It’s the moment Jackrabbit fans have been waiting for since the transition to Division I eight seasons ago. As a dedicated fan, I couldn’t be more tickled. But as the men rise in Division-I prominence, I also hope SDSU doesn’t lose enthusiasm for its perennially successful women’s team.

I’ll allow a little extra pomp and circumstance for the men this year. Their success is new and exciting, and the women have been widely lauded since their first WNIT bid in 2007.

But I hope in the coming years that SDSU fans don’t follow the national trend of supporting and celebrating the men’s team more. That would be an incredible disservice to a women’s team that stormed its way into Division I in historic fashion and its role-model stars who captured the imagination of this whole state.

Don’t forget the WNIT fever that invaded Frost Arena when Megan Vogel led the Jacks to electric wins over Illinois State and Indiana in 2007. Don’t forget the record-tying 16 3-pointers in the Jackrabbits’ Big Dance win over Texas Christian and how close our women came to the Sweet Sixteen in 2009. Don’t forget that the women’s basketball team has qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of its four years of eligibility in Division I – a feat no other team has accomplished.

I have often been known to brag about my school, and when it comes to sports, I always talk about how proud I am of my school for supporting its women’s team as much as its men’s team. I believe that it has always set South Dakota State apart and it’s just another reason why it’s so great to be a Jackrabbit. Please, Jackrabbit fans, don’t lose that distinction as we move into this era of success for both programs.

So in the coming week: I hope the men beat Baylor. I hope the women beat Purdue. I hope Nater Nates, and I hope Jill does what she’s been doing since she was young. Most of all, I hope we cheer both teams on with equal enthusiasm both this week and in the years to come.

Men across campus have stepped up in response to the recent sexual assaults to make sure their female counterparts get to and from their destinations safely.

A Facebook group, the SDSU Safe Walk Brigade, was recently created to give women another safe walking option in addition to the SDSU Police Department’s escort service.

Men join the group if they are willing to walk women to and from their cars or to locations both on and off campus. Women join so they know who they can call if they want someone to walk with them or drive them somewhere at night.

“My phone is always on ring,” said Nathan Hofer, one of the group’s creators. “I’m ready and willing to help.”

Male students can leave their phone numbers on the group’s wall, but it is not a requirement to join. For safety reasons, women should not put their phone numbers up, and they should only call men they trust from the group. If women do not feel comfortable with any of the group members, they are encouraged to call the SDSUPD escort service at 605-688-5117.

“We want people to feel safe, and not only to feel safe, but to actually be safe, too,” Hofer said.

Dan Amen, a junior theatre major, and Hofer, a graduate student, created the Safe Walk Brigade to not only give women more options but also to raise awareness after the three recent sexual assaults. They have posted information on the group about upcoming self-defense classes and about the Take Back the Night event that happened on April 23. Community Assistants have written on the wall, saying that they, too, can be asked to walk with women at night.

“I’ve never had to ask one of the guys who have put their information on the page (to walk with me), but it is definitely nice knowing that if I have no one else, that there are a ton of guys willing to help out,” said Chelsea Louder, a second-year graphic design major. “I think it makes girls on campus feel a lot more safe, especially at night.”

The idea to start the group came after Hofer said in his Facebook status that he was willing to walk with female friends at night. Amen told Hofer that he was going to steal his status, and then Amen decided to create a group. The SDSU Safe Walk Brigade was created in the early hours of Wednesday morning &- just hours before police announced that they had arrested someone for the recent assaults.

In the days following, group membProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0

ship grew exponentially before taperinProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 off toward the weekend. As of April 26, 713 people were members of the group, and about 40 men had left their numbers.

“I was really moved by the Safe Walk Brigade,” said Jackie Fitzgerald, a junior in the Agricultural Communication Department. “I think the amount of numbers and offers for escorts was awesome, and I’m glad people are trying to continue the group to ensure this does not happen again.”

Amen and Hofer both said they hope safety awareness does not dwindle at SDSU after this semester. The two hope to keep the Safe Walk Brigade running for at least a couple more years, as Hofer will be at SDSU for at least another year and Amen will be here for two more.

“Keep your safety in mind as your number one priority,” Amen said.

Catherine Grandorff, an organizer of the recent Week to End Violence Against Women, said that while the recent incidents brought sexual assault to the forefront, people should always be aware of the issues of violence against women. She encouraged men to respect women in all situations in order to help prevent assault and violence against women.

“Don’t just walk them home,” she said. “Extend respect to women in all areas, and that goes deeper than holding a door open.”

As part of SDSU’s Week to End Violence Against Women, organizers held a Take Back the Night event, encouraging everyone to join the international movement to stand up against sexual violence and violence against women. SDSU’s Take Back the Night event on April 23 started at The Union with a rally, and then about 30 marchers made a couple loops around the building, yelling such chants as, “Hey hey, ho ho, date rape has got to go.”

“Take Back the Night is designed to empower primarily women to feel safe in their own communities,” said Grandorff, a senior Spanish and English major. “Women should not have to feel scared, should not have to feel afraid to walk across their own campus.”

As for the Safe Walk Brigade, Grandorff also advised women that they should only call men from the group that they trust.

“I appreciate what they are doing,” she said. “Guys have to be part of the solution to end violence against women.”

Students seem to be relieved that an arrest has been made for the recent assaults, but many still vow to remain vigilant about safety.

“I was really relieved when they caught him,” said Mercedes Dalton, a freshman English education major. “I don’t know if I will feel safer, though, because (an attack) is still possible.”

Dalton said she thinks women will remain on heightened awareness until the end of the semester.

“Over time when there’s not a constant threat, it will go down,” Dalton said.

Kelli Hoff, Danielle McCollam and Courtney Trooien – three female students who live in Binnewies Hall – said it was about time that someone was arrested for the assaults.

“I definitely didn’t leave my room by myself at night,” Hoff said.

The freshman pre-nursing major said the assaults were especially shocking since they happened in a town like Brookings.

“I never thought of it, and all of a sudden, (the assaults) started happening,” Hoff said.

Heather Stripling, a freshman early childhood education major, said she was “seriously freaking out” after the latest incident. She said that she understood that during the investigation the police needed to keep some things secret, but now, she feels the university and police should provide more answers.

“Now I want to know the facts,” she said.

Though the assault victims were women, even some campus men became more cautious in the past few weeks.

“When I started seeing the posters around, I did start looking around more,” said Caleb Distel, a junior clinical laboratory major. “It was probably me being a bit more paranoid, but that never hurts.”

Distel said he was concerned for his female friends, and he made sure that his sister did not go places alone at night.

Brock Sanderson, a senior nursing major, said he too was concerned for women on campus. Sanderson said he was “completely surprised” that someone was arrested for the assaults.

“I was concerned that he would not be caught,” he said. “I thought he’d be here for a couple weeks and then be gone.”

Despite the arrest, several women said they will continue to take added security precautions, and they encouraged others to do the same. Allison Sewell, a sophomore pre-medicine and Spanish major, recommended that women still walk with someone at night and stay in lit areas.

“It’s was kind of amazing that even after the first two incidents how many young women were out late at night alone,” she said. “They didn’t think that could happen to them.”

Chris L. Jones, a 21-year-old Brookings man, was arrested just before 11 p.m., April 20 and faces rape, robbery and kidnapping charges in connection with three reported sexual assaults in the Brookings community over the last month.

Jones, according to a Brookings Police Department release, recently moved to Brookings from Omaha. He was unemployed and living at 611 16th Ave. No. 1.

Bob Otterson, executive assistant to President David Chicoine, said Jones is not a student and has no connection with the university. Jones was in Brookings staying with his girlfriend and that is the only tie he has with the community, according to his bail hearing.

Brookings Police Chief Jeff Miller called Jones a “serial rapist” and said that he had become more emboldened with every assault he committed.

“Thank God we have him in custody and can bring this chapter to a halt,” he said.

According to the release, Jones was brought in for questioning after officers from the Brookings police, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the University Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation converged on his home. Miller said law enforcement officials received more than 50 tips about the incidents and ultimately tracking dogs from Watertown led them to Jones’ location. He was not attempting to commit another crime at the time of his apprehension.

According to Miller, Jones confessed to the two on-campus assaults and the off-campus kidnapping, sexual assault and robbery that occurred April 20.

The 24-year-old Brookings woman involved in that incident was abducted on Brooklawn Drive on the south side of Brookings; the assault occurred in another location, which Miller is not releasing.

Jones is being charged with one felony count of kidnapping, five counts of second-degree rape, two counts of first-degree robbery, and one count of attempted robbery.

He faces a possible life sentence on the kidnapping charge, and maximum penalties that include multiple years in prison and more than $100,000 in fines.

Judge Vincent Foley set bail for Jones at $250,000 cash April 21. Foley told Jones he set the bail that high due to his lack of employment and ties to the community.

“The defendant has only recently moved here, from Nebraska, he has no family here and considering the severity of these charges, I do believe he is a danger to the community if he would be released on bond,” said Clyde Calhoon, Brookings State’s Attorney.

Jones’ next court appearance is April 26 at 9 a.m.

The arrest was a combination of efforts of numerous law enforcement personnel, Miller said, who put in a lot of hours to find Jones. He specifically recognized Cam Corey of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Cora Olson of the University Police Department.

“I can’t say enough about the detectives and all that they do,” he said. “Every day they surprise me.”

Miller said Brookings is still a pretty safe community, but people should remain vigilant.

“We are still urging people to be cautious and aware of their surroundings, especially when traveling at night,” he said.

Otterson said he expects the arrest to reduce stress levels on campus significantly.

“We expect a certain expression of thanks and relief at the campus today,” he said. “Chief Heaton (of the University Police Department) and his officers have made our students’ safety a priority, more so even in the last three weeks.”

While the alleged rapist is in custody, Otterson also urged students and the campus community to continue to keep personal safety a main concern.

“The message about personal safety practices should never be ignored, and we at the university still encourage students to be aware of their surroundings … when walking alone at night,” Otterson said.

SDSU will need to cut its budget by $739,799 next fiscal year as a result of the Legislature’s across-the-board cuts to the Board of Regents system.

The Regents took a $4.3 million across-the-board cut when the Legislature finalized its budget late last month. SDSU’s share of that cut is $1.5 million, but about half that will be replaced with the 4.6 percent rise in tuition and fees that the Board approved April 15. That leaves SDSU to absorb about a 2 percent base budget cut.

After deciding which programs, positions or activities to cut, SDSU will need to report specifics to the Board at its June meeting. Wes Tschetter, associate vice president for finance and business, said SDSU will look at leaving vacant positions open, and with the new AL Cloud, he said the university may be able to save money in lab costs. Though Tschetter said he cannot say that no one will lose a job in the next 12 months, if they do, it was part of the university’s larger long-range plan, he said.

“If a position is at stake, it is because it was part of a long-range plan, not a spur-of-the moment type of decision,” he said.

The cuts to SDSU are definitely manageable and not unexpected, Tschetter said. The university will deal with them from a planning perspective, and its biggest priority for this fall is to make sure students are getting a quality education, he said.

“Next fall, we’ll put faculty in the classroom and deliver services to 12,000 students, and that’s our mission,” Tschetter said.

Balancing out SDSU’s budget is a year-long process. Each year, Tschetter and other members of the administration meet with the deans to discuss budget challenges and ways their budget meets the instructional function of their college. Already this year, Tschetter, Provost Laurie Nichols and other administrators have hosted two rounds of budget discussions with deans and the heads of non-academic departments, such as the physical plant.

“The process never ends,” Tschetter said.

The university proper which does not include the Cooperative Extension Service or the Agricultural Experiment Station – has an overall budget of about $190 million in fiscal year 2010. Of that, $42.5 million came from state funds, $22.2 from tuition and $7.7 million from the salary competitiveness fee. Those three areas – which total $72.5 million – mostly fund the instructional purpose of the university, providing salaries and covering expenses for academic departments, Tschetter said.

SDSU’s overall budget also comes from $45.9 million in other/local funds, $37.1 million in federal funds – including $3.7 of stimulus funds – $21.3 in student fees apart from the salary competitiveness fee, $12.2 million in room and board and $680,426 from the Higher Education Facilities Fund and the Department of School and Public Lands.

A good portion of federal funds come from grants and the $21.3 million in student fees goes for things such as the AL Cloud, university support fee and general activity fee.

While some of this money is going to maintain and repair buildings, SDSU’s $190 million budget is generally not going to construct buildings, Tschetter said. Many times construction is funded by donors, such as with Phase II of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Complex and the visitor center at McCrory Gardens. The new residence halls are going to be funded by rental costs, and the Avera Health and Science Center was funded by gifts and $24 million of HEFF money. Twenty percent of tuition is put into HEFF to maintain, repair and build academic facilities.

While several students were not concerned by the upcoming budget cuts, they did suggest a few areas for the university to save money. Ashley Walz, a sophomore pre-nursing major, said she does not think the university should have spent money on the “fancy” arches for the new residence halls.

Justin Cunningham, a sophomore pharmacy major, said he thinks the university should look at the SDSU Police Department’s budget and encourage more efficient policing tactics. He said the university should not cut “quality of life” programs, such as the Student Health Clinic or tutoring services.

“It definitely would not be a good cut if that happens,” he said.

John Schmidt, a freshman computer science major, said the university should not cut tutoring services or the campus housing or dining services.

As for a cut, Schmidt proposed that the university look at the athletic budget.

This fiscal year at SDSU, athletics received $2.2 million from state general funds, $2 million from the general activity fee and $4 million from other sources, such as gate receipts, private donations and advertising revenue from scoreboards, Tschetter said.

“They will share in the budget cuts proportionally to their proper share,” he said. “We will work with them no differently than anyone else.”

Editor’s Note: This story was written before the arrest of Chris Jones on April 21.

Another sexual assault has occurred, but this time, the assailant kidnapped, raped and robbed a 24-year-old woman at knifepoint in a Brookings neighborhood.

As a result, local police are advising women not to walk alone at night and are encouraging them to take added security precautions.

“Exercise all precautions when traveling at night within Brookings,” said Chief Jeff Miller of the Brookings Police Department.

The incident on April 20 occurred shortly after midnight when the Brookings woman was abducted. She was then taken to another location in Brookings where she was raped. The victim was later released.

Police do believe the crime is connected to the two recent sexual assaults on campus, as the suspect description is similar. Miller described the suspect as an African American man of average to slender build with a height of 5-foot-8 inches to 6-feet. Miller said his skin tone is somewhere in between being extremely dark and extremely light, but as the assailant keeps himself covered up, nothing more can be added to the description.

The fact that the most recent assault has been connected with the campus incidents has made some female students more paranoid.

Brienna Hirsch, a freshman pre-nursing major, said the incidents are very scary, especially as their numbers rise. Hirsch said she tries to not be outside late, but if she is, she goes with her roommate or friends.

“It makes you much more leery and more aware of your surroundings, even when you’re with friends,” she said.

Hannah Morford, a junior graphic design major, said she thinks she knows at least one of the victims, so the incidents hit very close to home.

“It’s right in our backyard, where we walk everyday,” she said.

The two campus incidents occurred on March 29 and April 7, both shortly after midnight. The first incident happened near the Hilton M. Briggs Library, while the second was in a parking lot near Young and Caldwell residence halls.

Police believe the April 20 incident is connected to the March 29 and April 7 assaults, but they are unsure if an early morning incident on April 16 is related. In that incident, a young woman was approached at 2 a.m. by an unidentified male outside Young Hall. A university release said the facts in that case are not similar to those from the other two assaults reported, and no arrests were made.

Miller said the city has seen serial burglaries and thefts, but Brookings has never had a serial crime like this.

“A crime of this nature and when it is reoccurring is very serious and new to us,” he said.

Miller did not want to disclose too much information about the most recent incident because he did not want to hinder the investigation. He said the assailant is obviously paying attention, since he knew that security was tightened on campus, so he went off campus.

Miller did say the incident happened within the Brookings city limits, but he did not release the location. He said people should remain alert when they are in any part of Brookings.

“We’re concerned about all of Brookings,” he said.

If female students work late, Miller recommended calling a male friend, neighbor or the Brookings Police Department for an escort to and from their apartments.

“That would be prudent until we get this person caught,” he said.

From the university standpoint, Bob Otterson, executive assistant to the president, said administrators are encouraging everyone to take personal safety precautions, such as walking in pairs, always being aware of surroundings and using the SDSUPD escort service, which is available 24 hours a day by calling 688-5117.

Historically, the escort service has not been used frequently, but in the last week, SDSUPD has made 36 escorts, Otterson said.

“Calling the escort service is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of intelligence,” he said.

Brookings Mayor Tim Reed also encouraged women to stay aware because incidents like these can happen in a town of any size.

“We always have to be vigilant and watch for these types of things,” he said.

The Brookings Police Department has no suspects at the current time, but Miller and Reed both said they are optimistic that the department will find the assailant.

“I’m confident our police force will be able to get this solved,” he said.

The Brookings Police, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the SDSUPD are investigating the incident. Anyone with information should contact the Brookings Police Department at 692-2113 or the SDSUPD at 688-5117.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that lead to the arrest of a suspect. Tips can be submitted by calling 692-STOP or on the Web at www.brookingsareacrimestoppers.com.

Self-defense

The Victory Martial Arts school in Brookings will offer free women’s self-defense classes on May 1 at 3 p.m.

“One of the major things that people need to do is be aware of their environment,” said Jennifer Briggs, head instructor at Victory Martial Arts. “Never talk on your cell phone when walking alone. It puts you in a vulnerable position.”

Another suggestion that Briggs had for women was to walk with purpose and to keep their heads up when walking.

“When you hang your head while walking it can symbolize vulnerability and a lack of confidence,” said Briggs. “That puts you in a very unsafe position because the attacker will pick up on it and take advantage of it.”

When students are leaving to go home, they should call their roommates and tell them that they will be home in 10 minutes, Briggs said. At parties, women should also be attentive, she said.

“When women are at a party, they should never leave their drink unattended and avoid putting themselves in a position where they won’t be heard if they scream,” she said. If women would like to participate in the self-defense seminar, they can contact Briggs at 690-2977 or check out www.victorymartialarts.us.

Description concern

Since the assailant was covered up, the police do not know his hair or eye color, and the description – an African-American male of slender build, 5-foot-8 inches to 5-foot-10 inches in height – fits many of the small African-American male population on campus.

“It puts the university in a really tough position to try to deal with the situation,” said C.D. Douglas, executive director of TRiO Programs/Multicultural Affairs. “The university has to be sensitive to the victims, but at the same time, they have to be sensitive to other students, as well.”Some African-American males think others are looking at them or overheard negative comments, Douglas said.

“It’s a tough situation for a student of color,” he said.

Cedric Williams, an African-American sophomore physical therapy major, was stopped twice around 9 p.m. April 16 while walking on campus. He was asked for his student I.D. in both instances.

Williams said he understood why the officers stopped him and that he was not treated rudely.

“They weren’t really implying anything,” he said. “They were pretty professional about it, I guess.”

Williams thinks other African-American males will likely be questioned until the attacker is caught.

“You can only do so much when that’s all you have for a description,” he said. “If that’s what it takes, then whatever.”

To deal these issues, Douglas has met with students and sent out e-mails to those concerned with the description. He tells students to continue with their daily routines, and he lets them know that he is available for support.

“Any time they have questions or concerns, my door is always open,” he said.

Mace sales increase

Mace sales increaseMace has been a big seller in Brookings in response to the sexual assaults that have occurred over the past three weeks.

At least three Brookings’ businesses – Funbags & Accessories, The Exchange and Dunham’s Sports – sell Mace, but all were out of the product on April 20, the day the most recent assault occurred.

The Exchange should have more Mace on April 21 at 2:30 p.m. Co-owner Brenda Torino said this is the store’s fourth shipment of Mace, and she never expected the Mace to go so fast.

“Everyone wants it, and we’re getting so many phone calls and people coming in, it’s been crazy,” she said.

Heather Mulder, manager at Funbags, said the store sold out of Mace last week, but the store will get shipments on April 23, 26 and 27. The store will have several types, such as quick-release clips for purses and Mace disguised as lipsticks or pens.

Dunham’s will have Mace on April 22, store officials said.

Reports circulating last evening and this morning about an assault in the Walmart parking lot appear to be false.

Brett Spencer, sergeant with the Brookings Police Department in the Criminal Investigation Division, said his office is not aware of any additional assaults. No one has reported the alleged assault in Walmart to his office, he said.

The reports circulating last evening and this morning – which appear to be rumors, Spencer said – tied the alleged Walmart incident with two recent sexual assaults on campus.

The first incident happened on March 29 shortly after midnight on the south side of Briggs Library. The second incident occurred early April 7, also shortly after midnight, in the parking lot east of the Young and Caldwell residence halls.

The SDSU Police Department and the state Division of Criminal Investigation are currently investigating both campus incidents. Anyone with information pertaining to these crimes should contact SDSUPD at 605-688-5117 or the Brookings Police Department at 605-692-2113.

An initiative to allow the construction of new Greek housing passed its first test on March 31 at the Board of Regents meeting.

The Board voted to draw up a lease with the South Dakota State College Development Association for the creation of a Greek Village on 4.7 acres near the Alpha Gamma Rho and Farmhouse fraternity houses.

“This is a huge accomplishment,” said Erin Kennedy, who is in charge of recruitment and programming for the Panhellenic Council and the Unified Greek Board. “Greeks have been fighting for this opportunity for a very long time.”

Due to the nature of today’s housing loans and a reversion clause in state law, Greek organizations have been unable to secure bank loans on their own. The SCDA – established in 1930 to support the growth and development of the college primarily through acquiring and developing real estate – has agreed to work with Greek organizations.

Three Greek chapters are currently interested in building new chapter houses. Sigma Alpha Epsilon lost its house in a recent fire, and Chi Omega has had its members stay in residence halls and apartments after the university purchased its house for construction of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building Phase I. Alpha Xi Delta will have its house purchased by the university this spring for construction of Phase II of the EECS building.

Additionally, Ceres and Sigma Phi Epsilon could also construct new houses if appropriate lots became available, according to information provided to the Board.

“It’s not a want for Greek housing ? but a need,” Kennedy said. “To have that need met is an incredible accomplishment.”

SDSU plans to bring the lease to the Board for final approval at its May or June 2010 meeting. If the Board signs the lease, Marysz Rames, vice president for student affairs, said it would be one to two years before the chapter houses would be built and occupied. The Board’s recent decision, she said, just allows SDSU to move forward with the project.

“All this does is gives us an opportunity to continue the negotiations with the SCDA,” she said.

Some senators and former Students’ Association members are questioning whether the hiring process for at-large representatives was discriminatory this year.

Others say the process worked to make SA more representative of the student body.

During this year’s at-large selection process, the candidate assessment rubric included this representation statement:

“Priority will be given to candidates who are:
* From colleges not filled in the general election
* Minorities or International Students
* Women.”

Candidates were to be given 0 or 5 points, depending on whether they fit those categories.

SA President Brett Monson said after the general SA election, senators noticed that the body was not representative of the school’s overall makeup. For example, no senators represented the colleges of Nursing or Education and Human Sciences.

Monson said the Board of Directors &- which includes a senator from each college and is chaired by the SA vice president &- agreed to include the representation statement on the rubric to help SA accurately reflect the student body.

“We as a Students’ Association are here to serve students in the best way possible,” Monson said. “That’s why getting all their voices is so key because we want everyone in the school heard. Students are our boss.”

Some senators and former SA members are concerned by the statement, though, saying it violates the organization’s discrimination policy and will set a negative precedent.

“I object to any type of discrimination great or small to anyone,” said Tim Goldammer, SA at-large senator.

The discrimination policy in SA’s by-laws states, “The Corporation shall not discriminate in any manner against any individual because of age, race, color, creed, religion, gender, ancestry, disability, national origin or sexual preference.”

Michael Kendall, former vice president of SA, said he believes the representation statement was in direct violation of that policy. After doing some research and speaking with lawyers, Kendall said he found that the Supreme Court has ruled against reverse discrimination and preferential treatment in recent years.

“Preferential treatment is no longer acceptable and is discrimination as defined as such,” he said.

Monson said he does not think that the statement violated SA’s by-laws and said that SA members double-checked the phrase with human resources, the three SA advisers and the campus attorney. They also looked at Supreme Court cases, and he said there are cases that back up the use of the statement.

For Monson, the statement does not constitute discrimination, he said.

“By definition, discrimination has to have an adverse effect,” he said.

Kendall disagreed, saying, “People will bring up the definition: discrimination is preferential treatment,” he said. “… It was a violation of the by-law, and fancy wording does not make it acceptable.”

Kendall said he had been looking at introducing an ordinance about the at-large hiring process for a while, but the representation statement was the catalyst for the ordinance he helped co-sponsor at the April 12 meeting.

The SA at-large process is inefficient, Kendall said, because each year’s Board of Directors has to start from scratch. Each year, the directors meet to review the previous year’s documents and then decide how to conduct the at-large process for the current year.

Goldammer introduced Ordinance 10-02-O for co-sponsors Kendall, Erik Hanson, Tony Temple and SA At-Large Senator Mark York. This ordinance attempts to standardize the at-large hiring process.

Some senators were upset that the ordinance was introduced at the April 12 meeting because they thought the issue had been resolved at the Board of Directors meeting earlier that night.
Everyone was invited to the Board of Directors meeting, and members worked to find a solution that worked for everyone, Monson said. A task force &- which has members representing both sides of the issue &- was created that night to look at the at-large hiring process, he said.

“Everyone said it sounded like a fair plan,” he said.
Then, later that night, the ordinance was introduced, which was a surprise to Monson, he said.

“It was all really frustrating when it happened,” he said. “The Board of Directors had decided something 20 minutes ago, and then all of a sudden, people pretended like it never happened.”

Kendall said he attended the directors’ meeting and asked the body to consider his ordinance. He said the group basically ignored his ordinance and moved on. Kendall said he told those at the meeting that he would have someone introduce the ordinance for him that night.

The former vice president &- who will graduate this spring &- said due to some special rules with ordinances, he wanted to be sure to get it submitted on April 12 so that SA will consider it before the end of the semester. Goldammer agreed that SA needs to discuss the topic this semester.

“We need to take care of it this spring while it’s fresh in students’ minds,” he said.

Others want senators to have more time to review the at-large hiring process. Hassan Ali, senator for the College of General Studies, said he wants to research other universities’ at-large hiring processes before any final decisions are made.

“I’m not saying the current system is perfect … but we have all fall to make those decisions,” he said.

Ordinance 10-02-O will receive its second reading at the April 19 SA meeting. The task force is also supposed to present its findings that night. If students want to comment on the subject prior to this meeting, Monson said they should put a comment in the SA box at Information Exchange.

The University Police Department is continuing its investigation of related assaults on two female students that both included “physical contact of a sexual nature,” according to university officials.

The first incident happened on March 29 shortly after midnight on the south side of the library. The second incident occurred early Wednesday, April 7, also shortly after midnight, in the parking lot east of the Young and Caldwell residence halls. Both times the assailant snuck up on the victims and was armed with a knife, according to Bob Otterson, executive assistant to the president.

The assailant is described as an African-American male of slender build, 5-foot-8 inches to 5-foot-10 inches in height. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with a dark bandana covering part of his face, according to officers working on the investigation.

The SDSUPD is currently working through 35 to 40 tips and leads, many that have come from students. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the SDSUPD at 688-5117 or the Brookings Police Department at 692-2113.

The Collegian will continue to provide updates throughout the day.