An apology was made, and more details were clarified this week at the latest Students’ Association meeting by Derek Peterson, assistant vice president of Business Services and head of parking services,
When confronted about not publicly announcing the updated parking rules, Peterson said, “I just want you guys to know that I wholeheartedly apologize for that. We’ll correct that.” They plan to send out an email to the student body to help make more people aware of the changes.
The main policy that was implemented saw a lot of initial controversy, which was the addition of repeat offender policy for four types of violations. This meant
that for certain infractions you could get a ticket up to $200 and be forced to park in lot 170 for the rest of the year. Any future infractions will cause your car to be towed. This scale does restart annually, so you are able to start fresh each fall.
Bob Matthews, chairman of the parking and traffic committee, said “The drastic fine at $200 was meant to get people’s attention.” However, they did talk about how they were considering changing the increments for the first few infractions from going up by $25 to going up by only $15, but that is not official.
The changes were made to the policies that they saw the greatest number of violations for, and that “99 % of our campus community isn’t going to be impacted by this,” Peterson said. Matthews then said later, “you have 60 people making up 10 % of the violations.”
Funding was also discussed at the meeting. The money that parking services make from passes and tickets stays within the parking services department. That means that money from parking tickets and parking passes goes to fund things like snow removal, general maintenance, and even their recently purchased second enforcement vehicle.
After parking services wrapped up, standard SA operation resumed. One of the first things that they discussed was the scoreboard in the Dana J. Dykehouse Stadium. The current scoreboard is a temporary solution, and they hope to get a new one by Fall 2025.
They are still working on getting scooters on campus. There was a formatting issue and according to Vice President Hayden Bentz, “that set us back monumentally, but we’re still working on
getting that process completed. It should be done in the next couple of weeks.”
The Gender and Sexualities Alliance discussed how their karaoke night was a major success. They also finalized their drag show performers.
The University Program Council talked about their upcoming taste of Brookings giveaway. More information on that can be found on their Instagram @sdsupc.
The night then finished with the senators passing two commemorations. One was to dedicate Hispanic heritage month on SDSU to be from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. The other one was to commemorate Jay Molock for his “exemplary service to the students at South Dakota State University” according to the document. Both were passed unanimously.
Representatives from SDSU Parking Services attended the weekly Students’ Association meeting Monday to discuss recent changes to the parking manual and to answer questions from students.
Derek Peterson, assistant vice-president of business services, began with an overview of the changed guidelines. During the Sept. 11 meeting of the Students’ Association, Sen. Grant Sternhagen, who is a member of the Parking and Traffic Committee, outlined the amendment to the parking regulations that would add a “repeat offender policy.”
Sen. Sternhagen claimed that when asked, the head of Parking and Traffic said they had no plans to tell the student body about the change because it was in the parking manual that everyone is required to read.
Peterson indicated that the decision to implement the regulations and not notify the students fell on him.
“Something I really, and again, it’s on me, didn’t think through is all these students that are probably the violators are not buying the permits, so they’re not reading the parking regulations.”
He says that the plan is to notify students via email as well as the weekly “Rabbit Report” sent out by the Students’ Association every Monday.
Peterson said that 89 citations have accumulated these additional costs have been given out since the semester began, and the students that have paid the additional sum have been refunded the excess amount into their student accounts.
The committee has drafted a communication that they hope to share with the student body, according to Peterson. They also plan to look at a few changes regarding the harshness of the fines afte feedback from SDSU President Barry
Dunn.
“His only comment was he thought maybe the third occurrence could be a little gentler. So, I think we’re going to look as a committee, maybe escalating $30, $45, $60. So maybe a $50 increment.”
Peterson then opened up for comments, questions, or suggestions from those in attendance.
Are there plans to add any additional parking lots?
Peterson said there is a master plan that is currently being conducted by facilities and services and that parking is an aspect that is being looked at.
“So, the problem isn’t parking supply. It’s where students and staff want the parking.” he said, “And to be honest, if you really look at our campus and where it lays in the community, there’s not a lot of area that we have access to close prox-
imity where students are looking to build additional lots.”
Is there a plan to build a parking ramp on campus?
Peterson said his office looked at the price of a parking ramp a few years ago and the cost would be more than $50 million. Parking services is self-funded, so he says that funding would need to come from inside the office.
“In order for us to fund a $50 million project, our permits would be somewhere between $1,500 to $2,000 a year. And I don’t think anybody’s looking to pay $1,500 to $2,000 a year for that facility.”
How will the students be notified?
“Campus email, as well as trying to place it in; we have a Monday morning message and I think you guys have a school message as well trying to post it
within those applications.”
Where does the money that students pay for passes and citations go?
Peterson said that the money that is taken from fees goes directly back into the office. Because parking services is a system auxiliary, the dollars that are generated have to stay within the organization.
Since cold and flu season started at the end of August, South Dakota State University students should be aware of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86. This new variant’s symptoms are different from the original COVID-19 symptoms.
Symptoms used to consist of difficulty breathing and lung issues while now, symptoms are a sore throat and allergy sinus issues.
Bunny Christie, Brookings Health System infection preventionist said that people should test to differentiate between COVID-19 and common cold symptoms. When asked if Brookings Health System is concerned about a rise in reported COVID-19 cases during HOBO Days, Christie said it is a big concern.
“If individuals feel sick, think about others before going out,” Christie said. “Take your health seriously and we need to take care of each other.”
Brookings County has reported 60 positive COVID-19 cases in the last month. Yet, SDSU plans to not change their protocols at all.
SDSU does not test for BA.2.86 on campus like it did during the early parts of the pandemic.
Jayme Trygstad, SDSU emergency management specialist said students should test with provided home tests and seek medical treatment when needed.
According to Trygstad, SDSU was sent 15,000 home test kits from the state of South Dakota in February 2022. These tests can be found at the front desk in resident halls and Jackrabbit Pharmacy.
This is the only support SDSU is providing to students. Masks, testing for COVID-19, quarantine housing, and vaccination clinics
for BA.2.86 and influenza will not be provided on campus this school year like they were earlier in pandemic.
If people experience COVID-19 symptoms, they should use good hand hygiene, cover coughs, use disposal tissues with runny or stuffy noses, wear a mask when needed, and get vaccinated against any sickness, Christie said.
She also said the most important message to SDSU students, faculty, and the Brookings community is to take care of one another. Encourage others to put their health as the number one priority, notice how others feel when in large groups, seek medical advice when needed, and take medication to ease symptoms.
“Get vaccinated, take care of yourself, and do the right thing,” Christie said. “We need to take care of each other.”
Planning for the phase 3 extension of the Miller Wellness Center has started and it is expected to be completed by 2027, almost 10 years after phase 2.
Located on the north side of campus, the wellness center has been open to students, faculty and the Brookings community since 2008. It is comprised of the fitness section, the student health clinic and counseling, and the Jackrabbit pharmacy.
“The student health counseling and the Jackrabbit pharmacy was one of the first in the country to have that comprehensive wellness concept, which we’re really proud of,” Shari Landmark, director of Recreation and Fitness said. “We had no clue how popular it would be.”
10 years later, phase two extension took place, adding a new entrance, the multi-activity court, the fourth basketball court, the racquetball courts, and the outdoor program space.
“...In 2018, we added on our phase 2 and since then it’s just been so busy in here, which is great and a good problem to have,” Landmark said.
The wellness center’s phase 3 extension looks forward to possibly adding a new pool, bringing E-sports to this facility and some extra fitness space.
“Now we use the pool in the athletic facility and share that, but it’s an ageing pool,” Landmark said. “We have our e-sports arena right now in the bottom of enrollment services center and it’s a really awesome space, but it’s way on the other side of the campus and so we’re hoping to bring it to our building.”
The current plan of the wellness center’s extension would primarily begin with focus groups that come together to discuss ideas for the expansion.
“Talking to students and asking them about what they use now and what they would like more of would help with
ideas,” Landmark said. “And that may even include our student health counselling space, like we’re short with counsellors and so it would be something to maybe renovate that space to add more counsellors.”
Landmark said it would develop a preliminary facility statement to talk about additional services that need to be built. Following this, a facility program plan would help present these ideas to an architect, leading to a facility design plan that would provide a budget and a layout plan. Following with plans of a building project, the university would then work with the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) to move forward.
Although the wellness center’s phase 3 planning is at an early stage, Landmark further elaborated on the operating expenses that would follow post expansion of the facility. Costs such as running the pool, having the lights on, the chemicals for the pool, staffing and timings of operation would be taken into consideration.
“After all these steps, we would then be able to find out, of course, fund raise and see where that money is going to come from to make that happen,” Landmark said. “It’s a long process, and it probably would be three to four years, I would say probably 2027.”
As for funds, Landmark discussed donors and fundraising, which could take time throughout the entire process of the expansion.
“USD in Vermillion is building a pool right now, and it started I guess at $22 million,” Landmark said. “But because of construction costs, it went up to $30 million and that is a lot.”
According to ‘The Volante’, college newspaper for University of South Dakota (USD), the pool expansion started at $25 million in 2022 and is now a project of $31.25 million with an estimated 45,800 gross square feet.
“We’re looking at a minimum of $30
million and as we wait for a few extra years, the costs are only going to go up,” Landmark said.
Possibilities of the wellness center’s extension could take place on either the west side or the north side towards the stadium. Accessibility for campus and the Brookings community to use the facility would solely depend on the expansion side.
“With a pool or the aquatic center, we would probably want a second entrance,” Landmark said. “So, for example, if athletics is having a meet, they could have a separate entrance or if you just want to use the pool, rather than walking the entire facility, you can go into the pool entrance.”
Landmark believes that input from students, faculty and staff, and the Brookings community on the wellness center’s expansion would help combine ideas of bringing in new additions to the facility.
“Talking to students, one who use the facility, but I also want to talk to students who don’t use our facility and say why aren’t you using it, because we want you to come use our facility,” Landmark said. “It’s a part of your GAF [General Activity Fee] and students are paying for it, so we want you to come use it and that goes for both the recreation and fitness, and the health
and counselling center.”
Students’ Association President Trinity Peterson explained about how she never recalled a moment where the wellness center has not been packed, which she indicates is a good sign. Peterson believes that when the expansion takes place, it would be attractive to new and current students.
“I think the professional staff at the wellness center as well as the administration at the university are very aware that it is needed and it’s definitely a priority, so it’s great that everyone is on board,” Peterson said. “It does get pretty busy in there, even at 5:30 in the morning so even if I don’t see it in my time here, it will benefit students for years to come.”
Sidhanth Pillai, a graduate student majoring in engineering, uses the wellness center for sport activities and believes that availability of courts during school year becomes difficult to accommodate for other games. Pillai believes that the addition of courts in the wellness center would be beneficial.
Landmark stated that an update on the expansion of the wellness center could be expected somewhere around Thanksgiving this year.
The CAFES Career Fair is now two days long to open more opportunities to CAFES students, assistant director of Employer Engagement Becky Pistulka said.
The career fair will be held at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Club 71 Oct. 3-4 from noon to 4 p.m. There are 109 companies registered for day one and 72 for day two. The number steadily increases until registration closes the week before the event.
This year is the first year the event has been hosted for two days. Due to the number of interested vendors and attempts to accommodate students’ schedules, the event has been moved to two separate days, Pistulka said.
The school faces a few challenges while hosting this event. The goal is to get the best recruiters for students. Pistulka said finding a date that does not conflict with other competing school’s career fairs is challenging.
“The fair has consistently been the first Wednesday in October,” Pistulka said. “This year, we also wanted it on Tuesday because the dairy students leave for the World Dairy Expo that week.”
Students are encouraged to go to the fair on both days to network. Pistulka wants them to attend the days that are specific to their major, but each day offers different opportunities.
Free professional portraits will be offered at the event for students.
Students should attend the event because of the opportunity to network with industry professionals and find internships and potential jobs, Pistulka said. Those people could be students, future co-workers, bosses and competition. With the ongoing trend of young people changing jobs more frequently, Pistulka believes this is CAFES students’ chance to network across various agriculture-related companies.
“A lot of freshmen tell me they won’t go, and no one will give me a job,” Pistulka said. “I tell them they are considered a sophomore next summer, and that’s prime time for an internship!’
Pistulka encourages students to use Handshake. You can register for the event and see all employers attending the fair while using filters for students’ specific majors, locations, and types of jobs they are looking for. Pistulka suggests generating a top 10 list of who students are most interested in visiting before getting to the fair.
Pistulka encourages students to practice a brief introduction and take notes on what intrigues them most about a company of interest and use it as their opening pitch.
Once at the fair, students will use their phones to scan a QR code and are given a name tag with a colored dot. Pistulka suggests bringing a binder with at least 20 resumes to hand out to vendors. Students should have a plan for who they want to visit with. Using their top 10 list, Pistulka recommends that students start with 10 and work up to their first choice.
Pistulka said: “Warm up throughout
the fair so that by the time you get to one, you are comfortable and energetic.”
Pistulka says it draws vendors to attend when prompted about the job shortage. At least 25 new vendors registered for day one and at least 15 for day two have not yet attended this career fair.
“Businesses want engaged students who have done their research on companies. They want students who have intelligent questions and are confident in their abilities,” Pistulka said.
Shane Swedlund of Raven Industries confirms businesses like his are looking to hire great team members who are supportive and willing to contribute. He wants motivated employees who are willing to take ownership of the project to progress things forward to completion. Raven Industries offers a wonderful internship program and overall experience, Swedlund said. The internships have real project work embedded within the development of teams to experience the full design and development process.
“Every intern is assigned a mentor,” Swedlund said. “Our Mentors are awesome!”
Swedlund advises students to prepare
for the career fair. He says to ensure student’s resumes are current and without errors. Students should do their research on key companies that spark their interest. Swedlund wants students to be ready to discuss their interests, accomplishments, project work and skills.
Swedlund believes it is highly valuable to network with many companies.
“Even if things don’t work out initially, those connections are valuable for future opportunities, Swedlund said. “Internships are valuable because they are a great way to experience a company’s culture to find out if they are the kind of company you would like to work with for a career.”
Megan Stiefvater, an Agriculture Science and Leadership major at the CAFES College, plans to attend the upcoming career fair. Stiefvater is preparing for the fair by attending the resume blitz which she also attended last year and received help making her resume more presentable.
Stiefvater said: “I am going to the career fair to be able to explore all of the different opportunities within the industry, such as internships and potential future jobs.”
By attending the career fair, Stiefvater hopes to find an internship for the summer. She is excited to talk to industry professionals to learn about their roles in the industry and its possibilities.
Becky Pistulka wants students to know they have opportunities outside of the career fair. The Jackrabbit Suit-Up Online Event runs from August 19th to October 29th. SDSU students can order online at JCPenney for 30% off men’s and women’s career dress apparel.
Pistulka strives for the event to have a professional dress code without jogging pants or jeans. She said it is important to present themselves in their best light.
Pistulka concludes: “Why would they hire you if you’re not showing your best self?”
The Mariachi Con Amigos, performed on Sept. 12 to kick off the celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month, lasting from Sept. 15 to Oct.15.
Numerous events that mark Hispanic Heritage Month on the SDSU campus exist. One of these events is a leadership and mentorship workshop Sept. 27 in the Pheasant-Crest Room from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will also feature a onehour-long keynote by Florencio Urias Aranda III from Tarlton State University.
In addition to that event, a lunch will be served Oct.6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. All SDSU students, as well as staff members, are encouraged to help themselves to a
plate of Hispanic-style food and talk with the others in attendance.
Originally, Hispanic Heritage Month began as a week-long celebratory event in 1968. Twenty years later, the observance became, as we know it today, a month-long celebration.
Oscar Garcia, vice president of the Latin American Student Association said Hispanic Heritage Month is associated with a unique celebration of Hispanic culture, not only among strictly Hispanic people, but people of all ethnicities.
Garcia also said that being a Hispanic living in South Dakota can serve as a way to become very close-knit with other Hispanic people who share similar values. Garcia thinks that this monthlong celebration is a way to showcase a specifically rich culture among all different kinds of people.
Barbara Gonzalez, a member of the Latin American Student Association, said that being a Hispanic living in a predominantly conservative state can at times be frightening. Moments of disagreement
between her and other ethnicities can occur. She added that how having this celebration can help inform people about certain differences between her culture and non-Hispanic people’s culture.
Oepke Niemeyer, the mayor of Brookings said that Hispanic Heritage Month is an necessity in Brookings due to the fact that it “serves as a good reminder about the important contributions of our Hispanic residents.” Niemeyer also said that “as members of our community’s workforce, they contribute to our economic well-being and growth. By sharing their culture and traditions, they add vibrancy to our city.” Oepke said it is important that community members listen and learn from one another’s unique differences.
Frost Arena is opening Thursday after another summer of renovation, and the Jackrabbit volleyball team couldn’t be more excited.
SDSU will host Denver in a Summit League game at 7 p.m. This will be the first time the volleyball team has played in Frost since last fall. They started their season with 14 straight games on the road, everywhere from Wyoming to Iowa to Mississippi and Idaho, “which was a grind,” coach Dan Georgalas said. “Having a good home crowd is something the team has missed.”
The Frost experience will look different this year because the only available seating to start the season will be on the north side of the arena. The capacity also won’t be at its max, according to Jeff Holm, the senior associate athletic director of facilities and operations. There will only be room for about 1,300 to 1,500 people, so fans should look to get to games early to ensure a good spot.
“We’re excited to get back in there,” Georgalas said. “I think there’s gonna be excitement and a buzz from the fans that day and it’s definitely gonna be something that we can feed off of.”
Concessions and restrooms on the north side will also be open for use, as well as an additional women’s restroom.
“There’s so much interest and so much support out there, people are going to be excited because they’ll kind of see what it’s going to be like without seeing the end product,” Holm said.
This summer’s construction started soon after basketball season ended last March. Since then, crews have added permanent seating in place of the bleachers on the second level. With this update, fans will be able to walk around the arena underneath the seating where there will be more concessions and restrooms. The east, south and west sides will continue construction throughout the year, and the third level suites will not be ready until next fall.
More seating should open as construction continues, with a capacity of about 4,000 for basketball, according to Holm. The second level will be done with chair backs for basketball season. The first level floor and bleachers
will be the same as last year and will be redone after basketball season finishes in March.
“I think just the interest in seeing where Frost is in the renovation process will drive some people to come in and check it out,” Justin Sell, the director of athletics said. “It’s going to be a fantastic building.”
This year students should expect a new way to enter games because the usual student entrance on the southwest corner has been a gaping hole for most of the summer. The hole, however, will be enclosed by Sept. 28th to help keep out dust and help keep the floor ready for play.
Once the $53.1 million dollar renovations are done, the renamed First Bank and Trust Arena will hold 5,500 people, compared to Frost Arena’s 6,500. The new arena will boost the student athlete experience with updated locker rooms, team rooms and sports medicine facilities. It will also make space for other athletic programs that didn’t have space before, said Sell.
“Although there’s always adjustments to certain portions of the construction process, the overall timeline is still on track,” Holm said. “Final completion and grand opening is set for the fall of 2024.”
There will be more amenities in the new arena, including a special area to highlight the history of The Barn, which hosted sporting events until 1973, and Frost Arena, which has been a staple to SDSU sports for the past 50 years.
With women’s sports continuing to grow nationally and at SDSU, Georgalas is optimistic attendance will only grow from this year forward.
“When we get back to Brookings and have the opportunity to unveil the progress on First Bank and Trust Arena, I’m hoping for a great crowd,” Georgalas said. “I’m sure our fans are eager to see the improvements to Frost Arena and after 14 matches to start our season, our student-athletes deserve a warm welcome home.”
“Although there’s always adjustments to certain portions of the construction process, the overall timeline is still on track. Final completion and grand opening is set for the fall of 2024.” - Jeff Holm, senior associate athletic director of facilities and operations.
JORDAN ROEMELING Reporter
Art enthusiasts last week were treated to the first-ever opera in Woodbine Productions history, and as an added bonus, 30 South Dakota State University students got to participate.
The Teatro Liricio D’Europa, the troupe, based in Bulgaria, and the students performed “La Boheme” by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini last Friday. This gave the production students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to perform with professionals.
Woodbine Productions has put on various events at SDSU for the past 18 years thanks to an anonymous donor who pays the costs of performances. That donor also gives scholarships to support students who are music and theater majors. The students who participated in the opera went to practice before a master class began on Friday, and a group of students performing in the choir shared their experience in practicing for the event.
“It was really crazy,” Jamee Kattner said, a junior music education major and one of the SDSU students selected to perform in the opera. “I think we were really well prepared.”
To prepare for the event, the choir students learned and practiced their lines in Italian for three weeks.
Before the event, students attended a master class taught by the opera singers themselves. In the Performing Arts Center, the performers gave testimonials of their journey in their careers. At the end of the hour, they gave advice to the students and answered questions.
“It’s important to remain who you are,” Hanna Brammer said, the lead soprano singer in ‘Boheme,’ “even as you’re trying to create this art and share these things with people because that’s what matters most.”
Brammer also gave her tips and tricks to stay hydrated and keep overall physical
Oct. 16: Bringing Broadway to Brookings
Nov 17 & 18: “Metropolis”, Silent Film & Pipe Organ
Feb. 23: Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
April 2: Chanticleer
health in check. Good health is important as performers keep up with their jampacked schedules that consist of little sleep, traveling constantly, and working in different environments.
“Find the things that make you feel like you,” Susanne Burgess, the other soprano in the opera said to the students. “Find a routine, like you wake up and go running, or journal, something that keeps you grounded because you’ll wake up in different cities all the time.”
Burgess and Brammer talked about keeping mental health and physical health in check.
Valerian Ruminski, a bass opera singer stepped in with a “contrarian view” to tell the students about his experience with singers using illness and ‘health techniques’ as an excuse to not perform.
“I see this all the time,” Ruminski said, “I think that the proper mental perspec-
tive on health is yeah, do the best you can, but also, be like a bull. You can sing through anything and everything. Don’t make excuses not to sing.”
Alexander Boyd, a baritone singer in the opera said, “You’re never going to feel 100%, but you have to try.”
Then it continued into Friday night with the event. The opera showcased the professionals and the students appeared in the acts from time to time in the 3-hour production. English subtitles were projected above the performers near the ceiling to translate the lines.
The opera itself was based on a novel and French play by Henri Murger that Puccini read and included elements of his own life. The plot of the opera centered around themes of poverty, love, heartbreak and even death. Yet, the opera still had comedic relief that made the audience laugh.
Brammer said that “La Boheme” is significant because it tells the story of “normal people trying to eke out their existence, you know, no money, and they still find love and tragedy in all these emotions that we experience throughout our lives. Opera is special because it tells stories about real people and it might not seem like that right away, because it’s in Italian or it’s in French or in German, so it seems like it’s unrelatable, but when you dig into the words and learn the stories, it’s some of the most beautiful things to share with each other.”
“I think it’s so cool to see, we’ve all seen that there’s theater here,” said Kattner. “There’s a lot of amazing choral experiences here, but to do a real opera is something that I think we’ll never forget and I think what this town will never forget.”
What’s next for Woodbine Productions will welcome Broadway singer Brian Stokes Mitchell in October, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra in February, along with the Chanticleer ensemble in April.
Collegian photo by University Marketing and Communications The Teatro Liricio D’Europa, the troupe, based in Bulgaria, and the SDSU students performed “La Boheme” by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini last Friday.The first China Night in four years at South Dakota State University had a “huge turnout,” according to Chinese Student & Scholar Association Adviser.
More than 500 people packed the Volstorff Ballroom to celebrate Chinese culture Sunday night and experience traditional cuisine, and entertainment from the community.
“Overall, we tried to balance the dances, vocal music performances, instrumental acts, young performers from the community and more traditional acts,” said Faculty Adviser Wenfeng An.
This year’s event aligned with the Mid-Autumn festival on Sept. 29, which focuses on celebrating traditional folk lore, family reunion and the years successful harvest across China.
The event started with introducing the nights co-hosts, and speeches from special guests SDSU President Barry Dunn, Brookings Mayor Opeke “Ope” Niemeyer, and (CSSA) President Jiahui Yuan.
“What struck me was the warmth and the great experience from the performers and the connection they had to the audience,” said Dunn after the event, “I think that the community is really benefited from a night like this.”
The food was a key part of the festivities and the menu showcased traditional flavors of China with Hunan, Schezuan and Northeastern Chinese being featured on the menu. The special dessert of the evening was traditional Chinese mooncakes, a staple of the Mid-Autumn festival.
“We asked the community to nom-
inate what dishes they wanted to see through email and social media, in the end we tried to feature original cuisines that are representative to those regions of China,” An said.
The entertainment started with a Chinese Lion Dance by the Sioux Falls Lion Dance Team, known for over 100 performances in their 10-year history. This traditional dance symbolizes new fortunes and wards off negativity.
“When I reached out to the leader of the team, I found out he attended SDSU to get his master’s degree, and was actually an officer of the CSSA who participated in three China Nights himself,” An said.
Daniel Justice, an Instructional Designer at SDSU and a co-host and performer of the evening, shared his own story at the event.
Justice, who traveled to Sichuan, China, in 2015 to teach English, was involved in a motor accident that fractured
the bones in his leg. It was at this time people the people around him showed concern and support after only knowing him for five months.
“The story demonstrates people’s genuine concern, and once again characteristics that totally match the way I was brought up. Growing up in South Dakota, I was taught to be friendly, helpful, and generous. In Sichuan, all those characteristics matched the people I was meeting,” said Justice.
When reviewing feedback from the audience, An and Justice heard great things. As for Sunday, Justice was excited for the Lion Dance.
“I was really impressed by the Lion Dance, I learned that was a traditional way to begin a celebratory festival, it begins with the Lion Dance, kind of like cheerleaders, which isn’t a great analogy, but it gets people excited,” Justice said.
As the night went on there were dances, instrumental acts, and an incite-
ful Chinese Q&A for audience members to ask whichever questions they wanted.
One performance the audience loved from the evening was a non-verbal skit showing two different people, one being a woman from a big city, the other being from the country. “It was a stereotyped play that was exaggerated, but was really funny,” An said.
Hopefully people in South Dakota might know, I have relatives that are more rural, some that are more urban, it’s not rude it’s just a way to show different perspectives,” Justice said.
China Night returned after a fouryear gap due to COVID and other challenges. After the pandemic ended it was time for the (CSSA) to discuss how they were going bring back another China Night.
“Traditionally China Night is held in the spring, during, before, or after the Chinese Spring festival usually around March,” An said. For China Night coming back there was a lot of work. The (CSSA) had a transition of student club officers, as well as new people on the organizing committee so some of the event planning process had to start at the beginning.
For next year’s China Night it is currently under discussion by event coordinators. “It would be ideal, if we do it annually, or if we want to go back to the springtime to feature the spring festival. If we do it this next spring. There’s some consideration,” An said.
“It was just so much fun and we’re really happy everyone joined us, it’s hard to encapsulate everything that happened in a sound bite, we really just wanted everyone to come out and enjoy the food and entertainment,” An said.
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The SDSU football team is back in action after the bye week and ready to start Missouri Valley Football Conference play.
The Jackrabbits will open conference play against No. 11 University of North Dakota on Saturday in front of another sold-out crowd at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
This will be the 41st meeting between the two teams, with South Dakota State taking the last two matchups; however, the Fighting Hawks haven’t made things easy for the Jackrabbits as of late.
North Dakota knocked off the Jackrabbits in the 2021 Spring season, and most recently got off to an early 14-0 in the first quarter of their regular season game last season.
The biggest difference between those two games and the upcoming matchup this season is location. The Fighting Hawks have one of the best records at home, having lost just two games at the Alerus Center since 2019. This time around, they’ll need to knock off the defending champs in their house.
About SDSU
The defending FCS national champions have ended their non-conference schedule undefeated and look poised to make a run at the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) title once again. While the Jacks will have to play three more games against ranked opponents, they know how tough this conference can be.
“We’re really just focused on this week,” head coach Jimmy Rogers said. “In two weeks from now we’ll play another several teams that are ranked and then the next week after that, it’s just the Missouri Valley, everybody can beat you.”
The Jacks currently hold the longest win streak in school history as well as the longest active win streak in the FCS
at 17 games, 13 more than the next longest streak. They also have the third highest active home winning streak in the FCS at 14 straight games.
Through the first three games of the season, this Jackrabbit team has shown why they’re the No. 1 ranked team in the FCS, overpowering their opponents from start to finish.
SDSU has an average margin of victory of 35 points on the year, while outgaining opponents by an average of 196 yards per game.
While some might argue the Jackrabbits have played an easier non-conference schedule than most, they won the games they should have won, and dominated in the games they should have dominated.
Apart from the first half against Montana State, the Jacks have been one of the most consistent teams in the country, both offensively and defensively.
SDSU will come into this game with the No. 1 scoring offense and defense in the country this season, scoring 45 points per game while giving up just 10 points per game; however, the Jacks have bigger goals in mind than just the statistics.
“The most important thing is winning and playing team football,” coach Rogers said. “We want to be the number one team in the country at the end of this, whether were the number one offense or defense.”
Junior quarterback Mark Gronowski has thrown eight touchdown passes to just one interception, 531 passing yards, and has another 56 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
While the yardage doesn’t seem like a lot through three games, two blowout wins from the Jacks warranted the starters being benched as early as halftime.
The Jacks have used a plethora of tailbacks in the ground game this season. Leading the charge is Amar Johnson, with 180 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Isaiah Davis added 162 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, while Sophomore tailback Angel Johnson has 15 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jackrabbits have found most of their success on the ground, led by the 605 Hogs. SDSU returned all five starting offensive linemen from last season, which has helped pave the way for the Jacks run
game.
On the receiving side, Jaxon Janke and Griffin Wilde have been in a tear to start the season, having a combined 20 catches for 300 yards and four touchdowns. With Jadon Janke returning from injury this week, expect the receivers to have a huge day on a defense that struggles against the pass.
Defensively, the Jackrabbits have been one of the best in college football. They’re allowing just 10 points per game, including giving up just 16 points against No. 3 Montana State. All this while not having All-conference linebacker Adam Bock on the field due to injury.
One major cause for concern on this Jackrabbit defense is they have yet to record a single sack this season. They have a knack for stopping the run but have yet to get to the opposing quarterback for a loss.
With the hope that Bock will return from injury this week, the defense should be able to generate a lot more pressure. Senior linebacker Saiveon Williamson has stepped up big for the Jacks in Bock’s absence, leading the defense in tackles with 23.
About UND
North Dakota comes into this game with a 2-1 record and the No. 11 ranked team in the latest FCS coach’s poll. With wins over Drake and Northern Arizona to start the season, they most recently lost to FBS-level Boise State, 42-18.
While the Fighting Hawks have been one of the best teams at home in the past four years, they tend to struggle on the road. Head coach Bubba Schweigert knows this will be a tough challenge for his team.
“We have to go on the road and beat teams like this if we want to be included in the conversation as one of the top teams in this league,” coach Schweigert says. “And this will be a huge challenge for us, but I know we’re excited about it.”
Since 2020, UND is 5-12 on the road, while going 14-2 at home. This includes three straight losses on the road, with their last road win coming against Indiana State last November.
The Fighting Hawks offense has been solid to start the season, averaging over 425 yards and 36 points per game.
The offense is once again led by senior quarterback Tommy Schuster, who has completed over 70 percent of his passes for 663 yards and five touchdowns.
In the backfield, sophomore tailback Gaven Ziebarth is leading the charge with 216 yards and two touchdowns. Senior tight end Quincy Vaughn has also added another
three rushing touchdowns on just six carries as well.
In the passing game, senior wide receiver Bo Belquist has been Schuster’s favorite target so far, catching 23 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns. Red Wilson has another 11 catches for 116 yards, and Wesley Eliodor has seven catches for 98 yards and two more touchdowns.
Defensively, UND has struggled in the passing game, giving up over 250 yards per game. However, they have done a good job forcing turnovers, recovering four of their five forced fumbles, and having two interceptions on the season.
Junior linebacker Wyatt Pedigo has led the defense in tackles this season with 22, while recording one sack and forcing a fumble, while recovering three total.
The Fighting Hawks will have a tall mountain to climb this Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse stadium, but Coach Schweigert says he’s ready for the challenge and ready for the atmosphere of the sellout crowd.
“It’s going to be an exciting environment, they’re coming off a national championship they’re the number one ranked team in the country,” Schweigert says. “I’m hoping we have some of those seats filled with our fans.”
The Jackrabbits will hit the road next week to Normal, IL to take on the Illinois State Redbirds on Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.
The South Dakota State volleyball team kicked off their Summit League Conference season this week on the road.
The Jackrabbits headed north with hopes of ending their five-game losing streak and securing a much-needed win.
“It definitely wasn’t an easy preseason,” freshman Stella Winterfeld said. “It pushed us and kind of exposed some things that we now know we need to work on and things to get better at for conference.”
On Thursday, the Jackrabbits faced off against St. Thomas for the first time since Nov. 3, 2022. The sets were close
throughout, but the Jacks swept the Tommies 3-0 and putting an end to the streak of losses.
Katie Van Egdom led SDSU with 16 kills, both team highs, paired with Sylvie Zgonc’s 10 kills and 14 digs on the night.
Raegen Reilly added 36 assists for the Jacks along with 9 digs of her own.
“Road wins are never easy, it doesn’t matter the opponent,” said head coach Dan Georgalas. “We kind of got the monkey off our back, and to have a nice moment in the locker room afterward was a feeling we hadn’t had in a while.”
South Dakota State then traveled south to compete against Kansas City on Saturday. The Jacks fell short in the first two sets but were able to claw their way back into the game after taking sets three
and four. Unfortunately, the match did not fall in favor of SDSU and the Roo’s finished victorious stealing the fifth match 17-15.
Similar to the previous game, Van Egdom and Zgonc combined for 41 kills. Reilly put up 52 assists in the match. Winterfeld tallied 25 digs paired with 5 aces from Rylee Martin.
“We didn’t get the result, but our grit, our resilience, our fight, our belief was just absolutely tremendous,” Georgalas said.
The Jackrabbits closed out the opening week of conference play going 1-1. SDSU will return home for their first game this season in Frost Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Denver, who is currently on a 6-match win streak.
The SDSU rodeo team is just past the halfway point of its fall season after competing in four rodeos and coach Ron Skovly is happy with his team’s performances.
The season started in River Falls, Wisconsin, followed by two rodeos in North Platte, Nebraska, and a rodeo in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The men’s and women’s teams compete against schools throughout South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The women’s team is currently sitting second in the standings with 1,074.5 points, trailing Black Hills State University by 21 points. The men’s team is in fourth place with 1,345 points, trailing Black Hills State, Iowa Central Community College and Mid-Plains Community College. BHSU leads the standings with 2,050.5 points.
Skovly’s goals are to practice hard, be competitive in every event and continue to develop College National Finals Rodeo qualifiers.
“I try to make it as easy as I can for every team member to go to class and be successful in the classroom and in the arena,” Skovly said. “That’s my full-time job.”
April 5-6: Iowa State Cyclone Stampede— Ames, Iowa
April 12-13: SDSU Jackrabbit Stampede— Brookings
April 26-27: Black Hills State University
Yellow Jacket Stampede—Spearfish, S.D.
May 3-4: UNL Rodeo—Lincoln, Nebraska
The team had multiple top-finishers during its weekend in Fort Dodge, Iowa Sept. 22-23. Second-place winners from the weekend were Trey Frank in the team roping, Opal Harkins in the breakaway roping, and a
first-place finish by Kaden Wooters in the steer wrestling. Rafe Wientjes also finished second in the tie-down roping and Swayze Ness was fourth in the team roping.
The weekend ended with Harkins as the reserve allaround champion cowgirl.
Zane Druery is a freshman from Anselmo, Nebraska, studying mechanical engineering and has enjoyed his time on the SDSU rodeo team.
“The people are my favorite part,” Druery said. “Everybody is fun to hang out with, everybody helps each other out and it’s a good environment to practice and get better.”
Hannah Schubert is a sophomore from Brainerd, Minnesota, studying agricultural business and also competed on the team last year.
“I go to practice every night because I do all four events,” Schubert said. “We’ve all been working really hard and it’s paying off in the arena. I look forward to practicing with my friends every day.”
The Jackrabbits will finish out the fall season in Dickinson, North Dakota Sept. 29-30 and Alta, Iowa Oct. 6-7.
After winning seven of their first nine games, the SDSU women’s soccer team opened their Summit League conference play with a 1-0 victory against South Dakota Sunday, Sept. 24, their first win in Vermillion in nine years.
On offense, SDSU had a total of 20 shots between nine players, their third-highest total this season. Six of these shots came in the first eight minutes of regulation.
Lauren Eckerle and Avery Murdzek each had a teamhigh four shots in the game while Katelyn Beulke had three. The lone goal scored by Beulke came in the 19th minute of the match, assisted by Katherine Jones, and was all the Jacks needed to secure the win. The goal was Beulke’s second goal of her career, while Jones had her second assist of the season.
Beulke had a total of three shots in the game. “[Beulke] got in a lot of great spots, not just on the goal, but throughout the game she was able to make some good decisions without the ball,” Jackrabbit soccer coach Brock Thompson said.
Along with Jones playing for the full duration of the game, Reagan Anderson, Kaycee Manding and Hayley Lindman did so as well. In addition, the Jacks did not have a yellow or red card for the duration of the game.
On defense, Jocelyn Tanner made two saves in the first half less than 10 minutes apart. The Jackrabbits faced a total of only three shots the entire game from USD’s Taylor Ravelo, Janaina Zanin and Ashby Johnston, which was the Coyotes’ second-lowest shot total this season. The Coyotes came close to scoring in the 79th minute of the match on a free kick from a foul by Avery LeBlanc. The kick by Zanin went wide left and the Jacks kept the Coyotes from attempting another shot for the last 11 minutes of play.
“We had a lot of the ball, we were able to create a number of chances,” Thompson said. “We recovered the ball really quickly when we lost it, and that helped us stay in the attacking phase of the game.”
The Jacks had dominant possession of the ball, having possessed it for over 60% of the game. They also out-
Total assists: 27
Total goals: 25
Total points: 77
Total shots: 155
Shots per game: 15.5
Shot on goal percentage: 0.432
Sept. 26: vs. NDSU at 6 p.m.
Oct. 1: vs. UND at 1 p.m.
Oct. 5: @ Denver at 8 p.m.
Oct. 12: vs Omaha at 6 p.m.
matched USD in corner kicks 6-1.
USD goalkeeper Caroline Lewis had a total of five
saves. These shots came from Eckerle, Avery Murdzek, Jadenn Carrillo, Taryn Hettich and Laney Murdzek.
Jones was selected by the conference office as the TicketSmarter Summit League Women’s Soccer Defensive Peak Performer of the Week. This is her second time claiming a weekly accolade from the conference office in her career.
The victory was the first for the Jacks in Vermillion since 2014, as well as their first against USD in three meetings. The Jacks improved to an 8-2 overall record on the season, rebounding from a loss to Creighton Friday, Sept. 15, and start their conference play at 1-0.
The Jackrabbits will face off against NDSU at home Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. for their Hometown Heroes match as they attempt to extend their five-game win streak at home. The game can be watched on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.
