March 29, 2023

Grote, Peterson win SA election

After a controversial campaign season, Grote, Peterson won with 61% of the vote.

STORY, PAGE 2

The 100th Little International kicks off March 31. Read about the history and this year’s event inside.

STORY, PAGES 6-7

Athletes have taken up yoga at the B|Well studio in Brookings to improve post-game recovery.

STORY, PAGES 13-14

Photo SUBMITTED

Mayor confirms new store, SA passes diversity STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF

JACOB BOYKO

News Editor

Brookings Mayor Ope Niemeyer confirmed a store “larger than Lowe’s” will be built on the east side of the interstate in his address to the Students’ Association Senate about the state of the city.

“I can’t tell you the store that’s going to be there,” Niemeyer said. “...The size of the store is larger than the Lowe’s store … I can say that much because it’s in the planning commission notes.”

Niemeyer said building the new store will help Brookings grow in a similar way to how Cabela’s attracted other retailers to build around it in Watertown.

“I’ve got great confidence that within the next couple of years, we’re going to have quite a few other retail stores in that area,” Niemeyer said. “It’s exciting, considering we’ve owned that land for 10 years, we’ve gotten a lot of guff from the other developers in town that have not really gotten anything off the ground. We finally got something to happen.”

Niemeyer also spoke about Brookings’ need for affordable housing.

“The problem we have is why would a contractor put a $150,000 to $200,000 home on a $40,000 lot when they can

build a $250,000 home and make more money?” Niemeyer asked rhetorically.

The mayor said he hopes the subsidies in the workforce housing bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Kristi Noem in February, will convince developers to initiate affordable housing projects in Brookings.

Niemeyer also said Brookings is the only city in the Midwest that is “100% LGBT compliant.” He credited the Human Rights Council for the achievement, but said it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.

“If there are suggestions, certainly we’d love to hear them,” Niemeyer said. “The Human Rights Commission works pretty hard to make sure everybody has equal rights in this city. It’s something I’m really proud of.”

Committee and staff reports:

The University Program Council announced that about 330 students attended International Night Sunday.

UPC’s next event is an Easter egg hunt in the Student Union April 3 through April 6. Gold-colored and rainbowcolored eggs containing gift cards and candy will be hidden around the Union. The gift cards will increase in value as the week goes on.

ELECTION RESULTS

Communications Chair Garrett Satterly said the 2023 Students’ Association general election had 1,996 students turnout, which accounts for about [18.4%] of the student body. Voter turnout is up from just 4% in 2022 when the candidates for president and vice president ran uncontested.

SA President Blake Pulse congratulated everyone who won their election last week. SA Sens. Nick Grote and Trinity Peterson will be sworn in as president and vice president, respectively, at Monday’s Senate meeting.

Diversity Chair Amendment

Senators and ex-officios debated an amendment that would raise the diversity liaison position to a diversity chair within the SA Senate. Senator Tyler Rasmussen from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences was the only senator who voiced opposition.

“...As student senators, we represent everyone within our college regardless of their race, color of their skin, their culture—no matter what, we represent them,” Rasmussen said. “I don’t think that we need this position. It’s just more funding that we’re going to have to cough up … That’s funding that can go to another club.”

The amendment, 22-5-A, passed 23-1.

Grote, Peterson win general election

Students Association Senator Nicholas Grote will serve as the student body president for the 2023-2024 academic year at South Dakota State University after a general election victory last week.

Grote, a business economics major and senator representing the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences ran with Trinity Peterson as his vice presidential pick. Peterson, a sophomore studying agriculture education and political science, serves as an SA senator for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

The final vote count was 1213 to 783. The opposition candidates for president and vice president were junior human biology major and SA Senator Hunter Eide and his running mate, ag business and business economics major Carter Howell.

Peterson initially campaigned with

Eide as his vice presidential pick. The pair withdrew from the running Feb. 8 and re-entered the race with new running mates.

Grote and Peterson’s campaign focused heavily on Grote’s electric scooter initiative. Grote led the initiative with a proposal outlining how e-scooters will be used, possible concerns and operating costs. Now, Grote will work directly with university administration to make his e-Scooter project a reality.

“Nick is 100% in whatever he decides to do, and I’ve already seen how much he cares about making a difference in students’ lives,” Peterson said.

The campaign also focused on Peterson’s student scoreboard bill. In the Senate, Peterson initiated talks about ADA accessibility in the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, where students must stand up and turn around to check the

score during games.

Grote and Peterson also credited their win to Jake Ayers from the BluePrint Design and Print Center.

“Jake killed it!” Peterson said. “We gave him some ideas for posters and banners, and he took them and ran with them.”

Grote and Peterson will be sworn into their positions Monday, closing the chapter on a campaign season that wasn’t easy for the candidates.

“Running against a friend is never easy, and it was difficult to see people saying not-so-great things about Nick and Hunter alike,” Peterson said. “I think this experience helped us all to learn that our value is not always determined based on others’ opinions of us.”

Grote’s reminder to students: “Every student is a member of the Students’ Association. If you want to see something done, use your voice.”

SD Supreme Court visits campus, hosts public arguments

JORDAN RUSCHE Co-Editor-in-Chief (She/Her)

The School of American and Global Studies hosted the South Dakota Supreme Court March 21-23 during their spring traveling session.

Throughout the visit, the public had a chance to hear oral arguments of appellate cases and listen to the judges, local attorneys and law clerks answer questions about their jobs, experience and advice for students interested in law and legal studies in a series of panel discussions.

Lisa Hager, an associate professor of political science at SDSU, said the supreme court has visited campus before, though their last visit was over 10 years ago in 2012.

“They have been doing some traveling terms, and they are trying to go to different regional institutions, but the pandemic had kind of thrown things out of whack, and so they’re just now kind of getting back into it,” she said.

The judges arrived Tuesday to hold closed-door sessions, followed by a welcome reception.

Then the court heard oral arguments on four cases Wednesday and Thursday morning, all held in the Larson Memorial Concert Hall at the Performing Arts Center.

One notable case from the event was between actor Kevin Costner and Black Hills artist Peggy Detmers about a contract regarding her statues at his tourist attraction Tatanka near Deadwood. Another involved whether media outlets can request to unseal files related to child pornography investigation of T. Denny Sanford.

During the first panel discussion Wednesday afternoon, attorneys from around the state talked about how they prepare for trials, why they decided to go to law school and more. One question brought up was how the attorneys still stay friendly with each other in their line

of work, considering many on the panel had argued against each other before.

“I think people generally misunderstand how relationships between attorneys work,” said Chris Nipe, an attorney from Mitchell. “I think if you want to do a good job of representing somebody, you still have to place some trust in attorneys you’re in opposition to, and I think that there is a lot of camaraderie.”

The panel also gave advice to students thinking about going to law school in the future.

“Once you get there, law school can humble you really fast,” Courtney Chapman, a litigation attorney, said. “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the results you want on that first final or that first test, because it happens to so many of us.”

Supreme court judges also held a panel that day, discussing what their

daily work looks like, how they ended up on the supreme court and what they enjoyed most about their jobs.

“One thing I mentioned is just the notion of working on a system that I really believe in and I believe delivers justice every day to people throughout the state of South Dakota,” Chief Justice Steve Jensen said.

Aftyn Heitkamp, a third-year criminology and sociology major, attended the visit and said getting to see cases being presented in person was very educational for her.

“I have a class that we are doing oral argument simulations, just like the supreme court listened to,” she said. “Being able to (listen to) an actual case be presented in front of me gave me such great insight into our justice system.”

Hager said hosting events like these make it easier for the public to see the legal process in their state.

“The big thing is transparency in government, so that there’s actually this opportunity to see what’s going on with the state supreme court rather than just hearing about it or maybe having to seek out more information about the cases that they’re hearing,” Hager said.

It also benefits students interested in political science and law to get to see what a possible career in the justice system might lead to.

“Having the opportunity for students to go and watch what a court is really like can help them decide if law is the field they want to go into,” Heitkamp said. “It is also a great recruiting topic for new students. Most people believe that the school down south is the only place to go when considering law as a career, and that is simply not true.”

SDSU’s political science and legal studies courses occasionally partner with the University of South Dakota’s Knudson School of Law to organize visits for students.

“There’s definitely a partnership with the University of South Dakota, in terms of just using them as a resource when it comes to going down there for a day and seeing what law school is like,” Hager said. “Even if you’re not interested in going to USD, it is the closest law school for us to travel to and kind of get some of that experience.”

SDSU also has the Pre-Law Society, where students can listen to workshops, prepare for the LSAT test to get into law school and host speaker events. Hager said one of their upcoming events is partnering with the Twitter Politics Honors Colloquium to host a guest speaker lecturing on freedom of speech.

Hager also mentioned that Pre-Law Society is not just for those enrolled in legal studies.

“Sometimes pre-law is something that you kind of think about after you’ve been here for a little bit, so it’s definitely something open to anybody with an interest there,” she said.

Photo by DAVID BORDEWYK/South Dakota Newspaper Association

(From left to right) Attorneys Paul Swedlund, Jon Arneson and Jeff Beck representing different media outlets during the T. Denny Sanford case on the SDSU campus.

Pierson Hall planned to reopen next semester

ELLA STIEFVATER Reporter

Pierson Hall is going to be ready for new and returning students in August.

The residential and housing department at South Dakota State University said the highly anticipated reopening of Pierson Hall is not only on track for full capacity in August but has also stayed within the projected budget.

Through strategic planning and utilizing available dorms to their highest potential, this fall 6,287 students living on-campus were all provided housing.

Director of Residential Life Rebecca Peterson said that students can expect all housing needs to be met again in the upcoming fall with the reopening of Pierson Hall. Not only will 400 students be able to take advantage of the upgraded study spaces, heating and cooling systems, and kitchens on every floor, they will also benefit from a newly added elevator.

As the number of incoming SDSU students continues to grow, Peterson said that housing and residential life will continue to meet the demand for on-campus living. While there are no plans for hall demolition or new buildings at this time, there are still steps to be taken for upgrading current dorms. If the changes in Pierson Hall are well received by students and faculty, other housing options in the same age bracket could see similar facelifts.

In order to ensure that all students have access to university provided housing during their first two years of required on-campus living, the residential department works closely with admissions. Peterson said that as students are accepted to SDSU, careful calculations are kept watching how many potential Jackrabbits also fill out the housing application and make their deposits.

Peterson added that one of the trends residential life has made progress toward is getting students into their preferred halls right from the beginning or at least within a couple of their preferences. If that’s not a feasible option they also allow a room reassignment process to provide rooms that may be newly available and is another student’s preferred choice.

“The other thing we see is that students enjoy having a roommate and getting to know people on their floor,” Peterson added. “We’re in a really good spot … to build some strong communities, and we’ve done that with our staff teams this year.”

Emma Page, Brown Hall Residence Hall Association representative, said that as an elected representative she has the opportunity to bring change to her fellow residents and help inform others on what’s happening in the hall.

“I can request funding for hall events and improve-

ments,” Page said. “A prime example being the new pool table in the Brown Hall lobby.”

More information about hall government can be found on the Housing and Residential Life and MyState webpages. Second year students also have the opportunity to become community assistants (CA) where they can help connect students, initiate hall activities, and act as a resource for any resident’s concerns. One way all residents can stay involved is by participating in hall gatherings, meeting other students and creating networks in their career paths with those who have similar interests. Living-learning communities help students find those industry connections early on.

Living-learning communities (LLC) can play a big role in life on campus for those who choose to join. The largest LLC is agriculture followed by health professionals and engineering. The greatest interest in LLCs is from first-year students.

“I love living with students who have the same passions as me,” Page said. “Coming from a small town, it made a big campus seem a little smaller and homey… the best part of living on campus for me is living so close to all of my friends.”

Wesley Siira, a Minnesota native and agriculture education and animal science major thought that moving the Ag LLCs to the newly renovated Pierson Hall will be a good location for new and returning students because of its central location for housing and residential life.

“I have enjoyed my time living in the ag LLC during my freshman year,” Siira said. “I know if I hadn’t been in the ag LLC that my experience would have been much different and I would not have the strong rooted friend group that I do now.”

Collegian photo by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her) Pierson Hall during renovations in February. The hall is set to open again to students this August.

Changes to Larson Commons beginning this summer

AVERY HAAG Reporter

Larson Commons is undergoing a major renovation that started this past summer. With millions of dollars behind this project, a newly renovated cafeteria is on the horizon for South Dakota State University.

Doug Wermedal, Vice President of Student Affairs, shared his role for the renovation of the building was to help write the documents that secured the financial support for the project from Sodexo.

Wermedal and his team will be supervising the contract as it undergoes improvements. For now, the list of what will be seen in the future is being put together in a document to be put up for a bid in which architecture and design workers will revise.

The renovation is expected to take place during the summer of 2024 into the school year and finishing during the summer of 2025. This should give enough time to reopen the new Larson Commons the 2025-2026 school year.

As the renovation hasn’t occurred, just some minor details added to the cafeteria, a metric for increasing numbers of students attending the Larson Commons area has not been verified.

Sophomore Garrett Pesch noticed

the small changes to Larson Commons and is already seeing a difference in reaction of the student body.

“Changes were made so more people are going to show up. Although the seasoning station may be a minor detail to Larsons, it makes it more fun and easier to be able to create your dish as your own” Said Pesch.

Another South Dakota State Sophomore, Kelsey Eitzman, had similar opinions of the renovation as well. Seeing the difference in the cafeteria as a Freshman to a Sophomore, Eitzman had brought up a few things she had noticed as well.

“I notice a lot less people talking about how their food is dry and tastes bland. I think the additions that were added made a big difference in the food. I am excited for what is to come” says Eitzman.

Some complications may arise during this project. Wermedal states serving at a different location part of the school year may lead to the entire school year be needed during the renovation. This may lead to a decrease in students’ attendance to the cafeteria due to the location of food services possibly being across campus during the project.

Many changes are expected to happen within the next few years. One of the changes is the ability to make

your own food. Eight to twelve cooking stations are to be added to the cafeteria. With a swipe at Larson Commons, you will receive a package of ingredients such as a ramen pack, and you will be able to cook it as you would like.

This change will be beneficial to those with allergies as people are able to put what they know they are able to consume in their food. Adding this station will also help with portion control

as well.

With many changes coming within the next few years, Larson Commons should be unrecognizable. These changes include new seating, food options, and a new set up.

“I think that all that will remain of Larsons is the name” says Wermedal.

Collegian photo by JORDAN RUSCHE (She/Her)

Little International through the decades

SAGE THOMPSON Reporter

Little International has changed over time from then to now. Little I started in 1921 as a small competition, and it grew to be so much more.

Little I was modeled after the Chicago Livestock Expo. It was held for the first time in 1921 where the Agricultural Heritage Museum is today.

Events have changed over the years. From 1924-1941, they added poultry, wool judging, and meat cutting. In 1948, they added the potato division and machinery exhibit, then in 1949, they added economics. From 1955 to 1957, they added dairy product judging, farmstead planning and the Wildlife Conversation Club.

“So you can see that this kind of kept growing and it still changes from year to year what they have in terms of the competition,” said Carrie Van Buren, col-

lections coordinator at the Agricultural Heritage Museum.

Little I has not always been in the same location as the show continued to grow.

“The show kept growing, and it became more popular not with just the students but with the audience that they were attracting too,” Van Buren said.

From 1921-1942, Little I was in the Agricultural Museum building. Then in 1942, it was moved to The Barn. Then when the Animal Science Arena opened, it was moved there in 1972 to the Livestock Pavilion.

There have been times when Little I was not able to happen. In 1926, there was scarlet fever. From 1944-1945 there was World War II, then in 2020, there was the COVID pandemic.

To be a judge at Little I, the superintendent will usually pick alumni that competed in the specific species, Little I Assistant Manager Isaac Berg said.

Lora Berg, director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences said, “People are judged on the ability to present the animal. They get assigned an animal and are judged on the ability to get the animal ready to compete.”

There are different categories for showing depending on the participants’ experience. Novice is when it’s the exhibitor’s first time showing a certain animal, and experienced is when the exhibitor knows how to show a certain species.

The purpose of Little I is to bring students together to show their leadership skills and also be able to work with animals.

“It also gives high school students an opportunity to come to see this school,” Isaac said.

Little I also is a place of friendships. The event has facilitated many connections and offers former students and

faculty members a wonderful chance to stay in touch. All students at SDSU can participate in Little I and compete.

“This occasion allows students and graduates to return and observe what has changed on campus and to bring family to Brookings and reconnect with friends,” Lora said.

The Agricultural Heritage Museum will be holding an exhibit for the 100th Little I. The exhibit will run from April 1, the last day of this year’s Little I, to the beginning of the 101st Little I in 2024. It will have past Little I pictures, old trophies, clothes, etc.

The museum is also holding a centennial social from 2:30-4:30 April 1. There will then be the honored ag reception starting at 3:30 p.m. At the ag reception, they will recognize past managers.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A beef cattle competition at Little International, circa 1940-1941, took place at the livestock judging pavilion. It was where the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum is now located.

Little International celebrates 100th year at SDSU

SAGE THOMPSON Reporter

The 100th Little International will be from March 31- April 1 in the Animal Science Arena at SDSU.

Little International is the largest two-day competition where 2,000-plus students compete. The event has 164 people on staff and 40 committees that put on the contest and do the catalog, sponsorships and media. It is an animal science group open to all colleges and has contestants and professors outside of SDSU.

New things this year include sponsorships and committees for the 100th year of Little I. The committees that they have added are risk management and the 100th alumni committees.

Little I also doubled the dollar amount and increased the number of scholarships this year. Usually, Little I gives out three scholarships every year, but this year they have decided to give out four scholarships.

The amount of each scholarship varies. Last year, Little I gave out $2,000. This year Little I is giving out two that are $1,000 and another two that are $1,500.

The prerequisites for each scholarship are, according to 100th Little I Assistant Manager Isaac Berg, “That the student must be attending SDSU in the coming fall, to claim they got to claim that you got enrolled and prove your credits at SDSU, along with proving that you applied to be on staff and that you’re a high school senior.”

The Risk Management Committee is one of the new committees added for this year’s 100th Little I. The Risk Management Committee is responsible

for the safety of the event for everyone who attends.

“The Risk Management Committee helps with making sure the equipment staff has various safety training so that at the time of Little I weekend, they can do their jobs safely and efficiently,” Risk Management Committee Superintendent Lucas Tesch said.

The committee also has plans for emergency situations so officials can make sure that everyone is safe if any incident arises.

“We will also be monitoring the show throughout the weekend to make sure everyone is staying safe and address potential issues as needed,” Tesch said.

The 100th Alumni Committee is the other committee added this year. They have traditionally sponsored an alumni event at a pub close to Brookings, but this year officials decided to expand on that. The event is merging the outstanding alumni award with the alumni social to create the “Centennial Social” to mark the 100th Little I.

Previous winners of the round robin can participate in the Alumni Round Robin and the chili cook off. Aside from the social events, alumni haven’t played a significant role. Nevertheless, the staff always invites them to return to Brookings and support Little I.

“Some years we have alumni be the MCs, and they are always up for the distinguished alumni award, which is chosen by the Little I staff,” Supereminent of the 100th Annual Alumni Relations Committee Jessica Kott said.

Collegian file photo by SAM SCHOENBAUER (She/Her)

2022 Little International participants show their hogs during one of the swine showmenship events.

Enrollment cliff still worries administrators

KAITLYN LORANG Reporter

The looming threat of an academic “enrollment cliff” that has worried college administrators for several years may not be as bad as originally predicted.

In 2018, the book “Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education” was published by Nathan Grawe, professor of economics at Carleton College. According to Grawe, the number of college-aged students could drop almost 15% by 2026.

“Decisions in the next five years will be critical in determining whether institutions thrive or flounder,” Grawe said.

This 10-15% drop has become the topic of many conversations concerning higher education and came to be known as the “enrollment cliff.”

“There are things that we’ve been doing for a number of years that are really intended to change this trajectory for South Dakota State University,” said Michaela Willis, South Dakota State University vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

SDSU officials are saying some of the worries might be misplaced.

“While there will still be a drop, it may not be as significant as what has been projected,” Willis said.

The timeline is the biggest question academics are

concerned with when discussing the enrollment cliff. When will the enrollment cliff really happen?

This projected drop is because of the Great Recession, where the number of babies born from 20082010 declined, hence the enrollment cliff.

This means that there will be fewer students graduating high school, which means fewer people are likely to enroll in college.

“While it can look scary, I am not scared of it,” Willis said at the campus conversation information session in early March.

State demographer Weiwei Zhang said, “We will actually not be at our lowest in 2025, however following 2025, we really decline.”

Zhang also said the overall birth rate in the United States is declining. Officials are, however, growing more concerned with the 2038-2040 time period, as the 2020 pandemic caused a large decrease in the number of births.

As SDSU administration finishes the university strategic plan refresh, the strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan committee is beginning to come together. The SEM plan will be led by Willis and Victor Taylor, vice president for graduate education and extended studies.

The SEM plan committee will include 40 SDSU administrators, faculty and staff.

“We want to be incredibly inclusive in this process, to ensure we are getting as many voices at the table,” Willis said.

The committee had its first retreat in early March. The planning process will go through December 2023, and the SEM plan could go through 2028 or even 2030, according to Willis.

“(The SEM plan) would include targets for the university and goals in regard to enrollment, but then also action plans,” Shawn Helmbolt, director of SDSU Admissions and SEM plan committee member, said.

According to Helmbolt, the four major parts of the SEM plan include: recruitment and outreach, marketing, academic program development, and retention and student success.

Retention rates have increased by 5.7% in the last decade at SDSU, with rates being 73.5% in 2011 and 79.2% in 2022.

“As we have larger incoming classes, we have had lower retention rates, but overall, we have seen some nice growth,” Willis said.

SDSU also had its largest freshman class this past fall (2022) since 2017.

“Our percentage of growth in our first-year class in 2022 was higher than others. We are outperforming our peers and our competitors, which I think shows the strength of our university,” Willis said.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her)

Students walk across campus Tuesday, March 28. The enrollment cliff, where universities are expected to see a decline in enrollment, is set to impact campuses by 2026.

Another factor that drives enrollment is affordability. In 2022, about 31% of those who completed undergraduate degrees at SDSU had no federal debt, according to Willis.

“That is a pretty big deal,” she said. “We have seen a really great trend, that the average amount of student debt an SDSU student has when leaving SDSU is on a declining trend.”

SDSU administration is working on getting the pieces in place to combat the upcoming enrollment cliff.

“Our preparation and planning for how we counteract that enrollment cliff by really focusing on recruiting students of all types and providing support for students of all demographics could allow us to come through that process a little bit stronger than others,” Helmbolt said.

There are things that SDSU has already been working on that have made a difference in enrollment.

“We have been doing a number of things to grow our market share and expand in new and different ways,” Willis said. “Getting our brand out there, in a bigger and better way.”

Willis said that there will be opportunities for growth in the graduate market in online education. She anticipates that these areas will have more emphasis in the SEM plan.

Due to the lower number of births in the late 2000s, SDSU will need to start tapping into new markets and become more diverse with its offerings.

“Colleges will focus efforts a little bit more directly at non-traditional or adult learners, but it will be an opportunity to make up for a loss of traditional learners,” Helmbolt said. “It’s been a big part of the conversation: how do we focus our efforts on really developing different pathways for students to utilize.”

Helmbolt said that SDSU will be looking into how the university can adapt programs to offer more flexible options for all students, but especially the adult learner and non-traditional student market.

Another area that SDSU is focusing its enrollment efforts on is the Sioux Falls market.

SDSU Connect is a program that was started in hopes of building a strong connection between SDSU and Sioux Falls, because it is the fastest growing population center in the state of South Dakota. As of 2022, Sioux Falls had a population

of about 208,000.

“Our goal is to have every Sioux Falls middle school student have an experience on the SDSU campus before they enter high school,” Willis said.

This way of marketing SDSU’s brand will not have an effect on enrollment for quite some time, as the middle school students are a few years away from applying for college. However, there have been many benefits from the SDSU Connect opportunities seen so far.

“Minnesota has been the market that we continue to watch,” Willis said. “Many families are moving out of the rural communities to urban cities.”

Students are graduating college quicker than they ever had before, Helmbolt said, and that can also have a negative effect on overall total enrollment.

“Students stay in the system for less time,” he said. “Students graduating in three years is not out of the norm.”

With the rise in dual credit, students are more likely to come to SDSU with credits already completed. On average, students are coming into college with 10-15 credits completed, according to Helmbolt.

This recent trend may impact what

the total enrollment and retention looks like for SDSU, due to some students graduating early and only being in the system for three years.

However, Helmbolt said, “Our goal is just to graduate students.”

Willis also said the university is just a few students shy of being back to the same first-time student headcount as they were 12 years ago. In 2011, the firsttime student headcount was 2,241 students. In the fall of 2022, that number was 2,214 students.

Another key factor that impacts enrollment numbers are scholarships.

“In 2018-2019, SDSU was awarding about 53% of the incoming class a scholarship, while most of our competitors were awarding about 70% of their incoming class a scholarship,” Willis said.

According to Willis, SDSU has increased the percentage of first year students receiving a scholarship since then.

The Jackrabbit Guarantee has experienced some changes over the last couple of years:

• 2019: New scholarship grid (including ACT score of 22 and higher)

• 2021: Developed a new grid that

was test optional (GPA/ACT/ SAT) to increase access to higher education

• 2022: Enhanced the bottom right corner of the grid.

The South Dakota Freedom Scholarship started in fall 2022 and is the second needs-based scholarship in the state.

“For this next fall, we will have $1.7 million in South Dakota Freedom Scholarship money,” Willis said. “Our goal was to award a third of it to incoming students and 2/3 to returning students.”

The purpose of this scholarship was to increase graduation rates and improve the workforce. So far, there have been 485 recipients with 303 for continuing students and 182 for first-time freshmen.

“You can grow your enrollment by recruiting or enrolling more students, but you can also grow your enrollment by retaining and keeping those students,” Helmbolt said.

The SEM plan will be finalized this December and will include the efforts, strategies and goals to combat the upcoming enrollment cliff.

“We aren’t just focused on the next five to seven years, we are focused on really creating a sustainable future for

This graph shows the decline in birth rates from 2007 to 2020. This decline is what sparked the “enrollment cliff ” worries for many university administrations.

Jackrabbit Stampede returns to Swiftel Center

JAYCIE FORBES Reporter

The Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo returns to the Swiftel Center Friday and Saturday. Rodeo action kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, with events continuing into Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Fifteen schools from South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska will be traveling to Brookings for the two-day event.

Contestants will compete in events for bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, bull riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie roping. SDSU has one bull rider, 12 goat tiers, two steer wrestlers, five calf ropers, 16 team ropers and 26 barrel racers competing in this year’s rodeo.

“As we get closer to the rodeo my nerves are turning into excitement,” Jazz McGirr, a freshmen rodeo athlete, said. “I have been going to the Jackrabbit Stampede for as long as I can remember, it is exciting for me to finally be a contestant and be a Jackrabbit.”

An event like the Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo takes an extensive amount of

If You Go

When: March 31- April 1

Where: Swiftel Center

Cost: $20-$50 a ticket

Questions: (605) 692-7539

Tickets can be purchased at the Swiftel Center’s Active Heating Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com.

Mezzanine tickets can only be purchased at the Active Heating Box Office. General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 3 to 12 and kids under 2 are free. Tickets are $20 for students and first-row VIP seats are $50.

With every ticket sold, the SDSU rodeo club receives $3 per ticket. The club typically receives anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000 depending on the year and the number of tickets sold.

“We use the money raised to help pay for our travel expenses, practice stock feed, boarding facility and practice arena maintenance and renting the Swiftel Center Holding Barn for indoor practices when the weather is not good for being at our outdoor rodeo arena on campus,” Skovly said.

Start Your Career At

preparation and the SDSU Rodeo club begins planning at the end of November. Club members make sponsorship calls, create advertising posters and recruit members.

“They hire the best announcers, music technicians, bull fighters and pickup men that are available,” Ronald Skovly, rodeo coach, said “The performance times are fast paced and normally around two and a half hours or less.”

The Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo is run with the help of the six-generation Sutton Rodeo Company. Since the 1950’s, the Sutton family have brought the rodeo stock to almost every Jackrabbit Stampede.

Midco Sports Network will be airing the rodeo April 10, 11 and 12 for those unable to attend the event in person.

• Student loan repayment available through National Health Service Corp

• Hiring now for nursing and healthcare positions

• Internships and shadowing opportunities available

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In addition to a great working environment that serves real needs, we also offer competitive benefits.

Collegian file photo by SAM SCHOENBAUER (She/Her)

A member of the rodeo team attempts to rope a calf at the 2022 Jackrabbit Stampede rodeo.

“I have been going to the Jackrabbit Stampede for as long as I can remember, it is exciting for me to finally be a contestant.”

Jazz McGirr,

Freshman rodeo

member

SDSU rodeo team’s ‘Buckles and Bling’ event kicks off Jackrabbit Stampede

JESSOCA

Reporter

KOTT

The SDSU rodeo team is getting ready for the ninth annual Buckles and Bling fundraiser Thursday in Club 71 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

The event is geared toward kicking off the Jackrabbit Stampede, held March 31-April 1. Last year’s Buckles and Bling event had 275 people in attendance and raised over $28,000. The money is raised through silent auction items, live auction items and tables.

The money raised then goes to practice expenses for the team, as they have to rent the Swiftel Center during the winter for practices. The team also uses the money to buy or lease practice stock and feed them. Scholarships awarded at Buckles and Bling are given to incoming students and current team members.

Scholarship winners from Steer for State are also announced during the event. Steer for State is an opportunity for ranchers and farmers to donate a calf to the rodeo team, where it eventually goes to the SDSU research farm near Beresford and is then sold as fat cattle.

This event isn’t possible without coach Ron Skovly, his wife and the rodeo team.

“That night, everyone helps out,” Skovly said.

The team helps set up for the event, auctions off items and tears down at the end of the night. Each team member also has to help get auction items for the night and table sponsors. The president of the rodeo club manages the Calcutta, which is when people can bet on certain rodeo members, team info and accomplishments in the event program and profiles of team members.

The event also gives the rodeo team an opportunity to get dressed up and hang out with their friends and family outside of the practice arena. Senior rodeo team member Prairie Retzer has only gotten to experience two Buckles and Bling fundraisers due to COVID, but she said she is thankful for the community and those who attend the banquet and show up to support the rodeo team. Retzer also said the team enjoys meeting the supporters and interacting with them as well as showcasing the rodeo athletes.

“My favorite part of Buckles and Bling is seeing all the different businesses and community members come together to support SDSU rodeo and the Jackrabbit

Stampede,” Retzer said.

Skolvy said having the event right before the Jackrabbit Stampede is the best time so parents don’t have to make two trips to Brookings. It helps boost attendance for the event and the rodeo in the days to follow.

Before One Day for State, Buckles and Bling used to be the major fundraising event for the rodeo team, now, the event functions more as a tradition to kick off the Jackrabbit Stampede.

One of the event’s biggest supporters of this event is Dana Dykhouse and his wife LaDawn, who have sponsored the meal the last five years. They also donate a NFR and PBR package to the auction.

SDSU alumni members Jim Wooster and Don Richert are also frequent supporters.

SDSU’s rodeo program has a rich history of 1,200 rodeo team alumni dating back to its first meeting in 1952. The team is affiliated with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and it averages between 40-50 members a year. The event started in 2011, when President Barry Dunn took over as dean of CAFES and saw that Texas A&M had a fundraiser. The first event had around 120 people with over $9,000 raised at the event.

April event targets cancer

Bum

Bash raises awareness, money for health system

MARA WHEATON Lifestyles Editor (She/Her)

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but the Brookings Colorectal Cancer Awareness Program is working throughout the spring to help local residents learn more about risk factors and prevention.

BCCAP is a project launched in 2021 and led by public relations and advertising students from the South Dakota State University School of Communication and Journalism. It strives to educate people on colorectal cancer risk factors and inspire them to live healthy, preventive lifestyles.

This year, the Brookings Colorectal Cancer Awareness Program is hosting its first-ever Bum Bash from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 3 in the Volstorff Ballroom at the SDSU Student Union.

Admission to the event is free, but the main event is a team relay, which runs from 6:30 to 7 p.m. To participate in the relay, there is a $10 team entry fee, which is part of BCCAP’s fundraising for Brookings Health System. Attendees also can walk through a 20-foot inflatable colon, enter a gift basket drawing and meet Captain Colon, the BCCAP mascot.

Bum Bash sponsors are Brookings Health System, Culligan Water, Schadé, American Wingshooting Lodge, Muth Electric, First Bank & Trust, Summit Contracting Inc., The Mark Kasten Agency for State Farm and Brookings Radio.

“Our goal for this campaign is to promote open conversations about colorectal cancer,” Kallie Theisen, BCCAP

IF YOU’RE GOING

What: Bum Bash, an event to raise awareness of colorectal cancer

When: 6 to 7:30 p.m., April 3

Where: Volstorff Ballroom

Admission: Free, but if you want to participate in the main event team relay, then the fee is $10.

event coordinator, said. “We want to decrease the stigma surrounding colorectal cancer and encourage people to #HaveTheOTHERtalk with their families and friends.”

In 2022, the Brookings Colorectal Cancer Awareness Program donated more than $800 to Brookings Health System.

“Monies raised help Brookings Health spread awareness within our community about the importance of regular colorectal cancer screening,” Julia Yoder, marketing and PR director at Brookings Health System, said. “Brookings Health System and our Foundation are grateful for the funds BCCAP raises in support of colorectal cancer awareness.”

To learn more about BCCAP, visit their website at www.brookingsccap. org. or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

JACKS FACE BISON

After losing 2 of 3, Jackrabbits look ahead to NDSU

EVAN PATZWALD Co-Sports Editor (He/Him)

After dropping two of its last three games, the South Dakota State baseball team looks ahead to a three-game series against rival North Dakota State this weekend.

The series against NDSU was originally supposed to be played at Erv Huether Field in Brookings. But due to unplayable field conditions, the series was moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa. There will be a doubleheader March 31 followed by the series finale April 1 in Omaha.

“It’s difficult, but we’re really fortunate to have good partners,” Bishop said. “Western’s gonna allow us to play there on Friday down in Council Bluffs, the folks at Omaha are going to let us piggyback with them on Saturday so neither of those places would have to do that.”

Coach Rod Bishop knows how tough it is going to be playing the defending regular season Summit League champions on a neutral site but wants the game to be decided on the field and says there are no excuses with the games.

“They’re a great team, they’re really athletic,” Bishop said of NDSU. “They’ve had the same front two rotation guys since they were true freshmen, so a lot of experience there. Tyler always does a great job with the pitchers. And they’re a pretty dynamic offense, so I expect it to be a good challenge and definitely a challenge for our hitters so this will be a truly good test for us.”

The Bison are 5-18 overall this season. They opened up their conference schedule last weekend against Omaha, winning two of the three games.

Peter Brookshaw leads NDSU in batting average (.327) and home runs (eight) and is third on the team in RBIs (19). Druw Sackett leads in RBIs with 21.

For the Jackrabbits, senior Ryan McDonald has been their best player at the plate. He leads the team in home runs (eight) RBIs (16) and batting average (.380). Dawson Parry is second on the team in batting average, hitting .377 and has 14 RBIs this season.

For the pitching staff, both Ryan Bourassa and Jake Goble have an earned run average under four. Bourassa leads with a 3.31 ERA and Goble is second at 3.78.

SDSU opened up Summit League play last weekend and dropped two of its three games against Northern Colorado.

The Jacks lost the first of their doubleheader Friday 9-7 before winning 17-3 in seven innings afterwards. They wrapped up the series with a 9-6 loss on Sunday.

The Jacks (5-14, 1-2) trailed 4-1 after the first inning but tied things up after the fifth, at five runs apiece. They took a two-run lead in the seventh, both scores coming from Parry. The Bears then scored four more runs in the bottom of the eighth to take back the lead after a three-run home run from Caden Wagner.

Northern Colorado (4-16, 2-1) had the advantage in hits in the game at 10-8, with Parry and Nic Nelson having three

SERIES INFO

• The Jacks and Bison were supposed to play in Brookings in what would’ve been SDSU’s first home games of the season. Due to unplayable conditions in Brookings, the series was moved to Council Bluffs.

• The doubleheader is March 31 at 12 p.m. and at 3 p.m. The series finale is April 1 at 7 p.m. in Omaha.

hits each for SDSU.

In the second game of the day, the Jacks came out firing with 17 runs, a season-high and 16 hits, their second-most of the season so far. Goble held the Bears to four hits in five innings.

“He’s just an awesome kid,” Bishop said of Goble. “He’ll do whatever you ask and just has come out and competed really hard for us. In both of those starts, he’s been in trouble early and pitched his way through it and given us five strong. That’s what you need out of your starter.”

In the final game of the series, the Jacks found themselves trailing the whole game and were never able to come back from it. They lost 9-6 after the Bears had back-to-back three-run innings in the second and third.

“We hit a lot of balls on the last day, we just really couldn’t get our footing,” Bishop said after the Jacks’ 14th loss of the year. “We were playing from behind early. It’s kind of like being down 15 in a basketball game where you use all your energy to get back into it. Our guys fought hard, and we played hard, we just didn’t play particularly well on the mound or defensively.”

Photo by DAVE EGGEN/INERTIA

The Jackrabbit baseball team after a game at Erv Huether Field last season. The Jackrabbits are struggling this season with a 5-14 record. They hope to turn things around against NDSU this weekend.

STRIVING TO BE WELL

STUDENT-ATHLETES INCORPORATING YOGA INTO THEIR WEEKLY ROUTINES.

Football players Jason Freeman and Adam Bock are some of the many athletes that have found yoga routines to be very effective.

OAKLEY JANDREAU Reporter

South Dakota State University athletes are incorporating more yoga into their training regimens, and they are liking the results they’re seeing.

B|Well Company, a workout studio in Brookings and Sioux Falls, has recently brought yoga for athletes to many SDSU sports teams. In season and offseason athletes are working with Bri Fiedler, the founder, and owner of B|Well to find success for the Jackrabbits.

Fielder said the SDSU women’s basketball team was the first to start taking advantage of B|Well’s services about a year ago. The football, soccer and golf teams are also taking up the exercise. The football team was very consistent with visiting B|Well during this past season that ended with a national championship.

The concept of yoga for athletes has been an increasing trend within the health and fitness world. B|Well Company has also expanded to a Sioux Falls location and the Augustana athletes are also starting to partake.

“More and more programs are starting to understand and notice the benefits of incorporating flexibility and mobility exercises,” Fiedler said.

B|Well offers many workout classes but the SDSU teams participating are working on some specific areas.

“In season we focus on mobility and flexibility and the benefits of those two combined will enhance their performance, as well as help with injury prevention and recovery,” Fiedler said.

During the offseason, they strive to incorporate more active mobility work. The goal is to work muscle groups that are sometimes neglected and missed during lifting and other weight-training exercises.

Kaycee Manding, a junior defender for the Jackrabbit soccer team, said she has enjoyed attending

yoga workouts and has found success within them.

“Bri does an excellent job balancing stretching while firing muscles, which is important with recovery,” Manding said. “She also has focused on targeting and strengthening muscles to help prevent ACL injuries.”

The soccer team hosted Fiedler as a guest speaker for the team last year. They also attended B|Well workouts a couple of times last year, but they have been more consistent this semester.

“I have seen substantial changes in my athletic performance,” Manding said, crediting the yoga.

The soccer team is currently doing B|Well workouts once a week in replacement of a team lift workout.

“I am very grateful for the SDSU strength coaches to trust me with their athletes and believe in my work,” Fiedler said.

Many football players are also attending B|Well once a week. This includes defensive end Quinton Hicks and linebacker Adam Bock.

“I started doing yoga at B|Well the first week it was available to the SDSU football team, which was the week after the Iowa game,” Hicks said. “Football is a physical sport and doing this the day after to loosen up your body has been great for long-term recovery.”

The football team often does workouts in the infrared heated room. Heat provides physical benefits to the body as well as mental.

“The muscle tissue in your body will soften at a

quicker rate with the heat helping the workout be more efficient as well,” Fiedler said.

Football athletes have gone and continue to attend B|Well on Sundays. They say effective recovery is a big reason they enjoy it so much.

“Being able to start the upcoming week fresh after a stretching session is a big benefit,” Bock said.

The football team has stayed consistent with B|Well since the Iowa game at the beginning of the season, including all the way up to the national championship. Fiedler even met with the football team in Frisco, Texas, to help prepare them for the final game.

“It was great to be a part of that season and to be able to play a really small role in their success,” Fiedler said.

Hicks was happy to see Fiedler in Frisco and offered this explanation, “I am very superstitious, and after we started to go to B|Well we never lost a game so I could not miss a workout.”

Hicks has also dealt with hip flexor, hamstring and groin injuries in prior seasons. This past season, those injuries were far less frequent for Hicks.

Fiedler is a former collegiate athlete, and she says that experience has given her the advantage to work with the student-athlete population.

“I understand what the athletes want and have figured out how to package it in a way that keeps them interested and engaged,” she said.

The rise of South Dakota State University athletic teams working with B|Well Company is happening fast, and Fiedler has been grateful and excited about these opportunities.

“Bri and everyone at B|Well has been super generous with their time and talents,” Bock said. “You can just tell they care about our success and helping us find ways to get that edge in recovery and overall health.”

Photos SUBMITTED

The SDSU football team after a session at B|Well. The team went every Sunday all season after their season-opener against Iowa.

“I have seen substantial changes in my athletic performance.”

Kaycee Manding, defender on the soccer team

Softball prepares for Summit schedule

SKYLER JACKSON Sports Editor (He/Him)

The South Dakota State softball team is past its halfway point of the season and is now getting ready for Summit League play this weekend.

The Jackrabbits were originally supposed to begin conference play last weekend against Western Illinois, but that series was postponed due to circumstances regarding an off-campus incident in Macomb Friday.

Now the Jacks look ahead to a threegame series on the road against St. Thomas, a doubleheader Saturday and another game Sunday, to begin their Summit League schedule.

The Tommies are 8-21 overall this season in only their second year in Division I. They began their Summit League schedule last weekend against Omaha where they lost the first two games before the third one was canceled.

Shortstop Brooke Ellestad has been St. Thomas’ best offensive player this season. She leads the team in batting average (.388), home runs (four) and RBIs (19). Avery Wukawitz is second on the team in batting average, hitting .321 this year.

Ella Cook leads the St. Thomas pitching staff in ERA at 3.93 and in strikeouts with 29. Their leader in wins is Isabelle True, who has a 6-7 record.

They are matching up against a Jackrabbit team that beat them three times last season. In those three games, The Jacks outscored the Tommies 25-1.

This season, SDSU’s leader in batting average is sophomore infielder Mia Jarecki at .347. Rozelyn Carrillo leads the Jacks in both home runs (six) and RBIs (25) and is third in batting average (.248).

On the Jackrabbit pitching staff, Tori Kniesche has a 10-4 record and leads the team in ERA (2.73) and strikeouts (91). Shannon Lasey has a 7-6 record with 72 strikeouts and a 3.63 ERA this season.

It’s been a busy, up-and-down season for the Jackrabbits so far. They are currently 17-14 overall with more losses this season than they had all of last season. Because of the busy schedule, there haven’t been many opportunities to rest up

FIRST HOME SERIES

• SDSU’s first home series will be next weekend against Omaha at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. The series starts with a doubleheader April 7 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Then, the series finale will be April 8 at noon.

and practice. The Jacks have now gotten opportunities to do so in the last week.

“We look at this situation and say, ‘man three less games’,” coach Kristina McSweeney said. “But we also look at it like ‘we got to rest up, we got to be able to work on some things that we needed to work on, we got to intersquad and face each other and we got to do some things in preparation a strong show this coming week.”

The Jacks also faced tough oppo -

nents in the non-conference schedule, having matched up against five nationally ranked opponents. The first ranked opponent that faced was No. 3 Oklahoma State for two games in Stillwater March 4 and 5. Both games resulted in shutout losses.

SDSU then faced No. 6 Stanford March 10 at the Jayhawk Invitational in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jacks were again shut out 6-0. They then traveled to Norman, Oklahoma March 13 to take on the top-ranked Sooners, where SDSU lost 8-0 in five innings.

No. 20 Baylor was next in a March 15 doubleheader in Waco, Texas. In the first game, the Jacks started quickly, scoring a run in the first inning and then four more in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. From there, SDSU held on to earn its first win over a ranked opponent in program history.

The Jackrabbits’ last games on the non-conference schedule were in Wichita, Kansas. After two wins against Northern Colorado, the Jacks faced

23rd-ranked Wichita State. They nearly picked up their second ranked win, but the Shockers responded with three runs in the final at-bat to come up with a 4-3 victory.

“I don’t think they give themselves enough credit of how resilient they have been,” McSweeney said. “We passed our test and we’re just going to get better.”

With the conference slate beginning this weekend, the reigning Summit League champions look to continue their recent dominance over the rest of the conference. They’ve gone 39-3 in the Summit League over the last two years and are expected to continue that run this year.

“You have to be mentally tough, and you have to be able to get through some hurdles to be able to say, ‘now we’re going to go into conference play, we have a title to defend, and we have all these things that we want to do in conference,’” McSweeney said.

Photo by EMMA PRAVECEK

Jackrabbit outfielder Jocelyn Carrillo swings the bat in a NCAA softball game against Kansas March 12 at the Jayhawk Invitational. The Jacks faced Kansas in a doubleheader and the teams split the two games. SDSU won the first 2-1 and Kansas won the second 5-3.