Oct. 7, 2020 by SDSU Collegian

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NEWS

SA recognizes October as LGBTQ History Month GRACIE TERRALL News Editor (She/Her) During the Oct. 5 Students’ Association meeting, the Senate voted on passing Resolution 20-09-R, which recognized October as LGBTQ History Month at South Dakota State University. “I think this is an imp ortant step for the LGBTQ community at SDSU,” Gender and Sexuality Alliance member Willow Dean said. “We do a large amount of retention counseling among our members to make sure they know that there is a space for them here at SDSU.” Debate over this reso-

lution included a lack of representation for other minority groups and the need to show LGBTQ students that SDSU supports them. “The idea of this is to be inclusive, but when you start talking about this one little group here, there are so many other groups we need to honor and respect,” Senator Caleb Huizaenga said. “It feels like this bill itself is very exclusive and doesn’t include everybody into it.” However, according to resolution sponsor Mosharraf Hossain, the purpose behind the bill is to recognize and support LGBTQ students, who are underrepresented at SDSU.

“They want to celebrate and acknowledge their civil rights achievements throughout this month, and I don’t see a problem with this resolution,” Hossain said. Senator Briar Peterson moved to postpone the resolution to the Oct. 19 meeting in order to rewrite the resolution to include all minority groups. Senators and ex officios in favor of postponing the bill wanted other underrepresented groups, such as veterans and American Indian students, to have a month recognized by SA as well. However, Ty Ducheneaux, the representative for the American Indian Student

Association, was opposed to the postponement. “We do not feel sidestepped or ignored,” Ducheneaux said. “It is actually pretty cool to see another underrepresented minority get a little

bit of recognition. I don’t know how far we can push this oﬀ, it takes away from their message.” The postponing of the resolution to Oct. 12 failed. The Senate then passed the resolution with 23

votes in favor; four senators abstained their votes. “For a lot of people, it doesn’t bear a great signiﬁcance, but for the GSA and the people who identify as LGBTQ, it means a lot,” Hossain said.

Collegian graphic by HOLLIE LEGGETT (She/Her)

THANK YOU STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF!

#JacksForAll

We’ve made it to the halfway point of the semester, and we couldn’t have done it without your help and support. Let’s finish this!

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NEWS

October 7, 2020

Board of Regents considers spring calendar changes COLETTE GANNON Reporter (She/Her) One concern circulating around South Dakota State University is how the spring semester is going to look this academic year. The South Dakota Board of Regents is holding a meeting Oct. 7 to answer this question. SDSU is one of the six public universities under the Board of Regent jurisdiction affected by the potential changes to the Spring 2021 academic calendar. Over the past several weeks, while discussing these alterations, board members have taken into consideration public

health policy and the spring break period. “With all stakeholders, including the Board of Regents Executive Committee and the Council of Presidents, it is recommended that no changes be made to the calendar for Spring 2021 at this time,” the agenda read. The non-course days scheduled for Spring 2021 are Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 8-12 and April 5. “This fall semester has been full steam ahead with no breaks at all until Thanksgiving … having less breaks next semester wouldn’t be much of a change,” SDSU freshman Nicole Schilling said. “The spring semester is when a lot of students can

get burnt out though, and I think that spring break is a really important time to reset partway through in order to keep students motivated and energized.” According to the committee, the recommendation to make no changes

wearing, hybrid courses and seating capacity have helped in slowing the spread of COVID-19. “The deciding factors for any change will include health and safety of the university community, potential for impact

Holidays for Spring 2021    

January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) February 15 (President’s Day) March 8-12 (Spring Break) April 2 (Good Friday)

to the Spring 2021 academic calendar also came in recognition that mitigation strategies like mask-

on academic programs and impact on students and staﬀ,” Dennis Hedge, SDSU’s provost and vice

president of academic aﬀairs said. The agenda item said that a committee had been assigned to investigate options for the Spring 2021 calendar, even collaborating with an epidemiologist “to gain a public health perspective.” The committee includes academic vice presidents from SDSU, Black Hills State University and University of South Dakota. During the SDSU Students’ Association meeting Monday, Oct. 5, Senators unanimously passed a resolution to support the retention of non-course days. “When talking to students across the campus, I overwhelmingly heard

the ﬁve days a week over and over again was getting kind of taxing for students,” SA Vice President Reis Bruley said. The discussion of the Spring 2021 academic calendar comes just after the Board of Regents reviewed their face covering protocol Sept. 22, affirming that Level 3– which requires facemasks in all indoor public spaces on campus– will remain in effect for all SDBOR institutions until further notice. The committee’s conclusion on the Spring 2021 calendar will be live-streamed via Zoom, for which the link can be found on the SDBOR website.

Collegian graphic by HOLLIE LEGGETT (She/Her)

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NEWS

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October 7, 2020

Signature requirements reduce likelihood of ballot measures in 2022 TIM MORGAN Reporter (He/Him) COVID-19 may keep initiated measures or constitutional amendments oﬀ the 2022 ballot in South Dakota. In South Dakota, citizens can get changes to state laws or amendments to the state constitution on the ballot through popular referendum— if a proposal can collect enough signatures. T h e nu m b e r o f required signatures to make the ballot in 2022 is 16,961 for an initiated measure and 33,921 for a constitutional amendment. The Secretary of

State’s office reported no new petitions were approved for circulation this year. Petition sponsors generally have up to 24 months to collect enough signatures to put their proposal on the ballot. Any new petitions filed after Nov. 3 will have half that time, with the petition deadline one year before the 2022 election. “I declined more than one invitation to help circulate petitions and even to just come to an event to sign a petition,” said Cory Heidelberger, a leader of a group called SD Voice that has circulated many petitions in past years. “I talked with some

other activists about their interest in circulating referendum petitions after the Legislature adjourned at the end of March,” Heidelberger said. “But no one took such petitions out this year, I suspect specifically because the pandemic made it too difﬁcult and too dangerous to gather signatures by the usual means.” Sponsors of this election’s initiated measure think they dodged a bullet. “Our volunteers [traditionally] gravitated towards concerts, college campuses, downtown Sioux Falls and places where there would be a lot of people,” ﬁeld director

for New Approach South Dakota Ned Horsted said. Which the group is hoping to avoid during the pandemic. Horsted’s organization was responsible for getting Initiated Measure 26 on the ballot for 2020, a medical marijuana proposal, following nearly a decade of work and three previous failed petition drives.

Petitions drives are also necessary to put candidates on the ballot in South Dakota. “We started two weeks into January and had most of it done by the time COVID-19 hit,” Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Dan Ahlers said. He claimed he was fortunate to have gotten an early start, since winter

months are generally more difficult for gathering signatures. “We had a great group of volunteers. We put the word on social media and ran drive-up petition drives,” Ahlers said, explaining how he adjusted to the pandemic.

Read full story online at sdsucollegian.com

Collegian graphic by OMAR IMRAN (He/Him)

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LIFESTYLES

Professionals of color panel helps students find their magic

Collegian photo by MEGAN BERTSCH (She/Her) Senior Instructional Designer, Ju-yu Chang, spoke as a member of the professionals of color panel during the Build Your Own Brand series hosted by the Multicultural Center Sept. 25.

MEGAN BERTSCH Copy Editor (She/Her) The Multicultural Center wrapped up their Build Your Own Brand week with a professionals of color panel Sept. 25. The panel included professionals currently working at South Dakota State University, as well as guests sharing their advice when searching for a job as a minority. Erica Moore director of the American Indian Student Center (AISC), served as moderator for the panel. Guests included AISC programs c o o rd i n a t o r A m b e r Morseau, senior instructional designer Ju-yu Chang, Chief Diversity Officer Kas Williams, Native American student recruiter Aubrey Hendrixon, Multicultural Latino Retention Advisor Florencio Aranda, Retention Advisor for African American pro-

grams Alex Wood and Delvin Joyce a financial planner from North Carolina and former football player for the New York Giants. One common theme of the panel was how to deal with feeling different from others and selling what makes each person from different backgrounds unique. Alexis (Lex) Hundley, a junior nursing student from Sioux City, explained how she felt connected to the panel. “I thought it was wonderful. I thought they provided some really great insight, especially being a minority myself,” Hundley said. “I think it was really great to just see the minorities that are around us in the community that we have here.” Even as the professionals they are now, the guests of the panel explained their own struggles with this as students and how they eventually

used that to drive them forward. “What led me to where I am today is I really didn’t have a whole lot of folks that looked like me in higher education, and that kind of made me mad,” Morseau said. “Part of my magic is my identity, and that’s really what drove me to be here.” On the panel, they discussed their “magic,” or how their unique identities contribute to their brand as professionals. Each guest had a different definition of their own magic and encouraged students to embrace what makes them different. “I think your special magic is you. You gotta be yourself. Not your Friday night self, bring your LinkedIn self,” Williams said. Aranda described how his previous experiences led him to better connect with his students now. In interviews, he recommends taking these expe-

riences and combining them with professional qualifications to paint a genuine picture of who you are and what sets you apart. “I was that remedial student, that first generation college student of minority, low socio-economic status at a predominantly white institution,” Aranda said. “I feel that lived experience is what truly helped me get to where I am here; it continues to drive my work because I’m able to connect with students because I’ve been there, I’ve done it and I get it.” Joyce also mentioned this feeling of “impostor syndrome” that once held him back. He described one of his first interviews out of college at a marketing firm in a high rise building in Washington D.C. He stepped into a beautiful conference room and was interviewed by three older white men. “They looked like they

had money. I didn’t grow up with money. I wanted Nikes and my parents bought ‘Sikes,’” Joyce said. “When you’re in these situations, something might be telling you that you don’t belong there, that you’re not good enough to be there.” Joyce said that was the worst interview of his life, but he’s since turned it around, is head of his own financial firm and makes it his mission to help those with first-generation wealth like himself. He now sees that interview he had as an opportunity. He could have been the only one they saw that day that looked like him and had his unique background that he could offer their organization. “So the thing that I would tell you, the thing that I learned, is that regardless of the circumstances that you may have come from, that is actually your superpower,” Joyce said.

According to Hundley, that part in particular really spoke to her as a student, where she feels she is often the only one in the room who’s different. “I think that was really nice and I kind of really related to that, just not seeing as many people here that I’m used to and it just being kinda different with Brookings being a smaller town,” she said. Hundley described how she is glad there are events like this at SDSU ,and she thinks they are important to provide information and diverse visibility for all students. “I really think it just gives people that maybe aren’t the minority a perspective from minority people and they can kind of provide that support,” Hundley said. “Also if you are a minority, you can really relate to it and you get advice from people who have been there and experienced that and know how to deal with it.”

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From A1

COFFEE

Cottonwood Coﬀee expands home base and local brews

Collegian photos by CHRISTINE MOENING (She/Her) Cottonwood Coffee roasts coffee beans in-house to create a signature taste for the Cottonwood brand. The shop is in the works to wholesale their beans and create pods to be used in single-serve coffee makers.

CHRISTINE MOENING Reporter (She/Her) The aroma of coffee fills the room as Jacob Limmer, proud owner of Cottonwood Coffee lets the freshly roasted beans spin to cool. With a keen eye on his computer, monitoring the temperature of the beans, Limmer works to perfect his next roast. “I would say the most important thing about roasting is really understanding how to interpret the results of the roast and to optimize the quality of the coﬀee,” Limmer said. Cottonwood is expanding its business in a variety of ways, including opening up a new seating section at the downtown location and adding more products for sale on their website. The new space downtown features more seating and many outlets

for coffee lovers to sit, sip and enjoy in a quieter, more private setting as compared to the bustling front of the location. “When I study, I like to have a little bit of noise, but not a lot,” South Dakota State University nursing student Emily Buysse said. “It’s big enough that there can be other people, but it’s not super big, so it’s not loud or obnoxious.” Limmer opened the downtown Cottonwood location in 2006 as a way to make extra income over the winter in the offseason of farming. Selftaught, he started roasting beans in 2012 when he saw an opportunity to source quality beans and make specialty coffee. “[Cottonwood roasting its own beans] adds value to (our) products, offers customers a unique coffee and ensures quality control with the potential to

expand into the wholesale market,” Limmer said. Reservations are available for private events, groups and more. In the future, a glass wall with a view into the roasting room will be installed for

Further expansions include coffee pods of Cottonwood’s signature blends, which became available for purchase online in the last month. These single-serve pods can be used in

“I would say the most important thing about roasting is really understanding how to interpret the results of the roast and to optimize the quality of the coﬀee.” JACOB LIMMER OWNER OF COTTONWOOD COFFEE customers to get a look at the roasting process. “I’m excited for a new space to study in, a bigger space and more outlets,” Melinda Desmith, a Cottonwood customer and SDSU nursing student said. “I drink coﬀee often. So I’m interested to see how it’s roasted and how it’s made.”

a Keurig or other single-serve coffee makers, and come in the choice of an eight-pack or 20-pack. Customers can expect to see the new coffee pods in-store by mid-October. Bags of roasted coﬀee and other products can also be purchased at cottonwoodcoﬀee.com. C o tto nwo o d a l s o

seeks to wholesale their custom-roasted beans. “We target wholesale clients,” Limmer said. He tells clients, “If we’re not as good or better and cheaper, then don’t use us.” Desmith chooses Cottonwood for the coffee and the atmosphere and describes Cottonwood coffee as tasting better and fresher than other coffee shops. “I like to come here with friends to get coffee or to study,” she said. “I’m also excited to try the k-cups because I really like their coffee.” Someday, Cottonwood hopes to transition into directly sourcing its beans, initially from Central America and to establish relationships with the farmers who grow their beans. That way, Cottonwood will have access to higher quality products.

With direct-sourcing beans, Limmer said that he can guarantee “that our company’s values and our farmers’ values are aligned.” Cottonwood roasts 150 to 250 pounds of beans each roast day. With roasting about three days per week, the goal by the end of the year is to increase that volume by 400%. According to Limmer, the roast numbers already have tripled since Cottonwood started roasting its own beans. With an accelerated plan, Cottonwood is preparing for growth in the next few years. “Anybody can come run this,” Limmer said about the roaster. “The biggest differentiator between good roasters and just average lies in whether one knows what you roasted is good, or not good enough.”

October 7, 2020

NEWS

A8 October 7, 2020

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OPINION

The Jackrabbit wears Prada

Affordable ways to dress up your Jackrabbit apparel ANDRE GARY-MACK Opinion Editor (He/Him) It’s not lapis, it’s not turquoise: it’s actually blue, paraphrasing a quote from “The Devil Wears Prada,” an iconic movie in cinematic history and in fashion. But what does this have to do with being a Jackrabbit at South Dakota State University? All too often as college students, we start to get comfortable in sweats and a T-shirt or gym clothes; while they may be designer, they should only be worn in the gym. Never fear, there is a way to change that narrative. You can be comfortable and still presentable for class, be it in-person or Zoom. During the pandemic, we have become really comfortable with dressing down. Hobo chic has infiltrated our homes at the start of the pandemic and has taken a new form. Since then, it has traveled with students to their respective college dorms, apartments and classrooms. How do we combat this athleisure dilemma

Volume 136 • Issue 6

while showing our school spirit? The answer is simple: add denim. Just because we are in a weird phase of online classes and social distancing does not mean that we shouldn’t care about our appearance. It is actually proven that, and yes this is going to sound very cliche, when you look good, you feel good. So if you are going to decide to wake up and put on just a T-shirt and sweats, elevate the look. Put on a pair of jeans. Put on your best denim, pair it with your favorite comfy Jacks T-shirt and partner that with the freshest shoes you own. This not only allows you to look great and full of love for your educational institution, but also sends the message that you care, you have self-respect and respect for your classmates and professors. How do you do this on a college students budget you may ask? Well, the answer is simple. Walmart and Target have always been very good friends of mine. The Walmart here in Brookings, aside from the school bookstore, can be your best friend for all things Jackrabbit apparel.

I have purchased T-shirts, hoodies and sweats from Walmart. While we do not have a Target near campus, the online store is just as amazing. It is important to keep the momentum going when you dress for class. I make the effort to get dressed, not necessarily in black tie, but at least make the effort, even when attending my classes via Zoom. It sets the tone for the flow of my day. It allows me to have a much more enjoyable and accomplished day while exuding confidence. SDSU is like a live Pinterest board, filled with ideas on what to wear. No matter what the occasion is, whether it’s for class, an interview or just hanging out with friends, it is always important to remember that the world is watching. Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. A sleek yet comfortable shoe, pants and a graphic tee can never go out of style. I can guarantee that you will feel nothing shy of amazing, and your fellow classmates will take notice.

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.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Fashion studies major, Kate Groeneweg wears a Jackrabbit top with a pair of ripped jeans and white shoes to spruce up her spirit wear.

Emily Seaton Editor-in-Chief

J. Michael Bertsch Managing Editor

Jordan Rusche

Gracie Terrall

Andre Gary-Mack

Frankie Herrera

Omar Imran

Hollie Leggett

Lillie Albers

Megan Bertsch

Josie Nelson

Elise Heesch

Lifestyles Editor

Graphic Designer Ad Sales Representative & Designer

News Editor

Graphic Designer Ad Manager

Opinion Editor

Public Relations Coordinator

Lesly Abarca

Ad Sales Representative

Photo Chief Copy Editor

Emily Urban

Ad Sales 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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OPINION

October 7, 2020

EDITORIAL Issue: No breaks during the semester is draining for students We’re tired. After 35 days of online, in-person or hybrid classes and 35 more days to go, we’re sure you are too. In a “normal” semester, there would have been a long weekend for Labor Day, a break this Monday for Native American Day and a day off for Veterans’ Day in November. Though a one-day break may seem minuscule when looking at a whole semester, these breaks played an important role for students — a chance to catch up, a chance to relax or a chance to get away. It’s important to remember, even though we don’t have extra days off, that taking breaks is crucial to productivity and our mental state. In a study led by the University

of Illinois, students who take breaks while studying allowed them to remain focused when working. Students also saw no drop in their performance over time if they gave themselves breaks. This semester has, and will continue to demand students to stay resilient, get creative and adapt daily. Staying focused and motivated does not go without challenges though, and students must remember to give themselves a break. Time is a scarce, valuable resource. Just like your paycheck, it’s best for everyone if you can save some for your own use. Budget your time throughout the week, and use it on yourself. This doesn’t have to be a weekend or a whole day. Finish your homework early on Wednesday. Cook a meal.

Watch Ratatouille. Paint something cool. Read a book. Whatever. It’s your time, and that’s important. This isn’t always possible, we know that. Especially during midterms, we can’t be expected to have free nights every week. The semester drags on whether we have time or not, leading to a cycle of classes, homework, sleep, repeat. A monotonous routine can cause loss of passion and a downturn in motivation though there’s an entire second half of the semester to go. Break the routine. Take your Zoom class outside with your morning cup of coffee. Ride your bike to class when you usually drive. These things, while not being wholly unproductive, can give your brain a rest from the harsh

The Collegian 10/7/20 Crossword

CROSSWORD Across 1 Cheese ingredient 6 Lance 11 Sayonara 14 Musical drama 15 Flexible joint 16 Quarrel 17 Shylock 19 Wrath 20 Insects 21 Cervid 22 Zealous 24 Croat 26 Prejudice 28 Byways (Abbr.) 31 Obvious solution 36 Ways of life 38 Mine Feature 39 Scintilla 40 Venezuela copper center 43 Hearts, for example 44 Novelist Morrison 45 Fleur-de ___ 46 Passage 47 Stamped, as an actor 51 Always (Poet.) 52 Section (Abbr.)

53 Emulators 55 Engine 58 Couple 59 Roman statesman 63 Garden resident 64 Buring with emotion 68 Scurried 69 Fr. river 70 Monotone 71 Golfer Ernie 72 Pulls hard 73 Transmits Down 1 Med. condition 2 Abreast of 3 Hire 4 Apparel 5 Articulate 6 Cancel 7 Light shade of red 8 Cease 9 Epoch 10 Peruse again 11 Penal facility 12 Time past 13 Pitcher 18 Vault

Across 1 Cheese ingredient 23 Birthplace 6 Lanceof St. Francis11 Sayonara 14 Musical drama 25 Definite article (Sp.) 15 Flexible joint 16 Quarrel 26 Football's Starr 17 Shylock 27 Texas 19town Wrath 20 Insects 28 Squabbles 21 Cervid 29 Fortune telling 22 Zealous card 24 Croat 30 Gem26 Prejudice 32 Loud28 Byways (Abbr.) 31 Obvious 33 Abode 34 Helpfulsolution 36 Ways of life 35 Spud, some 38 to Mine feature 37 Coiffure 39 Scintilla 40 Venezuela 41 Splatter copper center 42 Actor Brad 41 Pomeranian 46 Beverage 43 Hearts, for 48 Spookily example 49 Lulls44 Novelist Morrison 50 Verse form 45 Fleur-de-____ 54 Sports stat 46 Passage 55 Bare47 Stamped, as an 56 Egg-shaped actor 51 Always (Poet.) 57 Decades 52 Section (Abbr.) 58 Sinister 53 Emulators 60 Soon55 Engine 61 Take58care of Couple Roman 62 Lyric59poems statesman 63 Garden resident 64 Burning with emotion

demands of rigorous college life. We know you’re all sick of reading about the “unprecedented times” mentioned in nearly every email salutation, but it’s true. This pandemic is a monumentous, world-changing event that will shape the nature of education for generations to come. It does not make sense to treat it like a normal school year. Take advantage of every tool at your disposal, especially the counseling services offered by the university. We’re drained and stressed. They’re trained to help with exactly that. The Collegian Editorial Board meets weekly and agrees on the issue of the editorial. The editorial represents the opinion of The Collegian.

PuzzleJunction.com

22 26

58 65

57 66

Ratite bird 68 65 Scurried 69 66 Fr. Rowlock river 70 67 Monotone Egos 71 Golfer Ernie 72 Pulls hard 73 Transmits

10 11 12 13 18 23

Down

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Med. condition Abreast of Hire Apparel Articulate Cancel Light shade of red 8 Cease 9 Epoch

27 28 29 30 32 33 34

SUDOKU

PuzzleJun

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

The Collegian 10/7/20 Sudoku 19

25 31

11 16

21 24

Peruse again Penal facility Time past Pitcher Vault Birthplace of St. Francis Deﬁnite article (Sp.) Football’s Starr Texas town Squabbles Fortune telling card Gem Loud Abode Helpful

35 37 41 42 46 48 49 50 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 65 66 67

Spud, to some Coiffure Splatter Actor Brad Beverage Spookily Lulls Verse form Sports stat Bare Egg-shaped Decades Sinister Soon Take care of Lyric poems Ratite bird Rowlock Egos

3 4 1 8 4 3 5 5 6 8 9 4 7

5 8 1 9

7 1

3 1

Contact sdsuadvertising@gmail.com to sponsor this puzzle!

Solution

A10 OPINION

sdsucollegian.com October 7, 2020

President’s message to the students BARRY DUNN President of SDSU I want to personally thank you for your continued efforts and the commitment you have made these past several weeks to your educational opportunities at South Dakota State University. Today marks the halfway point of the semester. We will have completed 35 days of on-campus instruction and have 35 more to go in order to reach our goal of being in the classrooms until Thanksgiving. The COVID-19 pan-

demic has impacted all of us, and it is something that has not been easy at times. We all recognize the impact it has had to the traditional college experience, but the commitment you are making to your educational journey will be remembered for years. We want to be the university that ﬁnished both the fall and spring semesters in the classroom and not one of the many universities throughout the country that needed to go fully online due to the pandemic. All of us have experienced various levels of

anxiety, stress and frustration toward COVID-19. I understand. But your commitment to your education and the ability of the university to provide the best educational opportunities in these unprecedented times is what is going to help our state, region and even the country recover. The recovery will need to occur with our economy, the social well-being of our communities and even within our own families and groups of friends. As future graduates of SDSU, you will have an important role in the

post-pandemic world. You will be the next generation of teachers, health care providers, engineers, journalists, artists, performers, elected officials, counselors, nutritionists, agricultural experts and many more professions we help train and educate at SDSU. You will look back at this experience and hopefully understand what you are experiencing will define what the “new normal” looks like in the future. Along with our faculty and staff, you have found new ways and methods to fulfill your educational

opportunities, create events that meet our COVID-19 protocols and make the connections that are part of the college experience. Those are the connections that will last a lifetime and your legacy will be remembered as one that overcame the challenges of the pandemic. I congratulate you on your willingness and desire to explore new ways to learn, communicate, build communities and accomplish your goals. I wish you all the very best for the remainder of this fall semester. Please continue to protect your-

self and the health and safety of others. Our JacksRBack Task Force is turning its attention to the spring semester and the continued planning that will be required. While many things will continue to be the same for now, I encourage you to explore even more innovative opportunities to learn and grow. Thank you for being Jackrabbits. I am proud to be a part of this university with so many tremendous students, faculty and staﬀ.

Broadway is dark tonight, but not forever GEOFF NIXON Guest Columnist

reality is a luxury. As reports continued to come in about the growing number of infections aboard the Diamond Princess and other countries started to identify outbreaks, I began to notice an increasing number of masked audience members. New shows were announced to begin performances and school groups kept booking tickets, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I should start trying to save more. March 10, I left work at the Ambassador Theatre with the expectation that “Chicago” would be playing another night to a thousand people like it had eight times each week for the last 23 years. The only interruption to

that streak—aside from the odd snow or hurricane cancellation—was when all of America was stopped by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001. For two days Broadway went dark. Though the comeback was not immediate, eventually Broadway returned stronger than before, and by 2019 had grown to contribute $14.7 billion to New York City’s economy. But this time is different. Nearly 190 days have passed since Broadway theaters played their last shows, and almost as many have gone by since I last went to work in one. Producers agreed to provide two weeks of additional salary and beneﬁts to help bridge the gap in work. Since then, I and

nearly 97,000 other theatre employees have had to rely on unemployment insurance or retirement savings to see us through this unprecedented disruption in our industry. As Washington fails to pass meaningful legislation to provide relief, it’s hard not to feel left out in the cold. While the rest of the nation tries to cobble together a sense of normalcy by returning to work and school, Broadway leaders have been largely silent as reopening dates get pushed back and back again. Read full story online at sdsucollegian.com

Collegian graphic by HOLLIE LEGGETT (She/Her)

As a resident of New York City for nearly 11 years, fall has always meant a return to bearable temperatures on the subway platforms and a surge of new and exciting Broadway shows. While working on Broadway is lively most of the year, September begins an earnest eﬀort to churn out new material as audiences begin scoping out the early contenders for this year’s Tony Awards. Actors, stage managers and musicians go into rehearsal while sets and costumes are constructed by carpenters and wardrobe crews. Projectionists and lighting designers map out and create other

worlds while choreographers harness movement into storytelling. All of these collaborations begin to culminate in a creative endeavor that people from across the world travel to New York City to enjoy. But 2020 brought all of that to a stop. The first warnings to the disruption of the industry were stories of cruise ships like the Diamond Princess being quarantined in February. These vessels are not unlike Broadway theaters–hundreds of people willingly and excitedly purchase tickets to a shared experience in a confined space for an extended period of time. Unfortunately for audiences and seafarers alike, that escape from

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SPORTS

October 7, 2020

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Golf teams look to spring season return

How the teams have combated COVID-19 restrictions and irregular seasons SYDNEY SMITH Sports Reporter (She/Her) South Dakota State golf teams are back to practicing, and eagerly anticipating a spring season in 2021 after a campaign derailed by the pandemic. After months of uncertainty and questions about how any athletic seasons would happen, the teams returned to campus with one normal thing to look forward to: practice. “We try to play within our own team and do little competitions as much as we can to keep competing in some way,” junior Jonah Dohrer said. “We’re just trying to get better right now and to pass some other teams up and try and use it to our advantage.” Finally having practice and working to keep the team safe is all a part of the goal to have events in the future. Tournaments and meets are scheduled to happen in the coming spring, and their coach is hopeful it all works out. “The plan is to start in the spring, and that’s what we’re hoping for until we hear otherwise,” senior Cassidy Laidlaw said. “Overall, we know that the future is a little uncertain, but we’ll deal with whatever the future brings better than the other programs are going to. That’s kind of what our goal is.”

The golf team’s season ended in March, just before the SDSU campus closed for the rest of the semester. This left the athletes without regular team practices or access to their equipment in Brookings. “I h ave some equipment in the SJAC [ S a n f o rd Ja c k ra b b i t Athletic Complex], and we haven’t been able to get in there since March,” Dohrer said. “Our coaches haven’t been able to get in there either, so it’s pretty weird.” Last year’s season was cancelled while the team was out of state for a tournament. “ We played a tournament in Utah and it was a two-day tournament,” Laidlaw said, “but we only got to play the first day because it got cancelled. That’s when the NCAA shut everything down. We missed three tournaments after that, including our conference.” And that, she said, was something that was pretty tough to come to terms with. “Having the conference cancelled when we were on a pretty good roll and looking at winning it was tough,” L a i d l aw s a i d . “ B ut everyone’s safety is more important.” While practice is back to normal, the team is also conscious about how they keep their athletes and staff safe. Along with

natural social distancing already a part of the sport, they only had minimal adjustments to their practices. “We don’t do anything indoors,” Director of Golf Casey VanDamme said. “We don’t do scorecards anymore; we don’t hand out paper to them. We try not to do anything where we can have touchpoints or be close.” Because the season isn’t starting until the spring, it left some of the international athletes at home for the fall semester. “With these set issues and getting back into their countries, we didn’t know,” VanDamme said. “So, we had them stay home this fall, but they’ll be back here this January. But we didn’t lose any players from our program, we’re just down a few for practices.” As for the athletes currently in Brookings, the anticipation to get back to playing has been the main thought during this entire pandemic experience. “I’m most looking forward to traveling again and being with the team,” Laidlaw said. “Our spring season is pretty loaded with six tournaments, so we’re not home most weekends, but it’s a lot of fun. Especially with it being my senior year, I really do hope that we get to play.”

GOJACKS.COM Senior human biology major, Cassidy Laidlaw, averaged a score of 78.58 and 7-over-par during her 19 rounds in the 2019-2020 shortened season.

GOJACKS.COM Junior economics major, Jonah Dohrer, played 17 rounds with an average score of 74.65 and 2-over-par for the 2019-2020 shortened season.

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