Cancer affects millions of people across the globe, and research is now being done locally.

Gunda Georg, professor and department head of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, is working with a team of researchers to find a more natural way to treat pancreatic and breast cancer.

Georg gave a two-part lecture on campus March 30 and 31. Her first public lecture covered her discovery of natural resources as a way of treating cancer patients. Although she is not a pioneer in this area of research, she is part of a team that is working on a clinical trial for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

“She has had a lot of success in her research,” said associate professor of chemistry David Cartrette. “Most of her work has been dedicated to the worst cancers: breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.”

Georg earned her degree in pharmacy and then her Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry in 1980. She then studied synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Ottawa and worked as a faculty member at the University of Kansas. In 2007 she moved to the U of M.

She has more than 25 years experience in drug discovery, 490 publications and has taught 150 students in her laboratory, including Xiangming Guan, SDSU professor of pharmaceutical sciences.

“I think her research benefits us medicinal chemists,” Guan said, “She has been working in the cancer area for a long time.”

Guan was Georg’s first graduate student in 1985.

“We were doing synthetic work mostly; making compounds and figuring out how to get good methods to develop compounds,” Guan said.

Research similar to Georg’s work is also being conducted at SDSU. If students are interested, Fathi Halaweish, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, works on this type research, focusing on cervical and breast cancer.

“I was very happy to see the new laboratories that are being built for chemistry and pharmacy and the investment the state is making in SDSU by providing funding for research centers and technology commercialization,” Georg said.

Most of Georg’s work revolves around chemistry and the breaking down of compounds in certain plants. Georg and her group are involved in the design and biological evaluation of natural resources.

“Fundamentally, what she does is look at compounds that are found in plants and isolates them,” Cartrette said. “She then tries to mimic these compounds using chemistry. She is trying to mimic nature in the lab setting. After isolating particular compounds, she then has to test them against cell lines of different types of cancers.”

Cartrette said that almost every person is in some way affected by cancer.

“Cancer is one of those illnesses that’s like five degrees of separation. It touches everyone’s life in some way,” Cartrette said. “So learning about other types of treatment could be of interest.”

Although there are already methods of treating cancer, like chemotherapy and radiation, Georg’s work is potentially less harmful for the body.

“Right now there are basically three approaches to the treatment of cancer,” Cartrette said. “First is the use of some sort of compound-medicine, and the second is radiation. The third is to put everything together. The advantage of using compounds derived from plants is that it may be less harmful to a biological organism.”

Students are excited about Georg’s research.

“Finding more natural ways to treat cancer is a step in the right direction,” said senior advertising major Tyler Bitner. “Treatments like radiation and chemotherapy are so harmful for the body, and it’s great to see other treatments available. Solutions to all man’s problems lie with Mother Earth.”

Georg’s research is paving the way for future students and researchers like senior chemistry major Nikki Williams.

“(Georg’s research) displays the potential that technology and education have to help us and the rapid progress of the health field,” Williams said. “Her research interests me personally because I plan to go into pharmaceutical science research, and I can learn from what she has already accomplished. “

By giving public lecture series like this, Georg provides valuable information to the population about treating cancer.

“Her presentation benefited the community,” Guan said. “It let people know about an advanced area in cancer research. Dr. Georg is leading an advanced group in terms of facilities and approaches of how to get the compounds.”

Recently South Dakota joined with Complete College America, a non-profit program that requires post-secondary institutions to focus on increasing the number of citizens who hold a credential or a degree.

Within the last two months, South Dakota decided to join CCA in an attempt to increase enrollment numbers, improving South Dakota’s ability to compete for jobs.

“As a state, we need more residents who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher in order be able to compete for information-age companies and jobs,” said Jack Warner, executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents. “Today’s economy has been described as a human-capital economy. Companies will choose locations where the population is highly educated.”

Sam Gingerich, BOR system Vice President for Academic Affairs, said the program will increase the number of graduates by providing a framework that coordinates a range of activities while requiring the system and the campuses to establish goals to which they are accountable.

“We plan to increase graduates by improving retention rates,” said Warner. “We are changing our approach to math remediation using computer-assisted instruction to supplement what goes on in class.”

Along with retention, increasing enrollment is part of CCA’s plan to increase the graduation numbers.

“(We are) looking to enroll more adults through our university centers and distance learning,” said Warner. “We will also continue to recruit out-of-state students since the younger age demographics continue to decline in South Dakota.”

A main focus of the program is helping dropouts.

“The project is targeting students who have dropped out with 90 or more credit hours but who do not hold a degree,” said Gingerich.

The state will start working at high schools because “students who enter college prepared to do college-level work are more successful,” said Gingerich.

To help prevent dropouts, another goal of the program looks at the amount of time students take to graduate from college. There are numerous reasons students drop out of college, but it often comes down to money.

“A number of recent studies show that approximately 75 percent of the students who stop out or drop out from college do so for financial reasons,” said Gingerich.

As an aid to help dropouts, policies will be under review and put in place.

“The system will review retention efforts to make sure strategies are in place to minimize the number of students who drop out or stop out,” said Gingerich. “The system will work to re-enroll students who have dropped out.”

The state plan to reach out to students who lack a significant number of credits to lessen the number of dropouts.

“We are contacting them individually, analyzing their transcripts to determine the best and most efficient path to the degree and advising them about the best option to take, given their personal circumstances,” said Warner.

Besides financial reasons, students take so long to graduate because they switch majors. This was the case for Miranda Carmon, a senior business economics major.

“My first major was chemistry-based, and then I decided to switch majors, so I switched schools,” Carmon said. “If I would have been introduced to more classes related to my major sooner, I would have realized I didn’t like the major I had chosen and switched sooner.”

As more employers expect some form of post-secondary education, the program works to prepare the population.
“Less than 40 percent of young adults in this country hold an associate’s degree or higher,” said Warner in a BOR press release.

Warner said these percentages come from other states that are ahead of South Dakota in this aspect.

Getting students through school at a decent pace is becoming more essential. CCA will play a large role in how South Dakota approaches education at a college level.

“Through participation in this effort, institutions within South Dakota will be able to learn about successful initiatives in other states while we share what we are doing here,” Gingerich said.

Students looking for a little extra cash can try submitting their funniest video to the University Program Council, for a chance to win $100.

On March 31, UPC invites students to participate and view SDSU’s Funniest Videos. The contest will be held at the PAC at 8 pm. The contest will be a text-to-vote style contest, where students will text their favorite videos and results will be shown live on a projector.

“Basically, it’s the Bob Saget’s Funniest Home Videos, but it’s the college version,” said showcase coordinator Michael Preszler.

The contest is open to all students, and videos can range from five seconds to five minutes. The content can be anything funny.

“The content can be anything from someone falling on the sidewalk, to something staged or something caught in the moment. Anything that will give students a laugh,” Preszler said.

The only restrictions of the contest are limited vulgarity and no nudity. Other than that, students are free to come up with anything.

One of the potential contestants, senior pharmacy major Chad Fjeldheim is creating a video based off of the “As Seen on TV” phenomenon, Bumpits™.

“I wanted a video that appeals to everyone, from cheerleaders to prom queens,” Fjeldheim said.

To enter, students can submit their DVD to the UPC office in the Union.

The first three places cash out, with third place winning $25, second place $50 and first place wins $100.

This is the first time UPC has held this contest, so contestants are encouraged to try it out.

Stephen Brua, a junior advertising major is not competing, but will go to the show.

“It’s always funny to see what students can come up with, I definitely want to go see what students have done,” Brua said.

Preszler said the UPC is hoping to get at least eight to ten videos in the contest. Students who wish to participate have until March 30 to turn in a video.

After seeing its all-important shadow, this year’s groundhog confirmed there will be six more weeks of winter.

Much of eastern South Dakota is in the position to break the snowfall record by the end of winter, Mike Gillispie, hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, said.

This winter ranks eighth in the amount of snow so far for Brookings, Extension State Climatologist Dennis Todey said. However, regarding temperature, Brookings has stayed close to average (measuring from Dec. 1 to the present) at 1.5 degrees above normal. December was the 22nd coldest winter on record for Brookings, but because the week of Jan. 17 had nights that were in the 20s, the average temperature was pulled up from the frigid average of December.

Gillispie said Sioux Falls has seen 35.9 inches of snow, which is 16.2 inches short of the record set in the winter of 1968-69. The average temperature has been 13.5 degrees, which is only about 4 degrees below average.

In a Nov. 4 Collegian article, Gillispie said last summer’s abnormally cold temperatures occurred because of a “fairly slow-moving and persistent pattern that stayed around for most of the summer.” Gillispie said the abnormal summer temperatures would not have a significant effect on the winter weather.

However, Scott Curl, forecast meteorologist for the NOAA National Weather Service, said colder summers can often lead to wetter winters.

“Winter seasons after significantly cool summers tended to be wetter than normal, with 45 percent of the following winters having this characteristic,” said Curl.

Because of the record-breaking amounts of snow thus far, Curl’s prediction could be accurate. This winter has already seen significant amounts of snow, and it’s predicted to get worse.

“We are entering the period of winter that becomes more active,” Todey said. “February and March are peak months for big amounts of snowfall.”

Much of these weather patterns can be attributed to El Niño, which, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate around the globe. Another contributing factor is the Arctic Oscillation, which refers to opposing atmospheric pressure patterns in northern middle and high latitudes, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Depending on which phase Arctic Oscillation is in, it can either keep North America in a warmer or colder state.

Much of the predictions for this winter were based on the El Niño that developed in the tropical Pacific Ocean this winter, but the Arctic Oscillation interfered and had significant effects.

“The overall weather patterns that we typically see with El Niño did not set up across the United States this year due to an overwhelming influence of the Arctic Oscillation,” Gillispie said. “With the Arctic Oscillation being so strong and persistent, its effects overwhelmed the El Niño and southeastern United States, which allowed a long period where Arctic air moved through the United States.”

Many students are expecting the worst for the remaining months of winter, based on the patterns seen so far.

“I think this winter has been ridiculous so far,” Miranda Carmon, junior business economics major, said. “I hated being snowed in over Christmas break for an entire week. And then when I finally did try to get out of my house after five days, I went into the ditch right away.”

So what can be expected in the next couple of months?

“The average temperatures for February should end up being near normal to above normal for eastern South Dakota,” Gillispie said. “For the early spring, March temperatures should again, with the northern branch of the jet stream plunging southward well into the southern, be normal to above normal, with normal to below normal temperatures in April.

“Precipitation is expected to be above normal for February and March and below normal in April.”

Finals are just around the corner, and in the last couple weeks leading up to them, students can find themselves loaded with numerous projects, papers and tests.

Stress can affect more than just performance on tests. It can take a toll physically and mentally on students’ health.

According to Webmd.com, stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stress-related tension builds. Unresolved stress can lead to a condition called distress, which can lead to physical problems like upset stomach, headaches, elevated blood pressure, chest pains and troubles sleeping. Stress can also exacerbate problems with allergies and other preexisting conditions.

So, what can students do to prepare for finals week, and relieve some stress? HEROH, the College of Nursing, the counseling department, community fitness and the nutrition department have all teamed up to host Stress Free Week in the Wellness Center. Stress Free Week takes place December 7-10, 4:30-6 p.m.

There will be various booths set up in the lobby of the Wellness Center with stress relieving activities, like making a stress ball, scrapbooking, decorating cookies, beading, massages and comedy. Pilates, Yoga and Cardio classes will be free all week, as well as a dodge ball tournament Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. By engaging in various therapeutic activities, students have a chance to take a break from studying and relax and get rid of some stress.

“If you don’t get enough sleep, you will never get the grade you want,” Ellie Trautman, health promotion coordinator said. “You are young and you need your sleep. Without sleep you will forget a large portion of what you study for.”

“Another good idea is to start studying now instead of cramming everything in during finals. Also, it’s hard, but giving up social activities for the week will benefit you,” Trautman said. “Exercising is a great way to release endorphins and relieve some stress, and coloring and beading are also other therapeutic ways to relieve stress.”

Many students have different stress levels, so finding out how to deal with stress can be difficult for some people.

“I’m just a relaxed person the majority of the time,” Tara Kindel, a junior advertising major said, “But during stressful weeks, I do other things that have nothing to do with school to get my mind off of it, like cleaning my room or going to the bank or something. Then I come back and do some work so I can stay focused easier.”

For people who experience an average amount of stress, senior graphic design major Kate VanWyhe recommends making lists to stay organized.

“When I make a list to deal with stress, I try and cross things off as I accomplish them,” VanWyhe said, “I also like to watch movies during finals week to de-stress. Another helpful thing I like to do is do the easiest things first so I can get them finished and out of the way, and then I’ll come back to big projects so I can stay focused.”

Some students are stressed because of many activities outside of school, like senior advertising major Amanda Bechen.

“I am always stressed out between school, work and finding a job for next year. So to deal with my stress I take pictures, listen to music, relate my stresses to other people,” Bechen said. “Finals week is usually my least stressful time, actually. Projects are what stress me out. I just have to prioritize my studying time and stay focused.”

Stress Free Week is free and there will be tips for studying during finals available, so all students can take advantage and work towards a stress-free week.

SDSU Young Hall CA Chris Dekker is making a slow recovery after battling a life-threatening case of pneumonia and H1N1.

Dekker’s parents, Cheryl and Doug, said that on Oct. 16, Chris had a fever and mild flu-like symptoms. On Oct. 19, he visited the Student Health Clinic on campus and was tested for H1N1. The test came back negative, but he was released from school for a week as a precaution.

Dekker was brought home by his mother to recover, but by Oct. 20, he was brought into the emergency room in Norfolk, Neb., and diagnosed with pneumonia in his left lung. He received antibiotics and was sent home until his follow-up appointment on Nov. 22.

When Chris went to his follow-up appointment, he was admitted into the hospital. The following morning, his chest X-rays showed the pneumonia was worse and had spread to his right lung. His oxygen levels had dropped as well, so the decision was made to put Dekker on a ventilator. From there, his condition deteriorated.

Dekker was flown to Omaha, Neb., to Creighton Medical Center, where he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit. Dekker’s parents were told Chris was the hospital’s most critical patient.

From Oct. 23 on, his condition deteriorated. On Oct. 30, Dekker suffered from a collapsed lung and air started escaping. A chest tube was placed on his left side, and he was on a ventilator until Nov. 10. Dekker suffered from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

According to WebMD.com, ARDS is a type of severe, acute lung dysfunction as the result of an injury or illness and is considered a medical emergency. It can often spread to include other organs. In Dekker’s case, pneumonia led to ARDS. With ARDS, there is a 40 to 60 percent mortality rate. The chest tube helped alleviate his ARDS, and he was also placed on nitrous oxide to restore his oxygen levels, his parents said.

Since Nov. 1, Dekker was taken off of nitrous oxide and has been making slow progress ever since.

“We went through the rest of that week just taking baby steps,” the Dekkers said.

Dekker is now awake and breathing on his own, yet he still has many more days in the hospital and therapy afterwards. Because he has been in a bed so long and has had machines breathing for him, he gets fatigued easily and has to complete physical therapy to retrain his muscles.

“We’re going to be here for a while yet,” the Dekkers said. “Just because the tube is out, it doesn’t mean we’re leaving in the next day or so. The chest tube is still in the side of his chest. We haven’t really talked about the long term with the doctor. We have just been dealing with right now.”

Not only has Chris Dekker’s condition been hard on him and his family, it is also taking a toll on friends who miss having him around, such as senior hospitality management major Tim Goldammer.

“I’ve missed Chris’s sense of humor,” Goldammer said. “The man is really good at making everyone laugh, so much so, his nickname is Farley. The situation is crappy. … There is no reason anyone should ever have to go through that.”

Students need to be aware of the complications that can arise with H1N1. Not everyone who contracts it will get pneumonia, but it is a possibility. Students must be aware of the possibilities and receive medical treatment if they think they are sick, the Dekkers said.

“The thing that was frustrating was it took four tests before Chris showed positive for H1N1,” Cheryl Dekker said. “If you have a fever and you have a cough, you need to see a doctor right away. Kids don’t think they’re going to be sick for very long, and they don’t realize how bad it can get.”

The best way for students to prevent serious complications from H1N1? Seeking medical attention. That was what the Dekkers did. Although they were not able to prevent the pneumonia and ARDS, they did prevent Chris from dying, they said.

“We were very aggressive with getting him into the doctor,” the Dekkers said. “We have been very proactive with getting him the care he needed.”

Junior business economics major Kelsea Hotvet was proactive in getting the care she needed when she suddenly fell ill.

“It all hit me at once,” Hotvet said. “I was perfectly fine one minute, then all of a sudden I hurt all over, my temp went up three degrees in half an hour. I woke up in the morning, and the first thing I did was call Student Health and Sanford Health to see which one I could get into first.”

Hotvet was diagnosed with H1N1, and since then, has taken precautions to prevent it from leading to more complications.

Residents of Young and Binnewies halls are the subjects of a pilot test determining if the new 24-hour visitation policy will work across campus.

Last spring, the board of Community Assistants, CAB and the Residence Hall Association made recommendations to change the visitation hours in the residence halls to 24 hours. The only residence hall before this year to allow 24-hour visitation was Caldwell.

“We had had a good experience with it in Caldwell, said Doug Wermedal, assistant vice president for student affairs. “We wanted to test it in a different setting,” said

After its proposal in the spring, the idea was discussed during orientation this past June. Some parents voiced concern with students being able to visit the opposite sex at any time of day. Overall, though, the idea went over quite well.

Even if the pilot does work in Young and Binnewies, there will always be residence halls that still have visitation policies in place.

“I’m not seeing a future where we change everything everywhere,” Wermedal said. “There will always be an option for students to live in a dorm where there are visitation rules. We need to do a review, and it needs to be positive, and then the proposal will need to go to university leadership.”

Community Assistants have also been regulating the amount of time the opposite sex spends on the floor. Once toothbrushes and a change of clothes start to show up in rooms, CAs have been asked to step in.

“I think it’s a great policy,” said sophomore Spanish major Angela McCoy, a resident of Binnewies Hall. “We are all adults now, and we should be able to decide when we want someone to leave our room.”

When SDSU first opened its doors, male and female students were not even allowed on the same floor at any point in time. By 1998, one residence hall, Wecota, allowed 24-hour visitation, Wermedal said. Because the hall was at one time intended for only juniors and seniors, it was the only hall on campus that allowed 24-hour visitation.

“Eventually enrollment grew, and the space was needed for freshmen and sophomores,” Wermedal said.

Most campuses across the nation have allowed 24-hour visitation since the ’80s, Wermedal said.

The new hours are not only for the convenience of students’ social lives, it will also allow students to study late, as most tend to do.

“A key driving factor in our decision is students interacting with each other at abnormal hours,” Wermedal said. “Sometimes students sit down and study at midnight. It’s hard to find time to get everyone together, so to honor students’ academics, we allow them extended visitation.”

Freshman pre-veterinarian major Samantha Jung said, “I love the new policy, because anyone can come whenever they want. It gives us more freedom to do what we want.”

To better tend to the social and academic needs of students, the new visitation hours are an improvement. Most students and parents agree that this is an essential update to the campus. So far, the pilot has had great success.

“My assessment of the pilot is simple,” Wermedal said. “So far, so good.”

With the winter season coming up fast, students may appreciate that they can get a hot movie release in the same place as a hot meal.

Instead of weathering the cold and driving to a video store, students can rent movies, for just $1 a day, from the movie box located in The Union.

The box – not to be confused with the “Redbox” found in Wal-Mart and HyVee- is available to anyone as long as The Union is open, including weekends, until midnight. The box is stocked with new release movies and will include 250 selections within the next month. All genres are available, including drama, comedy, action, sci-fi and horror.

Students cannot use Hobo Dough yet, but Joy Fisk, Union Services Manager, is hopeful that this will change. Right now, students can use credit cards to purchase movies.

The whole idea behind the box was to make DVD renting more affordable and convenient for students.

“We had been listening and getting feedback from students,” Fisk said. “Having a place to rent DVDs was something they really wanted, and it’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while.”

Along with DVDs, students can also rent Blu-ray discs for $1 a night. If students wish to purchase a DVD or Blu-ray, the cost is $30. Another interesting feature students can use is DVD reservation. Students have the option of reserving DVDs and getting e-mails sent to them with updates and new movie releases. Gift cards will also be available soon.

A group of people, including entrepreneurs and sisters, Amy Kirchhevel and Lori Colberg, came into contact with Fisk and Mona Tunender, The Union secretary, to coordinate the placement of the movie box. The box came from Canada, and after talking with Fisk, the decision was made to place the box in The Union.

“Since The Union has such high volume, it seemed like the most logical place to put it,” Fisk said. “If it’s as successful as we hope it will be, we will definitely consider placing more around campus.”

Due to a bug with our Web site host, we cannot post the remainder of this story. We are working to resolve the issue.

#1.881355:3725294414.jpg:Redbox3.1.jpg:Shane Kraemer, a freshman political science major, checks out the movies available in The Union.:Katie Rusch

To many students, it is a well-known fact that the world of technology is fast-paced and always changing.

It was just 30 years ago that the first cell phone was released, weighing in at a whopping 30 ounces (nearly two pounds). After raiding the fridge, 30 ounces is nearly the equivalent of a liter of pop. Today, the lightest cell phone in the world weighs in at 1.5 ounces, which is the weight of less than half a stick of deodorant.

Not only the appearance of cell phones have changed in the last 30 years. Many phones are now loaded with different options. Aside from being a medium for communication, phones today are capable of capturing pictures and video, Internet access, downloading music and can even be used to watch TV. There are phones with touch screens, high definition capability, smart phones and tons of other applications and features that set them apart from their 30-years-ago counterparts.

Nowadays, customers have the choice of simplicity with a phone like the Jitterbug, or a more complex phone like the LG enV Touch, which recently achieved the first spot on wirefly.com’s top 10 list for best video phone.

Wirefly.com is a Web site committed to allowing users to compare similar phones and see which one best suits them. Recently, the Web site posted a top 10 list of the best video cell phones.

In 10th place was the HTC Touch Pro from Sprint. This phone has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a memory card slot, TouchFLO 3D interface, Windows Mobile Pro, a 3.2-MP camera and WiFi. A lot of these features seem to come standard on many phones now, whereas a few years ago, most people just had the basics.

At number nine was the Samsung Eternity from AT&T. This phone has many of the same features as the HTC Touch, but has a high-quality camera and built-in GPS radio.

The winner of the eighth spot was the LG Xenon from AT&T.

Number seven was the Blackberry Curve, which has many of the same features as the Eternity: built-in GPS, WiFi and a three-megapixel camera.

In sixth place was the Samsung Behold, which has features like a 5-megapixel camera, expandable memory, and voice-controlled menus.

Number five was the Samsung Omnia, which is a touch screen smart phone. It also features Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, a full HTML Web browser, 5-megapixel camera, FM radio and 8GB of internal memory, among other things.

Fourth was the Samsung Memoir. The Memoir is the nation’s first device to boast an 8-megapixel camera with a Xenon flash, auto-focus, 16x digital zoom, shutter modes and editing tools, which makes it a good video phone.

Number three was the LG DARE, which has a touch screen. It also has a 3.2-megapixel camera, music player and GPS. Miranda Carmon, a senior business economics major, owns an LG DARE.

“It took a lot of getting used to, but after a while, I loved my phone,” Carmon said. “When I look for a phone, I look at cameras. I don’t really use any other applications and I don’t like full keyboards.”

Number two was the Apple iPhone 3GS. Unlike previous generations of the iPhone, it has a camcorder. Video clips can be uploaded directly to YouTube.

Finally, the number one videophone that Wirefly selected was the LG enV Touch. It comes with advanced multimedia capabilities; an HTML web browser, an enhanced music player, a 3.2-megapixel camera, as well as a 3″ external touch screen display with a twin non-touch internal screen and full QWERTY keyboard.

When it comes to videophones, senior advertising major Kyle Halgerson doesn’t care.

“I hate smart phones,” Halgerson said. “I just want it to make calls and do that reliably. None of the extra features will push me into a different phone.”

Senior media production major Ryan Flemming prefers a simple phone.

“When picking out a phone, I first make sure it’s not a Razr,” Flemming said. “Video isn’t really important. Also, I always go with Verizon, and I try to get LG phones, because they make good phones.”

Overall, most students surveyed did not seem to care about video, but wanted a phone that was reliable. Still, having the ability to capture your friend’s silly antics on video right from your cell phone is one of the major conveniences of today’s cell phones. Technology may be moving quickly, but most students are able to keep up with it just fine.

SDSU is still looking for a new dean for one of the university’s largest colleges after a search last year did not produce an acceptable leader.

The College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences has been searching for a new dean since last spring. Two candidates were interviewed for the position, but neither was chosen.

Lewis Brown, Dean of Engineering and head of the search committee, said there were probably fewer applicants because of the switch of the provost. Carol Peterson retired and Laurie Nichols replaced her. Brown said he believes fewer people wanted to apply because people wanted to know who their boss was going to be.

“We’re really excited now,” Brown said. “We have our new provost in place, the committee will be meeting next week, and a new ad just came out in the Chronicle of Higher Education.”

The committee that will be conducting the search is different than the one from this spring. Brown will be head of the committee, and also returning, the Secretary of Agriculture.

“We have several new members from around the state, who represent constituents of the Department of Agriculture,” Brown said.

The committee will meet next week, and its first course of action will be getting to know each other.

The schedule and course of action will be reviewed, after which each member of the committee will be assigned a specific role.

“We are being very proactive,” Brown said. “We are advertising now as of this week, and we are contacting potential applicants and encouraging them to apply.”

The committee is accepting applications online and hopes to start interviewing by the first of November. The new dean would start no later than June or July of 2010, and would succeed SDSU alumnus Gary Lemme, who led the college for four years. Don Marshall has served as the interim dean since November.

“I think he has done a great job holding down the fort while the search is taking place for a permanent replacement,” said Dani Herring, an agriculture education major.

Aside from having sufficient research, people skills and a doctorate, dean applicants must be successful, proven academic leaders with administrative experience comparable to that of a dean, associate dean, department head or director.

There are many other stringent qualifications that must be met to ensure that a qualified candidate is selected to lead the department.

“With the College of Ag. and Bio. being one of the largest colleges on campus, it is important to have a strong leader for it,” Herring said. “Stakeholders across South Dakota and throughout the Midwest rely on the graduates, research and extension that come out of the College of Ag. and Bio. and we need a leader to match that job description.”

Although the search process has taken longer than anticipated, the end result will benefit the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, as well as the state, Herring said.

“It has taken longer than expected to find a replacement for Dean Lemme, but in the long run I think it will be worth it.”