In October, USDSU of Sioux Falls will officially become South Dakota Public Universities and Research Center (SDPURC).

“The name ‘USDSU’ no longer fits,” said assistant executive dean Ann Thompson.

The South Dakota Board of Regents paid Lawrence and Schiller, Sioux Falls, $5,000 to help with the renaming, but the firm’s suggestions were not used.

“Lawrence and Schiller was hired to give suggestions for the new name, but the South Dakota Board of Regents actually made the decision,” Thompson said.

School officials wouldn’t say what other names were considered, but various combinations of the words “universities,” “public,” “Sioux Falls,” “South Dakota,” “center” and “institute” were tossed on the table.

The mid-semester change was proposed to minimize confusion for enrolling students.

Expansion of the institution sparked the name change.

Prior to this year, programs were offered by SDSU, University of South Dakota and Dakota State University. Northern State University is now offering courses in Sioux Falls.

Next year, Black Hills State University and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology are expected to jump on the SDPURC bandwagon.

“[SDPURC] is a place where multiple institutions come together to deliver their programs,” said Mark Lee, the center’s executive dean. “More programs will come to Sioux Falls as the

community grown.”

In a March 2006 USDSU newsletter, the public was encouraged to submit ideas on naming the center.

Lee said he feels the growth is good for all state colleges. The move gives them access to the Sioux Falls market.

Students currently have the opportunity to earn 50 different degrees through the center, 42 of which can be attained entirely on the Sioux Falls campus.

Savannah Zins is a senior in SDSU’s nursing program at USDSU. She recently moved to Sioux Falls after three years at SDSU.

“It provides for more local internships, job opportunities and entertainment options,” she said.

Zins doesn’t feel the new name will affect enrollment or clear up misconceptions about the center’s purpose.

“Many people did not understand what USDSU was or what it encompassed before the name change,” she said.

Robert T. Tad Perry, executive director of the BOR, said the expansion is an excellent opportunity for the public universities in the state, as well as for the people.

“It’s wonderful. It’s where the people are,” he said.

“SDPURC is going to grow.”

However, it will not offer its own degrees. By state law, the center is limited to merely housing the universities.

Plans for a more than $6 million research center and an $8 million classroom building are in also progress. The structures will be built near Career Avenue and 60th Street North.

USDSU currently leases a building from Southeast Technical Institute. Perry said leasing will probably continue until Southeast needs the classroom space.

Throughout the 2005-2006 academic year, the school had approximately 3,300 students, including part-time and full-time students. This year’s enrollment numbers have not yet been released.

Perry said the center’s target population is going to grow significantly over the next several years. He said in 20 years the population of people ages 20 to 24 is estimated to increase by 43 percent. The “working adults” population, ages 25 to 44, could show 48 percent growth.

“We’re serving the largest city in the state and the largest group of non-traditional students,” Thompson said. “The student group lives here. They don’t want to travel, and in many cases they can’t travel.”

She said more than 70 percent of students have had some college education, and they come to the Sioux Falls location to “finish what they started.”

Building houses is how some SDSU students will spend Christmas break this year.

Minister of Christian Campus Ministry, Rick Cole said SDSU has been involved with “Casas por Cristos,” also known as Houses for Christ, for about six years.

Houses for Christ is an organization that builds homes for less fortunate families in poor parts of Mexico, said Cole. He and a group of SDSU students will travel to Juarez, Mexico to build a house for one of these families.

Students must raise money for the trip on their own. The cost of the trip is $100, which pays for food and travel expenses. Some students choose to give extra money to help pay for other project expenses.

Last year 13 students took part in the project. Cole said that students sometimes become involved through campus Bible study, but participation in Bible study is not required.

“It’s kind of a life-changing experience,” said Kelly Ness, a fifth-year animal science major. “It just makes you feel good.”

Ness has been involved with Houses for Christ for four years. She said she would definitely recommend the project to other students.

“Laughter is a universal language,” said Ness. Although she speaks a different language than the families, Ness said she can communicate with them through other means.

Chris Hill, a fifth-year advertising major, plans to go for the first time this year.

“I heard good things from people that went last year, so I wanted to experience it for myself,” said Hill.

Cole said, “The neatest thing is just seeing how well the students work and interact with the families.”

The Christian Campus Ministry has scheduled the trip from Dec. 31 through Jan. 7. Students should contact Cole at 692-9203 by the second week in November if they want to attend.

Carmen Toft, a 26-year-old SDSU graduate, watched Hurricane Katrina coverage from her sister’s home in Fargo, N.D., not knowing if her home was still standing in Louisiana.

“I was one of the lucky ones,”said Toft, whose home is still standing and is not underwater.

Toft was visiting her sister when Katrina hit. When Toft was finally able to get to her home in Slidell, La., she found that the house had no damage, but it smelled. With the city losing electricity, all of the food in her refrigerator and freezer spoiled.

Even though she was fortunate, Toft is still packing up and moving back to Brookings. She will live with her friend Deb Kurtz, who is currently pursuing her secondary education teaching certification at SDSU.

Kurtz and Toft met while attending SDSU as undergraduates.

Kurtz is prepared for her friend’s arrival.

“I’ve fixed up a room in the basement,”she said, adding that Toft has even picked out her own paint colors for the room.

Toft’s family is excited about her moving back. She is originally from Gary, and her parents are thrilled that she’ll be close to home again.

“It’ll be nice,” said Gail Toft, Carmen’s mother. She said people from her hometown have shown genuine concern for her daughter’s well-being.

Dennis Toft, Carmen’s father, is also happy that his daughter is moving back to Brookings.

“She’ll be a lot closer for us to go and see her,” he said.

Before Katrina hit, Toft worked as an events manager at the, Northshore Harbor Center. That building was severely damaged by wind and water, and she was officially laid off two weeks after the hurricane swept through Louisiana. The center may soon be used as a relief shelter for hurricane victims.

The company she worked for is still providing her with benefits until she finds full-time employment.

Toft has already found a part-time job in Brookings. She will work at the Swiftel center, where she was employed before she moved.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has given Toft refugee assistance. The Brookings -area Red Cross has pitched in as well.

At the moment, Toft does not plan on moving back to Slidell.

“I don’t really have a concrete plan, but I kind of like the thought of being home for a while,” said Toft. “I really like Brookings … It’s a good place to live.”

Toft said she still has friends missing. The whereabouts of three of her former co-workers are unknown.

Family and friends are doing what they can to help Toft.

“She’s a great person, and I’m delighted to be able to help her,” said Kurtz.

Numerous projects are planned for this summer and the upcoming school year.

Projects include refurbishing of Binnewies, Young and Mathews Halls; turning the United Campus Ministries auditorium into two classrooms; installing new scoreboards at Frost Arena and Coughlin Alumni Stadium; realigning and resurfacing of 16th Avenue north of Campus Drive; replacing the roof of the physical plant and Agricultural Heritage Museum; installing a new air conditioning system in Lincoln Music Hall; replacing the piping of the cooling tower in Briggs Library; and completely remodeling the bathrooms in Scobey Hall.

Construction that is scheduled to be finished this summer includes Caldwell Hall, the University Student Union and the Geography Center of Excellence in Wecota Hall.

SDSU will host the 13th Annual Conference on American Indian History and Culture.

The event is sponsored by the American Indian Studies program, the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Science, the Office of Diversity Enhancement and the S.D. Humanities Council.

The conference will be held on April 21, and the topic will be “The Warrior Tradition: Past and Present.”

Events are spread throughout the day, with each session lasting about 50 minutes. The opening ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. in Peterson Recital Hall of the Lincoln Music Hall.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., various panel discussions will be held, addressing the many issues affecting American Indian veterans.

At 2 p.m., speaker Elden Lawrence will present, “American Patriotism and the American Indian Warrior Tradition: A Paradoxical Relationship.” This particular sessoin will be held in the Schultz Lounge, which is located next to Peterson Recital Hall.

A student paper session will then take place, which will be moderated by political science professor Del Lonowski.

Keynote speaker Jerome Kills Small, a USD American Indian studies professor, will deliver his presentation at 7 p.m., followed by an honoring ceremony by SDSU’s ROTC unit.

A luncheon will also be held for conference participants over the 12 p.m. hour.

Co-coordinators of this event are Lenora Hudson, Jon Lauck and David Crain. Others involved with planning include Donald Berg, Doris Giago, Donna Hess, Del Lonowski, Steve Martin, Tim Nichols, Valerina Three Irons and Charles Woodard.

The program lasts all day on Thursday, April 21. For more information, call 688-4905 or 692-9041.

Towards the end of every school year, SDSU undergoes changes in leadership in different organizations around campus.

The University Program Council (UPC) rehired Kimberly Harer as president and hired new vice president Cy Fixen. Fixen will replace Alison Munsterman.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) elected Andrew Walters as president and Adam Emerson as vice president. They are replacing Tim Wrenn and Casey Wonnenberg.

Jay Buchholz will return as the KSDJ station manager for one semester, and a new manager will be hired when Buchholz graduates in December.

The new editor-in-chief for the Collegian will be Kristin Marthaler, who is currently the editor of the Life section of the school newspaper

#1.885102:2357235812.jpg:ksdj.jpg:KSDJ is one campus organization that hired students for management positions to be filled next year.:

Free pizza and pop was the incentive for people to show up, but a number of students walked away with much more.

After being forced to cut the staff almost in half last year, many organizations with offices in the University Student Union were looking for employees for the upcoming school year.

Kayte Peters, graduate assistant and supervisor of Info Exchange and Outback Jacks, said the job fair was beneficial for both those looking to hire and those seeking employment.

“This is the first year we’ve had the idea,” Peters said, who described the crowd as “steady” throughout the event.

Positions available in the union include Info Exchange attendant, technical assistant, Outback Jacks attendant and union manager and many more. Peters said that the pay for these jobs is about the same across the board, with the exception of the union manager position.

Sophomore nursing major Aliza Arens was one of the many who applied for a USU job, with the hopes of working at Outback Jacks or Info Exchange. Arens said that she’s looking for a job for next year and thinks the union would be flexible when it comes to her class schedule.

Other stations at the job fair included TRiO Student Support Services, Upward Bound, SDSU Dining Services, Collegian and KSDJ.

#1.885099:3849163049.jpg:jobfair.jpg:Several students attended the University Student Union job fair late last week. Employers at the fair included SDSU Dining Services, KSDJ, TRiO Student Support Services and Upward Bound. :

In this ever-growing and fast-paced world, many have a hard time keeping up with advancing technology. SDSU is doing an extraordinary job of staying with and, certainly in some cases, ahead of the competition.

An increasing number of “smart classrooms” are showing up on campus.

“The technology gets better every year,” said Marvin Clark, classroom technology specialist at SDSU’s Educational Technology Center.

Clark takes on many roles working for the university. To put it briefly, he is basically in charge of the installation, maintenance and repair of any sort of technology used on campus.

There are currently over 40 smart classrooms at SDSU. Some of these rooms include Ag Engineering 100, Yeager 212 and all of the rooms in Rotunda. Many departments have college-specific systems as well.

Each smart classroom consists of a data projector, AMX brand controller, visual center, DVD/VHS combination unit, complete audio system and a control panel. If a room is missing only a couple of these key elements, it is called a semi-smart classroom.

When the smart classroom program was introduced to SDSU, many thought such a program wasn’t worth the time and money. But, as time progresses, more are finding it helpful to have these resources at their fingertips.

“We get trouble-shooting calls everyday,” Clark said. “It’s usually a five-minute fix.”

Preventative maintenance is performed on the classrooms during every break. “If we didn’t, we’d have all sorts of problems,” said Clark.

Clark said that while many teachers don’t utilize much of the technology available, it comes in handy for teachers who bring their presentations or lectures to class via laptop or memory drive.

One of the most frequent problems that occurs in a smart classroom is when a projector lamp goes out. The lamps are supposed to last up to 2000 hours, but sometimes that’s not the case.

If troubles escalate into more than a lamp going out, it only takes about 15 minutes to swap projectors.

The longest it’s ever taken the tech department to fix a problem was just over a couple hours, when there was a bug in the Rotunda’s audio system.

It’s difficult to compare SDSU with other schools in the state when dealing with technology. However, Clark said instructors have described USD’s version of a smart classroom, and from what they say, it is comparable to a semi-smart room here.

Smart classroom training is available to individuals or groups through the educational technology department. For more information, contact Marvin Clark at 688-4481.

A couple of weeks ago, I was taking a shower in my residence hall. I was rinsing my hair when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I looked over to see what the mysterious object was, and to my surprise, a used condom was stuck to the shower wall.

Screaming, I frantically shut the water off, grabbed my things and evacuated the premises. I then soaked my feet in bleach, amonia and other various household-cleaning products for the next several days.

What kind of world are we living in when a college student can’t take a shower without being completely offended by a perpetrator whom she doesn’t even know?

Okay, I get it, people have sex in the showers. Do they need to leave behind the evidence for innocent bystanders to find? Oh, and for the record, it wasn’t a magnum.

Also, aren’t there some major health hazards associated with bumping uglies in a facility that gets used as frequently and by as many random people as a residence hall bathroom? I mean, it’s good that these students are using protection, but it’s not safe or sanitary to leave your rubber behind to grow filthy bacteria like a petri dish in science class. Showering on campus is bad enough without this madness.

Honestly, who does that? When you share living quarters with hundreds of people, a little courtesy can go a long way.

I would like to personally thank every custodian that works or has ever worked on this campus. You are truly brave for tackling the grueling, sometimes inhumane, jobs that come your way.

Whoever committed this act gets an “F” for effort. If you are going to do such things in the school facilities, please take that extra step and clean up after yourself. In addition, if the proud souls would like to come forward, I’d like a $6.46 reimbursement for having to buy new sandals.

Tara Halbritter is a sophomore journalism major and Collegian campus editor.

#1.885151:3130373465.jpg:taramug.jpg:Tara Halbritter:

The cost for parking permits next year may be raised.

Students would pay $53.80 for normal parking and $107.60 for reserved. Faculty would pay $84 and $168 for reserved. Deans and directors would pay $252.

The semester length of the permits was also changed to five months. This was done so that parking permits may be purchased more easily during the school year.

In other SA news:

The Hansen Hall hog roast will take place on April 14.