One hundred and thirty South Dakota residents are now prepared for a zombie apocalypse thanks to the help of author and zombie expert Max Brooks.

Brooks spoke on Monday, April 23 in the Volstorff Ballroom. His comedic dialogue put many audience members into fits of laughter and for some, tears. No area was safe when it came to Brooks’ narrative.

Brooks has two prominent books: The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Brooks detailed points from the survival guide. The first tip he gave the audience was to forget everything they had ever learned about zombies and battle tactics.

“Do you know why zombies are scary?” he asked those in the crowd. “Because they are the only monsters who will find you. You have to hunt for every other creature in their world, in their cave. But zombies? Oh no. They’ll come to you.”

He asked what the most important thing during a zombie invasion is. One might think a car or a gun, however both are incorrect. The most important item is water.

“It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy. But it’s survival,” Brooks said. “You have to think in terms of practical applications, or as I call it, practi-cool because what’s cooler than surviving?”

Brooks also recommended getting together a group with a wide range of skills, relocating somewhere remote, obtaining a melee weapon and using bicycles. He talked a lot about the melee weapon because he feels it is one of the most important things to remember. Guns have limited ammunition and there isn’t enough to combat every zombie that may come in to existence, however, a sword or an axe has multiple uses and is better protection for a person.

Those in attendance were mixed about the actual possibility of a zombie epidemic.

“I don’t believe it could really happen, but it sure is fun to get into it,” said Keeli Eberhart, a sophomore chemistry major. She and other attendees came to the event equipped with their own books for a book signing with Brooks after the presentation.

University Program Council’s Forums Coordinator and event coordinator Michael Dendinger differs.

“I believe in a disease epidemic that could affect the entire world, whether it be zombies or another disease,” he said.

Dendinger also said he brought Brooks to SDSU because he likes zombies and apocalypse-related things and who better to bring than the expert himself?

Through all her adventures, Andrea Dreis and Daisy, her stuffed duck, are still inseparable.

“I have what you call an obsession with yellow ducks,” Dries said. “And one day, my mom saw this giant, fluffy, yellow duck and bought it for me for Easter.”

Her love for ducks started her freshman year of high school when she received her first rubber duck. Her passion expanded, and her collection grew and grew.

For Dreis’ senior prank at her St. Paul, Minn., high school, she put all of her ducks in the Dean of Students’ office.

“Everyone knew it was me right away because of my ducks,” she said. “There was yellow everywhere.”

College life can take its toll on a person and a duck. After much rough housing and hall surfing, Daisy now has holes, bare patches and misplaced stuffing.

“People all over Binnewies [Hall] would steal her, and we had to track her down,” Dreis said. “It became a regular occurrence.”

She proudly flaunts her ducks, and they often sit with her and her roommates when they watch TV.

“My friends love them,” she said. “They absolutely love them. I want to eventually pass them onto my kids so they can enjoy my ducks.”

Dreis still sleeps with the Daisy she brought to college, but she also has an even larger duck at home. Dreis says she brought her ducks to school because when she came to college, she didn’t know anybody and they were kind of like a comfort of home.

Stuffed animals can have different connections, though. Erin Safley, a junior advertising major from Peterson, Iowa, keeps a teddy bear from her fiancé.

It is about the size of a one-year-old baby with straggly — yet soft — fur, black eyes and a big, red heart-shaped nose. It wears a little red bow, and on its stomach is stitched the word “love”, encompassed by a heart.

“I used to take it with me where ever I traveled that included overnight stays,” Safley said. “It surprisingly has lasted all the wear and tear.”

She got the bear on the first Valentine’s Day she and her fiancé, Mike, shared together three years ago.

Mike lives four hours away from Brookings and works all over the country. She says she sees him once a month.

“To me, it kind of means his love is always here with me,” Safley said. “When I really miss him, I usually hug it while sleeping through the night. He thinks it’s funny I’ve kept it for this long, but I think he secretly appreciates it.”

Audience members will be able to relive their childhood through State University Theatre’s production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella.

While this version is different from the Disney classic, the whimsy and heart-warming emotions are still there. The set is detailed, intricate and pulls the audience into the scene. The wardrobe is elaborate and Cinderella’s ball gown and wedding dress can fulfill the fairy tale dreams of numerous girls.

Kimberly Graff plays Cinderella and she embraces the role fully. Her strong vocal skills aid in the numerous pieces she performs. Graff also embodies the innocence that is Cinderella. She is graceful and elegant.

Graff’s sister, Whitney Graff, plays the Evil Stepmother.

“As weird as it sounds, I love getting to play the villain,” she said. “I have never had the opportunity before, and I like learning what exactly it takes to make the audience really dislike me. Plus, getting booed by elementary school kids makes me feel like I’m playing the part right. Even though people seem to not like my character, I’ve still gotten hugs from the kids, so it’s all worth it in the end. Whether or not they like my character is irrelevant so long as they enjoy the show.”

Director Sue Klemp says she enjoys doing theatre for young audiences. She has over 30 years of experience, but this is her second production at SDSU. She says the cast faced various obstacles, but the biggest was time.

“The complexity of a musical exists because the combination of dancing and singing and acting is harder,” she said. “But due to all the breaks like spring break and Easter break, we really only had a month’s time.”

The production opens in Doner Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, and runs through Saturday, April 21, with a special matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22. The performance is free to students with ID. 

Through the month of March, the University Program Council ran a photography and Photoshop contest that offered a top prize of $60.

Marian Hooks, a sophomore advertising major from Aberdeen, won the photography portion with a picture she took in Florence, Italy. The Photoshop contest winner was Fernando Marsan.

“I didn’t expect to win the contest,” said Hooks. “It was a major surprise, but it’s nice knowing other people liked my photo. That kind of keeps me going when I have positive vibes and support from others.”

Hooks, a self-taught photographer, says her favorite types of photography are landscape and portrait.

UPC President Tom Brinker, Arts Coordinator Sarah Diede and Community Service Coordinator ReAnn Arcand judged the entries. They made their decisions in photography based on composition and lighting and in Photoshop based on originality and skill.

Right: The winner of the 2012 UPC photography contest, Marian Hooks, snapped this shot in Florence, Italy.

SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“In order to keep up with technology and be more accurate, this year people will be able to text a number in order to vote,” said UPC Concert Coordinator Alex Kunz.

First and second place are 50/50 between judges and fans, but fan favorite is strictly for attendees.

Four judges have been selected for the event. One of them is Alex Krug.

“Although I am a judge for the battle of the bands I have not been informed of who is all competing this year,” Krug said. “If it’s anything like last year, all who attend will be surprised at the amount of talent our students have.”

Krug has worked as the music director of KSDJ, the campus radio station, for the past two years.

This year’s lineup includes Gonzo 5, The Broken Resolve, The Paradigm, The New FM, The Tinder Box and Piss Glue and the French Connection. The Tinder Box and The Broken Resolve are returning bands to the SDSU battle stage.

“We have participated in the DSU Battle of the Bands twice and this will be our second time at SDSU’s Battle,” said Jared Ribstein of The Broken Resolve. “We haven’t gotten first place yet, but it’s always a fun atmosphere. Being able to see talented local bands all in one place opens up a lot of networking opportunities.”

Some of the bands are more seasoned and familiar to the stage, however, no one is at any disadvantage, Kunz said.

“If bands are really worried about it, then I just strongly encourage them to bring as many fans as possible. There is strength in numbers,” he said.

Another veteran to the battle scene is The Tinder Box.

“We have participated in quite a few [battles], actually,” said Chad Konrad of The Tinder Box. “We approach a battle of the bands as more of a chance to play and gain further exposure and less of literal ‘battle;’ it’s a chance for bands to share one another’s fan base and have fun playing at the same time.”

Krug said he takes an unbiased approach to the bands.

“For both my position with the radio and as a judge, it is key to set aside all personal opinions and focus on the talent of the performer,” he said.

Kunz strived to find bands with different sounds to compete this year. Fifteen bands were selected, and then narrowed down to six over time based on availability and interest in the battle.

“We’re from Sioux Falls, S.D. and have been together with our present line-up for a few years. We’re not really sure how to explain our sound, but we usually just call it pop-punk/rock,” Ribstein said. “It feels great [to participate]. It’ll be a lot of fun to play again this year. We are going to have a lot of fun whether we win or lose, so we’re just really looking forward to it.”

The event is free to students and UPC will be passing out free T-shirts. For more information, contact Alex Kunz at (605)688- 6173.

SDSU was one of 10 schools selected for the Cartoon Network Adult Swim Carnival Tour.

“In our off season, the crew identifies a bunch of different schools and then the ultimate selection process begins,” said Senior Production Manager, Michael Smolanoff. “We go off of how interested the schools are, the program organization at the school and the dates. The more flexible a school is with dates, the more likely they are to be chosen.”

SDSU was the fourth stop on the tour. Previous stops were University of Delaware, Auburn University and University of Kentucky.

“I’ve been a big Adult Swim fan a big chunk of my life,” said John Schmidt, a junior journalism major from Minneapolis, Minn. “When I found out the tour was coming here I was surprised at first, then really excited.”

Students were hired to work the game booths. Senior graphic design major Derek Kramer of Howard, S.D., was placed in charge of the student workers.

“Honestly, this turned out better than anticipated considering how cold and windy it is,” he said. “I’m also surprised of the turnout especially because it’s hard to advertise in Brookings.”

The event approached SDSU on its own accord, however, the University Program Council worked with the crew to make arrangements for the event.

“I’m still amazed this is happening,” said UPC Showcase Coordinator, Elliott Strand. “And they got Dan Deacon. That’s amazing.”

Deacon, who is headlining five of the dates during the tour, is an electronic musician from Baltimore, Md. He is renowned for his live shows with large-scale audience participation.

“I don’t know if South Dakota can handle Dan,” Strand said before the event.

Before Deacon took the stage, Sioux Falls band Later Babes performed. The band is a mesh of mixers, keyboards and live drums. The band opened up the airwaves and people were dancing in front of the large stage.

The crowd at the stage was dense, but the lines at every game and the free T-shirt booth never faltered. Thanks to the small area, the sound traveled all throughout Student Center Lane. Through each game, every participant earned raffle tickets for various prizes including prize packs and a chance to earn cash from a “cash grab”.

Deacon came on around 9:30 p.m. and the crowd greeted him enthusiastically. He denied standing on the stage like the other activities, and chose to perform down in front of the crowd instead.

“This event is good everywhere. Never at one point did we think, ‘Hmm… Can South Dakota handle this?’” Smolanoff said. “There hasn’t been a school yet where we haven’t been well received.”

The attendees, mostly students but non-students were welcome as well, made this once-in-a-lifetime event for SDSU a success, according to Strand.

“I think this was just something fun to do on a weekday,” freshman Jordan Goodall said. “It just proves that our school can bring some really awesome events to campus

The event was stuck in a $37,000 rut and couldn’t exceed that amount in the last few years.

Through rigorous fundraising with events such as the Qdoba Burrito Mile, a bake sale and dodge ball events, $70,970.08 was raised, shattering the original goal of $40,000. The top three events were: Jail Bail which raised $1,700, the Date Auction which brought in $1,672 and a 5K race which earned $921.

The largest income came from the highest number of participants ever. In another record-breaking moment, the 400 attendees brought in $56,000.

“We were all gathered around my computer [on March 22] and when it passed $40,000 we all freaked out and started crying,” said Kayla Struck, CMN Finance Chair. The entire executive team was unaware of the total except for Struck.

“I had to hide this from everyone all day,” she said after the reveal.

The crowd saw the total a few moments before the executive crew turned around.

“It was the best way to see it,” said Maggie Aldrich, University Program Council’s CMN coordinator. “I couldn’t believe it. I had to literally lean on my clipboard to stand up.”

Cassie Schulte, Recruitment in Residence Halls Chair, said she’s still in shock over the event.

“People still ask me how the event went and I still get chills,” Schulte said.

“She was able to wear our wedding bands as bracelets and I wear a size 6,” said Melissa Peskey, Charlee’s mother. “Her tongue was the size of a Tic-Tac and her head was the size of a tennis ball.”

Charlee, who is now 4 years old, spent four months and three days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). While there, she was placed in a Giraffe Bed. On average, these beds cost $30,000 to $50,000 each. The Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls has 30 of them. These beds can do everything for the infant: regulate temperature, weigh the baby, take x-rays and more. Through the funds raised by Children’s Miracle Network, the hospital is able to supply state-of-the-art care to ill or premature babies.

“It’s because so many people care,” Peskey said. “If they didn’t care, we would be nowhere near where we are today.”

Charlee still has a feeding tube from when she was first born. Her lung tissue wasn’t fully formed and she couldn’t properly nurse so she would burn all of the calories she consumed just by breathing. CMN also helped the Peskey family buy the formula needed to feed Charlee. The formula is $800 for 24 cans, which last less than two weeks.

Charlee was one of the miracle children at the SDSU State-A-Thon.

“She’s already started asking if we can come back [to State-A-Thon]. She did this last year, too,” Melissa Peskey said.

Now, Charlee is an energetic child. She took the stage at the event many times and danced along with the morale leaders during their dance.

“She has a great spirit,” said Morale Leader Andrew Litz. “They were a great family to work with.”

Abbie Settje was another morale leader for the Peskeys.

“Charlee is a darling girl and she touched everyone’s heart,” she said. “She has gone through so much, but is still able to interact and play like any other 4-year-old.”

Peskey said she and Charlee will be counting down until next year’s event

“I just can’t wrap my head around how great you guys are. I can’t wait for next year,” said Peskey.

Spring seemed to arrive early this year with the abundance of warm weather, but many are still feeling the lingering effects of winter — try some gardening tips to pep up your slump.

It has been scientifically proven that indoor plants have numerous health benefits.

• Plants can improve mental health.

• Plants can prevent allergies by building a natural resistance. It’s like a custom allergy shot.

• Plants can provide clean air.

• Plants can improve your sleep.

Although growing plants isn’t a strong suit for every student, fear not. There are some very hardy and great indoor growing plants, suitable for everyone.

• Mint is great for stress relief. Crush or chew on a mint leaf to emit a strong aroma that will calm nerves and ease nausea or sore throats. This is best kept on a windowsill so it can have access to light all the time. It is widely available and can be purchased in a ready-to-use pot.

• Aloe vera is widely known for its soothing abilities. As the days get longer and the sun is out later, the chances for sunburn and skin irritation increase. To use, simply break open a leaf and squeeze it onto the affected area. These plants are excellent for areas that don’t get much sunlight and they don’t require much watering. Aloe vera can be found anywhere plants are sold.

• If you prefer a splash of color, African violets are a great choice. They are a small plant that doesn’t require a lot of water and can grow in a variety of different temperatures. These plants are also well known for their ability to clean the air of pollutants. African violets can be found at most nurseries or online.

What about herbs? Those can be grown indoors too. Herbs add a new flavor to many otherwise simple foods.

• Basil is the superhero of the herb world. It can be used in almost any recipe and is easy to grow and maintain.

• Parsley is a common cooking herb. It is very hardy and requires a heavy watering every few days.

• Chives are a simple and delicious herb. Simply use scissors to cut off the plant and they are ready to use.

There are two ways to set up an herb garden.

• You can do a DIY set-up which only requires a few things available at any garden supply store:

o Small stones

o Pots with proper drainage

o Small plates

o Organic potting soil

o Seeds

• Or, you can take a simpler route and buy a kit online. They contain everything you need to start your own herb garden.

There are more plants available to suit your needs; these are just good starters. If you feel adventurous, there is a type of tree that thrives indoors and produces fruit. If you find that to be closer to your interests, be sure to check out the Dwarf Lemon Tree.

Happy indoor gardening.