Do you know where cookies and cream ice cream was first created? How about jalapeno cheese? These two popular flavors of ice cream and cheese were created right here in Brookings at the SDSU Dairy Sales Bar.

Howard Bonneman, Dairy Plant manager, said that cookies and cream was created within the last 25 years.

With over 90 flavors of ice cream and nine varieties of cheese available, the SDSU Dairy Bar can curb your craving for all things sweet.

The Dairy Bar began operating in 1927 and is still popular today with both students, faculty, Brookings residents and visitors to the campus.

For students who are looking to use up the last of their meal plan money in these final weeks of school, consider taking home some ice cream or cheese. The Dairy Bar can take all meal plan money except the Hungry Hobo.

During the holiday season, the dairy bar can also put together cheese boxes.

‘SDSU ice cream,’ as it is often referred to, is sold at home basketball games,where the lines to get the popular treat are often six deep. It can also be purchased in Madison, Watertown and Lake Poinsett.

All of the milk used in the production of Dairy Bar products comes from the dairy cattle research and production unit just north of campus.

“From start to finish, it takes about two days to make ice cream,” Bonneman said. With 17 part-time employees, all of them SDSU dairy students, the primary goal of the Dairy Plant is to train the students in processing dairy products. They also have two full-time employees.

“Students get a real good idea as to what’s going on, so when they start working, they can jump in right away and not have to be trained,” Bonneman said.

He also noted that recent graduates have not had problems finding employment.

“We have almost a 100 percent placement rate,” Bonneman said.

The Dairy Bar is located on the first floor of the Dairy-Micro building, across from Ag Hall on north Medary. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Friday, March 1, Staters for State, the student alumni organization, will honor all SDSU alumni who are currently employed at SDSU.

“All employees will receive a pin along with a yellow and blue ribbon to wear on that day,” said Jeff Nolz, with Staters for State.

There will also be a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. at Tompkins Alumni Center and door prizes will also be given away.

“This event is allows us to host an event with the people that we are in contact with every day,” Nolz said.

Nolz also said that several department and deans are graduates of SDSU.

He also added that when the planning first began, he hoped for at least 30 people. So far, about 75 are expected for the reception.

Staters for State sponsors such events as Stately Beginning, Senior Appreciation Day, Oozeball, Family of the Year and the Campanile Climb in the fall.

“Staters for State allows connections between students, alumni, faculty and administration officials,” said Nolz.

Staters for State also helps out with larger events at Tompkins Alumni Center and has also done service projects during the holidays and Hobo Days.

“Staters for State is a very active organization with a great future,” Nolz said.

If you are interested in Staters for State, contact Jeff Nolz at 688-5181 or Ryan Howlett at 697-5198.

“TRIO Student Services helps students learn how to go to college successfully,” said Bonnie Alberts, retention officer with Student Support Services.

Alberts said that currently 150 SDSU students are enrolled in the program which provides personal and academic advising, as well as serving as an advocate for the student.

“Our main goal is to work with faculty and faculty advisors to help the students get to where they need to be in college,” Alberts said.

Another main focus of TRIO is to keep students in college who might not finish school otherwise.

“We want to show others what students are capable of achieving along with supporting and encouraging them,” Alberts said.

Many of the situations that TRIO currently helps students with are practical matters, such as tutoring, time management, child care and transportation.

This is TRIO’s first year at SDSU and they have seen a strong response to their services. The program is only funded to assist 150 students, but over 1,000 freshmen in 2001 applied for the program.

Alberts also said that TRIO has been the beneficiary of seepage, that is current students are telling their roommates and friends about the benefits of the program and what they have done.

Students are also referred to TRIO by faculty members.

“One component that can only help is that of students teaching students,” Alberts said. She also added that on average, most students are involved with TRIO for three semesters.

Perhaps the most important thing for students about TRIO is to know that they have an advocate when it comes to dealing the “systems”.

“It’s important for students to make sense out of this college experience,” Alberts said.

For more information about TRIO. call 688-6653.

Studies have shown that listening to music can have strong benefits for children and adults. One early childhood music program in particular has been growing in popularity.

Kindermusik is an age appropriate music and development program for newborns through children age 8.

“Kindermusik also incorporates the latest developmental research that shows parental involvement and active participation in a music program stimulates a child’s total development,” Sue Winters, co-director of Kindermusik at the University of Sioux Falls said.

Winters also said that another advantage of Kindermusik is that helps build social, emotional, cognitive and long-term musical skills.

Kindermusik is taught in four levels. The first level is for newborns to 18 month toddlers. Here, parents help with almost all aspects of the class.

From 18 months to three years, children are able to follow simple directions and pretend play is incorporated into the curriculum.

“Imagine That” is the level for children ages 3 to 5. Here, the children come up with ideas as to what concepts should be covered in class.

The Young Child program is for children ages 5 to 7. By now, children are reading music and some begin to play instruments.

“As the children grow older, they also take some of the music and ideas from class home with them to share with the rest of the family,” Winters said.

She also added that each lesson envelopes all concepts being taught.

“For example, if we are reading a story about trains, and the train begins to move fast or slow, we will move our instruments fast or slow to coordinate with the train movements,” Winters said.

A benefit for parents is the strong bonding time that Kindermusik provides. Benefits for children include being ready to follow directions, self-control and preschool ideas, such as motor skills and counting.

Gretchen Starnes has been teaching Kindermusik for seven years.

“I like Kindermusik because it provides a quality music experience early in life,” Starnes said.

Starnes became involved in Kindermusik when another teacher moved away and she took over. Starnes, who has a music background, is also a stay at home mom and wanted to get her children involved in Kindermusik.

“Kindermusik is great because the musical concepts are presented in a play, rather than performance experience,” Starnes said.

Like Starnes, Winters loves teaching Kindermusik.

“It is fun to teach Kindermusik because the curriculum is age appropriate and that helps quite a bit,” Winters said.

In 1937, SDSU graduated its first class of nursing students. Today, despite challenges that nurses face in the workplace and an overall shortage, the SDSU nursing program is still going strong.

The program was recently re-accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education through 2011. Reports of a state-wide nursing shortage have given SDSU’s nursing department a boost in recent years.

“We have admitted students to our full capacity and then some,” Dean Roberta Olson said. “We are a strong program and are pleased with the numbers.” Olson said that one reason the program has been able to admit more students is that more students are qualified and that private funds have also kicked in.

Olson said that 93 percent of SDSU’s nursing graduates will pass their registered nurses exam on the first try.

Registered nurses assess patients, dispense medications and start intravenous drugs. Nursing aides, on the other hand, take a patient’s weight, blood pressure and temperature, among other needs. They cannot perform a critical assessment.

Nursing students take their general classes, such as chemistry and anatomy, during their first three semesters. They apply in the fall of their third semester to be accepted into the nursing program in the spring.

“Nursing is not an easy job, but it provides a high satisfaction rate in knowing that you have helped people get well, and in some cases, provided comforting end-of-life care to the patient and to that patient’s families,” said Olson.

Olson said that one area that can complicate nursing today is that of pathophysiology, which includes learning about diseases and medications, and it is important for nurses to learn and understand the interactions between the two.

Critical thinking skills are more important than ever with all of the new diseases that are being discovered and those that are being treated. There are also new medications and nurses must always be aware of potential consequences of a certain medication.

“With nursing, you have to learn to work with others, not only on your team, but in the whole hospital as well. Nursing is a team effort, and you have to trust your gut intuition if something goes wrong. Stress is part of every career,” said Olson.

Olson says there is a hit and miss shortage of nurses across the state, in part because it is harder to recruit nurses to rural as opposed to urban areas. Some parts of the state have a 10 percent vacancy rate.

She also recognizes two challenges facing nurses in the near future. One is getting through school.

The other is making sure that hospitals have a sufficient number of nurses on staff so that care is not stretched thin.

“Hospital systems are responsible for acknowledging nursing demands and providing enough support for their nurses,” said Olson.

Olson that legislation has been introduced in the state legislature to offer an accelerated nursing program to those who may find themselves wanting a career switch or who are already in an area of the medical field. If the funding comes through, the program could possibly begin this fall.

“The accelerated program is the regular nursing program condensed into 12 months,” said Olson.

A typical semester of course work will be compressed into an eight week schedule.

In addition to regular classroom instruction, students will need to meet the demands for on-line courses, learning laboratories and clinical experiences.

For example, if a clinical experience is 12 hours a week in the generic program, it would be 24 hours a week in the accelerated program.

Nichole Grififth

C&C EditorLong time SDSU Economics professor Howard “Rocky” Gilbert retired in December, after nearly 35 years of teaching.

Gilbert said he went into teaching because he always enjoyed being a student and liked sharing his knowledge with others.

While working on his master’s degree from Washington State University, Gilbert discovered a liking for agricultural economics. His first chance at teaching came at Oregon State University where he was working on his doctorate.

He also added that no matter what the subject being taught, students need to be able to realized their full potential from their academic areas.

Gilbert will miss the students the most, and is looking forward not have to make daily decisions about what to do. He will stay in close contact with Lambda Chi Alpha, where he serves as an adviser.

He is also currently writing a book about gay men involved in straight relationships.

“The purpose of this book is to help men in these situations become more comfortable and secure and also to clarify their own thinking,” said Gilbert.

Livestock Judging Team

The SDSU Livestock Judging Team recently took sixth place out of 33 teams overall in the national contest at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY. Kelly Bruns, Animal Science Professor, coaches the 23-member team comprised of juniors and seniors from all majors.

Team members usually judge three species each of cattle, sheep, hogs and horses based on quality. The team practiced three times a week and Saturdays at farms in Minnesota and South Dakota.

“If they are judging a breeding animal, contestants will look for structural correctness, among other things,” said Bruns. “If they are judging a market animal, contestants will look for carcass traits, such as the muscle-to-fat ratio,” added Bruns.

“In practice we work on our evaluations and improving our communications skills. It’s also fun to travel and see livestock from all across the country,” Mike Leheska, a member of this year’s judging team, said.

Leheska also said that teamwork is important on all ends of the judging process.

After they have placed their animal, contestants usually have less than 15 minutes to prepare a two-minute oral presentation for the judges to explain why they placed their animal the way they did.

“Students develop some excellent impromptu speaking and vocabulary skills,” said Bruns.

Students are eligible for one year of participation, and the judging season usually runs from the spring to the fall.

SDSU’s Livestock Judging Team has competed at the Sioux Falls Farm Show and has also traveled to Houston, Texas, Austin, Minn. and Wichita, Kan.

Dairy Cattle Judging Team

The SDSU Dairy Cattle Judging Team brought home top honors in Linear Scoring at the World Dairy Expo held in Madison,Wis.

Linear Scoring was an event held in addition to the usual judging and reasons portion of the Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest.

Linear scoring is a method used to evaluate cows. Contestants score four animals from 12 classes based on 15 different traits reflecting the performance potential of each cow.

Holstein, Brown Swiss, Gursey, Milking Shorthair and red and white Holstein were some of the breeds judged. Contestants look at such traits as leg set and udder length among other traits.

Contestants must also explain why they placed a cow the way they did in an oral presentation to the judges.

Winners have the lowest score that is closest to the judges score.

Hope Remiger, a member of this year’s team, said that being on the dairy cattle judging team is fun.

“We have fun, but it is also important to get to know your teammates so you will know how they will score and so you can work together to get consistent score,” Remiger said.

Remiger took fourth place overall at the Expo and Darin Zoellner ninth overall. Team members are :Stacy Mueller, Melissa Pinkert, Hope Remiger and Darin Zoellner. They are coached by Darrel Rennich.

Now that winter and holiday seasons are upon us, chances are you will be doing a little more driving, and now is the time to have your car tuned up before the full force of a South Dakota winter hits.

A mechanic should check the following on your car during a winter tune-up :battery, antifreeze, wipers, ignition system, thermostat, lights and hazard lights, exhaust system, heater, brakes defroster and oil level.

“Basic car maintenance includes regular oil changes, tire rotation and balance and watching the air pressure in your tires,” said Jack Lundell with Big O Tires in Brookings. He also noted that the biggest mistake he has seen is people not watching their air pressure in their tires before taking long trips.

When it comes to driving in the snow, remember to do everything slowly. While you may be able to maintain control of your car, everyone else out and about might not be able to. .Accelerate, brake and turn slowly and anticipate turns and stops. Go slowly and leave plenty of distance between you and other cars. Rapid movements can lead to skids and loss of control.

Before you head out in the winter time, make sure you have a winter survival kit in your car. A kit should have a large snow brush and ice scraper, a shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter to help with traction, and extra windshield washer fluid, but that is just for your car.

For the human side of a winter survival kit, have flashlights with extra batteries, first aid kit, blankets or sleeping bags, extra set of mittens, hats and scarves, rain gear, shovel, jumper cables, bottled water, cards or books, and non perishable, high calorie foods to provide energy.

Bad hoses, belts, water pump, spark plug wires and distributor caps could leave you stranded in winter. Remember that your battery will loose a small amount of power as the temperature drops. So, you need more power to start your car in winter but you will also get less power from the same old battery.

If you have leaks in your cooling system, have them repaired soon. Cars can overheat in the winter if they run low on or out of coolant. Overheating can cause engine damage and no coolant means no heat for your car.

As for windshield wipers, consider investing in ones that have a rubber covering to keep ice from collecting on the blade. Take them off in the spring as they are heavier and could possibly wear your wiper motor if they are used all summer.

Keep your windshield washer fluid reservoir full. On a snowy or slushy day, you could use up to a half gallon of the popular liquid. If you plan on traveling to a colder region, you may want to supplement your washer fluid with some concentrate.

Always keep your gas tank at least half full during the winter months because if you get stranded, your engine will be your only source of heat. If you do find yourself stranded run your car for ten minutes every hour or so to keep the engine warm, but also crack a window to provide ventilation.

Winters in the Midwest tend to have a lot of snow or none at all. But if you find yourself driving more than usual, consider investing in four good snow tires, as they will provide better traction while braking and turning than regular tires.