For the past two years, associate professor of meat sciences Amanda Weaver has been spreading her love of agriculture at SDSU.

“I really liked the Animal Science Department and the across-campus understanding of agriculture,” Weaver said.

In February, Weaver was awarded the Dr. Sherwood and Elizabeth Berg Young Scientist Award and more recently, the Agriculture and Biological Sciences Teacher of the Year.

“I was shocked to be picked,” Weaver said. “It was awesome to be considered. I have a lot of face time with students in Intro to Meat Sciences it was nice to see I positively touched students.”

Weaver found her love for teaching during her graduate work at Purdue University.

“I developed a love for teaching,,” Weaver said.

“We work together very closely. We team-teach AS 241, Intro to Meat Siences,” professor Duane Wulf said. “Number one, she is motivated to see students succeed. She always makes time for students.”

Weaver splits teaching and research about 60/40.

“The split here is perfect. It really balances things out,” Weaver said. “I cannot do the same thing all day long.”

Weaver’s research focuses on the tenderness and marketing of meat and livestock.

“My research is focused on the tenderness of meat,” Weaver said. “Consumers rank tenderness as inconsistent. There is not a very good system.”

“She really has the ability to understand the basics and biological mechanisms behind science and can relate to the industry,” Wulf said. “She can talk with meat producers and also with top scientists about muscle and meat.”

Research is currently being done with the University of Missouri.

“We have started to work on predictions with University of Missouri with medical technology that measures density of the muscles,” Weaver said.

Weaver is working on the interactions with the structure of muscles and the aging process of meat.

“Enzymes degrading make meat more tender,” Weaver said.

“Another thing that is researched is the flavor and juicing of the meat,” Weaver said. “Marbling, the fat in the meat, is hard to control. Many think that just feeding more helps, but that is false. Fat in other areas hurts yields.”

Growing up on a small farm in Indiana, Weaver has always had a love for agriculture.

Weaver said that she did a lot of animal showing in 4-H and that her grandfather was a butcher.

Entering higher education, Weaver was unsure as to what her major would be.

“I had ruled out vet school. Enough local vets had told me they didn’t like their job,” Weaver said. “Animal science was the class that just clicked. Everybody has a class that just clicks.”

Weaver received her bachelor’s degree in animal sciences at Purdue University and then went on to a master by-pass program to receive her Ph.D.

May 1 will mark the first annual Year End Bash.

Sponsored by Black Student Alliance and Weekend Stuff, the dance is being held at Jack’s place from 8:30 p.m. until midnight.

“I want this to be a running event,” James McKinney, multicultural center intern, said. “I wanted something to commemorate the year.”

McKinney stressed the importance of the whole university being represented at the dance.

“In the future I would like the event to celebrate every event, athlete, researcher in the university,” McKinney said.

Expect a very casual atmosphere.

“The dance will be loosey-goosey with a very open atmosphere,” McKinney said.

Along with Boss Regis doing the DJing, performers Aisha and Tina will share a song, a live band The Jammerz will perform and a hip-hop step team will perform.

The step team features six to eight members and was formed by football players who took an interest in stepping after the Step Show earlier this year, McKinney said.

McKinney said he wants students to just let the performances happen, with no specific time slotted for any event.

In the future he would also like to see more students get involved in future dances.

If anyone is interested in performing at this year’s dance, contact the Multicultural Center in the basement of The Union or James McKinney at jlmckinney@jacks.sdstate.edu.

“This is just a way to release all the stress and then go study,” McKinney said.

After the passing of the stimulus package, students will be able to reap benefits through summer work programs and broader access to grants and financial aid.

The South Dakota Department of Labor has $3 million in federal stimulus funds to help employ eligible citizens age 14 to 24.

“It is one-time dollars,” said Dawn Dovre, public information officer for the DOL. “The money is only good May 1 through Sept. 30.”

“Students will be able to gain valuable work experience,” Jeff Kjenstad, manager of the DOL Brookings field office, said.

Dovre and Kjenstad said it is very important for students to come to the local DOL office and go through an interview and other data gathering steps. After the interview step, the DOL employment officers will seek employers in fields that the applicant is interested in.

“Our goal is to serve 60 kids [in Brookings] this summer,” Kjenstad said. “If funding is available, we would love to serve more.”

Statewide, the DOL has 600 work sites helping with employment opportunities. One stipulation placed with the money is that jobs must be newly-created positions.

“It is up to the employer to come up with [a new position],” Dovre said.

The new jobs created through this money will be paid for by the DOL through stimulus funds.

“We have been very busy interviewing potential applicants for the summer program,” Kjenstad said. “As well, the employers have been very open to finding new projects for the summer months.”

Eligibility is based on federal economic requirements and takes into consideration things like previous earnings, family income and living status. Students interested in seeking eligibility requirements should look to www.sdjobs.org for more explicit guidelines and an application. It is advised to fill out the application prior to meeting with an employment officer.

Further information can be found at the on-campus Career Center in the basement of Medary Commons or at the Brookings office located at 1310 Main Ave S. or call (605) 688-4350.

Along with the summer work experience, students will also have broader access on grants and financial aid, thanks to the stimulus package.

The current HOPE Tax credit has been expanded under the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Previously, students who were eligible for this credit were only able to receive $1,800. It has now been raised to $2,500.

Jay Larsen, director of financial aid, said that the money is only temporary and applies to the 2009 and 2010 school years, with those taxes being filed in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

There are requirements that must be met to qualify for the credit. Larsen said things like acceptance of “free money” – like scholarships, all federal or other grants and other financial contributions – hinder the ability to receive the tax credit.

Larsen also said that an important factor is the amount of tuition that one pays during the year.

“It is advised to pay ahead. Pay as many semesters as you are eligible for,” Larsen said. “Students can prepay for the spring semester starting in December.”

The tax credit is only available to undergraduate students.

Another change is in Pell Grants. Previously, the maximum amount received through a Pell Grant was $4,731. It will be raised to $5,350 for 2009 through 2010. Future increases are possible.

Larsen said that a student with a family contribution of $4,041 under the current system would only receive roughly $890 worth of grants. With the new system in place, someone with a family contribution of $4,617, could receive $976.

“All eligibility is determined by the FAFSA,” Larsen said.

The family income for eligibility also increased from $20,000 to $30,000.

“I would project that is at least 8 percent of students,” Larsen said.

Larsen also said that there is help for students whose family may have experienced a sudden loss of income; they just need to talk with a financial aid adviser.

For further explanation and eligibility requirements, visit www.irs.gov.

Despite an ongoing rivalry between North Dakota State University and SDSU, members of both of the university’s Farmhouse fraternities joined forces to help retain the Red River before it reached its crest at over 40 feet.

“Talking with residents was a profound, eye-opening experience,” Alan Haarstad, Farmhouse fraternity treasurer said.

On March 25, nine members of SDSU’s Farmhouse fraternity joined forces with 100 to 150 other citizens to help a Fargo neighborhood build their dike after flood levels were expected to rise.

“They were anticipating a crest right around 40 feet,” Haarstad, a history and theatre major said. “It was perfectly ready for a crest at 40 and a half feet, but we had to bring it up another two feet. We had to build the base wider and go up.”

“We got there, and they were really dragging,” Haarstad said. “Members of NDSU Farmhouse had been working 10-hour days. It felt really good to help.”

Members of the SDSU Farmhouse treated their brothers to dinner, before heading back to work on the dikes, Kyle Chirpich, a senior agricultural engineering major and member of Farmhouse said.

“It really showed our brothers support.”

Fargo may have looked more like a large construction site than a city, as both Haarstad and Chirpich said there were large excavators throughout the city. Semi trucks carrying sand bags even received police escorts to their destination.

“The city was bustling and active; it seemed like it was in a constant state of work,” Haarstad said. “The city was sandbagging everything; everything revolved around sandbagging. I half expected it to be dead and fleeing.”

Though the trip was short – the members helped sandbag for five to six hours during the night – memories of sandbagging will be with the members for some time to come.

A common topic of conversation were the recent Summit League Tournaments.

“There was a lot of talk about basketball,” Haarstad said. “We both won in the Summit League. It was pretty cool to see a rivalry become common ground.”

“I was working next to a couple of old guys,” Chirpich said. “We talked a lot about basketball and how a permanent dike could have been built to protect the area.”

Though citizens were in a state of unease, they remained light hearted about the situation.

“One older guy standing beside me told me that the younger college guys were making him look bad,” Haarstad said.

The older man told Haarstad that the harder you work, the more people expect out of you.

Throughout their brief time in Fargo, Haarstad said that the group threw roughly 4,000 to 4,500 sand bags total.

“You get in a big line, and it is constant catching and throwing and catching and throwing,” Haarstad said. “You really felt like you did something, but in the grand scheme of things, they needed 3 million sandbags.”

Brothers from SDSU sandbagged until about 2:30 a.m. on April 26 and then packed up and headed home. Prior to leaving for Fargo around 3 p.m. on March 25, the members took into consideration road and travel conditions.

“When we reached about six miles outside of Fargo and the water was six inches to a foot from the interstate, that was the first big holy cow for me,” Haarstad said.

“Fargo is flat; I think it has a two inch per mile rise,” Chirpich said. “Farm equipment was moved toward the road, and there was water everywhere.”

Chirpich also said that when driving through Oxbow, N.D., another area affected by flooding, there were Coast Guard fan boats traveling over the water.

“We are not used to seeing that on the prairie.”

Another shocking sight for Haarstad was watching semis at a large scale fueling station outside of Fargo.

“Semis were in an inch and a half of water pumping fuel into gas tanks,” Haarstad said. “Gas lifts up, is buoyant in water, and there have been incidents where they have blown out of the ground; they were trying to prevent that.”

Farmhouse members enjoyed their short time in Fargo.

“I had a lot of fun. Yes, we were up there for bad things, but it felt really good to help,” Haarstad said.

“This really showed our brothers support,” Chirpich said. “It wasn’t that we were really going to help Fargo, but more to show support towards our brothers.”

After a recent, early spring snowstorm, what sounds like more fun than an “I’m Ready for Summer Triathlon?”

The ninth annual triathlon will be held April 26, with registration ending April 24.

“Athletes can save money if they register by April 18,” Shari Landmark, community fitness coordinator said.

The triathlon will consist of 500 yards of swimming, 12 miles of bike riding and 3.1 miles of running. Swimming will take place in the Wellness Center pool, while running and biking will meander through the SDSU campus and Brookings Community.

“Teams can participate, as well,” Landmark said. “It’s a good way to get motivated, training with roommates or family members.”

Teams can be split either three ways or be divided amongst two people.

This weekend, April 11, there will be a triathlon transition training practice starting at 12 p.m. in the Wellness Center. President of the East River Triathlon Club, Kyle Kranz, will teach training sessions.

“Athletes can save significant time if you know how to transition right,” Landmark said.

Currently, there are only about 40 people pre-registered, but that does not concern Landmark.

“A lot of people wait to see how the weather is,” she said. “Last year wasn’t so good; we had to push snow the day of the triathlon.”

The triathlon started nine years ago when one of Landmark’s graduate students started the triathlon as part of their graduate work. In its first year, there were 25 participants, and it grew to 118 people last year.

For further information contact the SDSU Wellness Center at 688-6415.

After all animals were trimmed and scores tallied, Caleb Englin, a junior animal science major, took home the top prize of Grand Champion Round Robin Showman at the 86th Little International March 27 to 28.

“The goal was to win reserve or come close,” Englin said. “The goal was set out and achieved.”

On top of the champion round robin showman, Englin also received the honors of fourth in swine showmanship, champion fitter in the sheep and dairy species, reserve in dairy showmanship, champion in sheep showmanship and high-point upperclassman.

Fitting events deal with the overall presence of the animal, while showmanship events focus on the showman’s ability to highlight the animal’s best features. In the round robin events, the showman has to show five different species to the best of their ability.

“The hardest about the all-around [round robin] is you have to know how to show all species,” Englin said.

The animals, including swine, sheep, dairy cattle, beef cattle and horse, have their difficulties.

“Pigs are really difficult; you only have the pipe to control them,” Englin said.

With other animals, like cattle, showmen have more control because of the halter, where the showmens’ hands primarily handle the sheep, Englin said.

“My favorite animal this year was the dairy heifer,” Englin said. “Other years my favorite has been the sheep.”

The road to round robin champion does not come easy.

“I showed livestock through high school and 4-H,” Englin said. “Growing up around animals makes me feel more comfortable with them.”

Englin’s trick to reaching the top may have been talking.

“You have to know that if you are calm, the animals will remain calm,” Englin said. “I do a lot of talking.”

After winning Grand Champion of Round Robin, Englin is no longer eligible to compete in future Little I events but still plans to be on staff.

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought about what position,” he said.

Englin previously won Reserve Champion three times in 4-H, along with some others.

While Englin turned out on top, Little I Manager Jared Sanderson was happy with the weekend’s events.

“We had an exceptional turnout,” Sanderson said. “We had 1,700 high school students register to participate in the events.”

After the week of hard work for both participants and staff, the work paid off.

“The most exciting part was handing over trophies to winners and seeing their reactions to their hard work paying off,” Sanderson said.

“I would just want to thank everyone for a job well done and for making this one of the best years of my life.”

Other Grand Champions in other species were: Amanda Eberspacher in beef cattle, Katie Helminick in horse and Nicole Stevens in dairy cattle and Tyler Kubik for swine.

For a compete list of results and further information, check out the Little I Web site at http://ars.sdstate.edu/LittleI/Little%20I%202009/index.htm.

#1.881743:4016138795.jpg:Little.I.KL.CMYK.jpg:Mirinda Bye, a senior agricultural education major, shows her dairy cow, Macey, at Little International. :
#1.881742:273986739.jpg:little.i.art.jpg::
#1.881741:1835963655.jpg:Little.I.2.KL.CMYK.jpg:Jared Sanderson, a senior animal science major and Little I manager, and Alissa Johnson, a junior ag. business and ag. economics major and Little I assistant manager, had a turnout of 1,700 high school students.:

With spring in full swing, barnyards are bustling across the state. Little International’s mock barnyard is no exception.

The 86th Little International, “Building agriculture in the chips,” is being held March 27 and 28 in the Animal Science Arena.

“Little I is the largest student-run (Agricultural Exposition) in the country,” Jared Sanderson, Little International manager, said.

Throughout the two-day event, there are events ranging from species showing to floriculture and crops judging to meat evaluation.

Amanda Schiefelbein, a senior animal science major, has participated in the event several times.

“I have done horse [showing] for two years,” she said. “This year I will be showing a pig and a sheep.”

There is a lot of preparation that goes into Little I events.

“Depending on the animal, you have to wash, clean and get the animal presentable,” Schiefelbein said. ” You have to know the breed and the background.”

There are different means of preparing one’s animal based on breed. Sheep need to have their wool fit, while horses have to have hair on their legs and faces trimmed.

Participants have been working on preparing their animals throughout the week.

Besides preparing their animals, committee members spend significant time turning the animal science arena into a barnyard-like setting.

“We built a new barn this year,” Sanderson said. “It is tradition that the manager sign the back of the barn, and there were signatures that were at least 25 years old.”

Members also spend time dyeing wood chips green. Using wood chips donated from Rainbow Play Systems, the chips are dyed in cattle feeding wagons. After the chips are dyed, they are spread within the white fence in the arena.

The event is geared towards all degrees of competition.

There is a novice bracket for those who have never shown a particular species before and experienced for those that have, Sanderson said.

On March 27, 1,200 to 1,500 area high school students will come to the event, as well.

“It is really important to show as a positive experience,” Schiefelbein said. “4-H and FFA come and judge.”

Schiefelbein said that it is important to show the younger students how to properly present the animals.

“We encourage everyone to come,” Sanderson said.

The two-day event is free and open to the public. The March 28 agenda also includes a silent auction, and a luncheon stand will be open both days.

Events for Little I start March 27 with preliminary rounds and conclude March 28 with a dance at the Swiftel Center from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“Saturday we have an end of the year wrap-up dance,” Sanderson said. “Anybody is welcome; come have a good time and wind down.”

“The DJ will play all sorts of music and will also take requests,” Dance Superintendent Brett Monson said. “He has cool stuff like lighting and smoke.”

Monson said that there are expected to be 350 to 400 people at the dance.

“It’s a fun time,” he said. ” Little I is the biggest-run student event and it would be good to show support.”

Little International is its own group on campus with 107 members.

Participants for this year’s event come from every college on campus except the College of Nursing.

The S.D. Legislature has endured 39 days of decision-making. Now with many bills on the governor’s desk, citizens are waiting to see what will become law on July 1.

SB 139 restricted minors from certain tanning devices but died in the Senate.

HB 1125, which restricted wireless communication devices while driving, died in the House State Affairs Committee.

HB 1154 made revisions to the eligibility of the opportunity scholarship. It took a rough ride through the Capitol. The bill passed the House 37-29 but was defeated in the Senate 13- 22 after being voted down in committee and then being reconsidered.

HB 1257 would have allowed guns on state campuses but was effectively killed in the House Education Committee.

Legislators spent much of the session working out the proposed budget cuts Rounds made in December. Many programs were in jeopardy of losing funding.

The Cooperative Extension Service, housed at SDSU, was facing a $1 million cut, but after stimulus dollars and reconfiguration of the budget, Legislators were able to maintain $800,000 of their funds.

The Birth to Three program, which helps families with disabled children, could have been eliminated completely, but Legislators kept funding.

The S.D. State Fair will receive $400,000 in the new budget, down from $750,000 in previous years.

The 2010 fiscal year budget, starting July 1, used $88 million of stimulus money. The budget was balanced at $3.9 billion. The budget is now awaiting Rounds’ signature.

Rounds has until March 30 to sign bills, and the Legislature will meet to consider any vetoes. So far Rounds has vetoed three bills.

Talk of a smoking ban has filled the halls of the state capitol, local bars and restaurants, homes and college campuses for the past month.

On March 4, HB 1240 passed the Senate 21 to 14 with an amendment that changed violations of the bill from a class 2 misdemeanor to a petty offense. The amended bill will now have to be approved by the House.

If the bill and its amendment are passed in the House, the bill would then go to the governor’s office. If Gov. Rounds signs the bill, it would become law July 1.

HB 1240 previously passed the House and Senate Health and Human Services committees and passed in the House 43-27 on Feb. 23.

District 7 Reps. Larry Tidemann and Carol Pitts and Sen. Pam Merchant all voted in favor of the smoking ban in their respective houses.