April 13, 2022

April 13, 2022 SDSU’S STUDENT-RUN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1885

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STATE A THON CASHES IN The annual dance marathon last Saturday at SDSU raised money for The Children’s Miracle Network.

See STORY, PAGE 2 The SDSU softball team had their first home game last weekend where they crushed Western Illinois. See STORY, PAGE 16

Wacipi, South Dakota State University’s twoday powwow, returned on Saturday after a two year hiatus. See PHOTO GALLERY, PAGE 7

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NEWS

April 13, 2022

State A Thon raises $133,208 for children’s hospital DASAN SASSE Reporter “What’s going on? State A Thon!” echoed the Union’s Mainstreet Saturday because of State A Thon’s annual dance marathon.

“In your life, these events and these times when you reach beyond yourself and think of others will be the richest moments of your life,” South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn said at the start of the event.

The “Million Miracles” event provided various different games to play including ring toss, trivia, cornhole, ski ball and a dunk tank. In addition, about 175 participants and 10 miracle families ate cotton candy, danced and helped fundraise $133,208 for Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Participants for the event were split into teams. The 28 teams were from greek organizations, State A Thon committees, the Women’s basketball team, different groups around campus and other individuals who wanted to participate.

Speakers during the event included President Barry Dunn, Mayor Oepke “Ope” Niemeyer and the Miracle Families. During his speech, Niemeyer shared that over the past 21 years, SDSU State-A-Thon has raised over $1.3 million for Sanford Children’s hospital. In 2021, State A Thon raised $132,538 and supported 487 Brookings county children.

Therefore, Niemeyer proclaimed Saturday, April 9th 2022 as “State A Thon day.”

“Today is about having fun and celebrating the work we have done over the past year and the work that we are going to do today but most of all we want to celebrate our amazing Miracle Families,” coordinator Ali Findley said.

The Miracle Children that attended the event were Nolan, Maverick, Amelia, Ona, Colton and Wyatt (brothers), Zane, Axel, Tennyson and Ben. Each child is supported by the funds raised through State A Thon.

The funds are used to pay for medical bills and supplies.

Nolan is nine years old and has attended the event for six years. He was born with arthrogryposis which involves joint contactures (stiffness), scoliosis and hip displasia.

He has had two hip surguries, three back surgeries and knee surgeries. Recently, Nolan has went through a halo treatment to correct the

curvature and angle of his spine.

Maverick attended State A Thon for the first time this year. He has had at least 20 hospitalizations at Sanford Children’s hospital.

He has been diagnosed with leukodystrophy, which is a group of genetic disorder that affects the white matter of his brain. There are at least 50 types of leukodystrophies and there is no current cure for the disorder.

Amelia was two years old when her parents started noticing that something wasn’t right with her health. Later, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells in the blood and bone marrow. Amelia has had five blood transfusions, two platellet transfusions, plasma transfusions and has been put to sleep 27 times for lumbar punctures, port placements and removals. Amelia will be cancer-free for six years in May. Ona went through 31 radiation treatments and 6 rounds of chemotherapy in attempt to remove a mass that was in her brain which restricted spinal fluid. Five years after Ona’s Collegian photo by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her) ration tratements, the family discovered Blake Pulse, president of the Students’ Association, gets drenched at the State A that she had another tumor that was inside Thon event Saturday. and outside of her brainstem. She had to go through more radiation therapy in attempt to stablize her health; she has been stable since.

Colton and Wyatt’s family attended their fourth year at State-A-Thon this year. Wyatt was born with transparent skin and other varies birth defects. Colton was born with a heart defect. At 7-days-old he had his first 3 open-heart surgery. For the first six months of his life, Colton was in and out of the hospital because of constant heart failure. At 10-months, the family was told that he would never be able to walk, talk and eat. Since then, He has gone through about 60 different surgeries. However, Colton is now 7-years-old and is mostly healthy.

Zayne (10) was born 14 weeks premature. He has been diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) which is a disease that causes build-up in the esophagus.

Zayne is now currently on year 2 of without hospitalizations.

Tennyson and Ben are best friends. They met in the hospital during chemotherapy treatment for their acute lymphoblastic leukemia and have been friends ever since. The boys motivate each other through their pokes and radiation therapies.

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April 13, 2022

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF

NEWS

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New president, vice president, senators sworn in JACOB BOYKO News Editor (He/Him) During the April 11 South Dakota State University Students’ Association meeting, senators were addressed by lobbyist Brett Koenecke, awarded faculty and passed two amendments. The former SA administration also welcomed in the 2022-2023 Executive Team and Senate.

Koenecke:

Koenecke, a former SDSU SA vice president and class of 1990 graduate, spoke to the Senate about being successful in government.

“The legislature moves more quickly than ever before,” Koenecke said.

“People are already setting the agenda for the 2023 legislature. We’ve barely got the 2022 legislature in the books.”

If the SA waits until September to start planning the agenda for the 20222023 school year, it will be four months too late, Koenecke said.

Chief of Staff Blake Pulse asked

Koenecke how we would respond to legislatures calling into question the amount of money SDSU is allocated for projects like new buildings.

Keonecke responded: “The reason why we get so much money is because we’re successful with it, and we turn it into even more success … We do things that are successful. We create successes across the state every day for so many people.”

Awards: SA President Andrew Rasmussen presented two Campus Partner of the Year awards. Angie Courteau, a secretary in the Student Union, and Lisa Hager, assistant professor of political science, both received awards this week after not being able to attend last week’s SA meeting. During the April 4 meeting, Rasmussen presented awards to School of Communications and Journalism advisor Erica Quam and Ness School of Management and Economics professor Gerald Wang.

Additionally, Adonai Ghebrekidan, president of Black Student Alliance,

received the Ex-Officio of the Year award from Rasmussen.

Amendments: The Senate unanimously passed Amendment 21-11-A, which creates a diversity liaison position within the Senate. The new position will work with ex-officios and give student groups like the Black Student Alliance, Latin American Student Association and Gender & Sexuality Alliance a single vote in the Senate.

The Senate also unanimously passed Amendment 21-12-A, which removes the office assistant position from the bylaws.

The position has been sitting vacant for two years.

New administration:

Rasmussen presided over his last SA meeting Monday.

“I’m really proud of the work that everyone was able to accomplish this past year,” Rasmussen said to the Senate.

“I want to thank the executive team for their work this past year keeping the Senate on track and moving forward … and also to the Collegian staff for keeping

me on the seven o’clock start time.”

You’re welcome, Mr. President.

Blake Pulse, Rasmussen’s chief of staff, was sworn in as president of the Students’ Association. Rachel Schoon, the outgoing vice president, swore in Anna Shane as vice president. Shane previously served as government affairs chair under Rasmussen.

Pulse swore in new senators and introduced his executive team. Hannah Nelson will serve as chief of staff, the position Pulse held previously. Rachel Goldsmith will serve as finance chair, a position previously held by Kordell Feldhaus. Erica Van Nieuwenhuyse will serve in Shane’s old seat as government affairs chair. Garrett Satterly will serve as communications chair, which was previously held by Lindsey Moser.

The Collegian staff wishes the new administration well and outgoing SA members the best of luck in their next endeavors.

Collegian photo by JACOB BOYKO (He/Him)

Andrew Rasmussen, the outgoing Students’ Association president, swears in his succesor, Blake Pulse, at Monday’s SA meeting as the outgoing executive team watches.

Pulse served as Rasmussen’s chief of staff this year.

Pictured (from left): Blake Pulse, Andrew Rasmussen, Rachel Schoon, Kordell Feldhaus, Anna Shane.

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NEWS

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April 13, 2022

Preparing for a summer internship for one on Handshake, through the Office of Career Development or by reaching out to a company you’d want to work with and see if you can make an internship with them.

Before going into an internship, you should get a clear idea of what you will be doing.

“Many times, students go into the internship and become glorified paper-pushers,” Mazzocco said. “Have a clear idea of what your interests are, and projects you want to do while you are interning at the company.”

While giving advice on what to do during the internship, Mazzocco said students should set realistic expectations.

“You must be aware that, as an intern, you are not the company’s Collegian graphic by ABBEY NIELSEN (She/Her) top priority. Also, know that you are not there to completely change the company atmosphere, but you are AVERY STARR there to be a part of the atmosphere,” Reporter Mazzocco said.

Mazzocco also suggested that stuAs another semester comes to an dents take quality notes during their end, many students are looking ahead internship about what they learned, to how they will be spending their what projects they worked on and summer. Not only does the change who they worked with for networking in the season bring warmer weather, purposes. but also a break from school; it gives Many degrees require an interna chance for students to partake in ship for credit as part of the degree. internships.

The School of Communication “Internships are really popular and Journalism, COJO, has three because many of them are unpaid, bachelor’s degrees that require internso employers like that it is free labor, ships. COJO has 250 undergraduate and the students gain experience,” students and 50 for-credit internships Career Education Coordinator Patrick a year.

Mazzocco said.

COJO’s academic advisor, Erica Mazzocco suggests that all students Quam, has met with many students do an internship whether they are for about their internships. credit or not.

“One big thing that students learn While it would be ideal to start is how much they know at the start of searching and applying for internships their internship and even though they in the fall and early spring, Mazzocco are still in school, they can put what said it is not too late to find one. they’ve learned to use,” Quam said.

Anyone who would still be interested in an internship should look

SUBMITTED Jack the Rabbit poses with COJO students and faculty at their information booth during Junior Day.

Record year for SDSU Junior Day ANDREA HUETE Copy Editor (She/Her) Oh, how time flies by. Finals are just around the corner and so is graduation day for some of our South Dakota State University students. But let’s not forget that the same goes for high schoolers.

SDSU connects with students by using a variety of strategies to support and assist them in their college search process, Shawn Helmbolt, director of admissions, said.

“The Office of Admissions visits nearly 500 high schools annually and connects with students during college fairs, career fairs, and other off-campus recruitment events as well,” Helmbolt said.

The Office of Admission hosts about 5,000 students and their families annually through a variety of on-campus recruitment programs and daily visit opportunities, incuding Junior Day. SDSU Junior Day was created to help high school juniors narrow down their options when they start selecting colleges. And this year’s Junior Day was held Feb. 5.

“The program is focused on pro-

viding prospective students the opportunity to learn about SDSU, our many high-quality academic programs, opportunities at SDSU outside of the classroom and the value of an SDSU experience, all while spending a typical Saturday on campus that is capped off by the opportunity to attend an SDSU basketball game,” Helmbolt said.

The women’s basketball game was between SDSU and University of South Dakota. In the end, the Jackrabbits had a great win.

Junior Day this year was very successful as it was one of the largest groups of attendee. According to Helmbolt, 465 high school juniors and their families attended.

Junior Day is believed to have a strong impact with enrollment at SDSU. With the event happening earlier in the year, students who begin searching for colleges may have a connection or positive experience to SDSU they can look back at.

The results can be shown at the collegesimply website, as it says “South Dakota State university tops the list with a population of 11,405 students.” It then shows which schools followed behind SDSU, (2) University of South Dakota STORY CONTINUED ON A5

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April 13, 2022

CONTINUED FROM A4 with 9,459 students, (3) Black Hills State University with 3,608 students,(4) Northern State University with 3,431 students, (5) Dakota State University with 3,186 students and (6) South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with 2,475 students.

“The past few years, the College of Education and Human Sciences (which includes our Exploratory Studies students at SDSU) has enrolled the largest number of first-time students annually,’’ Helmbolt said. “The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences and the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences trail closely behind and enroll a large number of first-time students annually, as well.”

Mary Bowne, a professor in the Early Childhood Education major, said she was not aware of this information. She mentioned that she was excited about the possibilities and opportunities that her college could potentially offer these first-time students.

“As first-time students who have watched our society care for one another during COVID-19, it doesn’t surprise me if these students’ professional goals are to help society in diverse and varied ways,” Bowne said. “Our college offers unique opportunities to students through its varied majors and programs. I’m grateful to know there are so many wishing to pursue degrees in our college, helping society as a primary aspiration.”

Jason McEntee, professor and Department Head of English and Interdisciplinary Studies, mentioned that they are delighted to see their enrollment numbers increase and “correct themselves,” as prior to the pandemic the enrollment numbers declined especially in the humanities. Previously, humanities programs worried about their numbers, but now they are seeing the opposite, so they are delighted.

“Our English and Interdisciplinary Studies major numbers are strong (IDs majors have tripled since last July), and our incoming English majors are double what we had last year,” McEntee said. “For a humanities program at a land-grant institution whose largest programs are based in the sciences (agriculture, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, etc.), this is certainly exciting news. Humanities programs can sometimes get overlooked when they are not an especially large program.”

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Liquor store to provide scholarships for Brookings senior attending SDSU BAILEY JUHL Reporter

The Brookings City Council recently passed an ordinance that establishes a $100,000-a-year scholarship program for students from Brookings County who plan to attend South Dakota State University or one of the state’s technical colleges.

Ordinance 22-008 passed 5-2 in early February and will begin this fall.

The money for the program will come from the profits of the city-owned liquor store at 780 22nd Ave. S. in Brookings. The profits had been going into an account established to pay for building a new liquor store. But since the start of that account, city leaders have decided Brookings does not need a new store, leaving the money open for a limited number of other projects.

When asked about the funding idea for the scholarship program, City Councilor Nick Wendell said: “The dollars are uncommitted or under-committed. The project they were being squirreled away for is no longer a priority, so we kind of have some wiggle room to do a pilot (program), to see if it works well. And it won’t have a negative impact on any other parts of the organization.”

The program will annually be awarding $20,000 in scholarships to students who attend South Dakota technical colleges and $80,000 to those planning to attend SDSU. Supporters hope the scholarships will address the financial needs of the students as well as ease the labor shortage in the city.

The program will run for five years initially, but Wendell said that it would function as a pilot program. It’s his plan to try to get Brookings County businesses who need the workers to pay for the program. This new bond – the giving and receiving of the scholarships – will help students keep up a relationship with employers for post-graduation, supporters say.

Not all the details have been finalized. The City Council is working with

Collegian photo by GRACIE TERRALL (She/Her) The Brookings Liquor Store will now be awarding Brookings seniors scholarships to attend SDSU.

the SDSU Foundation and Admissions Office to figure out the number of students and nontraditional students who will receive the scholarships, as well as how much each recipient will be awarded.

This scholarship is not only intended for high school students in Brookings County, but also for nontraditional students, Wendell said.

“I think the reality is a whole lot of nontraditional-aged people in Brookings – from a higher education perspective, that’s defined as older than 24 – that a scholarship could be an incentive for them to re-enroll and work toward a degree in an area we need workers in,” Wendell said.

Councilor Leah Brink has some concerns and voted against the ordinance.

“Supporters say this is a pilot program and details will be solidified later,” she said. “This made me uncomfortable as in its present state it is not clear to

me that the availability of this money will keep any student in Brookings who wasn’t already planning to stay here.

And there are no requirements currently tying recipients to the community post-graduation.”

Brink said the city already heavily invests in SDSU. “We have budgetary concerns already for the coming decade, and we are already locked in and committed to paying the university $917K a year 2022 to 2027 for the Performing Arts Center.”

Brink said she thought there does need to be something done about the workforce shortage, but that this scholarship is not the best way to address it.

“I think the city using public dollars to selectively support a handful of students isn’t the right solution to the workforce problem we have in Brookings,” Brinks said.

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NEWS

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April 13, 2022

COJO professor premieres broadcasting docuseries

Collegian photos by KAITLYN WINBERG Premiere of “Voices of the Prairie” documentary series at The STATE Theatre.

JACOB BOYKO News Editor (He/Him) A South Dakota State University professor premiered the first episode of his new documentary series, “Voices of the Prairie: History of Broadcasting in South Dakota,” at The STATE Theatre in Sioux Falls Friday.

Rocky Dailey, an associate professor from the School of Communication and Journalism (COJO), is piecing together the history of television and radio broadcasting in the Midwest.

According to a June 9, 2020, post on COJO’s Facebook page, Dailey received a $15,000 Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Grant for his multi-episode project.

“We’re so grateful for SDSU’s commitment and support of faculty research, scholarship and creative activity,” COJO director Joshua Westwick said.

The first episode spanned about 20 minutes and focused on Verl Thomson.

Thomson, born in 1906, was a radio pioneer in the Midwest at a time when some were hesitant to embrace the new technology.

“There was a lot of feeling that it was not God’s intent to send voices across the air,” Thomson said in the documentary as the audience chuckled.

Ginger Thomson, an instructor at SDSU and Verl Thomson’s daughter, shared stories of her father’s early years in radio in the documentary. “[Verl Thomson’s high school physics] instructor let him experiment with the radio sets, and he would work on getting the … signal stronger when a wire crossed and blew up all the Bunsen burners,” Ginger said as the audience laughed along.

The documentary also featured interview footage Ginger had shot with her father 32 years ago as part of her master’s thesis, so Verl’s voice was present in the work.

Following a social hour for COJO faculty, alumni and friends and the premiere of the documentary, Dailey sat down for a Q&A. Dailey told the attendees he was inspired to start the project after walking into Yeager Hall every day and passing the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, there’s got

to be something like that for broadcasting,’” he said.

An audience member asked Dailey how many broadcasters he plans to focus on, but Dailey isn’t certain yet on who will be the focus of future episodes.

“I haven’t even touched TV yet,” Dailey responded. “I’m kind of limited to the stories that are out there and the people who can tell [them]. There’s a lot of good stories that I probably won’t get to tell because, frankly, too much time has gone by.”

Ginger is pleased with the work Dailey is doing to memorialize people like her father, but as Dailey pointed out during his Q&A, a lot of sources only come in contact by chance. When Ginger discovered the South Dakota Broadcasting Hall of Fame, once housed in Pugsley Hall, was not moved to Yeager Hall to accompany the Newspaper Hall of Fame, she called to see what she could do.

“I called the executive director, and I said, ‘I’m sorry, but if it weren’t for my dad … He was so instrumental in developing radio in this area,’” Ginger said. “[The executive director] said, ‘you know, we’re working with Dr. Dailey on a documentary about early broadcasters, so why don’t we get you two together?’

That’s how it happened.”

Dailey was assisted by Hannah Owens, a SDSU sophomore double majoring in interdisciplinary studies and Spanish. Owens attends interviews, transcribes audio and edits clips. She applied as a production assistant after

talking to Dailey about wanting to make a historical documentary of her own for her Honors project.

“Something that can definitely get twisted is that the arts don’t have any research behind them or any science behind them, when really that’s not at all what happens,” Owens said.

“Clearly, this is a huge historical piece and it’s something that had a lot of research go into it.”

David Bordewyck, executive director at the South Dakota Newspaper Association, praised Dailey’s work in sharing Verl’s “inspirational” story on the ground floor of the industry. As the journalism field continues to evolve, Bordewyck said he will be asking himself, “who is the next Verl Thomson?”

Frank Robertson, an instructor from COJO, also attended the premiere.

He described Dailey’s production in three words: fantastic; informative; beautiful.

“It was fascinating to correlate that to modern day times in my generation, the older generation and the dawn of the internet and what that was going to mean and how that was going to be used,” Robertson said.

Dailey said: “I think everyone in this room has lived through social media and streaming, and to try to think about, like in Verl’s case, where you’re basically teaching yourself and putting things together is kind of exciting. There was really no precedent and they just kind of paved the way.”

COJO professor Rocky Dailey (left) and COJO president Joshua Westwick (right) at the premiere of Dailey’s documentry series.

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April 13, 2022

NEWS

WACIPI RETURNS

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These photos showcase a variety of dancers who competed at the 30th annual Wacipi April 9-10. Different contest categories included traditional regalia, fancy, grass and jingle and were open to elders, adults, teens age 1317 and junior competitors age 7-12.

Last weekend marked the South Dakota State University Wetu Wacipi’s return after a two-year haitus because of COVID-19. The two-day event, called “New Beginnings,” featured Grand Entries to kick off activities, drummers, vendors and dance contests. There were also two special events, a hand drum singing contest and the Velva Lu Spencer Jingle Dress Special, named after a former Native American advisor at SDSU.

Collegian photos by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her)

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LIFESTYLES

April 13, 2022

RABBITS HOST STAMPEDE South Dakota State University held its annual Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo April 8-9. There were over 15 schools competing in events like bareback riding, steer wresting, goat tying, tie down roping, saddle bronc riding, breakaway ropung, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

Chance Grill, a junior animal science major,

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r, ropes in a calf during the tie-down roping event.

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Freshman exercise science major Rayha Richert competing during the barrel racing event.

Photo by Jackrabbit Stampede Ambassador

Above: During the rodeo, Elle Pieper was named the new 2022 Jackrabbit Stampede Ambassador for next year.

Left: Carolyn Blatchford, the 2020-2021 Jackrabbit Stampede Ambassador, carries the American Flag during the opening ceremony.

Below: Jordan Jehn, senior civil engineering major, participates in the goat tying event.

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Brinna Bloemendaal Reporter For some, it’s the thrill of the hunt.

For others, it’s a step to help the environment. Whatever the motivation, buying second-hand clothing or ‘thrifting’ has become a major trend for college students.

For local businessman Trevor Swift Hawk, thrifting has transformed from a simple hobby he started, into a downtown business he owns: 605 Vintage.

“I love being able to offer people a unique and sustainable way to shop rather than ending it up in the landfill,” Swift Hawk said.

Last Saturday, 605 Vintage opened its new and renovated space back up to the Brookings community.

The shop, at 510 Main Ave, Suite No. 11, includes a retail space three times bigger than the original. This space is in the same building, but will allow Swift Hawk to expand inventory, offer a more diverse range of clothing and extend store hours.

“I’m excited to share this new space with my customers and offer an eco-friendly way to shop,” he said.

These past few weeks, Swift Hawk

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April 13, 2022

Submitted photos 605 Vintage opened its new location last Saturday and includes items like band t-shirts and Levi brand jeans.

Pop-up shop goes permanent Owner of 605 Vintage obtains a new and renovated space

has been planning and setting up the shop for its Saturday’s grand opening.

At the event there were new products, as well as food from Salas Salsas.

“I am very grateful for the turnout, even with all the other events going on in town,” he said.

Swift Hawk came to Brookings for college in 2013 and studied computer science for three years. But what started as a pastime became so successful that he stepped away from school to run his business. To help with the business, he plans to return to South Dakota State University to pursue a business degree.

In the beginning, he’d give away his finds at thrift stores to his friends. His

items were so popular that these friends encouraged him to try and sell the apparel he was taking home from second-hand stores.

That was four years ago. Since then, 605 Vintage has grown thanks to online marketplaces like Instagram and Depop.

“It has become a trend, especially with the rise of social media,” Swift Hawk said.

As his business grew online, he decided to do some popup shops locally, holding them at local venues including Cottonwood Coffee.

SDSU student Hayden White said he first found out about the 605 Vintage

popup shops through a friend and has been a frequent customer since.

“Not only is thrifting an eco-friendly way of shopping, but you can always find pieces of clothing that you have never seen before,” he said.

With the support of students like White, the 605 Vintage pop-up shops were so successful that Swift Hawk invested in a shop downtown last November to allow his business to expand.

He set up shop at 510 Main Ave, Suite No. 7.

Two things that solidified Swift Hawk’s decision to open the store was the community feedback he received and the fact that he wanted to add something different to the community.

He said his most popular items are the iconic shirts or the graphic T-shirts. 605 Thrifts also sells vintage jeans, crewnecks, outerwear and hats.

“I don’t just go for the clothing, but also for the wonderful company,” customer and SDSU student Lexy McElroy said.

Can’t wait to get your shopping fix? 605 Vintage has an online store at 605Vintage.com

sdsucollegian.com April 13, 2022

LIFESTYLES

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Binnewies CA builds guitars in free-time

“His personality definitely makes me think ‘guitar player.’”

MEGAN HOLLINGSWORTH BINNEWIES RESIDENT AIDAN SWIFT Reporter South Dakota State University student Noah Heezen has the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for getting him started on his hobby.

The second-year community assistant in Binnewies Hall picked up the hobby of guitar building about two years ago. He has finished one guitar and is now working on a second.

Heezen, a junior from Plankinton, South Dakota, began building guitars in spring 2020 during the COVID-19 quarantine. He said he had always wanted to complete a project that included his love for music.

“I really wanted a project, and music has always interested me,” Heezen said.

“I saw a few videos on YouTube and I didn’t think it looked that hard, so I decided to give it a shot.”

Heezen credits a lot of the new skills he’s picked up to the YouTube channel “Crimson Common Guitars.” He also mentioned that he took inspiration from music artists like Motorhead, Eric Clapton and Jimmie Henricks.

Heezen added that he wanted his guitars to show the kind of music he listens to.

“I really wanted a cowboy southern vibe and I used really old, stained wood that was weathered to give it that look,” he said. “And I put the aces and eights on the back because Wild Bill (Hickok) had them on his (card) hand (when he was gunned down).”

Building a guitar takes a while, but not for the reasons you may think.

Heezen said the hardest part of the

project is doing all the research that goes into it.

“Most of the time I spent working on it was the learning curve,” Heezen said.

“Messing up really sets you back a lot of times.”

In total, Heezen said his first guitar build took him five months to complete and cost him somewhere between $150 and $200. Working on a guitar while also being a CA might sound like a unique combination, but Heezen loves being a CA. “I get to meet a lot of really cool people and make good friends,” he said.

“A lot of people know that my door is open and I can always talk.”

One of Heezen’s residents, Colin Simonson of Brandon, South Dakota, enjoys having Heezen as a CA and said he loves talking to him about anything.

“I like Noah, and every time I see him he is super nice,” said Simonson. “Noah and I talked about our plans for spring break and we talked about the Suicide Squad movie. He’s just easy to talk to.”

Megan Hollingsworth, an aeronautical science and aviation Management major from Grinnell, Iowa, also plays the guitar now and then. She has talked to Heezen about his music preferences.

“I’ve only talked briefly with Noah down in the lobby, and he was really nice,” Hollingsworth said. “I asked him if he was going to see the Koe Wetzel concert because he was listening to his music and I’m a big fan. His personality definitely makes me think ‘guitar player.’”

Heezen is now working on his second guitar and plans to continue this hobby.

SUBMITTED Noah Heezen holding the skeleton of a guitar.

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LIFESTYLES/OPINION

Hairball rocks the Swiftel Center

acts. We really strive to make a moment with each audience that we’re in. Whether it’s throwing a kid up on stage or jumping off the stage right into somebody’s lap or whatever might happen or whatever we might break.

We’ve burnt our hair. We’ve thrown swords through our feet and done whatever it takes,” Schneider said.

The majority of the band is based out of Minneapolis, making the midwest a sure stop on all of the band’s tours. If you missed your chance to see the bombastic band’s performance locally, they will be roaming the Midwest over the next two months.

BRINA STURM Lifestyles Editor (She/They) The Swiftel Center was rocked by avid fans and nationally recognized cover band Hairball April 1.

Touring for over 20 years, Hairball has brought ‘80s classic Rock ‘n’ Roll to thousands across the country.

The over two-hour arena-sized light, smoke, fire and pyrotechnic show opened its doors at 6:30 p.m. on April Fool’s Day, but the performance was no joke. Vocalists Joe Dandy, Kris Vox and Dave Moody as well as HBK on the electric bass, Billy on the drums and Happy on the lead guitar covered Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith.

The performers “pride themselves on nailing some of the most memorable licks and chops of all time, while adding their own style and flair that they’ve cultivated over decades of tireless performing,” according to the band’s online description.

“Most concerts we get about 2,500 to 2,800 attendees,” Melissa Kucirek, Hairball’s publicist, said.

A lot of the time, fans of Hairball will attend several performances of a single tour. Whether fans are eight or 80, ten or 100, they attend the concerts with passion, Kucirek said.

The band has been described as “The Ultimate ‘80s Rock ‘n’ Roll Tribute Band” by super-fans. Facebook

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pages devoted to Hairball and its individual performers have been created over the past 20 years where fans share their experiences, merchandise, upcoming tour plans and love for the band.

“We’re just about being face-to-face, putting the phone down for a minute and listening to good looking people scream into real microphones, play real guitars and beat on real drums; and experiencing something that’s real and not so scripted,” Michael “Happy” Schneider, the band’s stunt-guitarist, said in an interview with Branson News’ Tim Church.

“We’re kind of a little more unpredictable than some

Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m.

Tyson Events Center, Sioux City, IA Saturday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Bernicks Arena, Sartell, MN Saturday, May 21 at 8 p.m.

Liberty First Credit Union Arena, Ralston, NE Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m.

Ewing Summer Funfest, Ewing, NE Sunday, May 29 at 7 p.m.

Delaware County Fairgrounds, Manchester, IA Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m.

Goodhue Volksfest, Goodhue, MN Saturday, June 18 at 8 p.m.

Rockin’ Rogers, Rogers, MN Wednesday, June 22 at 9 p.m.

Lakes Jam, Brainerd, MN

EDITORIAL

Issue: SDSU joins the metaverse South Dakota State University has been selected as one of seven “metaversities” by VictoryXR, the global leader in metaverse education with active partner Meta. If you feel like you’re getting deja vu reading this, it may be because we have already drilled into the ground the confusing and new idea of Mark Zuckerberg’s augmented wet dream.

Many can attest to the fact that learning over Zoom has its many, many disadvantages. The inability to interact in an in-person setting can be aggravating and tedious if professors and teachers have technical difficulties. Despite the complete detachment from an in-person educational environment that dawned upon many during the early pandemic days, there was also some good that came from online school.

Accessibility-wise, Zoom allowed for those with

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auditory-processing difficulties to follow along with live-transcripts. Zoom also made it easier for professors to record meetings and lectures so students could rewatch moments they didn’t quite catch. The advantage that came with Zoom may very well be a disadvantage in the metaversity universe.

It has been reported that SDSU will receive 50 Meta Quest 2 headsets for students this fall. The university will have a virtual twin [an exact replica] of our beloved campus, greens and all.

“The partnership with VictoryXR and Meta will allow SDSU to offer courses in the metaverse and become an institution at the forefront of VR in education. SDSU will have our beautiful campus green, the Coughlin Campanile and numerous SDSU buildings and labs built to spec in the metaverse. These spaces

The Collegian is the independent student newspaper at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. The Collegian is published by and for South Dakota State University students under the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and a free press.

Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration.

The Collegian is published weekly on Wednesday during the academic year of SDSU.

Jordan Rusche

Gracie Terrall

Mara Wheaton

Brina Sturm

Jacob Boyko News Editor

Lesly Abarca

Ad Sales Representative

Adriana Garcia

Abbey Nielsen

Hemishka Lobin

Josie Nelson

Elise Heesch

Editor-in-Chief

Lifestyles Editor Graphic Designer

Ad Sales Representative & Designer

Managing Editor

Graphic Designer Ad Manager

Skyler Jackson Sports Editor

Asst. News Editor

Social Media Representative

Evan Patzwald

Asst. SportsEditor

will be available for multiple courses to have VR classes and labs starting in August,” Greg Heiberger, an assistant professor and the College of Natural Sciences’ associate dean for academics and student success, said to News@SDState.

With a limited number of headsets and a large number of students, how will the virtual campus be used to its full potential? Will more headsets be sent in? Will headsets be worked into students’ General Activity Fees in the future? Will VR course costs differ from in-person costs?

This opportunity is one small, virtual-step for digital avatar man, and one giant, unsure leap for actual mankind.

Samantha Schoenbauer Photographer

Andrea Huete Copy Editor

Emily Urban

Ad Sales Representative

Lucia Frias

Social Media Representative

Letters to the Editor Send letters to letters@ sdsucollegian.com or to USU 069 Box 2815, Brookings, S.D. 57006.

You can also post comments online at www.sdsucollegian.com.

Please keep to less than 250 words.

Main line: 605.688.6164 Newsroom: 605.688.6166 Editor-in-Chief: 605.688.6178

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April 13, 2022

SPORTS

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Big time transfers head to Brookings

SKYLER JACKSON Sports Editor (He/Him)

South Dakota State’s men’s and women’s basketball programs each got a shot in the arm last week, thanks to the transfer portal.

Yankton native Matthew Mors, one of the most highly decorated high school basketball players in state history, transferred from Wisconsin to SDSU. Then graduate Dru Gylten from Utah transferred to Aaron Johnston’s program where she will have one more year of eligibility remaining.

Here’s a deeper look into each player.

Mors transfers to SDSU from Wisconsin, where he redshirted last year. He will have four years of eligibility starting this fall.

“Their communication has stuck out to me over everyone else,” the 6-foot-7 forward told Dakota News Now. “I’m just as excited as those guys are, probably more excited just to get things rolling. To

see (Frost Arena) packed full throttle, I was like ‘wow, this place is pretty special.’

And I thought that was the immediate thing that hit me.”

Mors played six varsity seasons at Yankton High School, earning all-state recognition five times. He earned the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year honor in each of his final three seasons with the Bucks. He was also chosen as the Argus Leader Player of the Year on three separate occasions.

He averaged at least 19 points per game in every varsity season in Yankton and helped lead the Bucks to the State Championship in 2016.

He will join a Jackrabbit team coming off a historic season in which they won a school and Summit League-record 30 games last season.

Gylten, a Rapid City native, led St. Thomas More High School to four consecutive state championships and was a four-time all-conference selection.

She then committed to the University of Utah in 2017, where she redshirted her freshman season. She then started four

seasons for the Utes and averaged five or more assists every season. In the 2020-21 season, Gylten started all 15 games for the team before suffering a season-ending injury.

She finished her Utah career at the top in program history in assists.

“I just needed to be closer to my fiance and I wanted to still play basketball,” Gylten, who got engaged last month, said. “So coming home was kind of the best option for me. And I’m super happy and super excited for next year.”

Gylten joins a Jackrabbit program that finished 29-9 overall and was the runner-up in the Summit League Tournament. The Jacks then won the WNIT, its first-ever championship in the Division I era.

She is also joining a team that is in need of a point guard. Last season’s starter Paige Meyer is dealing with a season-ending injury she suffered late in the season and backup point guard Lindsey Theuninck decided not to take her final year of eligibility.

GOJACKS.com

Matthew Mors transfers to SDSU after his freshman year at University of Wisconsin, Madison

Dance team competes in Florida SYDNEY MAYNARD Reporter The South Dakota State University dance team competed at the National Dance Association College Nationals last week in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The team received a bid to attend the competition while at NDA Camp last summer. Over 250 schools had the opportunity to attend the competition.

The team competed in the pom and jazz events. SDSU made it to finals on Friday and finished fourth in Division I pom in the team’s third year competing in that category. The team also placed 14th in jazz.

“Getting your school’s name called for finals was such an amazing feeling,” Freshman Payton Boyce said.

Senior Captain Katie Dam said, “The

atmosphere is so intense. The teams are so good and it’s so fun to see all of the different teams compete.”

Junior Captain Kennedy Knuth said the pool of teams was much bigger this year after two years of COVID. Junior Captain Ashton Swift agreed.

“With so many teams competing this year, it was really exciting, especially making finals,” Swift said. “There were a lot of happy tears during our time there.”

The team had a lot of support at this year’s competition, because many parents and alumni made the trip to Daytona Beach to watch them. The team members also were surprised by their assistant coach, Elizabeth Huckins, at the airport in Florida. They thought she would not be attending the competition.

“Being proud of ourselves, our team and seeing our coaches so proud of us

SUBMITTED

The SDSU dance team got the opportunity to travel to Daytona Beach, Florida, last week to compete at the National Dance Association College Nationals. They finished fourth for pom and 14th for jazz.

was an incredible feeling,” Dam said.

On Saturday, the day after the competition, team members went to the beach and enjoyed themselves and reflected on the experience.

“As a senior, it makes me really proud to say that I was a part of such a

great team,” Dam said. “They’re my best friends forever.”

The dance team will now start fundraising to cover expenses for next year’s competition and start tryouts to add members to the team.

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Track teams notch over 30 top-five finishes over weekend

MARSHALL MINIHAN Sports Reporter

The South Dakota State track team competed in two events last weekend, one in Fayetteville, Arkansas for the John McDonnell Invitational meet and another in Mankato, Minnesota for the Minnesota Open and Multi meet.

The Jackrabbits had an impressive showing in the two events, placing 32 total top five finishers over the weekend.

John McDonnell Invitational Meet: Reid Pierzinski took first place in the 400-meter hurdles and beat his previous outdoor record with a time of 51.18 seconds.

Also competing in Arkansas was the SDSU men’s 4x100meter relay team, which placed second with a time of 41.59 seconds.

Trent Francom took fourth place in the pole vault, clearing the height of 16-04.75. Also competing in a field event for the Jacks was Tristin Hanna who took fifth place in the triple jump with a distance of 45-05.75.

For the women’s events, Rich-Ann Archer grabbed fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.11 seconds.

Throwing a 151-07.00 in the discus event was Faith Leiseth, who ended up taking fourth place.

The South Dakota State team for the women’s 4x100-meter relay took third with a stunning time of 47.13 seconds.

“Despite the conditions in Arkansas, I think we competed

real well,” Track and Field Director Rod DeHaven said. “In a big-time environment, SEC school, I think we competed well down there.”

Minnesota State Open and Multi: Not only coming off an injury, but also taking the gold in the women’s 400-meter dash was State’s Lauren Van Dyke, who ran a respected 57.74 second-quarter mile.

Two Jackrabbits were placed in the top five for the women’s 100-meter dash. Finishing second was Ashtyn Bertram in 12.22 seconds and placing fifth was Ciara Benson at 12.60 seconds. Both runners beat their personal records.

Katelyn Darnell, who competed in two events, placed fourth with a time of 15.20 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and also won the 200-meter dash with a winning time of 26.01 seconds. Placing in the same event was Paige Kuchel who finished at 27.66 which earned her the fifth-place spot.

Freshman Laura Bogue was fourth place in the 400-meter hirdles and beat her personal best with a time of 1:06.66 seconds.

Placing in the 800-meter run were Tori Glazier and Grace Waage. Glazier took first with a meet record of 2:13.51 and Waage followed behind in fifth place in 2:18.23 seconds.

The second-place finisher in the 3,000-meter steeplechase was Kayla Christopherson who ran an 11:06.03 and set a personal best. Also hitting her personal best in the same event was Bailey Dergan, who took fifth place.

Four Jackrabbits took the top 10 spots in the 5,000-meter run.

Bridget Henne finished in fifth place with 18:33.98. In eighth was Michaela Kelley who finished at 19:14.59, followed by Abbey Stadler in ninth and Hannah Neusch in tenth.

The women’s team won first in the 4x400-meter relay, which consisted of runners Emily Rystrom, Van Dyke and Waage.

The team finished with a time of 3:59.30.

Kylee Edmonds won the pole vault event at 11-02.50.

Getting a personal best and a third-place finish was Evan Henderson who ran the 100meter dash in 10.99 seconds.

Tegan Bock took fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with his new personal best of 56.36 seconds.

Also placing fourth was Gabe Peters. Peters ran the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.36 and beat his previous record.

Peters also placed first in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:54.04. Three other Jacks joined him in the top ten as well.

Finishing fourth was Carter Knaus at 3:55.04, followed by Noah Stewart at 3:56.39 for sixth and Ben Anteau at tenth with a 4:01.67 finish.

Winning the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:59.13 was Alex Auch.

Taking second in the high jump was Conner Powers who cleared 6-07.50 which, was enough to beat his previous record. Jaden Peters finished as the runner-up in the pole vault at 15-02.25 for a personal best. Placing fifth in the triple jump was Tyler Goehring who jumped a distance of 34-09.25.

Photos by DAVE EGGEN from GoJacks.com Reid Pierzinski was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week Tuesday. He finished first place in the 400-meter hurdles at teh John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas over the weekend. His time of 51.18 was a career-best.

The men’s 4x400 relay team placed first with a time of 3:21.18.

Making up this team was Reggie Slaba, Max Ceplecha, Kudra Nzibariza and Andrew Moeller.

“I think we got a lot accomplished there (in Minnesota),” DeHaven said. “Largely a very productive day and very proud

how our student-athletes approached that situation out there.”

The Jacks will head to Orange City, Iowa for the Red Raider Open April 12 and 13 and the Bryan Clay Invite in Azusa, California April 13 and 14.

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HOME AT LAST

SPORTS

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Jacks win two of three at Huether, team trending upwards JAKE WEBER Sports Reporter (He/Him) The South Dakota State baseball team won two of three games in their home-opening series with Western Illinois, capped off with a 12-1 seven-inning victory at Erv Huether Field.

The Jacks played a doubleheader Saturday and split the two games before cruising to their 11-run victory Sunday.

The Western Illinois series comes after the Jacks got their first series sweep of the season over St. Thomas April 2 and 3.

After that, SDSU had a game scheduled against Dakota Wesleyan in what was originally going to be their home-opener, but the game was postponed because of inclement weather.

The Jackrabbits took game one of the Saturday doubleheader 4-3, thanks to Luke Ira providing early offense and Nic McCay pitching seven innings, allowing only two runs. They would go on to lose game two later that day 5-2. WIU’s Chandler Fochs pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and posting five strikeouts.

After their disappointing loss to the Leathernecks, the Jacks ended the series on an explosive note, smashing four home runs and scoring 12 runs.

The first came in the first inning off the bat of second baseman Jordan Sagedahl, a solo shot to center field to put the Jacks ahead 1-0.

The next player that went yard was junior outfielder Jamie Berg, who hit his first Division I home run with a tworun blast to right field during the sixth inning.

“I feel great,” Berg said about his home run. “There is not much of a better feeling than that.”

The Jacks would then score four runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a solo home run from catcher Ryan McDonald to extend SDSU’s lead. Then, first baseman Dawson Parry hit a grand slam to cap off a seven-run seventh inning and make the final score 12-1.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her) South Dakota State infielder Dawson Parry swings for the ball in a Summit League baseball game Saturday against Western Illinois. In Sunday’s game against the Leathernecks, Parry was one of four Jackrabbits to homer in the game, a grand slam in the seventh inning, as the Jacks exploded for 12 runs.

“We got a lot of guys with a ton of pop and, one through nine, all of us can definitely hit the ball over the fence,” Parry said, “Days like this are just going to happen.”

This game marks SDSU’s tenth straight game with at least one home run. Ira also extended his hit streak to nine games.

The Jackrabbits’ defense also performed very well in this game as they held the Leatherbacks to one run despite Western Illinois leading off four of their seven innings with a hit. Strong performances from Ira, McDonald and starting pitcher Owen Bishop exemplified SDSU’s defense. “(McDonald) behind the plate threw out two guys today and Ira made a great

play yesterday and another great play today,” coach Rob Bishop, said.

With this win, the Jacks now move into fourth place in the Summit League with a conference record of 5-4 and an overall record of 11-16.

SDSU spent the first 18 games of their season on the road against non-conference opponents like Purdue and Wichita State. They finished that stretch with a record of 6-12.

The Jackrabbits opened their conference season in Tulsa against Oral Roberts. They lost all three games of the series but bounced back with their sweep of Summit League newcomers St. Thomas in Minnesota.

“I think we’re trending up,” Rob Bishop said, “The first two weekends on the

road we faced some good opponents and we bumped into some adversity with injuries and some other things, but I do feel like we have recovered and caught our breath and that we are playing better baseball. The version you saw (Sunday), that version is in us we, just need to fight to be more consistent.”

SDSU’s next game, scheduled for Tuesday against Northwestern (Iowa) was canceled because of weather. They will be traveling to Greeley, Colorado, to face the Bears of Northern Colorado in a three-game conference series Friday-Sunday.

The Jacks will return to Erv Huether Field April 29 when they take on North Dakota State in a three-game series.

A16 SPORTS

sdsucollegian.com

SKYLER JACKSON Sports Editor (He/Him) The South Dakota State softball team played its first home games of the season last weekend, posting three-straight shutouts of Western Illinois.

The Jackrabbits shut out the Leathernecks 18-0 across two games in Saturday’s doubleheader before closing the series Sunday with an 8-0 win and their first Summit League series sweep this season.

The Jackrabbits are now 25-9 on the season and 7-2 in conference play. Prior to last weekend, they won two of three against USD in Vermillion, including a 20-0 shutout in game two.

They were then scheduled for an April 6 doubleheader at Minnesota, but it was canceled because of weather.

In game one against WIU, both teams were scoreless until the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Jocelyn Carrillo started the scoring for SDSU with a solo home run to center field. Later in the inning, Peyton Daugherty added another run before Cylie Halvorson extended the lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer, her ninth of the season.

In the sixth, Brooke Dumont and Tori Tollefson each added home runs to make the final score 8-0. Grace Glanzer pitched for SDSU and earned her 13th win of the season, striking out six batters and getting key outs to keep SDSU in the game.

“I think we were a little anxious swinging outside of the (strike) zone a little bit early,” coach Krista Wood said.

“I think once we kind of settled in a little bit and started to swing within the strike zone, it helped us put some runs on the board.”

In game two of the doubleheader, the Jackrabbits wasted no time, exploding for 10 runs in the first two innings.

“That was big for us,” Halvorson said.

“Because when you come out and score in back to back (innings), that’s really hard for a team to come back from so that definitely helped us there.”

In the first inning, Emma Osmundson scored on a Leatherneck pitching error that put the Jacks ahead 1-0, followed by runs from Carrillo, Halvorson

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her) South Dakota State’s Grace Glanzer pitching in a Summit League softball game Saturday against Western Illinois at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. Glanzer pitched in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader and posted six strikeouts.

Nothing but ‘goose eggs’ for Leathernecks

Jackrabbits outscore Western Illinois 26-0 in three-game Summit sweep and Kelsey Lenox. In the second, SDSU scored six more runs, highlighted by a three-run shot from Cheyanne Masterson that extended SDSU’s lead to 10.

From there, the Jacks cruised to their second straight shutout, thanks to a dominant pitching performance from

Tori Kniesche, who struck out 11 and allowed only one hit.

“I just trusted my defense, my coach calling up the pitches and the catchers,” Kniesche said. “It just all came together today.”

Game three on Sunday, another 8-0

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shoutout, was highlighted by home runs.

SDSU hit five home runs in the game, matching the school record for homers in a single game in the Division I era. Masterson hit her second and third home runs of the weekend, one in the first inning to put SDSU on the board and another in the fourth.

Halvorson homered in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Rozelyn Carrillo hit a two-run shot and Lindsey Culver hit a three-run blast.

Masterson’s solo homer followed to cap off a six-run inning.

Kniesche, who was selected as Summit League Pitcher of the Week, again pitched for SDSU. For the second consecutive game, she posted 11 strikeouts and allowed only one hit.

After setting nearly every program record they could last year, preseason expectations for this year’s team were pretty high.

SDSU went 43-8 last year, including 21-1 in conference play. They won their first Summit League Championship title in program history and beat Stanford 7-1 in their NCAA Tournament debut before getting eliminated.

This year, it’s been a bit more of an up-and-down season for the Jackrabbits.

After their 9-7 record to begin the year, they’ve gone 16-2 since and are winning games in a dominant fashion. But SDSU still thinks they have room to improve.

“I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Halvorson said. “And that’s a good thing. But hopefully, soon we’ll be coming out hot every game.”

The Jackrabbits now sit atop the Summit League standings with a 7-2 record. They lead the conference in team batting average (.303), home runs (47) and RBIs (197). They also boast the top pitching duo in the conference. Glanzer is 13-3 this season with a 2.12 ERA and 96 strikeouts. Kniesche is 11-5 with a 1.78 ERA and 153 strikeouts.

“I think we’re still on our way to playing our best softball,” Wood said. “I think we’re still learning, we’re still growing and I’m excited for that because hopefully, we’ll peak at the right time.”

Up next for the Jackrabbits is their makeup game at Minnesota, the Wednesday before heading back home for a three-game series against Kansas City Friday and Saturday.