September 28, 2022

Farmers Market kicks off Fall

Students and community members gathered downtown last weekend for the first ever Fall Festival.

See STORY, PHOTOS PAGE 10-11

Emma Lusk and Logan Muller walk through downtown after picking flowers from Spring Creek Flowers and Eggs during the Fall Festival.

sdsucollegian sdsucollegian

Collegian photo by GRACIE TERRALL (She/Her)

Photos courtesy of University Marketing and Communications (Above) Chuck Raasch leads discussion during the Daschle Dialogues event with Jonathan Karl and Senator Tom Daschle Sunday night at the Performing Arts Center. (Right) Karl and Senator Daschle participate in a Q&A session with political science students Sunday afternoon in the Student Union.

Jonathan Karl talks politics, Trump, journalism at SDSU event

JACOB BOYKO News Editor (He/Him)

A nationally recognized television journalist made his way to South Dakota State University this past weekend where he shared his experiences in Washington and discussed a political snapshot of where the country and the world is today.

In the two-hour event Sunday night, ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl joined former U.S. Senator from South Dakota Tom Daschle on stage. Karl and Daschle commented on the heated political climate, bipartisanship, for eign policy, the Jan. 6 insurrection and the peculiarity of covering the White House through the Trump Administration.

“There’s a quote attributed to Vladimir Lenin that says, ‘there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen,’” Karl said. “I feel we’ve been through so many of those.”

Serving as ABC’s Chief White House correspondent from 2012 to 2021, Karl had a front-row seat to some of the most heated stories of the century: COVID-19, the 2020 election, and the Jan. 6 riot at the capital.

An exchange that made Karl even more widely recognized came during the ini tial outbreak of COVID-19. Then-President Donald Trump was on record saying the coronavirus was more deadly than the flu, but had toned down the severity of the virus when speaking publicly.

“There was a moment that came in early September 2020 where I asked a ques tion that I never thought I’d have to ask a president,” Karl said during a Q&A with political science students. “I [asked] ‘why did you lie to the American people? Why should we trust anything you say now?’ … This was about COVID. It wasn’t like he got it wrong … He knew what was right and said the exact opposite.”

- Jonathan Karl

During Karl’s position as Chief White House correspondent, the 45th president baited him with various nicknames, including “Third-rate Reporter,” “Disgrace to ABC” and even “Cutie-pie” one time.

“He’s the president of the United States, and whatever he’s saying about me or my profession or my colleagues doesn’t matter,” Karl said about his thoughts at the time. “I need to treat him with respect and I need to move ahead with my questions and my reporting.”

Karl has also faced the ire of the left for pressing former President Barack Obama on tough issues and again more recently for tweeting that Vice President Kamala Harris had taken more questions from the cast of The Avengers than she had from the press at that point in her vice presidency.

“The first question [the vice president was asked by the cast]… was ‘what super hero would you like to be?’” said journalist and SDSU alumni Chuck Raasch as the audience erupted in laughter.

Karl’s mother, Audrey Shaff, joined Karl on stage to discuss her and her son’s connection to South Dakota. Growing up, Karl spent time in the Black Hills as his mother worked to piece together an oral history of Mount Rushmore. The mission carried them from town to town as they tracked down workers who constructed the monument. Shaff recounted the hospitality of the people they met. One worker from Modesto, California, was so enthused to talk about his work on Mount Rushmore that he invited Shaff to stay at his home overnight as she traveled.

“We stayed that night, and it was very nice,” Shaff said. “I went to bed, put my hand under the pillow, and there was a gun there!”

Karl was invited to SDSU as part of the Daschle Dialogues speaking series. The series, initiated by former Senate Majority Leader Daschle, was a way to give back to his alma mater by bringing influential speakers to SDSU. Past guests include NBC News’ Tom Brokaw, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Steve Erpenbach, President and CEO of the SDSU Foundation, works closely with Daschle to keep the Daschle Dialogues series going. Sunday’s event was the first installment of the series since Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke in 2019. For Erpenbach, the importance of continuing to bring thought-leaders to campus is paramount.

“To be able to see that caliber of people is a real benefit to the university, students and staff,” Erpenbach said.

For Erpenbach, the intimacy of the events is what makes the Daschle Dialogues series so engaging. It’s conversational—not prewritten.

Evren Celik Wiltse, an associate professor of political science at SDSU, agrees with the importance of hosting influential people, especially when they get to have discussions with students in small-group settings.

“We had like 20 people in that small setting,” Celik Wiltse said about the Q&A with political science students. “When students are applying for places, they can say this is what sparked their interest to take up public service positions.”

Senior economics major Grace Nelson said the “real-world” discussions helped her to better understand life in Washington D.C.

“I appreciated the thought-provoking questions and genuine answers from both Mr. Daschle and Mr. Karl,” Nelson said. “I could sense they were being very upfront and honest with us — something I greatly appreciate.”

Daschle’s official records from his time in congress are preserved on campus at the Hilton M. Briggs Library. They can also be accessed digitally through the university’s website.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting will air Daschle Dialogues Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m.

“He’s the President of the United States, and whatever he’s saying about me or my profession or my colleagues doesn’t matter. I need to treat him with respect and I need to move ahead with my questions and my reporting.”

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF

Senate unimpressed, calls out Sodexo for poor transition

MARA WHEATON Lifestyles Editor (She/Her)

At the Sept. 26 Students’ Association meeting, sen ators were addressed by Cara Olson, Assistant Director of Student Activities. They received an update on Jack’s Cupboard and introduced three new resolutions.

Student Activities:

The office of student activities houses the University Program Council (UPC), fraternity and sorority life and university tradition, which includes both the Hobo Day Committee and State A Thon.

Olson spent her time in front of the senate speaking about the different events that are planned for the rest of this semester.

“I wanted to give you a quick update of all the cool things that we have going on this semester,” Olson said.

The next event hosted will be this Friday, Sept. 30. The UPC will be hosting dueling guitars at 7 p.m. on the Market stage in the University Student Union.

Other important events coming up is State A

Thon’s push week from Oct. 3-7, the One Month Club kickoff Sept. 29 and the 110th Week of Hobo Day from Oct 24-29.

This semester the Office of Student Activities has also rolled out multiple trainings focused on student leadership development.

“So far for student leadership training opportu nities, we have served 73 student leaders on campus,” Olson said.

Olson also reported that there were over 130 student organizations present at this year’s student engagement expo, with thousands of students passing through during the day.

UPC:

The University Program Council recently had their Jack’s Got Talent auditions. There were 20 auditions that will be narrowed down to 10 acts before the event later this semester.

There were also 60 students who attended the Chris Singleton event, Sept. 22.

Jacks Cupboard:

Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment

Management, Michaela Willis announced that Jack’s Cupboard will be reducing its weekly operation days, despite them averaging over 100 students visiting per week.

This will be the final week that the cupboard is open three days a week. Starting Oct. 1, Jack’s Cupboard will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Resolutions:

The senate also introduced three new resolutions. One being resolution 22-3-R, which examines the Students Association’s dissatisfaction with corporate Sodexo.

Resolution 22-3-R reads: “The SDSU Students’ Association expresses disappointment with corporate Sodexo for the food service transition and early fall 2022 semester operations.”

The other two resolutions are 22-4-R and 22-5-R, which warns students of the danger and consequences of possessing a fictitious ID and recognizing October as LGBTQ+ History Month respectively.

‘Fancy Lady Cowgirl’ speaker promotes women in ag

agriculture.

“I want to help those that want to learn and want to be involved in agriculture,” DeHoff said.

One of her main goals is to get rid of the disconnect between rural and urban communities.

“There is no right or wrong way to be a part of agriculture,” she said.

She finds it very important for people to be leaders not only in the agricultural com munity but in society as well.

“A leader is someone who is not afraid to stand out from the herd,” DeHoff said.

ACT is a proficiency devel opment club that focuses on professional and personal development.

“We are small but mighty,” ACT President Haylee Henry said. She also said there are about 20 active members, with five officers on the team.

ACT went to measurable lengths to host the National ACT Professional Development Conference, as well as getting ahold of DeHoff to be their key note speaker.

After a team effort to decide to book DeHoff, they needed to find the funds. They gathered sponsorships and donations from multiple donors for this event, and they are very thankful for everyone’s support in helping them make the event possible.

MAKENNA BROUWER Reporter

The Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) are hosting The National ACT Professional Development Conference Sept. 30. The conference will end with Courtenay DeHoff at 7 p.m., which is open to the public.

Courtenay DeHoff has built her career around empow ering women in agriculutre.

She is an influencer and advocator for agriculture across the country, sharing her “Fancy

Lady Cowgirl” story and slogan.

DeHoff created her slogan to help encourage women in agriculture. She wanted to create a slogan like “Fancy Lady Cowgirl” to put an end to the stereotype of how “country” girls should dress.

DeHoff grew up with an agricultural background and was born and raised on a cowcalf operation. She actively showed Angus and was part of a rodeo team growing up.

She expressed that her love for agriculture came from her 84-year-old grandfather who owns a feedlot operation.

Courtenay DeHoff

His motivation to continue sad dling his horse every morning to check his cows is what keeps her going.

“Everyone has a place to sit at the table and if you don’t fit into theirs, come sit at mine, there will always be a spot for you at my table,” DeHoff said.

She often talks about how pas sionate she is about advocating for everyone to be their own person, while not worrying about what others say.

DeHoff chose to be a key note speaker solely to focus on agriculture as well as promote positive energy for women in

In addition, the officer team knew that picking DeHoff was a clear choice.

“We wanted someone who was up and coming in the agriculture industry,” Henry said. “Someone who is going to leave an impact and have a meaningful message for the audience.”

The event is being held at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center and starts at 7 p.m.

Courtenay DeHoff, a popular agriculture influence and keynote speaker, will be at to the PAC Sept. 30.

“There is no right or wrong way to be a part of agriculture.”

-Courtenay DeHoff

Dairy Unit fire continues to affect production

KATELYN WINBERG Ag Beat Reporter

The Dairy Research and Training Facility suffered from a fire early in the 2022 spring semester. Since then, the facility has nearly rebuilt or repaired everything besides a few small items.

According to officials representing the Dairy Research and Training Facility, the fire left behind around $500,000 worth of damage, which was fortunately covered by insurance. However, the fire’s impact continues to be felt, largely through decreased milk production.

“We reduced the herd by half,” Joseph Cassady, head of the Dairy and Food Science department, said. “We went from roughly 135 cows to 70.”

Cassady claims that this was done to safely house the cattle in their barn. Because of the damage, the facility has been able to only use the south half of the barn.

The reduced herd is the main reason that milk production has decreased, although Cassady admits that there also may have been minor drops in production due to stress. Economically, this has negatively impacted the dairy facility.

“When you reduce the number of cows by half and reduce the amount of milk, you also reduce maintenance costs,” Cassady said. “But, fixed costs like salaries and electricity remain.”

Many things remained the same after the fire. No one was fired from the facility, but less student workers were hired for the summer. Cassady also assures that the Davis Dairy Plant will receive enough milk to continue making its own dairy products, although the timing of milk deliveries has been altered.

Unfortunately, it won’t be able to sell as much to other companies that usually buy from the facility, such as Land O’ Lakes. Currently, officials at the facility are working on numbers, so they can submit it to make an insurance claim.

As the dairy facility looks to the future, it already has plans to rebuild its herd.

“We’re planning on purchasing 30

cows and internally build it from there to the original size,” Cassady said.

Cassady hopes to have the herd back to its original size by January. The original herd was comprised of mostly Holstein cattle, along with around 30 Brown Swiss.

As they prepare to buy new cattle, Cassady says there will be fewer Brown Swiss as they focus on rebuilding with Holsteins.

“It’s not because we don’t like Brown Swiss,” Cassady said. “The scientists prefer to work with Holsteins as they are the predominate breed in the industry.”

Cassady added on that additional breeds in the facility add on extra variables in research at the facility, which causes projects to become larger, more expensive and more complicated.

Although the fire certainly left its negative effects on the facility, there were surprisingly a few perks to come out of the whole experience. These

perks include a new roof, new pumping equipment and other various new equipment.

“We’re at a better place than we were this time last year… although it’s not the route we would’ve chosen to take,” Cassady said.

The facility certainly would not have gotten through such a challenging year without its employees. Not only did the

fire damage the unit, but the May derecho also left its mark.

“I’m very appreciative of the hard work and dedication of employees at the farm as they’ve worked through this challenging period,” Cassady said.

Cassady later added that all damage from the fire and wind storm had been repaired.

Collegian photo by ZOEY SCHENTZEL(She/Her)

Dairy cattle wait at the Dairy Reasearch and Training Facility, which suffered the consequences of a fire last February. The affected barn has since been repaired.

ANDREA HUETE Copy Editor (She/Her)

The university recently hired two former South Dakota State University students to recruit students and promote a diverse and welcoming campus.

D’Shaun Herman, the new multicul tural recruitment coordinator, and Paige Cain, the new coordinator of American Indian student recruitment are the newest SDSU faculty members.

D’Shaun Herman- Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator

Herman worked as an admissions ambassador during his undergad and has now come full-circle in his student recruitment career at SDSU.

According to the job posting online, the Multicultural Center needed someone responsible for developing and implementing an effective recruitment plan while focusing on enrolling under represented students.

It was a smooth transition in terms of working with staff members because of his time as an admissions ambassador. He would provide tours, information and share his experiences.

“He seems very excited about the work he’s doing and excited to be engaged with prospective students and their families,’’ Shelly Bayer, the director of Multicultural Affairs, said. “He’s able to relate to students and share his expe riences and be really authentic…so stu dents have a really good understanding when they’re making their decision as to whether or not SDSU is going to be their home.”

Within his position, he and other coworkers travel to attend college fairs or high school visits. They work closely with high school counselors and fac ulty members to better represent the university.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to think a little differently or out of the box when it comes to not only recruit ment, but retention for our multicultural student population,” he said. “I think it’s important to understand that diver sity includes everybody, regardless of backgrounds, creed, sexuality, all of that stuff.”

Because of the demographics that he works in, he says that he would love to have more opportunities for students to

SDSU graduates return to fill diversity positions

and Indigenous studies, history and geography.

]Cain is one of the youngest people in the admission staff. She serves as the coordinator of American Indian student recruitment and continues to work in admissions.

Going into her position, she mentions that her strengths help her become a hard worker so that she can go beyond to help students whenever they have chal lenges placed in front of them.

She does mention that speaking and talking in front of people is kind of nerve wracking because it’s not something she’s good at, but she is gaining confidence over time with presentations.

Cain is a tribal descendant of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. They are members of the Mdewakantonwan people, one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti Dakota, originally from central Minnesota.

She mentioned that it was difficult to find a topic to study while at SDSU. She wanted to pursue her studies based on the things she loves: history, world wars, geography and her own American Indian culture. Therefore she decided to triple major.

visit and see what the multicultural orga nizations are all about.

The initial transition for Herman to SDSU out of high school was impactful because he grew up in a super small town in Minnesota, where he graduated from a high school with 15 other students.

He didn’t let anything get the best of him as he had the mindset of creating experiences that bring people together to learn more about themselves and the people around them.

“When I came to SDSU in 2013, I was involved and did everything from ori entation leader to admissions ambas sador, all the way to a union manager, you name it. I was all over the place,” Herman said. “I had a really strong understanding of knowing that the work that I put in college was going to be mon umental in helping me shape my career after graduation.”

Herman majored in advertising with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in marketing. With his degree, he moved to the Twin Cities and worked for a Target corporation as an internal com munications associate producer for three years.

After the murder of George Floyd and

with the heat of the pandemic, he shifted to working remotely for two years and decided to move to Los Angeles where he worked for Electronic Arts, a videogame company. However, after his time in those two positions, Herman realized he wasn’t as competitve as the job required.

After some time, he came back to South Dakota and SDSU in the spring of 2022.

“I’ve been very grateful to be blessed with opportunities that I’ve worked in and for what SDSU has given me so far,” Herman said.

When he returned, Herman filled the position of Residential Hall Director for Binnewies Hall. Then in March, he worked part-time between ResLife and admissions. Once the semester ended, he moved fully to admissions, where he’s now the multicultural recruitment coordinator.

Paige Cain- Coordinator of American Indian Student Recruitment

Cain, 22, is the new American Indian Student Recruitment coordinator, a role that Herman interviewed and hired her for. She graduated May 2022 and triple majored in American Indian

She’s now graduated college with a bachelors of Arts in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. She also has a double bachelor’s of science in history and geography.

She plans on continuing her degree here at SDSU, but the programs American Indian and Indigenous studies and lakota language are cur rently unavailable. So it’ll be later down the road that she plans on obtaining her masters degree.

Cain mentioned that she looks up to Morgan Catlett-Ausborn, a former advisor in the AISC, who Cain said always pushed her to be the best person that she could be.

“I look up to [Catlett-Ausborn] because she spent just so much time and energy every single day to help me and all of our indigenous students here,” Cain said.

Because her advisor provided so much guidance and support, Cain felt that she needed to give back because she got so much help when she was a student.

D’Shaun Herman Paige Cain

Student tailgating back for another home game

BROOKLYN BEERY Reporter

Student tailgating is back at home football games for the first time since 2020, thanks to an increase in reserved funds from the Students’ Association.

The Students’ Association had $29,000 left over from the pre vious school year, which was put into reserved funds, said Trinity Peterson, member of the finance committee. That money is now being put toward student tailgating.

“Student tailgating gives students a place to go on game days and unite,” Peterson said.

The location for stu dent tailgating is on the west side of the Wellness Center in the empty grass lot, which is on the south side of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

For each home foot ball game, a different organization from South Dakota State University will sponsor student tail gating. The Students’ Association will host Oct. 1. The University Programming Council will host Oct. 8 and Armed Forces Association will host Nov. 12.

Organizations will be given a range from $2,000 to $4,000, with each one initiating a proposal of what they are planning on hosting. Each orga nization throughout the football season offers dif ferent activities and this determines how much money they need for their tailgating day.

Alcohol may be con

sumed at student tail gating with a valid ID. It is their goal to provide a comforting environment for students.

“[The goal is to] pro vide students a safe place if they are consuming alcohol and not drive to the stadium,” Blake Pulse, president of the Students’ Association, said.

State A Thon, an organization on campus, hosted the first student tailgating Sept. 10. It was a successful turnout with a lot of student engage ment, Gabby Helget, overall coordinator of State A Thon, said.

State A Thon’s student tailgating had a mechan ical bull, yard games and music. They provided complimentary snacks as

well. Helget said very few people were consuming alcohol.

“It is a really fun time and a great way to get pumped up for the game,” Helget said.

According to Pulse, almost 450 students went to the first student tailgating.

The Sept. 17 home game featured Little International as the tail gating hosts.

Ty Skartvedt, an animal science major, attended the student tailgating this past weekend. He enjoyed the grill out hosted by Little International and hopes to see more in the future from other organizations.

Skartvedt added he enjoyed “the people and

interacting with them.”

Kylie Harriman, a student double majoring in agriculture communi cations and journalism, attended her first student tailgate this past weekend.

Both students said they would attend another student tailgate. The next student tailgating will be held Oct. 1 by the Students’ Association.

She said she enjoyed “networking with other students outside of my normal group.”

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her) Jackrabbit fans gather outside Dana J Dykhouse Stadium in the tailgaiting area.

Student success coordinator jumps into new SDSU role

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

The Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center hired a new coordi nator last month.

Tina Birgen started her new position in August, and already said she’s been met with “a whirlwind of knowledge.”

“But it’s been fabulous,” she said. “The team, everyone I have met, have been so welcoming, and everyone is so willing to assist students to be the best they can be here at SDSU.”

Birgen grew up in Beresford, South Dakota, and later attended college at Northern State University, where she played collegiate volleyball and received a degree in physical education. She and her family then moved to Arizona, where she received her master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.

Before becoming the student success coordinator, Birgen taught physical edu cation and coached volleyball around the state, including in Aberdeen, Warner and Brookings, as well as in Arizona. She also worked as a personal trainer and wellness coach. Just before taking her current position, Birgen was the head volleyball coach and a wellness teacher at Brookings High School.

She previously worked at South Dakota State University by helping stu dents in the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) Program.

Birgen said after learning about the coordinator position, she felt a “constant push” to pursue the job.

“Through a long summer interview process, I just took it one step at a time, and meeting with the team that was here at the Wintrode Student Success Center and my interviews with some of the extended partners on campus just felt perfect,” she said. “It felt like a perfect match.”

The coordinator for student suc cess and opportunity “will serve as a main point of contact to help students maximize services provided through the opportunity center’s NETwork offices and student success program, ConnectState,” a press release from SDSU claimed.

Jody Owen, senior director of the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center, said that part of Birgen’s job is to meet with the offices that are a part of the center’s Student Success NETwork, the program designed to facil itate teamwork between student support offices and programs on campus.

“Through this work, she will help staff from Student Success NETwork offices get to know each other and to learn more about each other’s programs,” Owen said. “She will also work with staff to identify unmet student needs and areas of duplication so we can streamline our services in a way that best supports stu dent needs.”

Owen added that Birgen will help these offices enhance their use of ConnectState, which gives students and faculty reports on degree progress and communication options for advising and other resources. She will also be the first person her students contact when looking for resources on campus.

Owen said Birgen has already jumped into the role and has begun meeting with students, attending campus programs and attending events to introduce herself to students, faculty and staff.

“She brings a lot of enthusiasm to the position and is eager to make a positive impact on student success,” Owen said.

Birgen said her goals for moving for ward include learning more about the campus, its programs and working to foster support for students.

“I just want our students at SDSU and our partners to know that I’m here to serve them … and their individual

holistic needs, because I know that not every student here is getting served the same way because they are unique in themselves,” she said.

She looks forward to engaging more with campus once she is settled into her new role.

“My biggest excitement right now is getting out and trying to meet students,” Birgen said.

SUBMITTED

Tina Birgen is the student success co ordinator at SDSU. Prior to her role at SDSU, Birgen held roles as a physical education teacher, volleyball coach and personal trainer.

Brookings’ first Fall Festival brings farming to downtown

SERENA DAVIS / Reporter/ (She/Her)

The first-ever Brookings Fall Festival was met with success last Saturday, and officials hope to continue the event in the future.

The festival included pumpkin painting, bouncy castles, vendors, food trucks and live entertainment on Main Street. Students and families in attendance said they enjoyed the vendor options this year and would return if the festival occurs next year.

Kalee Richardson, a sophomore interior design major, said she was blown away with all the unique stores and vendors.

“I don’t really go downtown to shop that often but after visiting more stores and seeing all the new things that have been added this year, I’m definitely coming down more often,” Richardson said.

The festival hosted several vendors, both from Brookings and the surrounding area, like the Oar Boutique, a new business in Arlington, South Dakota.

“It’s been steady all day and everyone has been really friendly,” Katie Krogman, owner of the new business, said.

She said the event was a lot of fun and that her business would be back next year. The Oar Boutique was just one of the many vendors down-

town with businesses on Main Street.

Kyle Haroldson, owner of Haroldson Farms, is a frequent vendor at the Brookings Farmers Market. He says the turnout to the Fall Festival was better than it usually is for the Farmers Market alone.

“There’s a lot of people here, and everyone seems to be enjoying it,” he said. “It’s a great way to get involved in the community.”

Along with Haroldson Farms, Berndt Family Produce also helped people get into the fall mood by selling pumpkins, squash and various other produce.

Another big hit among the crowd was the food trucks. Trudy Robinson, owner of Mama Trudy’s Homestyle Cooking, drove an hour and a half from Minnesota and said they had good business from the event and would participate again in the future.

This isn’t the end for those who want local produce and unique gifts. The Farmers Market will continue until the end of October. It’s normal location is near the South Dakota Children’s Museum on 300 6th Ave. every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

COURTESY PHOTO

Collegian photos by GRACIE TERRALL (She/Her)

(Above) The owner of Spring Creeks Flowers and Eggs sells his produts out of painted pick-up bed during the Fall Festival last weekend. (Right) Scarlett Januszewski (12), daughter of Cottonwood Coffee owner, prepares the downtown storefront for fall by painting pumpkins onto windows.

(Above) Katie Krogman, owner of the Oar Boutique, travels to craft shows and local festivals in her refur bished camper that functions as her shop. The Oar Boutique sells clothes for women, men and children.

GRACIE TERRALL Co-Editor-in-Chief (She/Her)

Last weekend’s 20th annual South Dakota Festival of Books allowed readers and authors to share their love for the written word. This year’s festival was the first in-person event in two years and the first time utilizing the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center (PAC).

“We’ve felt how happy people were to be back together. I think there was a lot of enthusiasm for meeting authors face to face again,” Jennifer Widman, director of the festival, said. “We really appreciate that many parts of the university and the city of Brookings and local businesses really stepped up and supported us in making sure that we could bring it back in person this year.”

The festival is hosted every year by the South Dakota Humanities Council (SDHC), and this year, over $5,500 was received in donations. Widman said that money goes toward planning next year’s event.

Sixty-seven local and nationally known authors lined the halls of the PAC, selling their books and interacting with fans. Most non-local authors wrote about South Dakota or had previous ties with the state.

Over 50 presenters held sessions over the three-day event where authors, illus trators, and graphic novelists spoke in detail about their novels and the writing process. They also answered questions from the audience and held writing workshops.

“I think it’s nice to be around likeminded people, but also I feel like writers and authors have so much to say, whether it’s about their works itself or about the writing craft, but you can learn so much,”

Festival of Books encourages author, reader interaction

Elsie Nelson, an English student, said.

There were also numerous author signing sessions where authors could meet and talk more personally with fans of their books.

Among the presenters in the PAC was the University of Nebraska Press, which prints and publishes mostly aca demic-focused books and journals. They also publish novels for the general audi ence. Steven Wingate, an SDSU English professor, has published two books, “Of Fathers and Fire” and “The LeaveTakers” through the UN Press.

“Especially in places like Brookings and South Dakota– it’s such a center of scholarship and center of learned interest, that going to things like this [Festival of Books], you connect to a lot of people who can all kind of converge in one spot and it’s nice to be able to reach a large audience who are excited and engaged and locally invested,” Jackson Adams, a publicist for UN Press, said.

Kristi Tornquist, treasurer for the SDHC executive board and dean of Hilton M. Briggs Library, believes events like this help highlight the importance of literature in all genres.

“The Festival of Books provides an opportunity for authors and their readers to interact, and this festival, in particular, brings in a wide range of authors,” Tornquist said. “Students had the opportunity to interact with nationally known authors and typically they wouldn’t have that experience. The variety is, I think, really pretty spectacular.”

20th annual event brings in local, national authors for panel discussions, writing workshops and book signings.

Lauren Harris speaks with a group of young readers about how she wrote, “A Place for Harvest: The Story of Kenny Higashi,” the true story of Spearfish-born, Japanese American Kenny Higashi and his service during World War II.

(Above) Children’s author Mike Artell signs a copy of his book for Prairie Learning Academy third grader, Weston Clark. (Below) Jodi Andrews, SDSU english professor, mingles with other writers at the Author’s Reception.

Craig Howe signs his book, “This Stretch of the River” at the Festival of Books book signing.

Collegian photos by GRACIE TERRALL (She/Her)

SDSU students doing ‘butter’ than ever in dairy industry

NATALIE BECKENDORF Reporter

Five South Dakota State University students were named finalists in the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way competi tion and received personalized 90-pound butter sculptures.

Hailey Frericks, Ashley Holst, Briana Maus, Allison Wright and Aly Dieball com peted in the Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition at the Minnesota State Fair earlier this month. Although none of these students were crowned as princess, they still had the opportunity to advocate for the dairy industry during the fair.

The process of becoming a Princess Kay finalist is exten sive. To qualify, candidates must be a county dairy princess, then they must participate in a lead ership event and interview to compete to be a finalist.

SDSU students represented half of the ten young women that were selected to advance to the final competition.

“Being a finalist has been an absolute dream come true,” Frericks said. “It allowed me to grow personally and pro fessionally in many areas and allowed me to network with a variety of people.”

In early August, the final round of the competition occurred, and the winner was announced Aug. 24. The winner will serve Minnesota’s dairy farmers as a goodwill ambassador.

All finalists stayed active at the fair with media inter views, advocating for the dairy industry at the butter booth, helping at the dairy judging

ceremony, attending the Milk Run, participating in the parade and attending the 4-H Dairy Showcase.

The finalists’ favorite part of the fair was getting their heads sculpted in butter. Finalists are overjoyed with their 90-pound butter heads and have plans to give back to the people that supported them in this process.

“I will store my butter head in the freezer to reminisce on the memories and will use the scraps for baking days at the local nursing home,” Dieball said.

All SDSU finalists come from heavy dairy backgrounds, ranging from working on their family farms to raising their own herd. Wright describes her journey in the dairy industry as “a big family thing,” as she grew up working on a fam ily-owned-and-run tie-stall operation.

For many, SDSU educa tion and opportunities played a prominent role in the journey of becoming finalists.

“The dairy community at SDSU is so strong,” Holst said.

Many found their home at SDSU within the Dairy Club because of the shared passions and welcoming atmosphere. Finalists also noted that the professors’ love for dairy makes it easy to learn and grow within the industry.

Dairy and Food Science Department Head, Sanjeev Anand, commended the five finalists.

“It’s absolutely huge to have five finalists from SDSU in one year,” he said.

Anand gives credit to the

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for the outstanding accom plishments of high performing

students. SDSU’s dairy science program is unique because of the Davis Dairy Plant and Sales Bar facilities that provide

SUBMITTED

students with hands-on oppor tunities in dairy production and manufacturing of dairy products.

“These established pro grams grant students hands-on comprehensive and engaging education opportunities so stu dents can flourish in competi tions like Princess Kay,” Anand said.

Just as these five women went after their interests, they want all students to get involved on campus and pursue their passions.

“Live life with no regrets and just go for it. Trust me, you won’t regret accomplishing your dreams,” Frericks added.

(Above) Ashley Holst admires her 90-pound butter sculpture replica. (Left) Hailey Frericks’ butter double.

Festival of plays brings exciting opportunities to students

PEYTEN WIESE Reporter

SDSU students in theater had an opportunity to practice their skills and learn some new ones last week when accomplished playwrights came to campus to lead workshops and show off some of their work.

Playwrights from across the country submitted their plays to be performed in SDSU’s Festival of New Plays. Over 350 plays were submitted, and four were chosen. The plays ranged from comedies about escape rooms to pieces about hardships, both in relationships and in their countries.

The plays were performed as staged readings. After the performances in the Fishback Studio Theatre, there were discussions with the playwrights, directors and audience members.

The directors and playwrights asked the audience questions about the show and vice versa, providing the playwright with opportunities to get feedback on their work.

Amy Tofte, Kirsten Benjamin and Deb Hiett, three of the four playwrights, flew to Brookings to watch their plays in the festival and to be a part of the discussions after the performances. They also held workshops for students on topics including playwriting, dramaturgy, auditioning in Los Angeles and more.

Tofte, the author of “Da Vinci’s Cockroach,” is a native of Brookings. Seeing a play performed in the place where she was born and raised was surreal for her. She described it as a “full circle moment.”

The inspiration for “Da Vinci’s Cockroach” came from her curiosity about understanding why people create terrible things.

She is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is directing her first original feature film, “Contact Tracing.”

Tofte said she comes up with her plays when she “[has] an idea that drives me crazy, and I need to write it.”

Her advice to aspiring playwrights is to be as involved with plays and theare as possible.

“The most important thing is to write,” she said. “Write plays. Read plays. See plays. Do plays.”

Hiett, the playwright of “The Escape Thingy,” is an accomplished actress with many credits. She has acted on “The Office,” “NCIS” and “The Good Place.”

Hiett said she finds the process of collaborating in theatre as an actor very rewarding.

“The ability to work with so many creative and suc cessful people lifts me up as an artist and inspires me to keep going,” she said.

Hiett added she has many outlets of creativity. “

What’s wonderful about all the different things I do is that they exercise all different parts of my brain,” she

said. “I find them all so rewarding on so many different levels.”

The playwright of “Memories of Overdevelopment,” Caridad Svich, was unable to come to Brookings but held a Q&A over Zoom for students to attend. Attendees asked her questions about her playwriting process. She won a 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement playwright award.

Benjamin, the playwright of “Grey,” reflected on memories of putting on plays in her backyard.

“I’ve always gravitated towards the arts... acting is a high you won’t get anywhere else,” she said.

After running Excelsior Talent Management, she returned to the creative side of the industry as a play wright and actress.

She encourages others to do what they love.

“Don’t let fame be your goal,” she said. “That will ulti mately hold you back, but if it’s passion, you can do it for the rest of your life.”

The first three nights of the festival included the four staged readings. On the final night students performed in the 24 Hour Plays.

Playwrights for the 24 Hour Plays had from 11 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday to write 10-minute scripts for students to perform that weekend.

The directors and actors arrived at 8 a.m. Saturday. They read the scripts the playwrights had just written and started rehearsals with the pressure of the curtain opening at 7:30 p.m. in less than 12 hours.

Gerrit VonEye, a freshman theatre and music edu cation major, was an actor in “All Hallow’s Steve.” He shared the struggles of needing to develop his character within a short period of time.

“Itt was tough,” he said. “I thought a lot about the history of my character and previous events that had occurred with other characters.”

Another actor from “All Hallow’s Steve,” freshman theatre major Lewhat Tesfaldet, also spoke positively of the experience.

“I feel like I have grown as an actor in my ability to buckle down and get to work,” Tesfaldet said. “The time constraint really made me figure out a way to utilize my time.”

Both Gerrit and Lewhat enjoyed being able to partic ipate in the 24 Hour Festival and can’t wait to be more involved in the theatre department.

Blake Fabre, a sophomore majoring in Theatre with an Education Specialization, directed “Breaking Out.”

“Through this experience, I learned a lot,” she said. “My eyes were opened to what a day-to-day in my future career might look like. I was so proud and impressed by all the actors, directors and playwrights.”

The next SDSU theatrical production is “She Kills Monsters.” This show performs Nov. 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her)

A cast of SDSU students perform “The Good Ol’ Days” by SDSU student Jamison Gross during the Festival of New Plays last weekend.

EDITORIAL

Issue: Thank you Tom Daschle and Jonathan Karl

ABC News’ Chief Washington cor respondent Jonathan Karl arrived in South Dakota Sunday morning to meet with political science majors, con tribute to journalism classes and be the fifth speaker in former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s ongoing series to bring leaders from across the nation to Brookings, South Dakota.

At Sunday’s Daschle Dialogues event, moderator Chuck Raasch announced that the Thomas A. Daschle Congressional Research Study will make two $5,000 donations—one to support independent watchdog jour nalism at South Dakota Newswatch and another to support scholarships for stu dents involved in student media like the Collegian.

We’re grateful for Daschle’s continued investment in SDSU and his commit ment to supply SDSU with a stream of influential people we normally would not see here in “flyover country.” Daschle served our state for many years in the United States Senate where he was both a majority and minority leader. As a sen

New scams targeting college students

LORNA SABOE-WOUNDED HEAD

Family Resource Management Field Specialist

Just when one scam gets shut down a new one appears. College students can be vulnerable to scams because of their new financial experiences and decisions. Here is a list of scams that specially target college students.

Student Financial Service Scam

Many scams pose as legitimate offers for scholarships, grants and financial aid services. Students are contacted by phone, mail or through email with a great offer, and are asked for personal

information and payment of upfront fees.

Unpaid Tuition Scam

The scammer contacts the student or their parents claiming the tuition bill has not been paid and the payment is needed immediately. Before providing personal or financial information, con tact the billing or financial aid office at your school.

Buying Books Online Scam

A fake website is set up with great deals on expensive textbooks. The text book is never delivered and the student is out of the money they paid.

In the end, all scams look the same.

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.

Avoid responding to solicitations. Do your research when you are applying for loans, searching for apartments, applying for a job or seeking financial aid. Talk to someone from your school before making payments on bills or pro viding information about grants, loans and scholarships. You will never need to pay to complete your financial aid forms, or apply for scholarships and grants.

If you are not sure if a company or site is legitimate or think you may have been scammed, contact me (Lorna. woundedhead@sdstate.edu) for advice.

ator from a rural state, Daschle punched above his weight, and now he’s helping SDSU do the same.

We’d also like to thank Karl for taking the time to engage with students and the Brookings community. Karl did not charge SDSU or the Daschle Study for his appearance, which allowed for the Daschle Study to make the donation in Karl’s honor. Thanks to this donation, the Collegian will generate new interest among upcoming students in journalism, PR, advertising and beyond. Journalism is what makes democracy and freedom work, and this donation will help ensure that the fundament of our society doesn’t vanish on this campus.

To Karl, Daschle and all of the private donors who supported this event, thank you for your commitment to journalism and the next generation of journalists.

The Collegian staff looks forward to the next Daschle Dialogues event!

T he Collegian Editorial Board meets weekly and agrees on the issue of the edito rial. The editorial represents the opinion of The Collegian.

Mara Wheaton Lifestyles Editor

Skyler Jackson Co-Sports Editor

Allen Solomon Ad Sales Representative Kennedy Tesch Ad Sales Representative

Letters

to

sdsucollegian.com or to USU 069 Box 2815, Brookings, S.D. 57006.

post

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

Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head

Photo by UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Co-Editor-in-Chiefs of The Collegian, Jordan Rusche and Gracie Terrall, pose with Jonathan Karl and Tom Daschle after a breakfast for student leaders, Monday, Sept. 26. (Pictured, from left) Jordan Rusche, Jonathan Karl, Gracie Terrall and Tom Daschle.

Jacks face tough tests against Denver, Omaha

JAKE WEBER Sports Reporter

The Jackrabbits look to continue their undefeated season against Summit League leader Denver Friday and thirdplaced Omaha Sunday at Fishback Soccer Park in two highly-anticipated conference matchups.

The game Friday will be the first matchup between Denver and SDSU since the two schools met for the confer ence title last year when SDSU defeated Denver 4-2 to capture its 12th Summit League title.

Friday’s matchup could be a similar high-profile game between the top two favorites to win the Summit League. This year’s conference preseason poll had Denver at No. 1 and SDSU at No. 2.

Denver will be looking for a strong offensive performance from their top goal scorer, Camryn MacMillan. Denver’s top point scorer, Sami Feller, is also looking to continue her impressive season as she currently has three goals and four assists so far.

The Pioneers are led by Jeff Hooker in his 32st season with the team. They currently sit at 2-0 in conference play, having defeated both North Dakota State and North Dakota, each by scores of 2-0. This strong start against Summit League opponents has catapulted them to the top of the conference standings.

“Any time SDSU and Denver meet on the soccer field, it’s always been a great game,” SDSU coach Brock Thompson said. “The margin for error is going to be very small and it’s going to come down to a play or two here or there that’s really going to determine the outcome.”

SDSU’s second opponent this weekend and their third conference matchup of the year is against Omaha Sunday.

Omaha is led by sixth-year coach Tim Walters. They currently sit third in the Summit League after a 0-0 draw with North Dakota, followed by a win against North Dakota State. In that game, NDSU tied the game late, but that was quickly overshadowed by a 90th-minute winner from Omaha’s Sophia Green–her first of the season.

REMAINING GAMES

Sept. 30 vs Denver

Oct. 2 vs Omaha

Oct. 7 at St. Thomas

Oct. 9 at Western Illinois

Oct. 14 vs Oral Roberts

Oct. 16 vs Kansas City

Oct. 21 at North Dakota

Oct. 23 at North Dakota St.

Erland, who has one goal, but over 50% of her shots have been on target.

The last time these two schools faced off was in the Summit League tourna ment last year where SDSU defeated Omaha 1-0. They also got the better of Omaha in the regular season last year. The Jackrabbits defeated the Mavericks 2-1 in Omaha.

The Jackrabbits have started the season undefeated but currently stand at sixth in the Summit League after they drew with USD in their conference opener this past Saturday. The match was a defensive showing as both teams failed to register a goal.

the final third.”

This game was the first time this season that SDSU failed to score a goal but was also its sixth shutout of the season.

The Jack’s strong defensive per formances this season can partly be attributed to their two goalies, Hailee Fischer and Jocelyn Tanner.

Statistically, both goalkeepers have been two of the strongest in the confer ence. Fischer currently has the highest save percentage in the Summit League, with Tanner right behind her.

While Thompson believed the Jackrabbits played well against the Coyotes, he said they could have capital ized on their chances better.

Tanner has the fewest goals allowed per game and Fischer sits right behind her in that statistic as well. Both goal keepers are also two of only three goalies who are currently allowing less than one goal per game.

Omaha’s top offensive threats are Cece Behrens, who currently leads Omaha with two goals, and Emilie

Omaha’s goalkeeper Mia Reedtz Rehde Olesen has had a busy start to the season, with 30 saves and a 73% save rate through 10 games. This work has earned her three shutouts so far this year.

“I think that’s part of the reason why we didn’t score a goal,” Thompson said. “But overall, as far as the game we played, I thought we played pretty well. We’ve just got to be a little bit better in

The Jackrabbits’ attack is once again being led by Maya Hansen. Her five goals and five assists both lead the team. She is also tied for first place on the Summit League’s points leaderboard with 15.

Collegian photo by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her) South Dakota State forward Cece Limongi dribbles the ball on USD defender Maliah Atkins (24) in a Summit League soccer game against the South Dakota Coyotes Saturday night at Fishback Soccer Park. The Jackrabbits and the Coyotes went scoreless for the entire game, ending in a 0-0 tie.

BOUNCING BACK

EVAN PATZWALD Co-Sports Editor

Fresh off a five-set win over the defending Summit League champion Omaha Mavericks Saturday afternoon, the Jackrabbit volleyball team faces two unbeaten conference opponents this week.

South Dakota State (7-7, 1-1) travels to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to play UND (5-8, 2-0) at 7 p.m. North Dakota already has more wins (5) in the first half of this season than they did the last two seasons combined (3).

First-year head coach Jesse Tupac has already made improvements to the program as seen by their record. It’s a team that should not be overlooked. Prior to coming to Grand Forks, Tupac was the top assistant coach at New Mexico for two seasons.

Sophomore Ashlyn Olson is leading UND in kills with 110 and is third on the team in blocks with 22. Junior Elizabeth Norris is second in kills (95), third in digs (108), first in assists (222) and has eight service aces on the year.

After their game in Grand Forks, the Jackrabbits will return home to Frost Arena for a home matchup with the South Dakota Coyotes at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Coyotes (13-1, 2-0) were picked to finish second in the Summit League, and the Jackrabbits are eager to get another shot at them after nearly upsetting them last season in the semifinal of the Summit League Tournament. That game went five sets, and the fifth set score was 18-16 in favor of the Coyotes.

“They’ve had a great start to their season,” coach Dan Georgalas said. “We’re excited to get our matchup early with them in the conference slate at home. I’m hoping a lot of fans come from the football game to join us at 6 o’clock.”

Elizabeth Juhnke and Madison Harms were each named to the preseason Summit League Players to Watch list. Juhnke is pacing the Coyotes in kills with 288, and Harms follows with 142.

For the Jackrabbits, they are coming off a

1-1 week where they fell to Denver three sets to one Thursday but turned it around and beat Omaha in five sets, 3-2.

Against the Pioneers, the Jacks fell behind early, losing each of the first two sets before turning it around and winning the third set and ultimately losing the fourth. Crystal Burk led the Jacks with 14 digs, 13 kills and two service aces. Ella Thompson had nine kills, four blocks and two ace serves

Saturday was a different story. After losing the first set 22-25, SDSU came back and won the second and third sets, 25-22 and 25-16 respectively. The Mavericks and Jacks had gone back-and-forth in the fourth before Omaha ultimately sent it to a fifth.

SDSU trailed 7-10 in the fifth but outscored Omaha 8-2 the rest of the way to seal the win for the Jacks.

Georgalas said that everyone was disappointed with how his team performed against Denver but was proud at the consistency they’ve shown when handling adversity.

“We saw a totally different side of our program on Saturday, and to beat the defending champions at home so early in Summit League play, it gives us a lot of confidence going through the rest of the schedule,” Georgalas said.

Burk had 24 kills in the game while freshman Masa Scheierman stepped up late in the game and had 12 kills, including a service ace in their 8-2 run in the fifth set. They had a season-high 10 aces in the match.

“Masa probably had the best game of her career,” Georgalas said. “She had some big digs, one of her best games defensively, and some big points in the fifth set.”

Out of the Jacks’ 14 games so far this season, six of those have gone to five sets. Burk said that really shows the identity of theiteam.

“When you are competing against Jackrabbit volleyball, you will see a team that shows grit, and that’s what we’re showing on the court,” Burk said. “We will never give a team an easy game, and that’s why when you see all these five sets, it’s us putting other teams to the test.”

The Jacks hope to gain momentum in conference play after win over defending champs

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her)

Sophomore Raegen Reilly sets up a teammate in the Jacks’ 1-3 loss to the Denver Pioneers Thursday night at Frost Arena. Reilly is leading the team in assists (556) and service aces (15) after transferring from NDSU this season.

LEAVING A LEGACY

Crystal Burk impacting team’s newfound success

Story by Brayden Byers

If you’ve been to a Jackrabbit volleyball game recently, you’ll see it’s hard to find a play that does not feature Crystal Burk.

Not only is she an animated and vocal leader of the team, but her play on the court is also electrifying.

“She’s one of our vocal leaders,” coach Dan Georgalas said of Burk. “I would even go to say she is our enforcer.”

There was a time, however, when volleyball wasn’t in the picture. She started off in gymnastics and later decided that she didn’t like it. Fortunately, the cheer coach at the same gym asked her to try out.

“I ended up loving it,” Burk said. “I got my two older sisters and my oldest brother into competitive cheerleading, so all of us were in competitive cheerleading.”

Burk is an exceptional athlete, currently sitting at sixth in the NCAA with 210

• Photos by Joclyn Haven

kills. She attributes a lot of her athleticism to her time in cheerleading.

“It allowed me to be more aware. I definitely got my coordination from cheerleading,” she said. “I was really young, so being in that for four to five years really helped with where I am today.”

Taking her skills from cheerleading and transitioning them to the court has produced some impressive statistics. And she ranks 15th in the NCAA in total attacks and 26th in the NCAA in attacks per set. Georgalas thinks that her attacking is the best part of her game.

“I think, this year especially, it (attacking) is kinda the skill that stands out,” Georgalas said. “She’s just an incredible athlete, very strong, very dedicated in the weight room. I just think her physical endurance really allowed her to take a huge step from an attacking perspective.”

South Dakota State outside hitter Crystal Burk in a Summit League volleyball game against Denver Sept. 22 at Frost Arena. In that game, the Jackrabbits would lose in four sets. Burk is a fifth-year senior from Newman, Georgia. Before becoming an all-Summit League volleyball player, Burk had been in numerous other sports, such as gymnastics and cheerleading.

Five years ago, the volleyball program was in a completely different place. After winning only six games in 2018 and 2019, which were Burk’s first two years, the Jacks won eight games in 2021 before opening Summit League play.

“I wish I had the knowledge I do now back then,” Burk said. “We were all con fused because we had great players, and we just couldn’t put it all together. I just thought this is what college volleyball is about.”

Sydney Andrews, also a fifth-year senior and Burk’s roommate, echoed her sentiment saying it all felt like a job by the end of their first year.

“We were kinda like, ‘what are we doing this for if we’re not getting the out come,’” Andrews said. “We’re working so hard in practice it’s like, what’s not clicking.”

With the coaching change and Georgalas coming in, the culture changed for the better.

“Even the first week of practice, it just became so much more enjoyable,” Andrews said. “It was faster, a lot more structured, and I was like, this guy really knows what he’s doing.”

Burk has enjoyed the volleyball team’s newfound success and credits Georgalas for helping change the culture.

“It completely flipped the script for me. I knew this is not what college vol leyball was supposed to be about,” Burk said. “(Georgalas) just putting his expe

ABOUT BURK

• Before coming to SDSU, Burk was an all-state selec tion in 2017 at Newman high school in Georgia and was the class 2-7A all-area Most Valuable Player.

• After starting 16 of 25 matches her freahman sea son in 2018, she has been a full-time starter ever since, and has reached over 1,000 career kills.

• The team went 18-56 over Burk’s first three seasons. They have gone 26-19 since and Burk said she is having more fun than ever because of it.

rience into the program and making it a better college athlete experience for me just really helped.”

As things started to change, so did Burk. Moving up through the program allowed her to hone her skills on the court, but it allowed her to build into the enforcer she is today.

“She has the respect, confidence and those things necessary to be able to speak up and call people out,” Georgalas said. “We had our breakout season last year, and now all of our standards and expectations have kinda taken a step up, and Crystal is a huge part of that.”

Those standards are being held to every girl on the team, including soph omore transfer Raegen Reilly, coming

from North Dakota State. Burk already has made a positive impact on Reilly in the short time they have been teammates.

“She truly cares about each and every person,” Reilly said. “If I am having a bad day, just having her smile and say, hey, how you are doing, it means so much.”

The Jackrabbits opened up Summit League play last week against two of the top teams in the conference. They lost to Denver in four sets Sept. 22 before rebounding to beat defending champion Omaha in five sets Sept. 24.

Perhaps the most contagious part of her game is the fun she has playing it. Andrews says she eats, sleeps and breathes volleyball. She lives it.

“We preach that joy is contagious,” Georgalas said. “That if we enjoy the game and those tight moments, they don’t seem so pressure-filled anymore.

Making sure I provide a student-athlete experience that makes them happy is a big goal of mine.”

Burk said that she is having the most fun she has ever had playing volleyball, and that’s one reason she opted for her fifth year. Another was the fact that she thinks the team has unfinished business.

“I always knew that I wanted to con tinue playing volleyball, especially after the season we just had,” she said. “It’s kind of greedy to say, but like, I know we can do better.”

Crystal Burk spikes the ball in warmups before SDSU’s game against Denver. Burk is in the top 30 in the country in both kills (247) and kills per set (4.19).

Crystal Burk coaches a flag football team for young Brookings residents.

COOPER KANTHAK Sports Reporter

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are back home this week as they take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

SDSU is coming off with a 28-14 road win against No. 4 Missouri State last weekend to move to a 3-1 overall record and 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Western Illinois is coming off with a 52-17 loss to Northern Iowa. They are winless this season at 0-4 and are 0-1 in conference play.

The Jacks hold a 12-5 all-time record against the Leathernecks and have won the past four matchups, outscoring the Leathernecks by a combined score of 190-65 in those games.

Here is what to look for from each team.

About South Dakota State:

The Jacks are on a threegame winning streak after losing a close game against Iowa in week one. They bounced back to defeat No. 25 UC Davis, Butler and No. 4 Missouri State.

SDSU is currently ranked third in the FCS Coaches Poll, behind only North Dakota State and Montana.

“I thought we played really well in a lot of phases and I’m really proud of our football team,” coach John Stiegelmeier said about the Missouri State game.

Coming off receiving MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, quarterback Mark Gronowski has improved over the last couple of games. Last week the sophomore led the Jacks to victory as he completed 22-29 passes for 319 yards and accounted for all four of the team’s touchdowns.

In the season Gronowski is 62-101 passing with 795 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also been effective on the ground where he has three rushing touchdowns as well.

Tight end Zach Heins had a

JACKS RETURN HOME

career game last weekend, as he had seven catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. Heins has stepped up in the absence of all-American tight end Tucker Kraft, who has been out with an injury.

Isaiah Davis leads the Jacks in rushing with 333 yards on 74 attempts. While Davis is still searching for his first touch down of the season, he averages 79.8 yards per game.

SDSU has gotten help in the passing offense as 11 dif ferent players have recorded a catch this season. Jadon Janke leads the team in receiving with 16 receptions for 222 yards and

three touchdowns.

On defense, SDSU is led by all-American linebacker Adam Bock, who leads the team in tackles with 33 total. The team has five interceptions and six sacks.

About Western Illinois:

The Leathernecks are led by first-year coach Myers Hendrickson. They are 0-4 on the season after losing to the likes of UT Martin, Minnesota, Southern Utah and Northern Iowa.

Western Illinois is averaging only 15.5 points per game. They average 93 rushing yards per game and 218 passing yards.

Bruno Clay is the quar terback for the Leathernecks. He has struggled this season, completing 34-of-60 attempts for 386 yards while throwing for one touchdown and five interceptions.

He is also the team’s leading rusher with 146 yards on 31 attempts with one touchdown. Running back Erin Collins is second with 28 attempts for 76 yards.

Nasseim Brantley leads the team in receiving, catching 21 balls for 388 yards and a teamleading five touchdowns.

Western Illinois’s defense is led by sophomore linebacker

Chase Graham, who has 34 total tackles with 20 solo tackles.

The Leatherneck’s defense has forced three turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The team also has two sacks.

“They do a lot of stuff well on offense, they are a good foot ball team and we’ll be ready,” Stiegelmeier said of Western Illinois.

Up Next:

SDSU is back at home Oct. 8 as in-state rival South Dakota comes to town for the South Dakota Showdown Series at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium at 2 p.m.

Collegian photo by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her)

Quarterback Mark Gronowski before a game against Butler Sept. 17 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Gronowski had his best game of the season Sat urday in the Jacks’ 28-14 over Missouri State. Gronowski was 22-for-29 passing for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also added 20 rushing yards.

After an impressive win over No. 4 Missouri State, the Jacks continue Valley play against Western Illinois Saturday