The highlight of the Summit League basketball season is coming to Sioux Falls on March 7, and I couldn’t be more excited.

The tournament will be in Sioux Falls for the first time after being in Tulsa for the last four years. This will be the second time that Sioux Falls has hosted a Division-I postseason tournament, the other coming in 2006 when the city hosted the baseball Independent Tournament.

“The folks involved in our tournament in Tulsa did a great job the past four years,” Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple said. “The folks in Sioux Falls have done an outstanding job of promoting and organizing the tournament, along with the SDSU athletic department staff.”

The men’s and women’s teams from both South Dakota State and North Dakota State have qualified for the tournament, so there has been a lot of a local interest in Brookings and Fargo for the tournament, both easily within driving distance.

Douple said that having both teams from SDSU and NDSU playing in Sioux Falls “has increased interest from the media and area fans for the tournament.”

Unfortunately, the SDSU men and women and the NDSU men will be playing on March 7, which will likely decrease attendance on March 8. It is possible that all three teams, along with the NDSU women’s team, will make it to March 9 and the championship on March 10, which should lead to other strong showings at the Arena.

The tournament will also lead to another historic first for the state of South Dakota, a nationally televised sporting event. ESPN2 will broadcast the men’s championship on March 10, while ESPNU will televise the women’s championship on the same day. This is a huge event, not only for Sioux Falls but for the state of South Dakota as a whole. The fact that a nationally televised sporting event hasn’t happened in South Dakota doesn’t surprise me, but it’s about time it happened.

The fact that ticket sales are on a record-breaking pace doesn’t surprise me, either. South Dakota residents love their basketball, and this is a chance to showcase it. I wouldn’t expect anything but a packed house at the championship games on March 10, even if the SDSU or NDSU teams aren’t playing.

I think the most important thing about the city hosting the tournament is that it will be front and center across the whole state. In the past year, the tournament wasn’t the biggest thing going on the city and had a chance to be not as important. With the tournament being in Sioux Falls, it is the biggest thing happening, at least on the sports scene. Nothing like this has ever happened in the state of South Dakota, an automatic qualifier to a Division-I tournament to the winner of the conference tournament. That is why this is so important for the city and the state.

Numerous people have criticized the move to Division I by both NDSU and SDSU – yes, I’m looking at you USD and UND – but this is a great thing for the state. People can’t take away the fact that SDSU and NDSU have succeeded since the move to Division I, and this is just another shining example. The SDSU women and the NDSU men will go in to the tournament as the number one seed and favorites to win their tournaments and advance to the NCAA Tournaments.

If things go badly during the Tournament, they will have another crack at it next year when they host the Summit League Tournament again. But if things go well, the city will have a legitimate shot at hosting the 2010 and 2011 tournaments.

“The tournament is currently out for bid for 2011 and 2012,” Douple said. “I anticipate that Sioux Falls will bid on the tournament again, and of course how this year’s tournament turns out will be a discussion point when we review the bids.”

I, for one, am hoping this springboards the state of South Dakota on to bigger and better things, and I have a feeling I’m not the only one.

The choir concert scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

On the west side of town across the street from Pioneer Park, sits a small, unassuming building. But the dishes created inside Som’s Diner are large and in charge. Freshly made and packed full of flavor, Som’s entrées have become a hit among those that frequent the restaurant.

The diner is owned and operated by Som and Paul Disse of Lake Preston, S.D. They previously operated The Back Door in Arlington until last January when it was destroyed in a fire. In May of 2008, Som’s Diner opened up at its current location at the west end of Sixth Street in Brookings.

One of the biggest challenges has been getting people, especially college students, to venture away from the heart of campus. Som Disse originally wanted a larger, more centrally located dining establishment but was unable to find any available locations.

“I had a lot of customers from here, from Brookings, drive to Arlington to eat. I thought I would come here and be closer to them, but we don’t have the place to sit and eat,” she said.

The small restaurant has limited the selection but not the quality. “She takes the meat and mixes it all up and takes the skin and rolls them all up by hand. Everything here is made by hand,” says Paul Disse.

In addition to fresh vegetables and meat, Som Disse also makes her own sauces and seasoning. Although she would one day like to offer a more diverse menu, she currently has some limitations. Making all the food fresh takes considerable time and money. It is simply too expensive to expand the menu at this time, she said.

Som’s Diner is open Monday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The current menu is gathering fans. “The food at Som’s is amazing,” said Thijs Hammink, a junior electrical engineering major and creator of a Facebook event encouraging people to check out the Diner.

The Chinese Express special changes daily and customers get a choice of two entrées (out of four), rice or lo mein noodles, an eggroll and crab rangoon. Pad Thai is available every day, and Indian tacos are featured on Friday and Saturday. Som Disse said sesame chicken and sweet and sour chicken are popular, with some people preferring the spicier fare.

“It’s a great deal for food; you get a ton of food for what you pay,” says Kandi Moulder, a sophomore advertising major.

To make a good deal even better, the first 600 students that sell their books back to the University Bookstore will get a coupon for $1 off at Som’s Diner.

According to Moulder, “It’s not your classic Chinese restaurant. It’s better.”

#1.882113:564451457.jpg:Soms.Diner.CMYK.AE.jpg:Som Disse, along with husband Paul, owns and operates Som’s Diner. The restaurant features Chinese cuisine, along with Thai food and Indian tacos.:
#1.882112:2076442136.jpg:Soms.Diner.2.CMYK.AE.jpg:A standard Chinese Express meal from Som’s Diner.:

It’s called the beautiful game, and once every four years, the entire world stops for it. Whether you call it soccer or futbol, no other sport invokes such world-wide passion.

To quote Bill Shankly, an English soccer manager, “Some people believe futbol is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

It has the power to start wars, build up countries and tear them down. It can unite cities, nations, even whole continents. The toughest of hooligans fall to their knees weeping after a loss, while the winners shed their shirts in wild jubilation. Try getting that from the NFL.

There are a few things I’ve learned in my three years on the staff of The Collegian. Mainly, journalism isn’t easy, especially for a student trying to balance a full course load, extra-curricular activities and sometimes even another job. It’s even more difficult if you’ve never taken a journalism class. I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the Union basement and am the first one informed of “anonymous” attacks via the Web site. Every so often, something comes along that makes up for my plunging G.P.A. and lack of a social life.

On Feb. 13, I had the opportunity to partake in a conference call with former President William Jefferson Clinton. College Media Network, the parent company of College Publisher – the company that handles The Collegian’s Web site – set up an exclusive conference call with the former Commander-in-Chief and Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University in New Orleans, La., to discuss a new branch of the Clinton Global Initiative: Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U).

Just to clarify, I am a tree-hugging, equal rights demanding, first amendment supporting, idealistic bleeding-heart liberal. I believe that through diplomacy and soft power, we can achieve much more than with sheer might alone. I recognize my bias and thus present this not as a straight news story, but as a first-hand account. To me, getting the chance to speak to President Clinton is the stuff dreams are made of. No matter what you thought of his presidency, it is hard to argue with the worldwide impact he has made since he left office.

The Clinton Global Initiative, a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, was started in 2005 by Bill Clinton as a way to turn lofty goals of fixing the world’s problems into concrete results. The project is currently focused on four main areas: education, energy and climate change, global health and poverty alleviation. Focus areas change yearly at the annual meeting, where each member is required to make a commitment to action, be it through gifts of money, time, skills or products. Since its inception, members will affect 180 lives in over 100 countries through 1,000 commitments worth tens of billions of dollars.

Current commitments range from a power company pledging to build solar power plants to a travel magazine raising $1 million within a year towards medical support for children five and under worldwide. There’s a company providing 10 million free energy-efficient CFL lights to homes across China, while the Dubai royal family is launching a community-based fundraising campaign for children in developing countries. With 249 member commitments this year, I could go on for pages, but I’ve been warned to stick to my word limit.

CGI U brings the same spirit of change to the next generation of leaders: American college students. It may be scary to think that we will one day be running the show, especially when most students seem more worried about what’s on Facebook rather than what’s in the grade book. Of course, there are plenty of young people making a real difference out there. In Clinton’s latest book, “Giving,” he discusses Ellie Winkleman, a student at Scripps College who sold Challah bread once a week with all proceeds going to help the children of Darfur. She raised tens of thousands of dollars and got others thinking about the issue.

CGI U will tap into the boundless idealism and optimism of today’s youth and pair them with non-profit groups and social entrepreneurs to create real results. The inaugural meeting will be held March 14-16 at Tulane University in New Orleans. Sadly, the deadline for registration was Feb. 18. Students can still participate by visiting http://www.cgiu.org on March 15 for a live Web cast from Tulane or by going to http://www.mycommitment.org and making a commitment.

Of course, there’s plenty you can do right here at SDSU. President Clinton has a dream of every college and university in the U.S. having their own non-governmental organization and thus incorporating this type of worldwide community service into everyday college life. While we haven’t quite achieved that, we do have numerous on-campus groups dedicated to achieving many of the same goals found in CGI. Groups such as Sierra Club and Amnesty International are local branches of international organizations while clubs like Project Sustainability @ sdstate and South Dakota Students for Fair Trade are SDSU startups. For those students wanting to get involved, find the groups on Facebook or attend a meeting and jump right in. It’s a bit cliché, but in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

I come from the land of sky blue waters, the Jolly Green Giant, and the world’s largest man-made ball of twine. It’s true, I am a Minnesotan. And I’m damn proud of it, don’tcha know. We gave the world spam, Target and scotch tape. It’s the home of the world famous Mayo Clinic, the Guthrie Theatre and of course, the Mall of America. We elected a former professional wrestler to the governorship. Well, nobody’s perfect. Our 12-day state fair has the largest daily attendance of all state fairs. Thousands of people show up daily to wander the fairgrounds and eat food on a stick. We’re not afraid to put a candy bar on a stick, batter it and deep fry it. In 2006, hotdish was finally put on a stick.

That’s right, hotdish, not casserole. The old hotdish/casserole debate is a source of contention for many Minnesotans. We’re nice, friendly people, and we just want to show our neighbors in nearby states the error of their ways. I fully admit a dish known as casserole exists; it’s just not a catch all. Hotdish must contain four basic ingredients: a starch, such as noodles or potatoes; a protein, usually ground beef; a binding agent, normally cream of mushroom soup; and vegetables of some sort. Without these four, it is not a hotdish, and may in fact, be casserole. The only casserole I had growing up was the holiday favorite green bean casserole. A quick glance will show that there is no meat; therefore it is not a hotdish. As clear-cut as my definition is, it is not accepted statewide. Almost every Minnesotan makes, and defines, hotdish just a little differently. I’ve heard that casseroles have layers, hotdishes do not. Or the complete opposite. One thing is for sure: Minnesotans eat hotdish more often than casserole.

The other main difference I’ve noticed in my four years here, besides my elongated o’s, is a major difference in a certain childhood game. Where I come from, the children merrily play “duck, duck, gray duck,” not “duck, duck, goose.” To this day, “duck, duck, goose” still confuses me. When playing “duck, duck, gray duck,” the person who is ‘it’ is free to name the people whatever kind of duck they want. Maybe they look like a purple duck, a banana duck, a polka-dot duck, DUCK DUCK GRAY DUCK!!! You had to stay on your toes and pay attention. Some kids would be even trickier and start every time with duck duck. I think it’s a shame that the poor children of South Dakota are not encouraged to be creative. They are becoming drones, trudging around the circle, “duck, duck, duck, duck, goose.” It lacks the flair, the excitement of “duck, duck, gray duck.”

Don’t get me wrong, South Dakota is ? nice. You sure got that roadside attraction thing down! And Brookings is ? good. I mean, the Campanile is so tall it needs a light on it. That’s pretty impressive.

Oh, and one more thing, a tavern is a place to eat, drink and be merry, not a sandwich. That would be a sloppy joe. A barbeque should involve shredded pork that’s been simmering for three days, whereas a sloppy joe is a delicious mixture of ground beef, ketchup, barbeque sauce and maybe some mustard or onions.

Don’t worry you SoDakians, because as former President Peggy Gordon Miller taught me, you can go anywhere from here, even Minnesota.

#1.883004:2987100544.jpg:eggert,amy.jpg:Amy Eggert, Southern Minnesota:

On the first day of October, Minnesota’s “Freedom to Breathe Act” went into effect. This act essentially bans smoking inside any public building in Minnesota, with the exception of casinos and other establishments on Native American lands. I had the opportunity to experience the difference myself this past Saturday, Oct. 13, at The Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minn. As a life-long second-hand smoker, being able to be around my sister for five hours without inhaling noxious fumes-well, cigarette fumes at least–was fantastic. Aside from the annoying drunk guy behind me who apparently thought he should be headlining the concert, the atmosphere was amazingly clear and refreshing. The icing on the cake was walking out of the club and realizing I didn’t smell like I had a 20-pack-a-day habit.

I’ve been around smokers my entire life. Although I have never smoked, I’ve inhaled enough second-hand smoke to most likely knock a few years off my life. My parents smoked until the early 90s, and two of my sisters have smoked since they were teenagers. One of my uncles smoked until a few years ago when his cancer-riddled larynx was surgically removed from his throat.

Everyone is free to start smoking; that’s their right and the majority of the repercussions will be for them to deal with. And quite honestly, I don’t care if they do. I personally think it’s not the smartest thing to do, but I know a lot of people I would hate to deal with if they were denied their daily nicotine fix. It’s a legal substance; people over the age of 18 are perfectly within their rights to smoke ‘em if they’ve got ‘em.

I’m not calling for a total ban on smoking. I’m simply advocating for a better night life for us non-smokers. A nightlife where I can go to the downtown hotspots in Brookings and can come out smelling as fresh as when I walked in, where my eyes don’t burn and water from too much smoke and where I don’t feel like I need to shower as soon as I got home.

Is that too much to ask?

#1.883004:2987100544.jpg:eggert,amy.jpg:Amy Eggert, Southern Minnesota:

In the fall of 2005, SDSU implemented a university-based e-mail system for students through MSN.

These accounts provided faculty a way to quickly and easily get in touch with students. They also gave students a way to register for Facebook, which at the time required proof of enrollment with an institution of higher education.

Recently, Google launched an education edition of its popular free web-based e-mail client and applications. Universities all over the world, including schools in Ireland, Sweden, Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt and even Arizona have switched to the Google Apps for Education, which includes tools that allow the user to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets, share calendars and communicate in real time with a built-in instant messenger client.

While Gmail may offer more features than Jacks accounts, it currently offers only 2.9 gigabytes of storage space. The current provider of Jacks e-mail accounts, Windows Live, provides five gigabytes, although Google continuously increases user storage space.

Another feature MSN’s Live mail provides that Gmail does not is the ability to receive text message alerts of new e-mail messages.

According to Vice President for Information Technology Michael Adelaine, SDSU is “not contractually obligated to Hotmail/Windows Live,” but will most likely continue to stay with the current system.

“Our last student IT survey of freshmen showed that over 80 percent use their university e-mail account,” Adelaine said, “and I would like to keep that trend going and not try to switch over to a new system and have to try to get the student population converted over.”

Most students arrive at SDSU with at least one personal e-mail account. Gmail allows free POP-in and POP-out capabilities, meaning that multiple e-mail accounts could be consolidated into one inbox, or that a Jacks account from a Gmail platform could be redirected to a student’s pre-existing account.

“I only check my Jacks account on a regular basis when I’m taking a class in which the professor communicates with the students via e-mail,” said Megann Davis, a junior German and advertising major.

No matter what e-mail client the university uses, having a central, standardized system has eased confusion and hassle.

“I love the idea of a unified e-mail system,” said Jason Owens, an assistant German professor. “In the past some students’ personal e-mail addresses were offensive, to the point that I refused to e-mail them. I really like that there’s a central system, that as long as I know the student’s last name, I can easily e-mail them.”

Last Wednesday marked the start of what may very well be my last year at SDSU. With this knowledge in mind, I have been steadily compiling memories, reveling in what it means to be a Jackrabbit. I found it oddly fitting that the most vivid memory I have of my fourth first day of school involves being told I will be sentenced to eternal damnation unless I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. This bright spot of my day occurred in the few minutes it took me to walk from the Nursing, Family and Consumer Sciences and Arts and Science Building to the Union. Standing at the intersection of the sidewalks leading to NFA, Rotunda and the Union was a lone protester with a comically large sign. Shouting out promises of hellfire and brimstone unless Jesus provided a get-out-of-jail free card, this protester provided a stereotypical portrayal of protesters on the SDSU campus; the extremists who hoot and holler, thrusting their pamphlets, and their views, upon unsuspecting passer-bys.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some hot protesting action, but it has gotten a bit ridiculous. I understood the desire to publicly voice opinions during last year’s heated election season. I could even understand using the spirit of the times to prompt debate about related religious and social issues. That was a time when those issues were at the forefront. Change was possible and peoples’ ears and minds were open. However, as I walked to the Union that day, my mind was not on changing the world. It was on paying my tuition, buying books and grabbing some food before working. Was this protester simply hoping to trap incoming freshmen? Was he that concerned with saving souls that he patiently waited all summer for the greatest number of students to be on campus? Or maybe he’s just your run of the mill crazy person with an agenda?

The point of all this is simple. Protesting is meant as a means to voice one’s personal opinions on a matter; to illicit a change in the status quo. Like most things, when done too often, the power of the message is lost. Chances are high that no one was persuaded by this zealot with a sign. Instead of waiting for the opportunity to address an eager crowd, he forced his message to a preoccupied student body, more concerned about their classes than their religious choices.

I fully encourage people to voice their opinions. As future decision-makers, we need to be fully informed on all sides of an issue-good, bad and ugly. But I urge you, protest for a reason, don’t just protest for the sake of a protest. I may even join you.

#1.883004:2987100544.jpg:eggert,amy.jpg:Amy Eggert, Southern Minnesota:

The SDSU Collegian wants your favorite Hobo Day memory! Email your favorite memory to collegian.news@gmail.com for a chance to get it printed in the October 25th issue. Stories should be 100 words or less and please remember to keep them clean. Stories are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 20th!