A Thursday morning fire left one SDSU student in intensive care and five others without a home. As a blaze destroyed the duplex of 215 and 217 6th Ave., junior David Mousel was severely burned.

“One gentleman exited down the stairs out the front, and he’s the one that received burns,” Fire Chief Darrell Hartmann said.

Junior Tigh Surdez, who lived in one side of the duplex with juniors Greg Geary and Nate Huls, said Mousel’s burns were extensive.

“It was about 50 percent of his body,” he said. “He’s getting skin grafts tomorrow.”

Mousel is currently in Intensive Care at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls and will be receiving skin grafts.

Two other residents, Martin Calkins and Robert Stoeser, sustained minor injuries in escaping through their second-story windows, Surdez said.

“Rob and Martin were breaking out their windows,” he said. “They had to go get stitches in their hands.” Surdez added that he and Huls escaped safely and Geary had not been home at the time of the fire.

Hartmann said he was called to the duplex at 1:14 a.m. on Thursday. It took 40 firemen a considerable amount of time to get the blaze extinguished.

“We left the scene at 6 a.m. We had the fire out prior to that, but we were making sure we didn’t have any hot spots and picking up our equipment.”

He cited the cause of the fire as an overloaded extension cord and said there would be no investigation.

“It’s closed. We went in Thursday morning … and investigated,” he said. “The insurance company adjuster came to the exact same conclusion.”

Hartmann called the property, owned by Zeno Wicks, “a total loss.”

With the exception of Mousel, the men have been staying at the Staurolite Inn.

“Greg and I are moving in with a friend, and Nate’s moving in with a teammate from the baseball team,” Surdez said. “Rob and Martin got their own apartment.”

Surdez said he’s been impressed with the kindness he’s encountered since the fire, mentioning efforts to help including the donation of baseball equipment from the Sports Connection, a fundraiser at Cubby’s, funds set up at Wells Fargo Bank and First National Bank, the donation of textbooks from SDSU and the help of the Red Cross and the Staurolite Inn in funding lodging.

Surdez said the fire has given him new perspective.

“It’s kind of an eye-opener,” he said. “I pay more attention to the outlets and the things like that.”

Hartmann stressed the role of fire alarms.

“Working smoke alarms saved their lives,” he said. “It’s a key point to make sure these are in working order at all times.”

With the aromas and flavors of different cuisine, the colorful Native American traditional dances of Jackie Bird, and the sounds of bagpipes and reggae music, the Festival of Cultures last Friday was a treat for the senses.

“There’s just something about it,” said junior Joy Mohamed, a mass communications and political science major, who ran the Nigeria food booth.

“People come here and get all kinds of colors, tastes and smells, and I think that’s why they love it and keep coming back.”

This year’s 19 food booths and 35 display and bizarre tables filled the HPER Center with people of all ages.

Presented by the International Relations Club and the Office for Diversity Enhancement, the Festival of Cultures is the largest diversity event on campus, Director of Diversity Allen Branum said.

“Attendance is generally around 2,500 to 3,000. It’s well-attended,” he said. “A large portion of that is from high school students coming in.”

Event coordinator Sandy Newman was pleased with the amount of student involvement this year.

“There’s a real effort on the part of our students to participate this year,” she said. Of all 54 booths, only two were from off-campus.

The SDSU International Students presented a variety of folk dances and songs on stage. In addition, Newman lined up a number of other acts for entertainment throughout the day.“I try to do something a little different every year,” she said.

She was excited to bring in the Jawaahir Dance Company, a group from the Twin Cities that performs Middle Eastern dances. She also brought in the reggae band Les Exodus from the Cities.

The Festival has value for students beyond getting an out-of-the-ordinary lunch.

“With the shrinking world, I think it’s important to have exposure to other cultures and an appreciation of them,” Newman said.

Plus, it helps prepare students for the real world.

Sometimes students learn about job opportunities in other countries.

“It’s just preparing them for their future, and doing it in a fun way,” she said.

Journalism graduate student Chen Cheng-Huan from Taiwan enjoyed the chance to answer people’s questions at the Chinese and Taiwanese booth.

“I found this very interesting,” he said. “Not only can I get back into English, but also I can help people with Chinese culture.”

Information is a valuable tool, he said. He wants to help students by giving them as much as he can.

“If you have a lot of information, I think you can make many choices in your life,” he said.

Senior mechanical engineering major Khalid Al-Jahani from Saudi Arabia also appreciated the chance to share his culture.“I love the Festival of Cultures,” he said. “It is one of the things that we show our culture through.”

This year, he decided to display spices, medicines and dresses from his part of the world.

Junior German and biology major Gina Cahoe spent part of her Friday running the German Club booth.

“We have a wide variety of various pieces of German culture, from food to important historical things such as pieces of the Berlin wall,” she said.

She said curiosity plays a big part in the popularity of the festival.

Festival-goer and senior chemistry major Desiree Loan Elk agreed.

“Most people don’t just go around and look; they actually interview and ask questions. (They like) to see how all the other cultures eat and what their traditional outfits are.”

At the Bangladesh food booth, Magedur Rahman, a transportation engineering graduate student, enjoyed talking with those who stopped by the booth.

“People can share their views and ideas, and exchange their ideas–the way they lead their life and the way we lead ours,” he said.

This was the first time at the Festival for freshman consumer affairs major Jenn Colgan.

“It was definitely a learning experience,” she said, slightly overwhelmed with the barrage of activity. “There was such a diversity of cultures in one room.”

She particularly liked the International Programs Booth: “Coke cans come in every shape and size,” she said, referring to the display of Coke cans from a variety of countries.

#1.887019:2907806914.jpg:festival cookie bars.jpg:The Taste of India table served Milk Burfi,
a dessert with milk, butter and sugar. :
#1.887018:3233298829.jpg:festival kid singers.jpg:Internationally recognized American
Indian hoop dancer and singer, Jackie Bird,
and family performed contemporary and
traditionalsongs and dances.:
#1.887017:435181158.jpg:FestivalofCultures.jpg:Qadir Aware mans the Kurdistan booth which included an elegant tea :

CTV: Get Turned On will take students on a wild ride through the ’80s with television flashbacks when Capers hits the stage this Wednesday.

Tristan Tom, a senior communication studies and theatre major, is the executive producer of this year’s student-run production. Since Capers 2003 covers the last 20 or so years, the student audience will be able to connect personally with the show.

“It’s appealing to our own time period,” he said. “A lot of it goes back to when we were kids. There’s stuff that’s going to hit really close to home, in a good way.”

Tom has been involved in Capers since his freshman year. “I started off as Alex Trebek, and after that I thought I’d never do Capers again. But now I’m sitting on the top of the hill.”

Though challenging, the experience of directing the entire performance has many rewards.

“It’s so overwhelming, but not overwhelming in a bad way,” he said. “I love being surrounded by all these people. I love seeing it all come together. I love all these people that come in here as strangers and leave as friends in a three-week period. It’s a great feeling.”

The end of Capers will be both a relief and a letdown for Tom.

“It’s stressful, but I’m having fun with everybody. I want it to end, but I don’t,” he explained. He is looking forward to showing off the final product.

“We’re getting down to the end of things when things start falling into place,” he said. “The script people have worked so hard. There’s not a random moment.”

Like most Capers, “the sex and the booze” will generate a lot of laughs, Tom said. However, this year is different in some respects.

“This year it’s not in-your-face,” he said. “It’s subtle, yet it’s very … oh god, I don’t even want to get into it.” However, he did let on that “this humor will appeal to the common college student.”

Organized by the theatre group Alpha Psi Omega, Capers is open to students from all majors. This year’s cast has almost 140 people.

“I’m still in awe at how smooth it’s running,” Tom said.

He is impressed with everyone’s dedication to the show. “Everyone is in one mind frame: they’re all doing it for the students. They’re putting everything they can into making it for everyone else,” he said.

“These people want to be here, want to put on a good show, and they’re having fun doing it.”

He is especially proud of the group numbers. “The end number is nothing short of amazing,” he said. “My choreographers, music people, directors–they’ve worked their little hearts out.”

Junior CST major Katie Pope also emphasized how willing the cast is to work hard.

“This year everybody really seems to be giving 110 percent,” she said.

“Everyone’s truly coming together to make this one good.”

The crazy two weeks of rehearsing every day, though hectic, provide a stress reliever of sorts.

“It’s a time to just let loose and be wild and crazy,” she said. “You can do things you wouldn’t normally do and get away with it–and they encourage you.”

Involved in dancing scenes as well as a skit called “As the Nursing Home Turns,” Pope enjoys the theme of the show.

“It’s fun looking back at all those shows you grew up with.”

Freshman Tyler De Neui, majoring in electronics engineering technology with a minor in CST, was surprised when he wound up with a lead singing role.

“I was real surprised. I thought I would end up with the smaller role of Frodo, because people tell me I look like him.”

Though the time commitment is “huge–every single day, three to four hours,” it hardly feels like work. Echoing Tom and Pope, De Neui said,

“It’s something we all love to do, so we don’t have any problem coming.”

He is looking forward to giving the audience a treat. “Everybody (in the cast) is totally trying to bring the audience into it,” he said.

“Obviously we’re having a riot on stage.”

Capers runs Jan. 22 through 25 in Doner Auditorium at 8 p.m. with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $5 with a student ID, $10 for reserved seats, and $8 for adults.

#1.887593:3862994195.jpg:capers.jpg:Students rehearse a dance number set to ?You?re Making Me High? by Toni Braxton for Capers. The show starts on Wednesday.:

An energetic cast of both young and seasoned actors will bring Hello, Dolly! to life in Doner Auditorium Dec. 11-14.

Sophomore Alexis Bartholomew, a communications studies and theatre major, stars as Dolly.

“She’s one of those women that you just want to hate, but you can’t hate her because she’s so infectious. She has this beautiful personality, and she has so much charisma,” Bartholomew said.

As a matchmaker–or, to use the term of the late 1800s, a “marriage broker”–Dolly “just wants to get in your face and know everything about you,” she said.

This role is Bartholomew’s first lead in a musical at SDSU. She has particularly enjoyed working with older actors.

“The cast is very fun to work with,” she said. “I’m learning a lot from them–it’s a learning experience because they are all so talented.”

Though the rehearsal hours are many, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s totally worth it,” she said. “I go to rehearsal and it’s just free therapy. It’s time to just clear your mind and work at the product at hand. It’s a lot of work, but at the same time, it’s kind of a break, just being able to step into someone else’s shoes.”

The fact that this play is a musical adds to the work load–and the fun.

“The songs are a riot,” Bartholomew said. “Having music in there adds a whole new element and another whole realm of rehearsal. But it’s worth it. People love musicals.”

Director Nancy Wheeler said the best known songs are, of course, “Hello, Dolly,” and also “Put on your Sunday Clothes.”

“It’s a traditional show. It has a good storyline,” she said.

She has enjoyed working with the 35-member cast. “A lot of first-year students are both in the chorus and in leading roles. It’s been fun to get to know them,” she said. “It was a pleasant surprise with all the first year students.”

Freshman Kate Orlando, a CST major, was surprised when she was cast as Irene Molloy. “(When I tried out), I was so nervous, because I was just a freshman and I didn’t think I had a chance.”

Like Bartholomew, Orlando uses the older actors as models. She has most enjoyed “all the time I get to spend with the upper classmen.”

Ever since she watched Hello, Dolly! at age 13, Orlando has loved the play.

“The music is just so incredibly beautiful and the characters are developed so well throughout the show,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to be Irene.”

Irene, a widow though she is not yet 30, owns a hat shop where people come to look to her, attempting to verify the rumors that Irene killed her husband.

When she meets Cornelius Hackl, it’s love at first sight, and “by the end of the show they’re off together,” Orlando said.

This play corresponds well with finals week: “It would be a really great break. It’s two hours of pure delight,” she said. “Pretty much everyone gets a boyfriend or a girlfriend in the end. I think a lot of people would really enjoy it.”

Bartholomew predicts that the dancing routine performed by the waiters in New York’s Harmonia Gardens will be a hit.

“I think the audience is just going to eat them up,” she said.

Perry Anderson, Jr., a junior CST major, plays head waiter Rudolph.

“My character is always yelling at the waiters and running around really hectic,” he explained.

Since the waiter scene is one of the most-remembered scenes from any production of Hello, Dolly!, all the waiters have spent an extra hour every evening rehearsing the dance. The regular rehearsal with the whole cast follows from 7 to 10 p.m. every night.

The finished product is always something to be proud of, Anderson said.

“It’s always nice when you have everything polished,” he said. “It’s fun to see that come together.”

The show runs Wednesday through Saturday night at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.

Students get in free with I.D. Adult tickets are $15.

#1.887665:477882713.jpg:hellodolly.jpg:Hello, Dolly!, a musical about an overzealous but endearing matchmaker, opens this week in Doner Auditorium. :

Do you know what M.O.O.M. is?

Most students on campus have similar reactions when hearing this question.

“M.O.O.M?” repeats senior Spanish major Teri Windschitl, her eyebrows raising at the term. “That sounds so funny!”

And what if you knew that it was a carbonated soft drink containing calcium, made right here in SDSU’s Dairy Bar?

“I would try it,” Windschitl decides without hesitation. “It’s just something different, other than having pop. And if you don’t like milk, this is a great idea.”

M.O.O.M.’s inventor is Bruce G. Schroder, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls research firm Dairilean, Inc. He spent his freshman year of college at SDSU before moving on to Iowa State for his bachelor’s and master’s and to Illinois for his doctorate.

Currently, the only flavor the drink comes in is orange, and it tastes just like regular orange pop. M.O.O.M. stands for “Made Out of Milk.”

“I drink it myself, about a bottle a day or every other day,” Schroder said. “We’re always testing and sampling stuff all the time.”

A new citrus flavor will be coming out early in 2003, to be followed by a red flavor along the lines of fruit or punch.

Though M.O.O.M. hit stores only this summer, Schroder’s work with a milk-pop extends back several years. He has rented space for private research at SDSU since 1980, and he began working on the concepts for the product in 1990.

As a child, he liked to create.

“I knew I was going to do something in the area of new stuff, inventions,” he said. “I always tinkered around and made things.”

His invention is now providing a way for kids, and adults too, to get nutritional value out of a carbonated beverage.

“We’ve got several generations of young people that grew up with a shortage of calcium,” he said.

Since soft drinks have become part of our culture, he knew the answer to increasing health lay outside the realm of pushing regular dairy products.

“Kids aren’t going to stop drinking soft drinks,” he said.

His patented process puts the calcium and minerals from milk into a soft drink. He got his first grant from the National Institute of Health in 1999 to “get the process to work.”

He is now in the second year of his second grant, which focuses on producing the commercial product. M.O.O.M. is made on campus and bottled in Huron.

M.O.O.M.’s General Manager Nolan Wolkow said about one third of the product is made up of actual milk products.

“It’s everything but the fat and protein. The white stuff you usually see in milk is gone.”

Both Schroder and Wolkow are pleased with how sales are going.

“I think we’ve had a very positive reaction to the product,” Schroder said.

Of course, they are still working hard to get the message out, giving out free samples in stores and presenting educational programs with Sioux Valley Hospital.

And though the product is designed for kids, other people are drinking it as well–moms, dads and people who care about their health in general. Each 11-ounce bottle contains 10 percent of the adult daily recommended amount of calcium.

M.O.O.M. is featured in grocery stores across Eastern South Dakota, and a couple different places in Brookings. The SDSU Dairy Bar carries the product, and the Brookings High School has its own M.O.O.M. vending machine. The drink has also spread to include one spot in North Dakota and one in Minnesota.

Future plans, in addition to the release of new flavors, include making the product better known throughout the Midwest. “By the end of the year we want to pick up another distributor and get into the regional thing,” Wolkow said.

South Dakota is already becoming famous for its dairy-pop drink: M.O.O.M. was featured in the October issue of BeverageWorld. For more information on Schroder’s invention, visit www.drinkmoom.com.

#1.887715:846611338.jpg:moom.jpg:Made Out of Milk, the orange pop named M.O.O.M. will debut next year in citrus and likely punch flavors. Bruce G. Schroder, M.O.O.M. inventor, attended SDSU in his freshman year before attending schools in Iowa and Illinois. M.O.O.M. is sold at the SDSU Dairy Bar. :

University officials and student leaders will submit their second report on a student union expansion in mid-November, then present it to the South Dakota Board of Regents in December.

The second report includes comparisons with student unions at the five other state institutions and at four other regional institutions of similar sized campus, said Kathy Lusk, director of University Student Union activities. She is also coordinator of the expansion project.

“Out of South Dakota schools, we have one of the smallest square-footage student unions,” Lusk said.

The regional institutions had unions that were 50 to 100 percent larger than SDSU’s.

The building was built for 5,000 students with 100,000 square feet. With fall enrollment at 9,952, the student population has increased 98 percent since the building was built, she said.

Approval by the board would mean advancement to the next phase: meeting with the architect, making final drawings and deciding exactly how much footage will be added.

Funding for the expansion, which is not to exceed $8 million, will come from student fees and unconfirmed outside sources, Lusk said.

Students’ Association is gathering signatures for student support of the project and working to make it affordable for students. SA President Dan Hansen could not be reached for comment.

The second report will also include information from the first report submitted to the board last June. The first report included usage information, focus group findings from organizations that use the union, and survey results of students, faculty and staff.

The key issues targeted in the report were increased space for the multi-purpose rooms like the Volstorff Ballroom, for dining, for meeting rooms, for the bookstore and for student lounge resource space, Lusk said.

The growing demands on union space have been a challenge, Lusk said.

“It’s really tough,” she said. “We do our best to shuffle and do quick turnarounds to make things happen. The building needs to be expanded just to stay with the increasing needs of the campus.”

Lack of space means denying organizations’ requests for space for banquets or other events. “We’re getting to the point of not being able to serve them,” she said. “No one really wants to take their college programs off campus.”

It will be several years before the expansion is completed, but a lot of people are working hard now, she said.

The rumors that the higher-ups on campus are watching what you download or reading your e-mail as you surf online are nothing more than just that?rumors.

What is monitored, however, is bandwidth.

“If you get someone who is dumping down a lot of tunes, they take up bandwidth space, and that’s a real issue,” said Allan Jones, director of Information Technology Services.

“It was a huge problem, particularly when Napster was at its highest.”

But since last spring, when SDSU installed Packeteer, ITS can apportion bandwidth space appropriately among students and other campus users, like faculty, library services and researchers. Packeteer is a “little black box,” Jones said.

“It just looks at the quantity of ones and zeros going across the network. We’ve discovered that it stays at a certain level.”

The whole campus has about 40 megabytes of bandwidth space to work with, he said. Students receive about seven of those megabytes, the equivalent of a T1 line for each of the residence halls.

Each hall and each college is on a VLAN, which Jones described as “containers, if you will. We can see which container is too full and which is not so full, so no one place is shorted. With Packeteer, we are able to control the data flow from all parts of campus and make sure it is equitable.”

Distance education classes require a good deal of bandwidth space. ITS is responsible for making sure the classes receive enough bandwidth to broadcast.

“If we have to crank back on someone downloading the latest U2 album, so be it,” he said.

Jones emphasized that Packeteer looks only at data flow.

“We do not do any content examination for any reason,” he said.

With regard to flow, the ITS staff keeps an eye on how much is being used.

If need be, they can pinpoint the computer using it. “If we see more than seven megabytes of VLAN coming out, it raises an alarm and we go check that out.”

Many times, the reason for using so much bandwidth is perfectly legitimate, like students downloading a large PowerPoint file for a class, for example. Jones said he is pleased with students’ behavior online, saying for the most part they have not abused their privileges.

“Students here at SDSU are very good. I have nothing but high praise for them.”

Guidelines for using technology on campus can be found in the Student Handbook.

“If they’ll stick with the acceptable use guidelines, they’ll have no problems,” Jones said.

When it comes to downloading music, the line between legal and illegal fades to gray.

“Technically it’s illegal, but everybody does it,” Jones said.

“This is an issue that affects all universities across the nation. It’s an issue that we as technicians try to determine, what is worth the effort to go pounding on the door?”

Peer-to-peer downloading is a gray area. However, some areas are not so shady, such as illegal downloading processes.

“There are a few cases where students are downloading movies illegally,” he said.

Complaints are directed toward Dean of Libraries Steve Marquardt, SDSU’s copyright officer.

“If he’s ever contacted on a situation like this, we are obligated to do something about it, Jones said”

Only then, though, does campus get involved in content issues, and they carry out only the instructions given to them by police. Marquardt said they had one student last year downloading movies illegally.

“We haven’t had too much complaining about that,” he said. “We do have the authority to remove that from people’s computers.” Students have not been suspended or charged for having the material, he said.

Marquardt’s position as copyright officer stems from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1999 requiring institutions to establish someone to receive complaints in order to be exempt from liability for piracy.

Though downloading music falls into the piracy category, it is a relatively tame violation.

“Taking pirated material is kind of a small thing,” he said. “The big thing is if you take that pirated information and start selling it.”

Though the Internet offers free music, Marquardt prefers not to download his music. “Personally, I still like to buy the CDs legitimately for quality reasons as well as legal reasons,” he said.

For a lot of students, however, this is not always the case.

“I haven’t bought a CD in over a year,” said sophomore art major Darla Milda. “Why should I?”

She uses the Internet for email, research and homework, but “mainly I just download music. Whatever I want, usually just certain songs.”

She is not concerned about legalities. “I don’t think it’s a very big deal. I don’t know many people who really worry about it.”

Senior pharmacy major Ryan Dominiack agreed. “I’m not worried about it.

Everybody does it,” he said. “We download music, music videos, cartoons, lots of good stuff.”

Sophomore April Hetle, a radio, TV and film major, said she doesn’t worry either, because she isn’t selling anything she downloads.

“Just about everybody and their mother is guilty of downloading, so getting caught would be pretty easy,” she said. “I don’t sell or make a profit off of anything I download, so I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.”

She downloads everything from TV shows to music to movies. Some of her downloading is for academic purposes, like for her Blues, Jazz and Rock class.

“A good portion of

Every time a button is pressed on the emergency blue light boxes set up at 11 locations around campus, the UPD will come running.

“We’re coming as fast as we can,” said UPD Chief Tim Heaton. “As far as we’re concerned, we’re in a bad situation. We’ve had someone having a heart attack once. That’s why we take it seriously.”

All officers on duty will respond to the emergency call. Counting student officers, SDSU has about four on during the day, and sometimes more at night.

Unfortunately, they receive far more prank alerts than real ones.

Heaton said a button is pushed about four or five times a month. Only once every two months, or one in eight hits, is a case where the person actually needed help.

Many students are unclear on when it is okay to use the blue light boxes.

Heaton defined “okay” as “If you’re scared at any time. If there’s a reason, even if it’s not the best reason.”

Button-pushers should wait at the box for help to arrive.

“Sometimes we run, and sometimes we get in a car and go over sidewalks,” Heaton said. The UPD will be on the spot in about 30 seconds. “I don’t think we’ve been over a minute yet.”

Students who would like a UPD escort from one place on campus to another should call the UPD office at 688-5117.

However, if they are already outside and feeling worried, it is okay to use the button.

“If you’re that scared, you can push the button,” Heaton said.

Pranksters should realize that pushing the button and running is a class one misdemeanor for false reporting of an emergency.

If caught violators face a maximum punishment of a $1,000 fine and one year in jail.

UPD catches about 80 percent of the people who hit the button and run, he said.

The boxes were installed three years ago on campus.

“It was a good investment,” Heaton said.

Students agree. They say the boxes offer peace of mind, even if they’ve never had to use them.

“I know where all of them are,” said Patty Lopahs, a sophomore pharmacy major. “I’m glad they are there. I’m just glad I’ve never had to use them.”

Her one concern is that if she were being followed, her pursuer would know enough not to attack within range of a blue light box.

Knowing the boxes are there makes freshman Ruth Marquardt feel better.

“If you’re walking alone down the dark sidewalks and you see the light, you kind of feel a little safer,” she said.

She mentioned the lights have uses beyond her own personal safety.

“I think they’re good to have. If you see something late at night and there’s no one around, you can push the button,” she said.

Tyler Mahowald, a sophomore apparel merchandising major, said he appreciates the boxes.

“It’s nice if you’re out walking around late at night, especially since on campus there’s not a lot of streets that go through, so you don’t see a lot of cops driving around.”

Ag-Bio Career Days is happening this Wednesday in the Volstorff Ballroom of the student union and will feature 42 companies coming to talk to students about internship and job possibilities.

“The big advantage (to Ag-Bio Career Days) is an opportunity to very conveniently explore career possibilities with a broad representation of potential employers,” said Tim Nichols, assistant director of academic programming for the Ag-Bio College.

“It’s a lot easier than looking at the phone book and pounding the pavement. You get a chance for face-to-face interaction.”

The companies represented span the range of ag-bio sciences, he said.

They hail from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, California and even Washington, D.C.

Many students are able to nail a job or an internship through Career Days.

“We have a number of students who find their internships and jobs through the fair every year,” he said.

The fair also benefits underclassmen.

“It creates a real awareness for students, for the freshman and sophomore levels, too,” he said. “They can talk to employers about what they’re looking for.”

Senior ag business/ag journalism major Rachel Mehlhaf agreed.

“As freshmen, it’s important to come and see what kind of opportunities there are and to make relationships with the companies,” she said.

As president of the Ag-Bio Prexy Council, she has been involved with publicizing the event. She has attended it numerous times with positive results.

“I’ve had success there. I got offered an internship,” she said.

Naturally, she’ll be there this year.

“There’s a few people I want to talk to, but I don’t graduate ’til May, so I’m not too worried yet. I just want to see what my options are.”

Cargill, Inc., one of the largest food companies in the world, will attest to that.

“Cargill and Sunny Fresh Foods, a subsidiary of Cargill, both value the long relationship established with South Dakota State University,” said Peggy Nylin, Cargill’s campus coordinator. “It’s much easier recruiting at a university where students seek us out.”

The fair provides students with the chance to start networking with people in the business, she said.

Another business that will be at Wednesday’s fair is the United States Department of Agriculture.

Marlene Elko, human resources manager, listed several qualities they look for in potential employees, including communication, organization, teamwork, computer skills, above-average grades and the ability to handle conflict and multiple priorities.

“Because our agency works with producers, a farm background is helpful,” she said.

USDA features a Student Career Experience Program, in which students work part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer, as well as a career intern program, in which students are assigned to a field support office in the state.

USDA has found the fair a worthwhile event to attend. “Our agency has been very successful in our recruitment efforts through this fair,” Elko said.

Ag-Bio Career Days runs from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday in the Volstorff Ballroom. It is open to any student, Nichols said.

“While we design it with ag-bio students in mind, and certainly employers are targeted toward those disciplines, it is open to the entire campus,” he said.

“Some of the these companies employ all kinds of different people.”

Just before classes started, local eateries and shops predicted an increase in business. They were right.

The end of September means that SDSU students have been in Brookings for about a month now. And 9,000 more people obviously translates to more business.

“Our lunch hour is going longer,” said Todd Willman, owner of Mad Jack’s Food Court on Sixth Street. “College students get out of class at different times of the day, so we see people eating later.”

The downtown scene has also seen business pick up since school started. Skinner’s Pub owner Greg Thornes estimates that he has had about a 25 percent increase in business.

The social aspect is the bar’s biggest draw, he said. “Mostly socializing and getting together, seeing old friends, maybe playing some pool or some darts, and of course, having a beer.”

But it’s not like they’ve been suffering without the college kids. “We’ve had a pretty busy summer,” Thornes said.

While almost every business in Brookings gets at least a little pick-me-up when the college kids hit town again, the university impact on Second Edition Thrift Store-Easter Seals is nothing short of “awesome,” says store manager Yvonne Bowe.

Since “retro” items are back in style, Second Edition has been a big draw for the college crowd, Bowe said.

“They love our vintage stuff. To see people grab our funky old polyesther stuff makes me happy,” she said.

In fact, Second Edition will be making some changes, such as painting and redecorating, to make it a “younger, flashier kind of funky store,” Bowe said.

“I’m hoping the changes will have a postive business increase. We want to make this a cool place to shop.”

K-Mart is another business that has enjoyed the impact of SDSU customers. Store manager Leonard Witte said he has noticed a busier atmoshphere in the store this past month.

“I’ve seen an increase in business,” he said. “I always enjoy having the college kids back in town. It gives the town life.”