The Collegian » Tony Gorder

Pepsi products available on campus soon

Tony Gorder — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:36:19 +0000

The cola war is on at SDSU.

A new soda contract allows both Pepsi and Coca-Cola vending machines on campus, according to a post on InsideState, an online communication site for faculty and staff.

The new machines will start showing up on campus Aug. 1.

Before the new contract, SDSU was a Coke-exclusive campus.

Check the list below for vending machine locations.

Coke
Administration
Ag HallAnimal Science
Avera
Barn (Intermural)
Binnewies
Biostress
Brown
CaldwellCrothers
Engineering
Hansen
Larson
Lincoln MusicMathews
Pierson
Rotunda
Scobey
Solberg
Student Union
Wagner
Waneta
Wecota
Wellness
Wenona
Young

Pepsi
Abbott Hall
Administration
Ag Engineering
Ag Hall
Animal Science
Avera
Bailey
BergBinnewies
Biostress
Brown
Caldwell
Crothers Engineering
Dairy Micro
EECS
Grove
Hansen
Harding Hall
Journalism
Larson
Mathews
Medary
Pierson
Pre-Arts
Pugsley
Rotunda
Scobey
Spencer Hall
Student Union
Thorne Hall
University Police
VCT Lab
Wagner
Waneta
Wecota lower
Wintrode
Young

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COLUMN UPDATE: @SDHouseDems run damage control, delete 244 tweets

Tony Gorder — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:24:46 +0000

June 29 UPDATE: @SDHouseDems have deleted 13 more tweets. They deleted 257 tweets total so far. That’s 95 percent of their updates that have been deleted.

—-

Just like a lot of politicians these days, South Dakota politicians may be headed for their own Twitter scandal.

It’s been two weeks since I ran my column on the @SDHouseDems tactless and unprofessional Twitter account, and it seems they finally got the message and are on the run.

Since the column was published on June 7, @SDHouseDems fell silent. Not a tweet has been heard since then (as of the time of publication).

But very recently, the account was active again. But instead of tweeting, they were un-tweeting.

If you go to their account now, you’ll find 26 tweets. Just how many tweets did they delete?

Let’s take a look at how many they had on June 7, the last day they tweeted.

Before this deletion rampage, they had 270 tweets. They deleted 244. That’s 90 percent of their tweets. They must have realized that those tweets reflected upon them poorly.

Luckily, I took screenshots of many of them (some that didn’t make it into my last column).

Such well-crafted tweets like this one, calling people racists.

Very nice. Or calling their colleagues crazy and teabaggers, which I covered in the last column.

Last week, Minnesota Sen. Gretchen Hoffman had to apologize for her tweet. And in 2009, Minnesota Rep. Paul Gardner had ethics complaints filed against him for tweeting that a fellow representative “… seems to belittle his female colleagues (rage, sarcasm) on the floor more than the men?”

So, in a time when legislators are apologizing and feeling the pain for their idiotic tweets, there’s no question why @SDHouseDems deleted their obnoxious tweets.

Could ethics complaints be brought up against whoever tweets for @SDHouseDems, assuming he or she (or they) is a legislator? I don’t know. They were clearly in the wrong, and now they are trying to hide their initial obliviousness to public relations.

If you have to delete 244 tweets, there’s definitely a public relations problem. I’m glad they finally admitted to it–though indirectly–by showing just how embarrassed they are, and I will gladly and unabashedly take credit for getting them to act.

Speaking of Twitter, have you followed me, @tonygorder, yet?

This column originally appeared on Tony Gorder’s blog Cool & Unusual Punishment.

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COLUMN: @SDHouseDems makes S.D. House Democrats look like idiots

Tony Gorder — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:33:37 +0000

UPDATE: Check out the follow-up HERE.

Politicians are often viewed as out of touch. A bunch of old (mostly) men with gray hair in a big room wondering how they can solve people’s problem, whether that means less government, more government, or less salt.

One thing you can count on is that, no matter the issue or political party, they’re thinking of the children. They always think of the children. Always.

But it’s not every day (or every Tweet, in this case) you get politicians who are both out of touch and act like children.

I’m referring to the Twitter account of the South Dakota House Democrats–all 19 of them.

And I mean it when I say childish. Yes, the seemingly official account of the S.D. House Democrats is full of grammar mistakes, misspellings, name-calling and political hackery.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Twitter, of course, only allows 140 characters, and this one was exactly 140. The sad part is they could have spelled out “would” had they used the correct “to” instead of “too.”

Again with the “wuld” thing? Well, they must have needed to shorten it to come in at 140 characters then. Nope. They’ve got six characters to spare. Also, what’s “the SD?”

More abbreviations here, too, with 27 unused characters.

Why do it when there’s plenty of room? Maybe they think abbreviations are hip with the kids. I understand the need to shorten words to make things fit (even though I think it should be avoided lest the Tweeter wants to look unprofessional).

Alright, maybe pointing out abbreviations, grammar and spelling is not worthy of a column . But what about name-calling?

Tea Bagger, meaning a supporter of the Tea Party movement. However, Tea Bagging is used in a derogatory way here, referring to the sexual act of inserting one’s scrotum into another person’s mouth. This has been a common insult used by many left and liberal pundits to make fun of the Tea Party. I’m not offended by name-calling in itself. I just am shocked the Democratic members of the House would officially use Twitter to do this.

I’ve found these Tweets quite entertaining until quite recently.

Pierre, Dakota Dunes, and other South Dakota communities faced and are facing a huge crisis. The flooding of the Missouri river. Read any coverage from the state’s news outlets, and you’ll read stories of communities pulling together.

Keloland teased and later posted a story that was about the Dakota Dunes community using the golf course to build a levees to stop the flood waters. The story talks about homes near the edge of the course and how the fairways helped the town’s economic growth.

And now this course that has nurtured the growth of the community, is doing its best to protect it from the rising waters of the Missouri River.

Earth movers nimbly motor through Dakota Dunes like golf carts. But these groundskeepers have to plow up fairways and greens to build a levee for protection against the ultimate water hazard.

“The golf course provided us the best line of defense for this event,” Jeff Dooley of the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement District said.

Here’s what @SDHouseDems had to say about the story before they had even read it. They had simply read the teaser:

They wasted no time at all trying to politicize the flooding. Yes, @SDHouseDems jumped to the only logical conclusion they could–that the richie riches cared more about their golf course than trying to save the real Americans!

Trying to play to some sort of class warfare? Is a golf course not considered a legitimate business worth trying to save in the eyes of @SDHouseDems? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter; the actual story was about using the golf course to save the community.

When the full story was posted, they retracted nothing, only Tweeting this:

R U aware that u have a ful 140 characters 2 use?

Social media, when it comes to an organization, is all about public relations. It’s a direct connection between you and your audience, or in this case, constituency. Social media should be managed as delicately as any other public relations, if not more, which is why I’m so shocked to see the examples above coming from a political party.

This is not a critique on policy or politics; it’s message to the South Dakota House Democrats (or whoever they let Tweet for them).

This Twitter account is not doing your party any favors. In a Red State like South Dakota, you can’t Tweet like you’re Rachel Maddow and expect to get elected.

@SDHouseDems, you’d be wise to take a lesson or two in public relations.

This column originally appeared on Tony Gorder’s blog Cool & Unusual Punishment.

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Three things I hate about Internet classes

Tony Gorder — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:29:28 +0000

Summer classes are right around the corner for some, including me. At SDSU, many summer courses are offered online. Online classes have their advantages, like being able to work at your own pace (which, for me, involves doing a week’s worth of work in a long and stressful afternoon).

However, there are things that happen in an online course that I find extremely annoying. I’ve talked with many of my colleagues, and it’s not that these things happen in only one class but they happen consistently in nearly every online class others and I have taken. So here’s a list of the three most annoying things that happen in online classes.

Classmate introduction posts
My problem isn’t with the introductions themselves; it is nice to know the backgrounds of people in your class, and it saves me time because I don’t have to Facebook creep on everyone. The thing I have a problem with is instructors requiring you to introduce yourself then comment on others’ introductions in the D2L discussion board.

How do you react to a five-sentence introduction?

At the most, there’s friendly small talk like, “You went to Wagner? I have a cousin who went to school there!”

Like I said, that’s the most thoughtful response.

The other type, whether truly sincere or not, comes across as feigned interest.

“It’s really neat that you’re an engineering major!”
“I’m sure you’ll have lots to share in this class!”
“You have an interesting life!”
“Your job seems neat!”
“Your cat sounds nice!”

These comments could be on any part of your introduction and are always followed by an exclamation point, as if that makes the insincerity disappear.

It’s great for everyone to introduce themselves, and if someone really does want to react to an introduction then great, but don’t require it. It just leads to stupid remarks.

Minimum number of response posts

Most classes require posts on the discussion board for things like reading reactions. Often, students are required to response to classmates’ posts. That’s the great, but the problem comes when instructors require a minimum number of responses. Guess what that leads to. Short, stupid, lame posts.

“I thought you had neat take on the issue!”
“Great post! I never thought of it that way before!”
“I felt the same way!”
“Your one sentence was funny and made me laugh!”
“You would like this article! www.somewhatrelatedlinkIdontwanttoread.com”

What a waste of time. Rather than require, for example,a 10-post minimum, professors should require a few substantive, thoughtful posts.

The Mirrored Forum
The Internet is not nice place. A trip to the YouTube comments section is a prime example, and it’s not alone. Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and Trutherism (any -ism, really), are all prevalent on a lot of discussion forums, complete with flagrant misspellings stupid usernames (I’m looking at you HawtBoiTruther69).

D2L discussion boards, however, are free of this. While not being a jerk to your classmates is great, D2L posts are usually too nice. Students often are required to critique each others’ work. Rather than constructively critique, though, students forgo helpful comments and opt for the far simpler option: meaningless remarks.

“I like the part where you talk about your cat. VERY FUNNY!!”
“Your paper was very inspirational!”
“GOOD JOB! GREAT RESEARCH PAPER!”

You couldn’t find one thing wrong with my paper? You don’t have any advice to offer?

D2L classes are a mirror of the rest of the Internet. Instead of becoming unabashedly mean-spirited, people become uselessly friendly. There’s a happy medium, and it’s being nice but honest and actually giving someone a helpful critique.

A Reasonable Solution
The unfortunate truth is everyone is guilty of doing these things, myself included.
But it doesn’t mean this pointlessness has to continue. Students and professors, be aware of these D2L tropes and make a conscious effort to avoid them, lest I have to read through more insincere one-liner compliments.

This column originally appeared on Tony Gorder’s blog Cool & Unusual Punishment.

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Two days, two fires: Dumpster outside Hansen Hall feels the heat of finals week

Tony Gorder — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:03:38 +0000

For the second day in a row, the Brookings Fire Department made a late-night trip to Hansen Hall.

These somewhat charred remains were the result of second fire on May 3.

Student reenter Hansen Hall at 10:45 p.m. on May 3 after being evacuated because of a dumpster fire. They did the same thing early morning May 2.

The same dumpster outside Hansen Hall was ablaze for the second time this finals week—and it was only Tuesday.

Again, students were evacuated from the residence hall. By around 10:45 p.m., the fire was put out and firefighters left, and students were allowed to reenter the building.

“I think it’s immature,” Caitlyn Frederick, a sophomore business major said. “I think [whoever started the fire is] only doing it for attention, and it’s getting old.”

The first Hansen Hall dumpster fire of the week happened on May 2 shortly after midnight. Students were also evacuated from the building then.

No one from the SDSU Police Department was available for comment. The cause of the fire and if it’s related to yesterday’s

Brookings Fire Department firefighters pack up to leave after putting out the fire.

fire is still unknown.

Emma DeJong contributed to this report.

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Hansen Hall dumpster fire causes late-night evacuation

Tony Gorder — Mon, 02 May 2011 06:33:15 +0000

A fire truck and UPD cars sit outside Hansen Hall early on May 2 to deal with an apparent dumpster fire.

Students burning the midnight oil studying for finals got more than they bargained for with an apparent fire in a Hansen Hall dumpster shortly after midnight on May 2.

Students were evacuated from the residence hall and were standing outside the residence hall.

A dumpster shows clear signs of recent burn damage and is dripping with water.

“We were sleeping and the damn fire alarm went off,” Alex Hohertz, a Hansen resident said. “There was a fire in the dumpster.”

Fire trucks and University Police cars were outside near a dumpster, which was dripping with water and had visible burn damages. The fire trucks left around 12:30 a.m. and students were allowed back in the building shortly thereafter.

The SDSUPD and a Community Assistant from Hansen Hall would not comment on the situation.

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Officials announce final cuts

Tony Gorder — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:44:17 +0000

SDSU faced harsh realities last week when university officials announced an onslaught of upcoming cuts and changes made to balance the university’s budget for fiscal year 2012 in response to a 10 percent reduction in state appropriations.

The mood on campus “reflects the weather,” SDSU President David Chicoine said during a conference call on a dreary and wet April 14.

Chicoine said the reduction in state appropriations will have a noticeable impact on the university, including layoffs, department closures, reorganization, elimination of academic programs in the continuous quest to drive down costs.

This is the third consecutive year of substantial cuts in state appropriations to the university, the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Station.

“The university will look different next year. Because of the reset to the state’s budget, the university cannot sustain business as usual,” Chicoine said.

The cuts and structural changes were the result of a complete and thorough process led by Provost Laurie Nichols working with the deans that involved faculty, staff, students, external constituents and university administrators, Chicoine said.

The university is faced with a $1.85 million cut in state appropriations based on the 10 percent reduction in state funds and the South Dakota Board of Regents’ recent decision to increase tuition and fees by 6.9 percent. The university also has unavoidable costs to cover and transitional costs. The total – including the net cut, unavoidable costs and transition funding – is $3.825 million.

Program and administrative adjustments account for 84.6 percent of the $3.825 million. Reorganization is 3.8 percent, and the remaining 11.6 percent will be realized through efficiencies. The impact is 65.4 percent to academic programs and 34.6 percent in administration.

Unavoidable costs include the loss of federal funding for the financial aid office, lost tuition revenue from programs being eliminated, the need to fully fund the College of Nursing and resources to meet The Higher Learning Commission accreditation requirements. Investments are also needed for the student success model, student orientation and enhanced Web development. Transitional resources will be needed to fund the phase-outs of academic programs the next two years.

“We remain committed to the core mission as South Dakota’s land-grant university and to providing the best possible academic experience for students,” Chicoine said. “The deans in their work have made every effort to lessen the impact on students; unfortunately, the reduced state support for the third year in a row means that class sizes and student-to-faculty ratios will increase.”

In terms of academic programs, the College of Engineering took large cuts. The master’s degree program in physics was eliminated along with baccalaureate degrees in engineering physics, electronics engineering technology, manufacturing engineering technology, and career and technical education while the software engineering program is suspended. The Department of Physics will move to the College of Engineering.

Two program specialization were also eliminated: the journalism degree’s media production specialization, and the specialization in park management within the undergraduate degree in park and recreation management.

According to the Nichols, 233 students are enrolled in the soon-to-be-eliminated programs. Chicoine said the university has an “obligation” to those students and will work with them.

“They need the opportunity to finish their degrees,” Chicoine said.

The College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences also received cuts and restructuring.

The college’s Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks will be eliminated. A new department within the college, the Department of Natural Resources, will incorporate elements from the horticulture, forestry, landscape and parks, wildlife and fisheries sciences, biology, and animal and range sciences programs.

Ag-Bio Communications, a service department within the college, along with its nine employees will also be eliminated.

“..part of the staff will be gone at the end of the fiscal year in June, while others will continue until October,” said Lowell Haag, director and production manager for Ag-Bio Communications.

Ag-Bio Communications is responsible for packaging information to be dispersed throughout South Dakota. Nichols said the work done by the Ag-Bio Communication will be distributed to the basic structure of the university, moving to University Relations, Office of Information Technology and the new production studio that will be located in Yeagar Hall.

The Ag Experiment Station also was hit by the budget reductions. Sites in Miller and Highmore will be closed along with two service units: the Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory and the Olson Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory.

“We’ve been kind of in a state of total shock,” Nancy Thiex said referring to the 17 total employees terminated with the closing of the OAASL, a professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences and the laboratory manager.

As a result all the reductions six full-time university faculty positions have been moved from 12-month to 9-month contracts, while 69 faculty research positions in Agricultural Experiment Station 30 faculty positions in Cooperative Extension

Service have been moved from 12-month to 10-month contracts.

Fifty-five employees received layoff notices in the past seven business days —14 from the university, 31 within the Agricultural Experiment Station and 10 from Cooperative Extension Service offices on campus. Another 27 positions will be eliminated through vacancies, and 8.8 retirements will be part of the overall reductions, bringing the overall number of positions eliminated to 90.8.

Another 99 employees laid off from the Cooperative Extension Service as part of a reorganization that takes effect in October. The restructuring plan calls for SDSU Extension to establish seven regional extension centers across the state staffed by extension field specialists, a new job classification. Extension educators will no longer be located in county extension offices, and the position of educator will cease to exist. Current appointments for all county extension educators will terminate on Oct. 21 following the conclusion of the 4-H year, Achievement Days and State Fair.

Though 99 people have been let go, only 17 job positions have been deleted. With the restructuring, 82 positions will need to be filled, and a national search will be conducted.

The Fiscal Year 2012 budget marks the third consecutive year state general funds to higher education have been cut by South Dakota’s state government. For the Board of Regents, the cut is $27.8 million since Fiscal Year 2009, a 15.6 percent reduction. State funding over the same period has been cut more than $1.7 million to AES and more than $1.2 million for CES.

Emma DeJong and Kristine Young contributed to this report.

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The Collegian launches new website and smartphone application

Tony Gorder — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:45:26 +0000

Hello and welcome to The Collegian’s new and improved website.

We’ve been hard at work over the past months preparing this new site and our smartphone app.

We are excited to give you — our readers — a site that offers unfiltered and accurate coverage of SDSU in a way that’s easy to navigate, mobile and pleasing to the eye.

As usual, The Collegian’s new website will have all the content available in the print edition and exclusive online multimedia content. But with this new site, making updates and adding multimedia is much easier, allowing for more timely and interactive news.

In order to post comments, you’ll need to register by clicking the registration link at the top of the page.

If you scroll down to the bottom-right side of the page, you’ll notice links to various campus resource websites — such as D2L, MyStateOnline and WebAdvisor — making the new www.sdsucollegian.com the go-to site for all the needs of any SDSU student. Forget about searching Google and the SDSU website for those links: bookmark our site as your hub of all the information and resources you need.

Along with the new site, we also have a smartphone application, available at sdsucollegian.isites.us for the Apple iPod and iPhone and in the Android Market for Android users. Now you can have The Collegian wherever you go.

So start clicking and explore the new site. Download the app. And follow us on Twitter, @sdsucollegian and @collegian_live, and Facebook, facebook.com/thecollegian.

Tony Gorder, editor-in-chief
Emma DeJong, managing editor
Elizabeth Reiss, opinion editor

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Sudoku – 03.30.2011

Tony Gorder — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:16:34 +0000

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Crossword 03.23.2011

Tony Gorder — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:51:00 +0000

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