Another layer of snow fell Dec. 8. As a busy week of last-minute papers and tests continue, students may find themselves cooped up inside.

I asked many students how they cope with the winter blues in Brookings. Many people prefer to stay inside to read a book, play poker and video games or drink.

Here are 12 ideas to get outside and make use of the snow:

1. Snow angels and Snowmen: Grab a group of friends and try this basic winter activity. Sometimes the snow is like a giant, white pillow able to help you forget your worries.

2. Hunting: Hunting season is here. A lot of South Dakota tourism thrives on hunting. Senior Aaron Olson said that fresh snow allows easier tracking with blood trails.

3. Photography: The numerous winter photos being displayed in Yeager Hall testify to the fact that photography is great during winter. Some of my best photos resulted from frost and snowy evenings. Take pictures of sunsets reflecting off the snow, snowflakes or people outdoors. If you are lucky, you may even catch a sundog – a rainbow-like reflection around the sun.

4. Ice Fishing: Similar to fishing in the summer, ice fishing provides good company, good food and maybe some excitement. Tony Winters, a political science major, said, “Sinai Lake is always a good place to go.” Other lakes around the area include Oakwood and Poinsett.

5. Ice Skating: Clear a section of a lake or pond or head down to the Larson Ice Center.

6. Snow Forts: While many may think this is only for kids, it can still present a lot of fun. An alternative to making a pile would be to find where cities or parking lots dump their snow. My brother, several friends and I would find the largest snow pile in town. Most years the snow fort would include a fireplace and many tunnels. We would line the walls with candles for light. If made properly, the chimney lets most of the smoke out without letting in sunlight. Before long, the roof turns into a crystal-like dome, complete with stalactite icicles covering the ceiling.

7. Snowballs: What better way to tell your friends that you love them than with a nice cold snowball from behind? Whether or not it turns into an all-out war could depend on your friends.

8. Snow Football: If you still feel the need for revenge, you may want to pick up a game of snow football.

9. Sledding: This is probably the most classic snow-time activity. In Brookings go to Larson’s Hill, and the old landfill by the softball diamonds for a much less crowded (but not as tall) location.

10. Snowmobiles: Many people prefer their sleds to be motorized. If the downhill sleds are not fast enough, the motorized version can accelerate to over 90 mph.

11. Winter driving: This may be for the fearless, those who know how to drive in the snow or maybe just those who haven’t learned to respect the snow. Doughnuts or other designs can often be found scribbled across parking lots. It might be illegal in some places, so find a friend with a good-sized pickup and get permission from a farmer with a good field to drive in.

12. Power kiting sports: With the lack of hills around Brookings, downhill skiing or snowboarding is out. Instead use a kite to pull a snowboard or skis. Mark Broich, research assistant at GIS on campus, said it is a “nice way to turn not-so pleasant winter experiences into fun. I came to a new place and needed a new hobby. I always liked wind sports, and kiting provides a year-round opportunity.”

So when you get tired of school, needing that last-minute break, forget about the cleaning supplies. Step outside and take in a breath of fresh air.

Remember those parking tickets or that time you got caught speeding around Brookings? Local law enforcement will raise money for Special Olympics on Dec. 6 by allowing people to pay to hold them behind bars.

Police officers from the University Police Department, Brookings Police Department and Highway Patrol will volunteer to stay in a cage, similar to a dog kennel, starting at 9 a.m. at Wal-Mart. The more money donated during the second annual Lock Up a Cop, the longer the cops stay.

“The cost comes out to be about one dollar a minute,” said Joel Perry, a BPD officer who is setting up the fundraiser.

Lock Up a Cop will last as long as people are willing to pay to keep the cops caged, and people who donate can choose the cop that they wish to keep in the cell, Perry said. Last year, cops stayed locked up for about 12 hours.

The cell will be located in front of the greeting cards near the jewelry section. Perry said people who stop in to see the cops and donate may be eligible for prizes or giveaways. They could also meet some of the Special Olympians that have benefited from the fundraiser.

Perry said the best part about doing this event “? is seeing the faces of those (Special Olympians) who are able to compete” because of the donations.

“The event is really lighthearted,” said Donita Fleming, community involvement coordinator at Wal-Mart. “It’s a really good cause and a lot of fun.”

Fleming said the officers like to play around during the event. Last year, she thought that it would be fun to bring the cops doughnuts.

Perry jokingly said that the worst part of last year’s event was having to eat all the doughnuts.

UPD police officer Cora Olson said that there was no bad part last year.

All of the money raised during the Lock Up a Cop event will go to Special Olympics. This and other fundraisers help supply transportation and lodging for Special Olympians. Last year, South Dakota was able to send a competitor to China to compete in the International Special Olympics.

This year’s goal is to donate as much or more than last year. The first Lock Up a Cop brought in a total of $3,500 in donations.

People who wish to donate can visit Wal-Mart on Dec. 6 before the police get out, or they can also choose to donate online. The Web site to keep Perry locked up is at www.firstgiving.com/joelperry/, while the Web site for UPD officer Olson is www.firstgiving.com/coraolson/.

Other officers participating in the event include Mike Burgard and Jesse Ehlers. If people wish to donate to someone other than these officers, they can leave a memo on the donation site specifying which officer they would like to lock up.

The BPD also helps with a charity run for Special Olympics. The run is part of the largest fundraising effort in the United States. Officers start on the top of Mount Rushmore and move from Rapid City to Sioux Falls. The state of South Dakota donated $220,000. Nationwide, the total came to $33 million.

SDSU Tobacco Coalition is hosting a 5k Fun Run and Walk to bring awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoking.

The 3.1 mile run will start at 4 p.m. on Nov. 20. Sign-up is from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. on the day of the event. The Fun Run will begin at the front of The Wellness Center and from there travel down Eighth Street. It will head past McCrory Gardens and turn north on 22nd Avenue. From 22nd Avenue, the run will turn left and head past the HPER Center and through the football parking lot. After turning by Caldwell Hall, the Fun Run ends at the Wellness Center, said Lee Walraven, a health promotions major and member of the SDSU Smoking Coalition.

The Fun Run is to celebrate the Great American Smoke Out. The first 50 participants to register will receive free T-shirts. More than a dozen participants have already signed up.

“My roommates and I are actually going to run the race together. Earlier this fall, I was training for a full marathon and got them started on running too,” said junior Nikki Reiff, a health promotion and pre-occupational therapy major. “This is going to be their first 5k, and we are all excited to go out, have fun and run it together.”

A booth will be set up inside The Wellness Center, and students will hand out information on smoking, said Walraven. In light of the time of year and upcoming holiday, the theme is “Quitting Cold Turkey.” The free T-shirts display a shivering turkey across the front and have a non-smoking theme. Shirts will be handed out before and after the run.

“The smoking awareness definitely plays a role in why I’m running,” said Reiff. “It’s something I am concerned about and being involved in HEROH (Helping Everyone Reach Optimal Health), I wanted to run for a good cause.”

In the event of bad weather, the run will still continue but will instead be held inside The Wellness Center. If weather moves the run indoors, it will likely be shortened, said Walraven.

In previous years, the SDSU Tobacco Coalition gave out shirts in The Union for tossing bean bags. The year before that, they held a 5k run.

According to the American Lung Cancer Association, secondhand smoke is the cause of “approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700 to 69,600 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers” in the U.S. every year.

“Smoking, as well as being exposed to secondhand smoke, has been proven to be extremely harmful to our health,” said Sarah Elhoff, a junior health promotion major.

“For that reason, I am strongly against smoking and hope to promote quitting any way that I can on this nationally celebrated day.”

According to the Surgeon General, there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke. Even a short period in secondhand smoke can increase the chance of heart attack by reducing the heart rate variability.

The American Lung Cancer Web site said secondhand smoke levels were two to five times higher in bars and restaurants than in homes owned by smokers.

Statistics like these are one reason students should participate in the race, but Reiff and Elhoff said the 5k has other perks, too.

“This is a 5k run. You don’t necessarily have to race. … It’s not really all that competitive, but more of a fun way to get out and be active.

Do the hazards of tobacco use outweigh the benefits?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site says, “Each year, an estimated 438,000 people in the U.S. die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million have a serious illness caused by smoking.”

Rick Bender, motivational speaker and cancer survivor, spoke at SDSU about the dangers of chewing tobacco and other dangers of nicotine on Oct. 27.

Bender started chewing when he was 12 years old. By the time he was 26, he had to undergo major surgery to cut out the cancer.

Bender found a small white bump on his tongue when he was 25. The lump did not go away. Not soon after, he quit chewing. Despite quitting, the bump went away for a little while but came back the size of a dime. It was then that he saw a doctor but still almost died.

He lost a third of his tongue, half of his jaw and 25 percent of his right arm. After a 12-and-a-half-hour surgery, doctors told his family that he would probably not live more than three years.

Bender, now 45, encouraged people to help their friends quit. He told students that it is of utmost importance that if they or their friends ever find a small bump, a little white spot or a reddish spot that does not go away within 10 days, they need to have it examined.

During his travels, he has met more than 100 people from families with relatives that died due to the same cancer he had. He has met 11 survivors that had the same cancer, five of whom lost their speaking ability.

Despite increasing evidence about the dangers of smoking, 20.8 percent of adults smoked cigarettes, according to statistics from 2006 on the CDC Web site.

Tanner Aiken, a landscape architecture major, started smoking because in his experience, 90 percent of people at restaurants were smokers.

Bender said he started to chew because of peer pressure, advertisements saying there was less danger than smoking and because of the association with baseball.

Aiken said he smokes to relieve stress. “It is calming,” he said. “During the school year, it is hard to quit.” Other smokers also mentioned that tobacco calms them when they are stressed.

SDSU Tobacco Coalition conducted a survey where 80 percent of SDSU students polled said they wanted a smoke-free campus. The ultimate long-term goal for the stop smoking coalition would be to make SDSU a smoke-free campus, said Lee Walraven, a health promotions major.

This would mean that people would no longer be allowed to smoke anywhere at SDSU. In 2007, the University of North Dakota became a smoke-free campus. Currently, the coalition is working with a faculty survey. Walraven said that the campuses that go smoke free have a lot of support from the faculty.

Walraven works for the SDSU Tobacco Coalition. SDSU has a grant to work with the state to promote healthier lifestyles by abstaining from smoking tobacco. They are promoting several events to help educate people in regards to tobacco. Some events they help promote include: the 5k Fun Run, the Great American Smoke-Out and speakers like Bender.

For those interested of staying out of the smoke, Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill decided earlier this year to not allow smoking anymore.

“Easily nine out of 10 were all for it, including the smokers,” said Cubby’s manager Jeremy Deutsch. “(We’ve) definitely seen an increase with kids and families.” Despite the change and inconvenience to some, Deutsch said, “most smokers do not mind stepping outside.” Cubby’s remodeled in June, and when it opened up in July, the management weighed the options and decided that non-smoking was better.

Aiken said that he also prefers non-smoking bars and would rather not sit in everyone else’s smoke.

The health effects are really better for everyone, said Deutsch; when people work for 40 hours a week at the bar, it can really make a difference. Nonsmoking is healthier.

At first, Cubby’s was concerned that maybe there would be less latecomers among college students and young adults. After the change, business has only increased, but Deutsch said that the change to non-smoking might not be the only reason.

“Eventually (nonsmoking) will hit everywhere around here,” said Deutsch.

For the students that are interested in quitting, Quitline has counselors and can provide assistance to help students quit smoking. Not only do they provide counseling, but they may be able to provide some additional resources to help students quit. More information can be found at: http://www.healthysd.gov/QuitTobacco.html.

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Healthy Living Series, which promotes the well-being of students and examines health issues on campus.

Two major issues are on the minds of many Americans: politics and the economy. Articles on the proposed $700 billion bailout covered the papers last week.

Both the U.S. House and Senate approved the $700 billion bailout Oct. 3. The measure is a governmental plan to help stabilize the economy by purchasing “toxic” bank assets.

SDSU economics professor John Sondey said the $700 billion bailout would trim bad loans from banks, stabilize the banking industry and hopefully encourage banks to extend credit to deserving borrowers.

“When banks face constraints such as growing volume of bad loans, the cautionary ploy is to restrict new loans, which, in turn, crimps economic growth,” Sondey said.

Economics professor Joseph Santos said, “The plan will likely benefit, if only indirectly, anyone who wishes to borrow money.”

Opinions on the bailout range from those who say the economy is better off to those who do not want taxpayers to support others’ mistakes. If one takes the U.S. population at 281 million (2000 census) and the $700 billion bailout, the cost is about $2,500 per person. With today’s estimated U.S. population at 305 million, the amount of the bailout costs $2,300 per person.

“The Treasury may profit from the plan, that is, the Treasury will purchase from the banking system otherwise illiquid – difficult-to-sell – financial assets, and, by doing so, free up the cash required to make loans,” Santos said. “And, because these assets consist for the most part of residential mortgages, which most homeowners will likely repay in full, the Treasury stands to recoup much of its near-term outlay.”

Economics graduate student Daniel Bielfeldt conditionally supports the bailout.

“I disagree with government intervention, but I think that it was necessary,” he said.

While some segments of the economy are hurting, the availability of federal financial aid is staying the same or increasing slightly. Congress recently passed the higher education act authorization for students. Jay Larson, director of financial aid, said the bill consists of two parts. One part is the authorization, the other portion of the bill is the amount the president budgets for federal aid to students. But that appropriation has increased the past few years, Larson said. The Pell Grant also increased.

“For a time, from 1997 to 2005, the federal loans remained the same,” Larson said. “(The) May 2008 Congress and Legislation funded $2,000 of federal unsubsidized Stanford loans annually. This increased aggregate loans so students have more access.”

On a good note, Larson said that scholarships available to SDSU students have recently increased.

Less encouraging is the possibility of increased inflation. Sondey said that inflation could accompany recession, giving the U.S. the worst of both worlds: inflation and high unemployment. If the country continues in the direction of a recession, students could face extra challenges. One statistic states that on average, students in a recession “settle” for jobs that pay nine percent less, and they can earn less for a period of eight to nine years by comparison to students in expansion years, said Bielfeldt.

Sondey said harder economic times could also affect Brookings jobs.

“A recession would reduce demand for some of the light manufacturers produced in the Brookings area – but not substantially,” he said. “In terms of most service jobs, I don’t think there will be any fall-off in opportunities for student employment.”

High prices are another potential concern, although gas prices are lowering gradually.

“In Brookings, they’ve already fallen about 10 percent from their recent peak. Recession will take them down further,” Sondey said.

Those prices were rising due to more competition overseas.

“Ninety percent of global population growth is in developing countries, and the demand for autos and complements (gas) should continue to grow in the foreseeable future if economic growth continues,” Sondey said.

“Petroleum producers have profited from these elevated market prices, which in recent years have signaled alternative-energy producers to enter the broader marketplace,” Santos said. “As global economic growth slows over the next few quarters, so too should the growth of the price of petroleum.”

Housing prices in the Brookings area should stay the same.

“We’ve got 12,000 students and a limited number of affordable rentals. Prices will stay up, but expect little added apartments to be constructed,” Sondey said.

Inflation has already hit area grocery stores.

“Inflation is the big problem recently with food,” Sondey said. “Anyone with any memory of food prices a year ago realizes that basic food items in grocery stores have raised substantially.”

Sondey encouraged students to shop wisely.

“Shop sales, stock up,” Sondey said.

Santos encouraged a similar philosophy.

“The current financial crisis will affect the real economy – income, employment, consumption, etc. – over at least the next few quarters; as such, we should all be concerned about our abilities to obtain credit and employment,” said Santos.

SDSU students have another option for storing guns safely on campus. This fall, the Student Affairs’ Office and SDSU ROTC are allowing students to lock hunting firearms and ammunition in a safe at DePuy Military Hall.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Wermedal said, “We recognize that hunting is a popular sport.”

Hunters can contact Wermedal or Property Book Officer and Supply Technician Jerry Berg. Berg will then set up a time for the firearm to be brought in. When students want to pick up their guns, they will have to contact Berg. Wermedal said that students would be allowed to get their rifles from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

When someone comes in with a gun, it first has to be checked in. Students will write their name, address and the make and the model of the gun and sign their name. Then, students will drive around to the back of the ROTC building, so they will not walk around or through any buildings with the gun. One of the building’s doors leads directly to the basement.

Last spring, South Dakota state legislators debated a law that could have given students the right to bring guns on campus. The law did not pass, but it might have helped speed up this alternative option for gun storage. Wermedal said they were already looking for alternative storage options for the students. Less than one year later, the Student Affairs’ Office and the ROTC made an agreement.

Currently, students are allowed to have guns in their car trunks or out of plain sight in a pickup. Most hunters keep their guns in the trunks of their cars or in their pickup cabs. Others choose to leave their firearms with a friend that lives off campus. This will provide another opportunity for hunting to students who may otherwise be prevented or dissuaded due to storage options, Wermedal said.

According to Berg, students with pickups might feel concerned about theft, especially if the firearm is not completely concealed. Few gun thefts have taken place lately, so consequently, the new service has not been used as of now.

With the impending hunting season, this might change. So far, no one has expressed interest in a place to store pistols, but something could be arranged if students are interested, said Wermedal.

One and a half years ago, SDSU administrators began a two and a half year process to remain accredited.

Mary Helling, associate vice president of academic affairs, said some of the university’s success can be attributed to its accreditation processes and ratings. For the accreditation process, SDSU must issue a report that proves the benefit, value and credibility of the university. In other words, the college must prove that it operates as it claims, said Helling.

To begin the reaccrediting program, first SDSU organized multiple committees to evaluate performance and assess what information is needed to meet accreditation standards. Second and currently, administrators are conducting a self-study during which they examine many aspects of how campus performs. Third, officials from the North Central Association of Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC) visit the institution and make a report. After this, the report is reviewed by a few committees and then heads back to SDSU to improve on any of its shortcomings.

Campus accreditation affects many areas of a university. For example, credits earned at a university that is not accredited may not transfer. Helling also said that graduate schools are more likely to admit students that completed their undergraduate degree at an accredited college.

According to the NCA-HLC Web site, “Many organizations choose to consider the accredited status of the college at which the credit or degree was earned as one factor in the transfer decision.”

The accreditation process not only allows more opportunities for students, but it helps to keep universities accountable.

“It helps us study ourselves,” said Helling, who described the process as a method to find “strengths, needed changes and recommendations.”

For SDSU, a full accreditation removal is very unlikely. If the assessment does not go as administrators hope, the low scoring areas will then have to be re-examined the next year or possibly be reassessed five years from now instead of the normal ten.

To ensure the success of SDSU’s accreditation efforts, the administration assembled 17 committees. These consist of faculty members and one student representative per committee. Each committee is responsible to evaluate the university’s performance on a number of various subtopics.

Associate Professor Harriet Svec said one of SDSU’s value assessment areas is leadership. SDSU proved its competence on this value when one of the deans left and one of the department heads had to cover the dean’s position. The department head was able to cover because of a leadership program from Harvard. SDSU supported the travel and expense for the extra training, showing that leadership is valued at SDSU, said Svec.

Other things that the committees look at include: budgets, scholarships, number of majors, number of teachers, number of courses offered, internships, clubs and employment outlook for graduates.

SDSU’s self study began January 2007. The visit from the NCA-HLC will take place Nov. 2 to 4, 2009. A survey will also be soon available for students on MyState Online to discuss how the campus is performing.