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JACOB BOYKO News Editor (He/Him)

At the January 30 Students’ Association meeting, SDSU’s vice president of external aff airs and 2022 Hobo Day Grand Pooba presented their “longgame” strategy to boost SDSU’s numbers amid population changes and declining university enrollment across South Dakota. The Senate also passed resolutions in support of Pierre legislation and nominated a candidate for Students’ Association president.

Vernon Brown, vice president of external affairs and former Collegian editor, and Regen Weiderich, SDSU Connect coordinator and 2022 Hobo Day Grand Pooba, presented SDSU Connect. The initiative aims to give SDSU a larger presence in Sioux Falls through their media, district legislators, middle schools, high schools, city government, county government and businesses.

Brown, who joined SDSU last fall, previously worked for KELO-TV, SDN Communications and has served on the Sioux Falls City Council.

Weiderich graduated in December with a degree in communication studies and previously worked as an admissions ambassador at SDSU.

“Because Sioux Falls now makes up 30% of the population in South Dakota, we have about 30% of the seats in the legislature too,” Brown said. “So it’s important as the biggest, most comprehensive university in the state to be forming relationships with Sioux Falls legislators as well.”

Weiderich overviewed the strategy SDSU Connect is implementing in area middle schools.

“Right now, there are six middle schools in the city of Sioux Falls,” Weiderich said. “Three of those are with the Promising Futures Fund, coming to campus for tours of SDSU, [University of South Dakota], [Augustana], and [Dakota State University]. But President Dunn and SDSU really want to expand that to all middle schools in the Sioux Falls metro area.”

The Promising Futures Fund is an organization that helps economi-