culture in other countries.” For more information on the international club and their events visit the USD involved page or email them at ic@coyotes.usd.edu.
Nathan DeGreef | The Volante
The Nepalese Student Association celebrated the Dashain Festival through Nepalese Night on Oct. 22.