Kindness of a Stranger thanked

Allison Crisler

I’d like to extend my most genuine gratitude to the unknown college student who stopped to help me when I was in a car accident on January 17. He helped me get out of the car, which I would not have otherwise been able to do, and he kept me calm during the immediate aftermath. Though I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to get his name, I just want to find some way to express how thankful I am for all his help and kindness that night. Thank you so much!

Chicoine needs to make a choice

Richard Iron Cloud, South Dakota Peace and Justice Center Board President

The South Dakota Peace and Justice Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 by faith leaders from throughout South Dakota. We are led by a fifteen-member Board of Directors, with our work driven by advocacy for the disenfranchised, environmental sustainability, justice system reform and a vision for a more just and peaceful world.

We sent the resolution below, passed by our Board of Directors, to both the Board Regents and to Dr. Chicoine’s office because we are deeply concerned about the situation involving the president of SDSU, Dr. David Chicoine.

We believe, as stated in the resolution below, that Dr. Chicoine presents a conflict of interest when serving on the Board of Directors of a company Monsanto.

Please review the situation, and if you are able, contact the Board of Regents and Dr. Chicoine. Urge that a choice be made between his paid position with the state of South Dakota and his paid position on the Board of Directors for Monsanto. For further research, go to wwww.centerforfoodsafety.org/Monsantovsusfarmersreport.cfm and www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article8199.html

The resolution passed by the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center Board on July 25, 2009 follows.

Whereas, SDSU was founded as a land grant college, with a specific mission to educate the farm community and to provide scientific expertise to production agriculture, and

Whereas, Dr. David Chicoine is employed as president of SDSU with and annual salary of $300,000 plus benefits, and

Whereas, Dr. Chicoine has now been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Monsanto corporation, in which capacity he is receiving substantial additional compensation, and

Whereas, Monsanto sells and actively promotes agricultural chemicals and genetically modified crops, with a detrimental impact on the natural environment, on neighboring organic farmers and on genetic biodiversity, and

Whereas, Dr. Chicoine’s dual role creates a clear conflict of interest and also has ominous implications for academic freedom within the academic community, possibly including a chilling effect on professors and researchers at SDSU who might wish to study the impact of Monsanto’s products and sales practices on the future of South Dakota’s farm and ranch community, and

Whereas, the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center is a statewide organization of almost 1,000 South Dakota households, institutions and congregations, which is dedicated to protecting family farmers and ranchers from corporate agriculture and to promoting a healthy environment,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center does hereby call upon the South Dakota Board of Regents to require Dr. David Chicoine to choose between his role as president of SDSU and his service on the Board of Directors of Monsanto, since it is a clear conflict of interest for him to remain in both positions.

Walking campus unsafe in winter

Eve Fisher, SDSU History Department

Our administration has, at various times, especially as they close off the center of campus from automobiles, spoken of SDSU as being a “walking campus.” Perhaps it is from September through November, and from April through May. But from some time in November through early April, it is a skating campus. Anyone who hikes from, say, Scobey Hall to NSP (as I do) or to HPER (as do many of my colleagues) is taking their life in their hands. The sidewalks are always snow-packed and/or icy. (Today, January 26, was the first day that I have ever seen sanded sidewalks around the Rotunda, and I congratulate the physical plant, but they are still hazardous.) The only place I have ever seen immaculate, snow and ice-free sidewalks is around the administration building. (Surprising, isn’t it?) I urge the administration to get out and walk this campus three, four, or five times a day, and then tell us, faculty and students, that it is (1) safe; (2) practical; (3) easy. We are stuck: students have to get to class; so do professors; and none that I know have dedicated classrooms in their own office buildings. Instead, it is the long, dangerous hike. I know that the parking lots are vanishing rapidly, and restoring them isn’t going to happen. But what we need – desperately need – is a bus system that serves the SDSU community, so that we can indeed navigate safely between classrooms, offices, dorms, and parking lots. I urge all students, faculty, and staff, to bring this before the parking committee and everyone else in the administration with some power.

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