Change, to transform or convert: a word that strikes fear in the hearts of some and excitement in others.

This university has gone through multiple transformations recently, ranging from the leap to Division I athletics to a new leader in President David Chicoine. Students’ Association Vice President Eric Hanson said that the university moves in cycles, hopefully replenishing every four to five years, allowing for some to witness change and others to reap its benefits without realizing that change ever occurred.

Many changes have been in the works throughout the school year, and many will continue throughout the summer. Although some students may think that the university and Brookings virtually halt to a standstill during the summer months, that is simply not true.

Many changes will take place behind the scenes: a reshuffling of management duties and hiring processes on campus, slight changes in food services molded to fit the needs of students and staff, new faculty faces and Students’ Association improvements. A new emergency notification system will also be in full swing, enabling the administration to contact students through their cell phones (text or voice), landline phones, e-mail, pagers and blackberries. Each of these improvements will help to keep SDSU running smoothly.

Along with these procedural and operational changes, there will be ones highly noticeable to students and the Brookings community. The Wellness Center, set to be unveiled next fall, is shaping up to be a high-profile alteration on campus. Hanson described the Wellness Center as a “wow factor” and “an important campus enhancement that will truly allow the students to enter a building and atmosphere they can enjoy and use.”

In addition to the Wellness Center, there will be continued campus improvement through construction and maintenance. Harding Hall South, a state-of-the-art engineering facility, is set to be completed by February 2009. Changes in the campus parking situation will continue taking shape, with switches such as the student commuter and faculty lots being combined. The Innovation Campus will also continue on the path of progress with a date of completion set for October 2008.

With all these positive changes taking place on campus also come some disheartening modifications. Student tuition and mandatory costs are set to increase, along with on-campus housing fees and meal plan costs. On-campus students will incur a 12.3 percent rise in aggregate cost, and off-campus students will bear an increase of 7.9 percent.

#1.882521:4012425130.jpg:changes_BR.jpg:Rotunda Lane will see some significant changes over the next year.:Blair Rau

War: an arena where the foe sees no color, sex or heritage – yet until 1948, the United States government and its armed forces did. Due primarily to the success of the 332nd fighter group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, popularly referred to as the Tuskegee Airmen, President Truman integrated the U.S. armed forces in 1948.

Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson of the 332nd fighter group spoke at the Performing Arts Center about the struggle for equality.

“As a Tuskegee airmen, black male and human being, we tried to do our duty. Many of us worked our whole life and are still working in the fight for complete equality barred from any prejudice,” he said.

Jefferson’s story begins with the fight for equality and ends in the elite performance of his fellow airmen; however, the movement for some, like Jefferson, is still being waged. Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no U.S. military

As it has been said before, when it rains it pours. Soaring gas prices make it more expensive for many students to get to school, and elevated food prices greatly increase the general cost of living. Many students feel a tight squeeze on their pocket books as they look ahead to paying another year’s school cost.

Next year’s cost for students is going to be even higher. Tuition and mandatory fees will go up an average of 5.9 percent to cover the basic operations of the public university system next year. Along with this increase will be a rise of 4.3 to 4.4 percent in residence hall rates and an additional 2 percent increase in fees earmarked for the science and laboratory upgrades. There is also going to be about a 2.8 percent increase in meal plan costs.

“Inflationary costs and salary policies are primary drivers of our tuition and fee rates each year,” Regents President Harvey C. Jewett said. “In fact, state general funds appropriated by the legislature cover only about 48 percent of the public university system’s salary costs. The regents must raise the remaining 52 percent from other sources.”

According to a news release from the Board of Regents, the weighted cost of tuition and mandatory fees paid by each university student in South Dakota is expected to increase by about $463 next year.

This impacts students at SDSU immensely. On-campus students will incur a 12.3 percent rise in aggregate cost, and off-campus students will bear an increase of 7.9 percent.

Chris Binker, a senior civil engineering major, could not believe the tuition and cost increase, especially when the current situation of the overall economy is taken into account.

When asked about the residence hall rate increase taking place at SDSU, Janelle Toman, Director of Information & Institutional Research for the BOR, said, “The residence hall rates are charged on a per-semester basis to fund the ongoing operations of the residence halls, including major repairs, renovations and debt service. All rates were adjusted to meet the inflationary increase of 2.6 percent; at SDSU, an additional 1.75 percent above inflation was requested to support rising minimum wage and utility costs.”

Factors such as inflation, the cost of living and building and equipment wear all increase the cost of running a university and in part account for the rise in fees. In addition, the South Dakota Legislature passed House Bill 1085 issuing a $74.5 million state bond to finance renovation of 11 higher education science facility projects. In accordance with this bond, the legislature agreed to cost-share the project with students at the state universities. Owing to the increasing costs and needed enhancements at the universities, student’s fees have been raised.

In the summer of 2005, a Third B tax – an extra one percent tax on “bread, board and booze” – was instituted by the city of Brookings.

The tax was developed for the benefit of the greater Brookings area, specifically for promotion and entertainment purposes. The “bread” part of the tax is applied to pre-prepared food that students buy through Aramark and at restaurants, “board” applies to places boarding houses and hotels and the “booze” part implies alcohol and entertainments.

Conceptually speaking, one could view this as a luxury tax. People all have the choice to purchase any of the “Third B” goods or services. With this freedom of choice, people are in a sense bestowed the option of contributing to the prescribed city fund. If people feel this tax is unfair, they can avoid it by lessening or even eliminating their spending on the three B’s.

Students who live on campus might view this tax in an entirely different light than most of the city. Students who have lived on campus are aware that resident students are required to purchase a meal plan. With this meal plan, they are essentially forced to pay this tax.

Jared Hudelson, a senior computer science major, said he had never heard of this tax and had no idea how it affected him as a student.

Due to this unavoidable fact, an earmark of $35,000 per fiscal year was applied to the tax code and is now set aside for promotional use at SDSU.

Ryan Brunner, City Council member, SDSU graduate student and 2005-2006 Students’ Association president, said, “The money didn’t actually have to be transferred over to the university, but we wanted something to be used for promotion of the university because the students don’t have the choice to pay the Third B tax.”

For these funds, three SDSU students sit on a committee to determine how the money should be spent. This committee presents ideas, listens to proposed plans and debates which expenditures are best suited for enhancing the Brookings community.

Chris Daugaard, president of the Students’ Association, is one of the three SDSU board members. He feels the committee’s goal is to always look out for the best interest of the Brookings community, in particular the many college students who make this area their home.

As of March 31, $68,000 is still available. SDSU student organizations and other interested parties are encouraged to apply for the promotion and entertainment funding.

Direct any questions regarding the Third B tax or the application process for funding to the Students’ Association Office at (605)-688-5181.