“I will always remember the apostrophe song,” said Jamison Lamp, about professor Jack Getz’s Basic Newswriting class.

From an apostrophe song to family ties in California, professors Jack Getz and Dennis Hinde will forever leave a mark on the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication when they retire in May.

“I have stayed at SDSU because of the students. This is my longest job, and I’m sure it was because of them,” said Hinde, who has been teaching at SDSU for 14 years. “They are easy to work with. They are sincere and hardworking.”

Students can appreciate what each of these professors taught them as well.

“(Professor) Hinde always makes class interesting with his quirky little comments and stories,” said Tiffany Oliver, a senior advertising major. “He has challenged me to be better than mediocre and to expect more from myself.”?

Both retiring professors have served as internship coordinators for the department; however, Getz and Hinde had very different paths before coming to SDSU.

Getz is a Sioux Falls native and attended Washington High School before receiving his journalism degree from SDSU in 1964. Getz got a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona in 1985 and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of South Dakota in 2001.

“(Professor) Getz was my adviser for a semester and I’ve taken two of his classes,” said Lamp, a junior news-editorial journalism major. “I liked how he taught about titles of people and AP style.”

Dennis Hinde was born in Beloit, Wis., but spent the first 12 years of his life in northern Illinois before moving to California.

Hinde earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, East Bay. He got his master’s in advertising from Texas Tech University in 1983 and his doctorate in advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999.

They both can attest to many changes made at SDSU over the years.

“The biggest change is the growth over the last 25 years. There were probably about 6,800 students when I came back (in 1985),” said Getz. “It has grown in physical size and what it offers. There was a lot of change in the 21 years that I wasn’t at SDSU.”

/>”The campus has changed a lot in my time, especially with all the construction. Getz and I used to share an office,” said Hinde, one of two advertising professors in the department.

“Yeager (Hall) is now one of the best-looking and best-maintained old buildings on campus.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is their passion for teaching.
“The students that I’ve had kept me in teaching,” said Getz.

“Interacting with students has been interesting and fun. It’s great to pass on a skill. Basic Newswriting is still fun after 58 times. Both the class and lab are fun because you see students’ writing techniques take route.”

Both professors had various jobs before their time at SDSU. Getz worked as a reporter, sportswriter and editor for the Bismarck Tribune for three years before taking a communications job with 3M in St. Paul for two years. He finished his newspaper career in various positions at the Rapid City Journal over a 15-year span.

“Journalists need to stick with it. Remember a first job is probably not your last job,” said Getz. “You can work your way up. There is no wrong job; it may not be ideal but something will come along.”

Hinde worked as a radio announcer in the San Francisco area for almost five years, then got a job at a savings and loan bank in a management position for seven years. Hinde said he learned a lot about communication in those positions and that led to his interest in marketing and advertising.

“Try to maintain ethical standards and a healthy level of skepticism toward the advertising business,” Hinde advised students. “I love to consume. I go into the grocery store and just read labels while I shop. I developed respect for advertising.”

As for plans post-retirement, neither professor hesitated with an answer.

“I have South Dakota history and World War II books to read,” said Getz. “My wife and I will probably spend about three to four months a year at our cabin in the Black Hills. I will pursue my hobbies, such as working on my typewriter collection and trying to sell them. I am also going to work on my puttering … where you go and do stuff in the garage all day and don’t accomplish anything.”

“It will be hard to picture the journalism department without him (Getz),” said Lamp. “I hope he enjoys himself in retirement and he seems like he will always be around the news, even if it’s just writing.”

As for Hinde, he will return to a place familiar to him.
“I will be moving to southern California since I have family there,” he said. “I love the desert and want to explore it and spend some time doing little projects. I enjoy going on short hikes and will start with easier ones.”

One of Hinde’s students has positive thoughts for his retirement.
“I feel honored that I had the opportunity to learn from his experience,” said Oliver. “I wish him the best of luck in California.”

The professors offered their last words regarding their careers at SDSU.

“Just be yourself and do your best,” said Hinde.

“It’s been a great ride,” said Getz. “I never expected to be a professor but I wouldn’t change it.

SDSU students get a chance to partake in theatre throughout the whole year by participating in Prairie Repertory Theatre. With locations in Brookings and Brandon, PRT will perform this summer during the anniversary of its 40th year.

The four shows include Jesus Christ Superstar, Leaving Iowa, Plaza Suite and Thoroughly Modern Millie. A special PRT Alumni Showcase benefit performance and a children’s theatre workshop are also scheduled.

“(PRT) gives students a professional experience, so that is why the program was put together,” said Chris Guyotte, communication studies and theatre professor. “The two original locations were Brookings and Prairie Village in Madison.”

In 2006, the show moved from Madison to Brandon.

“PRT started in 1970 and people had to sit on wood planks and cement blocks. (PRT) was really organized in 1971 and that summer was my first year,” said Ray Peterson, director of theatre. “They moved the old opera house from Oldham to Prairie Village.”

The old opera house at Prairie Village was used until 1988, when the show outgrew the deteriorating opera house, said Peterson.

“In 1989, the performances were at Madison High School auditorium,” said Peterson. “1990 was called the Doner year, since all shows were performed in Brookings.”

One of the directors has been on both ends of the shows.

“I have been involved in Prairie Rep for 28 years and that includes as an undergraduate,” said J.D. Ackman, PRT managing director. “I performed in it and this is my fourth year as head of it.”

All four plays will begin evenings at 7:30 p.m. with matinees scheduled for 2 p.m. In Brookings, performances will be held in Doner Auditorium on the SDSU campus. In Brandon, the venue is the Brandon Valley Performing Arts Center.

“In 1991, the Dakota Prairie Playhouse was built in Madison. It was a tough decision to leave Madison and move to Brandon,” said Peterson. “There is a greater opportunity for the show to grow with the BVPAC. We are limited at SDSU until the Phase II of (Performing Arts Center) is done.”

Jesus Christ Superstar, the first-ever rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, dramatizes Christ’s final days with emotional intensity, thought-provoking edge and explosive theatricality. It will be performed June 9 through June 12 in Brookings with a June 13 matinee. In Brandon, the dates are July 14 and 15, and July 31, with an Aug. 1 matinee.

“It was a good opportunity when Brandon got ahold oProxy-Connection: keep-aliveCache-Control: max-age=0

us. We couldn’t pass it up,” said Ackman, who is directing Jesus Christ Superstar.

The comedy Leaving Iowa is the story of a middle-aged writer’s adventures traveling across Iowa searching for the proper place for his father’s ashes.

Brookings dates run from June 16 through June 19, with a June 20 matinee. Brandon dates are July 17 and July 21, with July 17 and 18 matinees. It is directed by Bob Sylskar from Mayville State University in North Dakota.

The main difference between PRT and State University Theatre is the content of the plays.

“SUT is edgier, has more adult themes and more artistic. PRT is more family-friendly,” said Jake Windish, a senior communication studies and theatre major. “I like the more artistic part of SUT, but I like PRT more since you can focus just on that during the summer.”

Plaza Suite, one of Neil Simon’s most popular plays, is a comedy detailing the misadventures of three very different couples as they face crucial moments in their lives in the Plaza Hotel. Brookings dates run June 23 through June 26, with a June 27 matinee. Brandon dates are July 28 through July 30.

“Prairie Rep is meant to appeal to a wider audience. Since it has a family theme, there is no swearing,” said Guyotte, who is directing Plaza Suite. “All the company involved in it has to be taking credit from SDSU.”

Thoroughly Modern Millie, a high-spirited musical that tells the story of a young woman who has just moved to the city in search of a new life. Brookings dates are July 7 through July 10 with a July 11 matinee. Brandon dates are July 22 to July 24 with a July 25 matinee.

“I have been involved in theatre for 39 years. By having the family-friendly shows, it does help ticket sales,” said Peterson, who is directing Thoroughly Modern Millie.

“It used to be the only entertainment opportunity in the summer. I would like to see more students attend. It is free to all SDSU students at both locations.”

Since 1970, Prairie Repertory Theatre has played 1,246 performances of 167 productions to 420,325 patrons and 1,308 students have participated.

“I have two roles this summer. One is Jesus Christ Superstar and one in Thoroughly Modern Millie.” said Windish. “I started in theatre second semester of my freshman year and this is my fourth summer in PRT.”

Season tickets cost $45 for adults, $39 for senior citizens, $27 for SDSU employees and $24 for children. Individual tickets cost $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, $10 for SDSU employees and $9 for children. SDSU students attend free with identification. General ticket sales begin June 2. For Brookings, call 605-688-6045. For Brandon, call 605-582-8039.

The PRT Alumni Showcase Benefit Performance will be held at the PAC in Brookings July 16. Social hour with hors d’oeuvres will begin at 6 p.m. with the performance set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $50.

“The major difference (between SUT and PRT) is that both students and faculty can focus on it as opposed to during the academic year,” said Ackman. “It is intensive training for students and we provide the best entertainment.”

The Music Department will soon host its final event of the year: the Spring Festival of Music, a series of concerts and performances put on by SDSU’s musicians.

“You get to hear five different concerts of incredible music,” said David Reynolds, head of the music department. “We do about 70 concerts throughout the year and these are the final concerts of the year.”

The first concert consists of Concert Choir, Women’s Choir and Statesmen on April 23 at 7:30 p.m in the Performing Arts Center.

The Concert Choir is the mixed voice choral ensemble at SDSU and ranges from 40-60 voices.

The Women’s Choir is a 130-voice treble ensemble that performs music specifically composed or arranged for female voices and is directed by Laura Diddle-Hildebrandt, associate professor of music.

The SDSU Statesmen are recognized as one of the finest collegiate men’s choruses in the upper Midwest and is open to any male SDSU student.

Both Concert Choir and the Statesmen are led by Steven Grives, director of choral activities.

The second day starts off with Symphonic, Concert and CommUniversity Bands playing at 2:30 p.m.

“The choir and band concerts will probably be full,” said Reynolds, who has been at SDSU for five years. “There is outstanding turnout for the Spring Festival.”

The SDSU Symphonic Band is comprised of about 50 students.
The Concert Band has about 60 students representing all colleges at SDSU and is directed James Coull, associate director of bands.

The CommUniversity Band is open to all students and consists mainly of non-music majors and commission members.
Both the Symphonic and CommUniversity bands are directed by Eric Peterson, director of bands.

“The Spring Festival is a way to get the whole department involved and then some,” said Teressa Karl, senior administrative assistant in the music department.

The Spring Festival has been going on for at least 12 years, said Connie Lemke, music department secretary who has been at SDSU for that amount of time.

“The concert has stayed about the same size for that whole time,” said Lemke. “A lot of the participants are non-majors and all different colleges are involved.”

The second show on April 24 is the SDSU Civic Symphony and Opera workshop concert at 7:30 p.m.

The SDSU Civic Symphony is a versatile organization where members accompany concerts featuring students and professional artists, perform orchestral repertoire and perform major works in conjunction with SDSU’s choral groups. The Civic Symphony is open to SDSU students and area residents and conducted by John Brawand.

The opera workshop presents staged performances of opera scenes for soloists and chorus and is directed by Emily Wood Toronto, assistant professor of music.

“We put all the concerts together under one banner and it’s very successful,” said Reynolds. “They are all the same weekend so parents can just come and see them all.”

On April 25, the jazz ensembles concert starts at 2:30 p.m. and the chamber ensembles will play at 7:30 p.m. on April 26.
There are two jazz ensembles at SDSU and both are directed by Nathan Jorgensen, assistant professor of woodwinds and jazz.

“The most interesting will probably be the chamber ensembles which are smaller groups and give the most variety,” said Reynolds.

Auditions are held for all groups, excluding the CommUniversity Band which rehearses every Thursday night.

“There are quite a few students in more than one of these concerts,” said Reynolds. “All music majors will be on stage at some point.”

Tickets for the Spring Festival of Music are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and free for SDSU students and children under 18. One ticket is good for all five show times.

The music department welcomes all majors into its various groups.

“Seven percent of SDSU students are involved in ensembles in the music department and most of those are non-majors,” said Reynolds. “I would love to see SDSU students stop by the festival.”

Performers with the State University Theatre will journey back to younger days as they present the classic children’s story The Wind in the Willows starting April 21.

“My grandma used to read me The Wind in the Willows whenever I would go over to her house,” said Andy Schnabel, who plays a weasel in the play. “It is a story that has been with me for a very long time.”

The storyline follows Toad, the main character, from one hapless adventure to the next. Rat and Mole warn him repeatedly to quit his reckless behavior and settle down at home. Meanwhile, Mole and Rat are having adventures of their own.

The play closely follows the book but was forced to make some cuts because of time constraints.

“The four main characters are Toad (Allison Weiland), Mole (Katlin Limoges), Water Rat (Jake Windish) and Badger (Erin Wegleitner),” said Chris Guyotte, director of The Wind in the Willows. “Toad is crazy. He gets involved in a lot of different crazes, and some involve cars.”

The students involved look forward to playing their roles since children’s plays are different from other productions throughout the year.

“Toad is the crazy friend that everyone has. He kind of has ADD,” said Weiland, a senior communication studies and theatre major. “Toad teaches life lessons to kids since he doesn’t think about the outcomes of his actions sometimes.”

Schnabel, a junior communication studies and theatre major, also looks forward to his role.

“The weasels take over Toad Hall, the home of Toad,” he said. “My weasel is second-in-command of the weasel gang but has higher aspirations.”

The Wind in the Willows will be performed from April 21 to 24 at Doner Auditorium. It starts at 7:30 p.m. every night with a 2 p.m. matinee April 25. SDSU students get in free with their student ID.

In addition to its special status as a children’s play, The Wind in the Willows brings added excitement to the end of this year, as a new faculty member will direct the production.

This is Guyotte’s first year at SDSU, and he said he is excited to direct his first play here.

“The university takes children’s theater very seriously,” said Guyotte, a professor of communication studies and theatre. “It’s part of our main stage offering. I have to say, that’s something that attracted me to the job.”

Although Guyotte is new to SDSU, he is not new to theatre.

“I have a master’s of fine arts degree in directing, and I have probably done about 100 shows,” said Guyotte. “I love rehearsals to the point where when the show opens, the baby is born. There’s not much more I can do.”

Some of the cast members enjoy doing children’s shows just as much as adult shows, but for different reasons.

“It’s not often that you are able to do a play that is aimed specifically for children,” said Schnabel. “I am looking forward to interacting with the kids during the show and seeing their reactions to our antics.”

Children’s shows only come around about once a year for SUT, and the faculty helps pick what plays they want to direct throughout the year.

“We as a faculty choose what shows we want to direct. We have to have seasons that fit well together,” said Guyotte. “They need to challenge us artistically. We teach the students new techniques that they will need in the future.”

Children’s plays definitely require some extra work from actors, the students said.

“I like performing for children. They will believe anything since they have imagination. I like that aspect of it,” said Weiland. “Children’s shows are more demanding because they have to be high energy. Keeping them engaged is going to be a challenge.”

Even though it is a children’s play, the performers encouraged students to come, as the play will still be relatable to college students.

“You can get into a little kid mindset,” Weiland said. “It’s a classic story of good friends and morals.”

Imagine a tree about 30 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, but made of foam so it’s light enough to only require two people to lift it. This was the Tree of Life created by the mechanical engineering clubs.

“About five or six of us that didn’t do anything for spring break worked on the Tree of Life (for Children’s Miracle Network),” said Darin Waldner, a senior mechanical engineering major.

“After break, more people showed up and finished it. For two weeks straight, people worked on it all day and probably put in about 300 man hours total. It was fun though, and it turned out great.”

The mechanical engineering department houses three different clubs. They are American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

“I am the vice president of ASME and a member of SAE,” said Waldner. “ASME has about 35 members and SAE has about 25. They each have about 15 real active members.”

The members of the mechanical engineering clubs started off the year with a big project ahead of them: a float for the Hobo Day parade.

“The Hobo Day float (movable rabbit) was a blast,” said Bill Bruns, a senior mechanical engineering major. “There was a lot of satisfaction finishing it. The Transformers really added another dimension for our float.”

The Hobo Day float was a success partially because of help from alumnus Adam Goblish. He brought a trailer for us and a mini excavator was used for the rabbit, said Waldner.

The float consisted of a large movable rabbit on a football field and several club members dressed up as Transformers walking alongside the float. There were at least five different Transformers, which shows the amount of time that the mechanical engineering students put into the float.

All of the clubs have small numbers of students that are very active, but the mechanical engineering clubs and department overall are growing.

“We had a 9 percent increase (in the department) in just the last year,” said Kurt Bassett, the mechanical engineering department head. “We have really good student leadership, so clubs are growing, as well. They are very active in promoting the benefits of the clubs to students and getting younger students involved.”

Doing volunteer projects for good causes has been popular with the clubs this year.

“The one that we got the most out of is the Tree of Life,” said Bruns, president of ASHRAE. “We got to be with the families and see who it was affecting. It was a lot of fun, and everybody that got involved was really dedicated.”

The mechanical engineering department was contacted by the Knights of Columbus to help with the Haiti relief project, so some of the members helped with the setup so that it would take less time.

“We did Project Impact for Haiti at the Swiftel Center,” said Bassett, a co-adviser for ASHRAE. “It was a community effort. Some churches set it up and asked for groups to help. Thousands of meals were sent to Haiti for relief.”

While all of the clubs created the Tree of Life and the movable rabbit, SAE’s big project for the year is their formula car.

“It is designed to give university students a chance to practice mechanical design skills,” said Bassett. “They design and build a small-scale formula car and take it to competition.”

The mechanical engineering clubs also built three golf holes as a fundraiser for CMN.

“There was a traditional one with a windmill. The second one was tricky and had three holes that were up a slope so you couldn’t see which one was right,” said Bassett. “The last one was the show piece. It was a runway with a fighter jet taking off. The golf path went around it and there was exhaust so that it would blow the ball.”

Some of the clubs’ projects require a lot of detail and time, but students go the extra mile to make each one stand out.

“We donated a bunch of money and time, but we enjoyed making them, and the final product makes it worthwhile,” said Waldner.

Aside from projects within the clubs, students present projects for the annual Engineering Expo. The Engineering Expo &- which draws high school and college students from several states &- starts April 23 at the Swiftel Center. It was held previously in Frost Arena.

“The expo has been going for at least 20 years. It’s an opportunity for college students to display their work and bring high school students in to see it,” said Bassett. “We had to change locations this year. It was a combination of needing more space and congestion with construction (on campus).”

Between the Engineering Expo and the different projects, the mechanical engineering students have plenty to do throughout the year.

For the club’s projects, a lot of materials are bought at Lowe’s while some are donated, said Waldner.

“One guy’s dad had chicken wire for the Hobo Day float,” said Waldner. “We had a huge donation from our foam guy. He donated foam for the construction management float and agreed to do ours for nothing. It was a pretty substantial contribution.”

Ideas are never hard to find, especially this year with all the volunteer projects the mechanical engineering clubs did.

“We hadn’t planned on doing those (golf holes) this year. CMN wanted to do a fundraiser, and we helped out,” said Waldner. “We just either get an e-mail or ideas from our adviser. CMN asked us to built the tree, too.”

Members were pleased with all projects, but Bruns said the Hobo Day float was his favorite. For others, it was too hard to pick just one.

“I am proud of the effort we have had this year. We have done more to give back, and that’s a big pat on the back,” said Waldner. “Seeing the kids’ faces light up when seeing the tree was great. The golf holes were cool, and I’m proud of the work.”

“Movies take us away from our real lives and let us experience the story of someone else,” said Luke Schuetzle, an SDSU alumnus, about his upcoming project, You Don’t Know Bertha Constantine.

Bertha is about Bertha and Larry Constantine, who are poised to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when Larry suddenly dies of a heart attack during their passionate lovemaking. In a state of grief, Bertha decides to honor her husband’s wish to be buried in the Badlands of South Dakota, according to the film’s Web site.

“The idea for Bertha came about from my friend Andrew (Kightlinger), who is also the director and writer,” said Luke Schuetzle, a spring 2009 SDSU grad. “He had this great story and script and approached me about making it for his thesis film project.”

You Don’t Know Bertha Constantine is an independent short film about the beauty of true love and the outrageous things it causes people to do.

About a year ago, some SDSU students and alumni created a film called The Hill, which was about World War II.

“Andrew had seen the success and strength of The Hill,” said Schuetzle, a history major while at SDSU. “He thought that we could do a good job with this film and really acomplish what he had envisioned for his film.”

The Hill is a 30-minute independent short film, while Bertha is going to be about 18 to 20 minutes, so a little shorter than The Hill.

“I think Bertha will still be a challenge to make, as we are shooting in the Badlands and the environment there will make work very tedious and slow,” said Schuetzle, the line producer for Bertha.

Bertha may be a short film, but it still requires a lot of fundraising. The budget for the film is about $65,000, and the project has gotten a little over a third of that.

“We have a minimum number that we need in order to start filming, and once we reach that point, we have a green light to go,” Schuetzle said.

The SDSU alumnus has been interested in filmmaking for several years, but he credits the SDSU Film Festival in part for opening doors to the world of making movies.

“I was interested in filmmaking since I was in middle school, and my friends and I would watch movies on the weekend and try to make little shorts on our parent’s camcorders,” said Schuetzle.

“Through SDSU and their film festival, I was able to expand my filmmaking ability and experience and be able to make connections with people with similar ideas and goals.”

SDSU allowed for relationships and connections to be made with other student filmmakers. Schuetzle met Adam Emerson, producer of Bertha, in high school and then both attended SDSU. Kellin Johnson, assistant director of Bertha, and Schuetzle met through the SDSU Film Festival when Johnson asked Schuetzle to act in his film.

“I decided I wanted to work with them because of their talent and dedication to the art of filmmaking,” said Schuetzle. “They were both an encouragement for me to continue making films.”

“I know Kellin really liked film class. It’s great to see him still making films. They (Kellin and friends) always had a good following,” said Jeff Heinle, professor in the journalism and mass communication department. “It’s good to see him bringing projects to completion. He has a real energy and commitment to films.”

Other cast members and producers also have ties to South Dakota, but some are from Boston.

“Our lead actress, Julia Bennett, is a professor at Augustana College,” Schuetzle said. “Some of the others have been in films such as Mystic River and Shutter Island.”

After seeing the success of The Hill, Schuetzle hopes that more opportunities will come up in the future.

“When we are finished, we will start the film festival circuit and hope to get into the Sundance Film Festival or Cannes Film Festival,” said Schuetzle. “We will have some premieres of Bertha including one up in Brookings, so everyone will be able to see the film.”

To find out more about the story of Bertha or make donations to the project, visit www.youdontknowbertha.com.

“Bertha is the product of a lot of work from former SDSU graduates and is living proof that you can go anywhere from here,” said Schuetzle. “I totally feel that without my experience at SDSU, I would not be making films and doing something that I love.”

Two current city council members and SDSU’s dean of the College of General Studies will compete for two open city council positions on April 13.

Julie Whaley, Jael Thorpe and Keith Corbett are competing for the two positions, which last three years. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 13, and absentee voting began on March 25.

City council members are elected to office the second Tuesday in April and take office at the first city council meeting in May.

Meetings are held every two weeks, and to make informed decisions, members must do background research and reading.

“We receive a packet before the meeting,” said Whaley, a current member. “We take the information and scope it out to make a logical decision about the issue.”

Listening to the residents of Brookings is another aspect of the job.

“We meet with a lot of people,” said Thorpe, also a current city council member. “We travel to a couple conventions dealing with city government. Every day is a bit different, and there is a lot of research.”

In addition, city council candidates said college students are important to the process.

“We need to get the students out to vote,” said Corbett, dean of the College of General Studies. “They can do a lot in the community.”

Biographies:

Julie Whaley

Occupation: Self-employed
Hometown: Brookings, S.D.

Goals: We have had some issues on the table for a few years, and I hope to get some of them resolved and crossed off. For the future, I just want to make sure that the public is well aware of what’s going on. We want to have an open-government feel to city council.

How long have you been on the council, and what made you interested in it?: I am on my seventh year. There were a couple issues going on then, and I figured the only way to do anything about it was to get involved. Is there an issue that you like or dislike dealing with? Every issue is interesting. Some are good and some bad, but you work your way through them. Do some investigating and talk to others about it and see the best option.

Why I should be elected: I have been on the council for the past seven years. I have been involved in issues, and I may have more knowledge of them. When I started, there were three of us that were new members. If new people come in, they may not know about the issues, and then we have to get everyone up to speed.

Keith Corbett

Occupation: Dean of the College of General Studies at SDSU
Hometown: I am from Watertown, but I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at SDSU. I have lived here for a while now, and it’s a good community.

Goals: Spending with a purpose, cultivate the Brookings’ experience by increasing quality of life and fiscal responsibility.

What made you interested in running for city council?: There are a lot of decisions to be made right now, and I want to get involved in the process.

What I will do if elected: We need to spend money wisely and increase quality of life in Brookings. We should make land shovel-ready, so it is identified for building and economic development. I also want to create good jobs for graduates.

Why I should be elected: I am a strategic thinker. We would set the policies for strategic plan and development. I have a doctorate in strategic leadership, and it was also my job in the Army. I can bring a new approach to things. I have been living in Brookings for a while now, so I am familiar with everything. There are great ideas, and we need to follow through on them.

Jael Thorpe

Occupation: Business owner
Hometown: I am from Gary, S.D., and came to SDSU. I then opened my business and have been here for about eight years.

Goals: I would continue with things I have been trying to do over the past year. I am trying to increase involvement with Brookings residents by seeking more citizen input on projects. I want to try to encourage college students to be entrepreneurs and to stay in Brookings. I would like to add more indoor recreation, such as pools, etc. They are available on campus but not as much to the community. We have been encouraging people to fill out the census to get our population up. What we are trying to do is make sure students claim that they live in Brookings. It is quite lower numbers for the city if they don’t.

How long have you been on the council, and what made you interested in it?: I have been on the council for a year. I ran last spring and lost by about 20 votes. I was appointed to the council when Mayor Tim Reed was elected, so I finished his term. Brookings is a diverse town in the sense that we have a lot of college students, families and elderly. I thought that the council could be more focused on that.

Is there an issue that you like or dislike dealing with?: The past year has been non-controversial. I did have an editorial in The Collegian about the $9 million expansion to the Swiftel Center. There are other things that would be better for the city and that would be used more by families and students, such as recreation and retail. These projects would maybe do more to retain SDSU graduates and make Brookings more entertainment-friendly so that people don’t move to Sioux Falls for that. Why I should be elected: I think it’s important to keep someone with a younger perspective on the council. More college students and young professionals have gotten interested in issues. I will be an advocate for younger people.

Domestic violence happens everywhere, even in Brookings. Through performance, students want to show people different aspects of domestic violence.

“I think it’s important to raise awareness,” said Catherine Grandorff, a senior English and Spanish major. “We want to make sure the community knows that (domestic violence) is still an issue. We don’t think about it every day and don’t necessarily like to talk about it.”

The past two years, Campus Women’s Coalition performed The Vagina Monologues to advocate against domestic violence. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, said the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This year, though the mission is the same, the approach is different.

“This year is more focused on violence against women with not so much focus on comedy,” said Molly Miles, a junior broadcast journalism major. “The Vagina Monologues was more vulgar to liberate women to talk about sexuality.”

Eve Ensler’s A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer will be performed on March 26 and 27 at Fishback Studio Theatre. The show will start at 7 p.m. both days, with a matinee on March 28 at 2 p.m.

The performances are sponsored by Weekend Stuff and Campus Women’s Coalition. Tickets are $10 and $5 for students with their ID. The proceeds will go to the Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter.

“There are great things about both productions,” said Grandorff, who has been a part of Campus Women’s Coalition since fall 2006. “(This one) is a little more serious in parts, but still has funny parts. It reaches a broader audience.”

Ensler asked people to tell her stories about women and violence and then compiled letters of the different stories, said Miles. There is one about a Hispanic woman, an Islamic woman, a woman in the army and one about a woman raped in a dorm.

Some students don’t have time for a lot of acting productions, but they make the V-Day events a priority.

Grandorff said she did theater in high school, but she is now too busy to devote much time. Yet she makes time for the V-Day production since it helps raise awareness about an important topic.

“I am getting a women’s studies minor so I have gotten more involved in women’s events this year,” said Kiley Boutelle, a junior nursing major. “I’m intrigued by feminist activism and advocacy.”

With The Vagina Monologues the past two years, only females were in the cast. This year’s production will include a wide variety of about 20 cast members including a few instructors, some graduate students, an exchange student and even men, said Miles.

“It will relate more to men. People thought it was anti-men in the past,” said Miles. “It was really fun before, but we wanted to change it after two years.”

“I’m looking forward to the theater part of it and trying to pull it off and make it believable,” said Boutelle, a Brown Hall community assistant. “I’ve been in Capers, but it’s completely different from that.”

The Campus Women’s Coalition is a student organization that has been part of the SDSU campus since 2003. They are dedicated to supporting and developing women-centered resources, activities and programs for all members of the University community. Their activities focus on empowering women economically, socially and politically.

The people of Brookings can see a piece that gets them to think about an issue that maybe they wouldn’t usually think about, but it brings awareness to it, said Miles, who organized and directed the event with Grandorff.

Along a similar theme, the Week to End Violence program will debut in April.

“We wanted to do (the performance) as a fundraiser,” said Boutelle. “The show is a gateway to upcoming Campus Women’s Coalition events.”

Miles said both shows are V-Day productions, but that the change in show this year should cover every aspect of different women and focuses more on violence toward women.

“We have men in our production, so I’m looking forward to those perspectives,” said Grandorff. “This isn’t just a women’s issue, but more of a universal issue.”

Looking for a few laughs and a night of cheap entertainment? The Pavilion Bar and Grill hosts a comedy night every Thursday, and you can get just that.

“I have been to comedy night about four or five times,” said Jenneca Barber, a senior nursing student. “Some comedians are funnier than others, but for the most part all the ones I have seen were all pretty funny.”

Comedy night is every Thursday starting at 9:30 p.m.

“It is $6 to get in,” said Megan Krulikosky, a floor manager at the Pavilion. “If you come before 8 p.m. and eat in the dining room, then we will give you a free wristband.”

Even though comedy night is a great deal for everyone, Krulikosky said the majority of people who attend are SDSU students.

“You can really tell the difference in attendance when students are gone for different breaks,” Krulikosky said. “We have specials every week during comedy night. Tall domestic taps are $2.25 and we have half-price appetizers.”

The Pavilion goes through the Funny Business booking agency to find the comedians, and some have been on Comedy Central, but they all travel across the U.S., said Krulikosky.

Travis Peters makes a few jokes and introduces the opener for the comedians.

“None of the bartenders or managers wanted to do the opening part and he did,” said Krulikosky. “I’ve worked (at the Pavilion) for about four years and he’s been here for that long at least.”

Peters is from Brookings and we basically pay him in Diet Coke, said Krulikosky.

“Everyone that I have gone with seems to know him by Travis, the guy who always wears a turtleneck,” said Barber. “Even the comedians make fun of him for that.”

The opening comedian tells jokes for about a half hour, then the main comedian does about an hour-long show.

“Sometimes the comedians travel together if they live close to each other,” said Krulikosky. “It just depends on each one, but usually they don’t know each other.”

The two comedians have different material from each other, so members of the audience never know who they are going to get.
“I have been to comedy night four times,” said Emily Guldan, a senior wildlife and fisheries major. “One time I liked the opener better, but the other times I have liked the main comedian better.”

Since the comedians are from different parts of the country, they all provide a different range of jokes.

“I don’t have a certain topic that I think is funnier,” said Barber. “I do enjoy the jokes and comments about South Dakota and how it is in the middle of nowhere.”

“I have been able to relate to some of the jokes,” said Guldan. “Others are just really funny or dirty jokes.”

Krulikosky said that in the future the Pavilion is going to try an open mic night following comedy night to get people to stay instead of leaving and starting their weekend.

“If you come in to eat beforehand, it’s a great deal for the night,” Krulikosky said.

It’s good to get there early so you can get a table in front since it’s always busy, said Barber.

Students that have gone each have different memories of comedy night.

“Well, Travis tries to be funny and he’s not really,” said Guldan.

“My favorite part is when they involve the audience and relate jokes to the audience members,” said Barber. “As long as they are not rude.”