Through the doors of Caldwell Hall, facility worker Bruce Norman brings a smile to every resident’s face.

“He shows a personal interest in all of the students, and they respect him,” said Brendan Stratton, a community assistant in Caldwell. “You can tell he is really passionate about being around students.”

Norman held a variety of jobs before coming to SDSU a little over two years ago. He has worked as a salesman for an electronic and appliance business, a loss control manager for K-Mart and a paramedic for the Brookings Ambulance.

“I worked for a security company before, but the company got laid off, and I was looking for a job with benefits,” Norman said.

He said he applied for a job as a facility worker at SDSU because it was a job with the state, which would give him good benefits. When he was first hired, Norman began working in Young Hall.

“Over spring break, after 2-and-a-half months working in Young Hall, I moved to Caldwell because they were short-staffed,” Norman said.

Norman’s job in Caldwell is to do all of the general cleaning within the hall. Yet, residents feel he does much more than that.

“Bruce is always kind, friendly and a very welcoming face to see,” said Heidi DeBoer, sophomore hospitality management student and Caldwell resident. “He [receives] a lot of respect from us students because he shows us a lot of respect.”

Ashley Knoff, a sophomore early childhood education major and another resident of Calwell, agreed.

“Bruce goes above and beyond his cleaning duties and you can tell he enjoys his job,” said Knoff. “He is always lively, always smiling and always saying “hi’ to everyone.”

Stratton said one of Norman’s distinguishing qualities is that he knows how to talk to the residents.

“I always try to say “good morning’ and to greet students as they go,” Norman said. “You can make somebody’s day just by saying “good morning.’ I hope it makes their day better. It makes my day if they say “hi’ [back] to me.”

When he can tell residents are having a bad day, Norman said he will let them pass by without trying to strike up a conversation.

Norman is also known for the entertainment he occasionally brings residents.

“He wore a Packers shirt or jersey everyday for the two weeks prior to the Super Bowl hoping they would win it, and I guess it paid off,” Stratton said.

Norman said his two weeks of Packer pride started when he wore a Packer’s t-shirt on the Monday following the Packers’ National Football Conference championship win.

“A couple of people gave me a bad time the day after the NFC championship and asked me if I was going to wear it for two weeks straight, so I decided to,” Norman said.

Norman is known to bring the residents treats. He set homemade cookies in the dayroom during finals week, and for Halloween he brought a box of candy for the residents to share.

“It’s just something to do for them,” Norman said. “The residents are very good to me.”

Norman said while working in Caldwell he has met about 600 to 800 residents.

“Most of them are a good bunch of kids,” Norman said. “I try to show them respect, and they will show me respect back.”

DeBoer said she doesn’t know any resident who doesn’t like Norman.

“He is a great, friendly guy, and I just know he cares about us,” DeBoer said. “He just isn’t doing this job, but he respects us.”

Caldwell may be Norman’s home away from home, but Norman has made his home in White with his wife for the past 32 years. They have three children and two granddaughters, who all live in the Twin Cities.

#1.1999867:571186443.png:Bruce-MORROW-2.png::

With over two feet of snow this winter and more predicted, Brookings residents can anticipate flooding.

Extension State Climatologist Dennis Todey said there are currently 15 inches of snow on the ground in Brookings. So far, this winter has had a total of 27.5 inches.

“This is the second highest [amount of snow] on record for early January,” Todey said.

This is not a distant second place. Todey said the highest amount for early January was observed in 2008-2009, when Brookings received 27.7 inches. Todey said he was surprised by this.

“I originally thought we would be on the dry side this winter,” Todey said.

Todey said this winter has been colder than average because of La Niña, which is associated with cooler than normal temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Temperatures have been 3 to 4 degrees below average since Dec. 1.

However, Todey said, there have not been extremely cold temperatures.

“Last year at this point it reached 20 degrees below zero four times,” he said.

Todey said the coldest it has been this year is 10 degrees below zero.

“We haven’t had really nasty, cold temperatures,” Todey said.

Todey said it is hard to predict how much more snow there will be, but he is confident there will be more snow and cold temperatures due to La Niña and heavy, packed snow.

Brookings City Manager Jeff Weldon said the street department has set a budget of $2.9 million for 2011, which includes snow removal.

“We have spent $37 thousand for salt and sand,” Weldon said.

Weldon said the city does not have a permanent plan for the rest of the winter snow removal. Instead, he said, the city makes a specific plan for snow removal with each snowfall.

“We always plow emergency routes first and then the less traveled roads,” Weldon said.

Todey said we will see flooding problems in the spring.

Although Todey does not know how much flooding there will be, he knows there will be problems and he predicts that residents can use last year as a guide.

“[Residents should] be ready in similar flooding areas as last year,” Todey said.

Todey said the SDSU extension office has an emergency preparation kit for residents looking to prepare for spring flooding. He also said residents can prepare their important items and be ready for flooding in the spring.

Weldon said the city is working to improve the storm drainage system to help prevent flooding when the snow melts in the spring by “spending money on managing the storm drainage system.”

After sampling and evaluating 48 dairy product samples, the SDSU Dairy Products Judging Team took home the gold once again.

The team placed first in All Products at the 2010 Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest on Nov. 12 in Decatur, Ill. This is the third consecutive year SDSU has won the national championship, which means the team gets to keep the trophy, and a new trophy will be made for the contest next year.

“It is very difficult to win [the trophies],” said dairy professor Bob Baer, who coaches the team with Lloyd Metzger. “Winning three years in a row doesn’t occur very often.”

The four students that brought home the national championship were Samantha Erickson, Rebecca Hanson, Eric McNeel and Gagan Deep.

In the competition, they evaluated six different dairy products. Students judged eight different samples of these six dairy products, making a total of 48 samples. The entire contest lasted a little over five hours, with 35 minutes available to judge eight samples of each product.

“Students have to be in good physical and mental condition when judging,” Baer said.

Along with earning the national championship, the team placed first in four products: milk, butter, ice cream and cheddar cheese.

Hanson said the dairy products are judged based on smell, taste, appearance and texture. He said contestants first smell the product. Then, they taste it to confirm the smell. Finally, they score it on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the best, while also looking for flavor defects.

McNeel said flavor defects are tastes such as bitterness or acidity. He said bitterness can give a sample a flat taste and acidity, especially high acidity, adds flavor.

“The challenge is finding the differences in the products,” McNeel said.

Baer said the event is an individual competition. The individual scores are combined and averaged to make team scores. Individually, Erickson placed first overall, and Hanson placed fourth overall. McNeel placed 12th overall and Deep, in the graduate contest, placed first overall.

“The competition is super stressful,” Erickson said.

Baer teaches his students to spit out the samples after they are done evaluating so they can assess more products. He said swallowing the sample can coat the back of your tongue and throat, and spitting out the sample allows a contestant to clean their mouth of the taste.

In preparation, the team met everyday and judged samples until the national competition.

“Sometimes it’s pretty intense, but it pays off,” Deep said.

The team takes classes with Baer for two semesters to prepare for the competition. Baer brings in samples from all over to get the team ready for the national competition.

“You become very conscious of what you eat,” McNeel said.

Erickson said the hard part is trying to get all the products judged within the time limit, but it teaches time management. She said she learned how to perform under pressure.

Deep said a contestant’s sensory ability skills improve a lot while preparing for the competition. He said great sensory skills pay off in a professional job setting.

McNeel said the competition is very much a team effort. It is important that the team works together so everyone judges the products the same way. He said it is important the team knows the products and understands the defects when scoring.

“We owe a lot of credit to our coach Dr. Baer,” Hanson said.

McNeel said Baer puts many hours into helping the team prepare for the competition. The team met everyday and judged samples until the national competition.

#1.1825149:3917792077.png:Dairy.png:The SDSU dairy team, who produce multiple dairy products, once again triumphed over the opposition at the 2010 Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest Nov. 12.:Submitted Photo

Wyatt DeJong, a junior agriculture education and animal science major, was named the National FFA Central Region vice president at the 83rd annual National FFA Convention on Oct. 23.

“For the first time in my life I was literally speechless,” DeJong said.

DeJong is one of six national officers who will serve from October 2010 to October 2011.

DeJong said, “Remarkable Journey Written Through Servant Leadership” is this year’s national officer team motto, which includes the first letter of all six officer’s names.

DeJong will take the following two semesters off to fulfill his duties as a national officer. Dejong said the year will be full of traveling, training, visiting 40 states and taking a trip to Japan to visit their national FFA office.

“I will be living out of a suitcase,” DeJong said.

Along with traveling and training, DeJong will visit business and agriculture industry leaders throughout the country and work to better understand how FFA shapes science, research and technology. DeJong is also responsible for being the FFA members’ voice at the national level.

To become a national officer, DeJong first ran at the state level for the SD candidacy position.

“This was a smaller condensed version of running at the national level,” DeJong said

DeJong also wrote an essay on his agricultural experiences, which he focused on beef entrepreneurship and had to submit a letter of interest for the national position.

At the national convention DeJong took a multiple-choice test, complete timed essays about the national FFA program and had to do nine individual interviews, each with different interviewers. DeJong also gave a stand-and-deliver speech, helped facilitate a workshop and completed a round robin interview process.

“It was definitely an overwhelming feeling,” DeJong said.

After half of the candidates were cut, DeJong went through more interviews and waited for the announcement of the six chosen national officers to be made.

When DeJong found out he won the position, he said the experience was surreal and the first thing he thought of was all of the people who helped him win.

“When the announcement was made that I had won, FFA members were screaming,” DeJong said. “I realized dreams come true.”

Chelsey Abler, a former state FFA officer, was present at the convention when DeJong was named the Central Region Vice President. Abler, who met DeJong her junior year of high school, said she was thrilled when DeJong won.

“This is such an awesome opportunity for him. I’m so excited to see the impact he’s going to make in many people’s lives.” Abler said.

DeJong said he is especially thankful to Jessie Vander Poel, who was a former national officer from South Dakota for pushing him in FFA to become more disciplined and selfless. At the state level, DeJong said his state advisor and the state executive secretary helped him in his journey a lot.

DeJong, who attended Winner High School, was active in FFA throughout his four years in high school. He first joined FFA because he was interested in livestock and was especially interested in career development events with beef.

DeJong served as the South Dakota FFA District Four Vice President in 2005-2006. He later served as the South Dakota FFA State Secretary in 2008-2009.

DeJong said his last official day of class this semester will be Nov. 18. From there he will begin training in Indianapolis, Ind. before he begins his year of traveling over 100,000 miles.

#1.1782305:3467771564.png:Wyatt.png:Wyatt DJong, SDSU student, said ?dreams come true? as his dream of becoming a national FFA regional officer comes to fruition. :Submitted Photo

Promoting one-on-one mentoring efforts for kids in the Brookings community and surrounding areas is what The Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program is all about.

“The program was developed to ensure all youth have the guidance and support of a caring, stable adult,” said Jo Woodard, the BCYMP program director.

Woodard said there are currently 120 people that mentor kids. There are also 60 pending boys and 28 pending girls who are eligible to get a mentor, but haven’t received one yet.

Children involved in the program range in ages from 5 to 18 and are in kindergarten to 12th grade. Mentors must be 18 or older.

The BCYMP was started by Orv Smidt in 1999. Smidt initially started the program to help kids who had come out of the judicial system, transitioning back into the school system.

“Now the program has broadened quite a bit to include the full spectrum of children and their needs,” Woodard said.

Currently, the mentoring program is open to all adults who just want to spend time with a child as a mentor.

“The mentor relationship is intended to empower youth to reach their full potential as contributing individuals in their communities,” Woodard said.

Woodard said the program uses The Search Institute model for youth development. She described it as an asset based model where internal and external assets are the focus for kids. An example of an internal asset is self-identity and examples of external assets include family, church, positive developmental experiences and community service.

“An asset is a “nutrient’ that is necessary for young people to grow a strong mind and character,” Woodard said. “When a mentor helps a child to increase internal or external assets, even just by a small amount, they reduce the likeliness of at risk behaviors in children.”

Jayme Brunner, a current mentor, describes the program as a one-hour weekly commitment where a child gets to be with their friend. It is something the child can look forward to.

“One benefit is being able to be stability in a kid’s life,” Brunner said.

For a mentor benefits include enhancing their life experiences and other awareness. It is also a resume builder.

Tricia Hofeldt, a sophomore animal science and pre-vet major, was a mentor last year. Hofeldt said she found learning to work with someone with a different personality can be a major benefit from the program. Hofeldt said she also benefitted from learning time management skills.

The community benefits from the program because it helps to reduce the number of kids involved in at risk behaviors. Woodard said research shows that these types of programs can dramatically impact kids staying in school and reduce dropout rates.

“There is a saying, “When the tide comes in, all the ships go up,’” Woodard said.

She said by helping one kid at a time, “all the ships go up.”

Mentors simply need two characteristics. They need to authentically care about the kids and understand the nature of the commitment. Other skills, such as listening and empowering can be learned through mentor training.

“It is really easy to join and all you have to do is be yourself,” current mentor and senior agriculture business student Isaac Buresch said.

Woodard said becoming a mentor isn’t hard. Those interested need to fill out an application which can be found on the BCYMP website. Applicants are interviewed, and then a background check is done and applicants are required to watch training DVDs.

After the hiring process is done the applicant has their first initial meeting. This meeting is with the child, their parent(s) and a counselor.

If someone is interested in the program, but isn’t sure about applying, Woodard said, they can check out the training DVD to just investigate the program. The first few minutes describe the mentoring role and commitment.

“While it is not possible to help everyone in society, everyone has the ability to help someone,” Buresch said.

Woodard said if interested in the BCYMP they can check out the website at www.brookingsyouthmentoring.com, leave a voicemail for Woodard at 605-697-0444 or check out the training DVDs from Wagner hall, room 249. Applications can be found on the website and emailed to Woodard at jo.woodard@k12.sd.us.

#1.1782245:758804450.png:Mentor-3-Submitted.png:Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program provides many opportunities for community residents to connect with area youth. The mentor to youth ratio still remains unbalanced as many children within the community are on a waiting list to receive a mentor. :Submitted Photo

October is American Pharmacists Month and the College of Pharmacy at SDSU is doing several activities to promote the practice of pharmacy to the SDSU community.

“Know your medications. Know your pharmacist,” said Cy Fixen, senior pharmacy student. “This is the theme and core message for American Pharmacists Month.”

Dennis Hedge, dean of the College of Pharmacy, said on Oct. 1, SDSU hosted the South Dakota Board of Pharmacy meeting at the Avera Health and Science Center. The board is responsible for making sure the practice of pharmacy is safe in South Dakota.

“They make rules and regulations for South Dakota,” Hedge said.

Oct. 22, the college held a reception for Cheri Kraemer who was recognized as a distinguished alumnus. Hedge said Kraemer was recognized by the college for her quality work, especially in compound pharmacy.

The College of Pharmacy also hosted the College of Pharmacy Convocation and Research Day on Oct. 25 in conjunction with American Pharmacists Month. Hedge said this is a day when research is highlighted and a speaker is brought to the college. Convocation and Research Day is a day to promote academic pharmacy.

“It’s raising awareness through what we already do,” Hedge said.

Hedge said to end the month; Pharmacy Days will be held on campus. Pharmacy Days are recruitment days where students can interview for summer internships and fourth year pharmacy students can interview for jobs.

Dan Hansen, assistant dean of student services said Pharmacy Days is a three-day event on campus held Oct. 27-29.

“We invite companies and hospitals to interview students,” Hansen said.

During the month of October, Hansen said the students are also given information about becoming faculty members. Students can do more than just become a pharmacist with a Pharm.D degree said Kyrsten Zimmerman, academic development assistant.

With a doctorate in pharmacy, a student can also go into education and teach at the collegiate level. Zimmerman said students could also look into researching and finding different and better ways for delivery of medications.

Hansen said pharmacy students in the Academy of Student Pharmacists or ASP, use the month of October to get the word out about pharmacy. ASP has various faculty members give presentations in correlation to pharmacy students doing different screenings for the SDSU community. Some of the topics include heartburn and immunizations. Dr. Hansen said the students do these various screenings in The Union under faculty supervision.

“This gives students good practice,” Hansen said.

Hansen said these screens are part of the curriculum and they are done throughout the year. He said ASP especially tried to do some in the month of October since it’s American Pharmacists month.

Zimmerman, who advises pre-pharmacy students and perspective students, said there is a high interest in pharmacy at SDSU. Currently, there is between 350 to 400 pre-pharmacy students. As of last spring, SDSU now admits 80 students into the pharmacy program each year. Before the Avera Health and Science Center, the college was only admitting 70 students.

Hansen said the increase in class size is a result of the new building allowing more classrooms and labs. The new labs allow the college to better simulate real life situations, especially in patient counseling and screenings.

Fixen said for pharmacy month the students want to thank everyone involved with the program, both on-campus and off campus. Fixen said the best part of the program is the faculty because they are so open to help.

“When you start pharmacy school, the faculty tells you they have an open door policy. They are always there to help,” Fixen said.

Fixen said students are also spreading awareness this month about what pharmacists really do. The senior pharmacy major said a lot of people don’t know they should be talking to their pharmacists.

“Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals,” Hansen said.

Hansen said pharmacists are always available to answer questions, both for prescription medications and over the counter medications. As a student, Fixen said he likes getting asked questions about medications.

“The challenge is to not think of their pharmacy as another drive-thru,” Hansen said.

Instead, Hansen said it’s something that affects your life. Medication is a serious thing and when done right is helpful, but when done wrong it can be harmful. Hansen said do not be afraid to ask questions to your pharmacist because they are the most accessible healthcare professional.

“Our college has a very proud history and historically we have had a very strong program,” Hedge said.

As the College of Pharmacy continues to grow, Hedge said they are very proud of their research and see a lot of fantastic things the college can accomplish in the future. Hedge said the best days for the College of Pharmacy are still to come.

#1.1731095:3716329026.png:Pharmacy-Submitted.png:From left to right, Mallory Muntefering, Tonya Gross, Lacee Gallagher and Amanda Ludwig, second year professional pharmacy students, worked at a flu shot clinic in Sioux Falls.:Collegian Photo by Rachelle Sather