Thirty-three students and faculty from the Honors College hit the road bright and early April 12 for an eight-hour road trip to Dubuque, Iowa. The group traveled to the regional Upper Midwest Honors Conference.

Held near the Mississippi River at Clarke University from April 12-14, the UMHC hosted a number of universities from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

According to Dr. Timothy Nichols, dean of the Honors College, the UMHC provides an opportunity for students to present a wide cross-section of their Honors class experiences and other Honors-related activities at a collegiate level.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to network, to get to know other Honors students from across the region, sharpen their communication skills and build community among their own fellow Honors College students,” Nichols said.

Students were kept busy at the conference with presenting and attending presentations given by other Honors students.

“Presentations are wide-ranging, from examples of programs or courses to student research projects and interests,” Nichols said. “But not all presentations are research-based.”

Presentations from the SDSU Honors College included “Outcasts United”, the university’s common read, a study abroad trip and an owl research project, among several others.

“It really is about the student experience,” Nichols said.

Dr. Dan Kemp, an Honors College calculus professor, emphasizes the importance for Honors students to attend UMHC. According to Kemp, the UMHC provides students the chance to expand their network in the Honors College and become more comfortable with presenting, a skill that will come in handy later on.

“It’s important that students and faculty get to socialize in an informal manner,” Kemp said.

Honors students took away a variety of messages from UMHC.

“I think that the Honors Conference is a great way to get ideas from other schools in the region about ways that we can improve our program,” said Hanna Larsen, a junior psychology major. “It’s also a great way to build the Honors community. It’s good to meet other Honors students and make relationships with faculty outside of the classroom. I think [it] helps create that community feeling.”

Ben Stout, a junior park management major, said he believes UMHC offers more than just community for Honors students.

“I made a lot of contacts,” Stout said. “I learned about our National Park Service Program, which directly relates to my major. The UMHC provides students an opportunity to learn. I think that’s pretty neat.”

Next year’s regional Honors Conference will be held in Duluth, Minn.

Both insects are major pests of switchgrass. The switchgrass moth was originally discovered in 1906 near Denver, Col. Nothing was known about the moth aside from the fact that it existed.

Johnson believes this research holds a lot of potential as switchgrass becomes more seriously considered for use as a biofuel source. SDSU is currently the only university carrying out in-depth research on switchgrass pests.

In 2004, Dr. Arvid Boe, another professor in the plant science department, was working with switchgrass when he realized something was damaging the grass in his experiment. After finding that the moth feeds only on switchgrass, the connection between the insect and the switchgrass was made.

“Looking at the agronomic potential to grow switchgrass as a biofuel started the whole thing,” Johnson said.

Johnson became involved with the project in 2006. The goal is to map out the moth’s life cycle and determine its relationship to the plant. The damage the moth is causing to switchgrass will then be better understood.

Johnson and his graduate students have already made significant headway in plotting the moth’s life cycle. During the winter the caterpillar feeds on new buds that grow on the stem below ground. In the spring the caterpillar moves up into the stem at ground level, feeding on and killing the plant when it reaches the three-leaf stage.

When the caterpillar has finished its feeding stage, it forms a cocoon and pupates in the stem. The adult moth emerges from the hole it made in the stem when it first began entering the plant as a caterpillar. The combination of the moth boring a hole through the stem and feeding on the inner tissues is what kills the switchgrass plant.

“We’ve gone from rediscovering a tiny white moth that no one knew about for almost 100 years to this complex relationship with the switchgrass and the parasite,” Johnson said.

Graduate student Veronica Calles Torrez is blazing a trail in entomology as she studies the switchgrass midge, the insect discovered at SDSU. Since she is the first one to carry out an in-depth investigation on the insect, she has very little to base her research off of so far. By taking seasonal soil samples and comparing different plots of switchgrass, she is beginning to piece together the midge’s life cycle.

According to Torrez, the midge larvae feed at the top of the stem at the base of switchgrass’ flower clusters. This prevents seed development and hinders the plant’s reproduction. More research is required to fully grasp a more detailed account of this new species.

“I think it’s important because we can tell farmers that we have this insect and this insect causes this damage,” Torrez said.

According to Johnson, both pests are leaving a noticeable impact on switchgrass production.

“The moth and the midge produce a fairly significant loss in biomass and seed production by their combined efforts,” he said.

Under the direction of Cody Wright, professor and extension beef specialist for the animal science department, the seed-stock merchandising class is in charge of running and managing the entire sale. The sale day has been set for April 13th at the Cow/Calf Unit.

According to Wright, 29 yearling bulls will be sold at the auction. A mix of Angus and Simmental-Angus cross will be featured. Each were raised at the Cow/Calf Unit and come from the SDSU cowherd.

In order to conquer this project, Wright has divided the class of 15 into four committees. The advertising committee sends out the message about the upcoming sale. Another group designs a catalog with pictures, performance data, and descriptions of each bull.

A third committee focuses on customer service, and the fourth is a video committee that works to capture footage of each bull. After editing 30-second segments of each bull, the video will be loaded on YouTube for the benefit of potential customers.

“It’s a fairly common tool for seedstock merchandising,” Wright said.

According to Cow/Calf Unit manger Kevin Vander Wal, the sale is held as a limited auction. The bulls are grouped at three different floor prices. Those interested in a particular bull have to sign up for that bull before bidding on it. This limits the bidding to those who are signed up.

As the sale approaches, Vander Wal said the Cow/Calf unit is now facing the challenge of getting the barn ready in time. Due to a fire in March, most of the barn has been torn down. The remaining wing is still missing a wall.

“We’re wanting to get a wall put up to close off the end of the building. That way we can hold the sale in the building,” Vander Wal said.

According to Wright, the SDSU bull sale has made a name for itself. The high seller’s semen from last year is now being offered across the country through Genex, a well-known genetics company. Wright said this will be helpful in building SDSU’s reputation as the bull sale continues.

“People from all over the country come to check our sale out,” Wright said.

Although Wright said the unit strives to sell quality bulls, the mission of the sale is also to educate.

“The goal of this class is to offer students real-world experience. That’s hard to replicate in a classroom. This is something that’s real. Hopefully it’s something these students can use in the future,” Vander Wal said.

Students agree they have a lot to take away from the class.

“There’s a lot of hands-on experience,” said Katrina Hespe, a senior animal science major. “We have full control of what goes on. It’s neat to see what all it takes to put on a bull sale, the dirty and the clean side.”

Senior animal science major Stephanie Steffes said learning isn’t the only valuable aspect of the class.

“The best part is seeing all of our hard work pay off,” Steffes said.

According to Little I president Colton Buus, Little I presents the opportunity for high school and college students alike to participate in judging and showing livestock. Contests range anywhere from livestock judging to natural resource competitions to meat products judging.

A variety of livestock is shown, including beef, sheep, horse, dairy and swine. The livestock units on campus contribute livestock for showing in these competitions.

“Having been at three other universities that have a similar event, there’s none of them that compare to this,” said Dr. Clint Rusk, one of the Little I advisers. “We do things on a bigger scale here.”

There will be different classes of judging competitions taking place all throughout Little I. The morning program will start at 7:30 a.m. and the evening program at 6 p.m. Events include the Ag and Bio Teacher of th e Year announcement, an exotic showmanship competition among professors and other faculty, and an auctioneer contest.

One of Little I’s most memorable features is the impressive set up. Every year the ritual includes hanging up the red barn in the arena, accompanied by a white board fence and dyed green wood chips.

“It’s a big group undertaking and a big project,” Rusk said. “It’s a legacy. That’s why it’s continued all this time.”

Having participated in Little I while a student at SDSU, Dr. Cody Wright, professor and extension beef specialist, compares the event today to his collegiate experience.

“The biggest difference is that there are more clubs and organizations involved with Little I, [now]” Wright said. “It hasn’t changed a great deal, though. It’s a model that has worked for a long time.”

With the Cow/Calf Unit damaged by fire, some adjustments have been made for students preparing. According to manager Kevin VanderWal, the building that burned served as storage for equipment that students need to train for the competition. There has also been a shortage of facilities for students’ livestock while they train.

“We’ve cleared out of the calving barn and almost entirely turned it over to Little I,” VanderWal said.

Debris has been fully cleared away to give students a safe place to work with their livestock. VanderWal also said that temporary conditions, such as lighting, have been put in place.

“They haven’t had ideal conditions by any stretch,” VanderWal said.

As Little I prepares for its 89th round, Buus said it holds prospects for everyone, even students without an agricultural background. Showing competitions are in place for those who have never shown before.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to meet people from diverse backgrounds and interests but who all have the same connection to Little I,” said Ty Littau, a junior agriculture business major.

Buus encourages students across campus to come out and watch Little I even if they are not already involved.

“It’s an opportunity for students to be exposed to agriculture, to experience a side that they aren’t used to seeing,” Buus said.

The Ag Museum is an integral part of the campus. Museum curator Carrie Van Buren said the museum has been at SDSU since 1884. Under the direction of Hilton Briggs, the focus of the museum was shifted to agriculture.

The true heart and soul of the museum encompasses several aspects. The Ag Museum strives to collect, preserve and interpret the history of agriculture and rural life in South Dakota. The museum showcases that history, illustrating the changes that have taken place as technology has progressed.

“You’ve got a wonderful, wonderful history here in South Dakota,” Van Buren said.

According to curator Dawn Stephens, the museum is also trying to show where agriculture currently is and where it’s going in the future.

“You’ve got to look at where they started to see where they’re going. If you don’t know what your history is, you don’t know where you’re going,” Stephens said.

The museum takes a broader focus beyond history and interacts with the community, promoting education and learning through programs and sponsored events. Speakers, perfume making classes, gourd decorating and corn jewelry workshops are just some of the activities held at the Ag Museum.

“It’s looking at agriculture a little bit differently and seeing how agriculture permeates everything we do,” Van Buren said.

Stephens relates agriculture to a more personal level.

“If you eat, you’re dealing with agriculture. You’re eating what people are producing,” Stephens said.

Most of the displays and information in the archives at the museum have come from donations made throughout the years. Due to the limited amount of space in the building, many objects aren’t on display.

There are three main galleries in the museum. The east gallery focuses mainly on machinery and technology in farming. The middle gallery exhibits agriculture in general and transitions into the west gallery, which emphasizes rural life and connections with people.

“The people were what really made agriculture. The museum talks about the people and their importance and how they related to the actual growing of crops and marketing,” said Mac Harris, a former director of the Ag Museum.

Van Buren stressed the importance of history and the impact that it has for each individual.

“It’s important for people to remember their culture, and not just remember it, but know it and learn it and preserve it,” Van Buren said.

According to Van Buren, history is happening every day. The Ag Museum demonstrates the impact that daily life has had in history.

“History is alive. It doesn’t have to be the major events. It’s the daily ebb and flow of life,” Van Buren said.

Harris agrees that daily life greatly contributes to the foundation of the museum.

“The museum’s purpose has been to preserve and tell the story of agriculture in South Dakota and the Great Plains. That story is still important to tell,” Harris said.

Whether a student is interested in meat science, looking for a job, or simply wanting to order up some meat to take home on break, the Meat Lab is the place to start.

According to SDSU Meat Lab manager Adam Rhody, the Meat Lab was founded on three main goals. Teaching is one key component. Classes and judging teams that are hands-on require carcasses. The Meat Lab harvests the animals needed for those classes. Students also gain experience in learning how to harvest animals, an educational mission at the Meat Lab.

“That’s where we find our niche,” Rhody said.

Research and extension are the other two key goals the Meat Lab aims for. During the summer the meat science department sponsors demonstrations around the state. Educating people on food safety and how to properly handle and grill meat is a major component of these demonstrations.

The Meat Lab gets its meat from a variety of sources. According to Rhody, many of the animals raised at the SDSU livestock units are undergoing specific trials and studies for research purposes, so little meat comes from those units. The Meat Lab does get some of their cattle from the SDSU feedlot. However, in order to supply a variety for classes and judging teams to look at, they also turn to local producers in the area.

Retail hours at the Meat Lab run Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. In order to sell quality meat over the counter, the Meat Lab facilities undergo government inspection every week when harvesting animals. Beef and pork are processed at the Meat Lab. Lamb is also available, but it is a more seasonal product.

Rhody said that although they do sell products at the Meat Lab, making money is not the primary focus. Retail is simply a means of recuperating some of the money going into facilitating extension, teaching and research.

“We try very hard not to compete with local businesses,” he said. “That’s not our goal.”

According to Rhody, the SDSU Meat Lab holds some unique opportunities for students. Intro to Meats 241 is the most hands-on meats course at any college. This involves harvesting the animals. Students also go through the entire procedure of fabrication and meat processing.

Rhody said there is a lot of responsibility and liability involved with bringing students into the Meat Lab. Even so, the meat science department feels it is important for students to have the chance to learn more about the ins and outs of meat processing.

“Some places are cutting back on that. I feel we’ve expanded on that and gone the other way [by] becoming more hands-on,” Rhody said.

Student workers at the Meat Lab value their time in the lab.

“I’ve learned a lot about processing and fabrication of meat products. By being here and working on a daily basis I know what to expect and the basis of the industry,” said Kim Arnold, a senior animal science major.

According to Rhody, meat science is a field students should come into with an open mind.

“You don’t come out of high school saying I’m going to be a meat scientist,” he said. “You have to try it out and see what works for you and what doesn’t.”

A tempting display of ice cream flavors meets the eye when first walking into the Dairy Bar, including the famed SDSU cookies ‘n cream, blueberry revel, butter brickle—the list seems infinite. One might wonder what mysterious hand conjures up the delicious concoctions that make the Dairy Bar as well known as it is.

The SDSU Davis Dairy Plant is the steam that drives the engine. It processes approximately 10,000 pounds of milk every week. According to Dairy Plant Manager Jake Anderson, the current Dairy Bar opened at the end of last April. Processing started in the new plant last May.

The Dairy Plant supplies all the dairy products sold in the Dairy Bar. The Dairy Plant’s main products include fluid milk, ice cream and cheese. Some butter is processed as well. The milk goes out to all the food services on campus. Aramark is the only entity the Dairy Plant sells its milk to. The cheese is also sold mainly on campus. The ice cream is sold on campus at food service locations, concessions and also at locations in Sioux Falls and Huron.

“The ice cream is what we’re known for,” Anderson said.

The variety of ice cream flavors is credited to ideas from students or alumni. Anderson said the Dairy Plant is currently working on a black liquorish flavor now that several people have asked for it. The plant used to make it several years ago, but it was later removed to make room for new flavors since black liquorish was not a favorite.

At one time the plant was rotating up to 90 different flavors. The plant eventually decided to lower the number to a more reasonable range.

“Currently we have about 50 to 60 flavors that we cycle through,” Anderson said.

Anderson also said the milk processed at the Dairy Plant comes from the campus dairy farm. Dairy science students work at the plant and use the opportunity as valuable job experience.

“It gives you an overall process flow,” said Nathan Gollinck, a senior dairy manufacturing major. “You get to see ice cream, cheese, milk, everything, whereas in a regular plant you’d only get to see one individual part.”

Eric Flynn, a sophomore dairy manufacturing major, felt the same way.

“It’s on the small side, but you get to cover everything. It looks good on a résumé,” he said.

According to Anderson, most universities concentrate only on dairy production and dairy manufacturing usually becomes a part of food science. The SDSU dairy program is unique.

“We’re one of only two universities in the nation that have a dairy science program that focuses on two sides,” Anderson said.

Along with its distinctive program, the Dairy Plant has exceptional research equipment. This sets SDSU’s dairy program apart again, as several companies that donated money to the new plant can come in and conduct research.

Anderson believes that Baby Bel’s new plant in Brookings will be a bonus for the dairy program at SDSU. He said what caught Baby Bel’s attention about Brookings was its interest in SDSU’s new Dairy Plant.

“We’re excited,” Anderson said. “It’s a program that’s going to be locally interested in our graduates.”

In the past, the NAC has focused on hosting a powwow on campus each year. It has been a long-standing tradition on campus that was first started 22 years ago.

The powwow was held every spring, but this year president Nellie Two Elk says things will be different. The club has decided to transition from a spring to a fall powwow. This is just one of several adjustments that the NAC is currently working through.

“We’ve made a lot of progress moving forward,” said Two Elk. “But there’s still a lot to be done.”

Two Elk said the NAC is readjusting its vision and expanding its activities. In years past the powwow has been the club’s major focus.

Now the NAC is striving toward bigger goals, said NAC Advisor Ron McKinney.

“We’re trying to build up more programming with the goal of retaining native students,” he said. “[It will] ultimately improve the graduation rate and help students become more successful.”

McKinney and Two Elk said moving the powwow to the fall will make it possible to encourage more incoming students to participate. This will leave the rest of the year open for the NAC to focus on building strong club activities.

The NAC kick-started its mission when it obtained a house directly behind the American Indian Education and Cultural Center. They received it from donor Van Fishback, who has been supportive of their program.

Located at 912 Ninth Street, the house has been named the American Indian Tiospaye Lodge.  Tiospaye comes from the Dakota language, meaning “extended family.”

Several plans are in store for the Tiospaye Lodge. A nursery has been set up for the children of young mothers in the NAC. The house also provides room for studying and conducting meetings.

“Eventually we want to have a little coffee shop type of feel — a place for students to come and chill,” said Two Elk. “We can open it up to campus.”

Two Elk also said in the future it might serve as housing for NAC students. Visiting speakers can also stay overnight. Clubs such as the Indigenous Arts Society have already been using it to bead and do quillwork.

The powwow will remain an important part of the NAC, said Two Elk. The Wacipi, meaning dance or celebration, lasts for two days. Different categories of dances, honor songs and drum contests are featured. Some dances are very specific for certain contests, but others allow anyone to participate.

“Our dream would be to have it outdoors, something more traditional,” McKinney said.

The NAC is currently in the preliminary stages of planning where the powwow will be held. The powwow is open to the general public, not just Native American students.

“It’s an SDSU powwow, not a Native American Club powwow,” said Two Elk.

McKinney said that goes for the club as well. Although the main focus is building a stable community for Native American students, that doesn’t create restrictions on becoming a member.

“We want to welcome anyone who wants to be a part,” said McKinney.

According to Thaler, the goal is to create facilities that are more in touch with today’s industry. A new Swine Unit will be built where the current facilities are located.

Thaler says that SDSU intends to build a sow and teaching/research complex as well as a wean-to-finish complex. The idea is to create excellent, up-to-date research facilities and learning experiences for students as well as make it open to the public.

The Dean of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Barry Dunn, agrees with the need to “de-mystify pork production.”

“A lot of people don’t understand pork production, and what they don’t know they’re afraid of,” Thaler said.  According to Thaler, the new Swine Unit will have big glass windows enabling people to view pork production and demonstrating how and why livestock are raised.

Video cameras will document the life cycle of the pigs. This will allow elementary and high school students to gain a better understanding of pork production.

According to Thaler, another goal of the new Swine Unit is to gain more elbow room for expanding research. He said that the objective is to make pigs more efficient and producers more successful, mainly through producing more pounds of meat with fewer pounds of feed.

“A unique thing about SDSU is that it is still focused on production agriculture. Students come specifically to learn about [it]” Thaler said.

He believes the new facilities in the beef and swine departments will solidify that for even more for students.

Thaler also mentioned that funding has to come from private sources and donations; South Dakota will not provide any money for these new facilities.

Plans are for construction to begin in the spring of 2013.  Thaler said that the start-up date for construction will rely on how soon funding is received. However, he also said that promising preliminary designs have already been drawn up.

There is a great deal of support lying behind this project. Producers, commodity groups, and allied industries are all interested in seeing the new Swine Unit go up.

“We see huge potential for the growth of the swine industry in South Dakota,” Thaler said.

According to Thaler, students are excited about the developments taking place. They are looking forward to the modern facilities that will be more applicable to their operations at home.

“I think it’s going to be a really interactive place for students,” said Kaycee Gebhart, president of the Swine Club. “It will be a better learning tool than learning out of books.”

Thaler feels that the new unit will have a lot to offer to both students and the public.

“If you don’t dream big, it’ll never happen,” Thaler said.

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Friday the thirteenth: a day of bad luck, or, in this case, one of the best days ever, a thought that surely crossed the mind of the SDSU Wool Judging Team members.

On Jan. 13 the Wool Judging Team competed in the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. and carried away the title of National Western Champions after winning the competition by one point.

“This is the first time since 1994,” said coach Lacie Hoffman, “and the third time that SDSU has won the wool contest.”

A team of seven participated at the competition, including: Tyler Grussing of Kimball, S.D., Brandi Raatz of Pipestone, Minn., Vince Ries of Aurora Center, S.D., Kate Anderson of Jackson, Minn., Laura Schoneman of Bingham Lake, Minn., Jacob Englin of Bruce, S.D. and Amanda Kammerer of Rapid City.

According to Hoffman, each member of the team had to judge six classes, grade 15 fleeces, and give two sets of reasons. Since the middle of September 2011 the team has been preparing and holding practices regularly, examining the staple length, yields, character and purity of the fleeces, as well as assigning them appropriate grades. The two sets of reasons they gave were the students’ explanations of why they placed the class the way they did.

Grussing, who won overall by eleven points in the competition, has kept a steady track record. Grussing, a senior majoring in animal science, has been on several judging teams at SDSU, including meat and livestock.

According to Animal Science Department head Clint Rusk, Grussing was a member of the Meat Animal Evaluation Team that placed fourth in the nation last spring.

“Tyler won a national meat judging contest, a national wool judging contest and was second in the National Meat Animal Evaluation contest,” Rusk said.

Hoffman also competed in wool judging. As a member of the Colorado State University’s Wool Judging Team, she and her teammates won the wool-judging contest in Denver, Colo. and in Houston, Texas. She is now at SDSU working on her master’s degree in meat science and coaching the wool judging team.

After completing the first hurdle of competition, the team is striving to win the National Championship in Houston, Texas, in March. If the team takes first in the Lone Star state, they will then be proclaimed the overall National Champions.