Roots and Shoots is SDSU’s newest student organization that focuses on environmental conservation and stewardship.

SDSU’s chapter of Roots and Shoots is a local branch of an international organization founded in 1991 by zoologist Jane Goodall and 16 Tanzanian students. The international group focuses on doing projects that improve conditions for humans, animals and the environment.

“Roots and Shoots is a youth-driven organization that is all about helping animals, the environment and the community,” said senior biology major and club founder Courtney Hicks.

According to the Roots and Shoots foundation’s Web site, RootsandShoots.org, all organization members must “undertake service projects in their communities to make a positive difference for people, animals and the environment.”

Since the group was recognized last year, it has been hard at work doing just that. So far the group has taken trips to zoos, read books about conservation to elementary school students and has made enrichment toys for animals at zoos.

“We have had a great time doing the activities that we have done so far,” said Hicks. “We are looking into doing trash pickups and activities at the Watertown zoo and with the Watertown chapter.”

The SDSU group hopes to do several activities, including mentoring, with the much younger Watertown chapter.

“It’s great to see people with similar interests meet, people whose paths might not have crossed before,” said Roots and Shoots adviser Kendra Hill, an assistant professor of biology and microbiology.

The group was brought to SDSU to offer all students, not just biology majors, a way to get involved and help out the environment.

“I thought that it was really neat that Roots and Shoots focused so much on animals,” said Hicks. “There are a lot of environmental groups out there, but there wasn’t really one at SDSU that focused on the animals.”

Although the group may be small in numbers, it has been hard at work doing things for Hobo Day, Hicks said.

“We will have a float in the parade with the Watertown chapter,” said Hill. “We also have members doing Bum-a-meal, collecting cans and have already decorated Allegra Print and Imaging downtown.”

As for the overall goal of SDSU’s chapter, Hicks said it is about getting different people together to raise awareness about animals and the environment.

“It’s all about getting people together and empowering them to make changes,” said Hill.

For further information, check out the Roots and Shoots Facebook page.

#1.881364:3986741011.jpg:DSCF6002.1.jpg:Roots and Shoots members from left to right: Chelsey Loney, a junior biology major, Courtney Hicks, club president and senior biology major, Lou Hohertz, freshman English major, Mercedes Smith, a sophomore sociology major, and Kyle Mustain, freshman computer science major.:Jiajun Yang

Local illusionist Reza Borchardt has been entertaining audiences with magic since childhood. Now the magician, whose show name is just Reza, has turned his hobby into his profession.

“I saw a magician perform at Hillcrest Elementary when I was an student there,” said Reza. After that experience, Reza eventually transformed from an awestruck child to a nationally touring illusionist.

Now that Reza is a professional illusionist touring throughout the United States, he cannot picture himself doing anything else.

“Performing illusions and seeing people’s reactions to them is the only thing that I want to do,” said Reza. “I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else. I could never work a desk job.”

Today Reza describes his shows as “a rock concert meets a magic show.”

“It’s magic, illusions, humor, plus lights and sound all mixed into one show,” said Jenna Sogn, a sophomore graphic design major from Canton, S.D. “It’s just so many different kinds of show all wrapped into one.”

“I love doing shows at colleges because the students are very relatable,” said Reza, who once studied at SDSU. “But we get audience members of all ages? kids with their parents, seniors and businessmen too.”

Although the illusionist is better known for his large-scale hijinks, like his signature trick of making a Kawasaki ZX12 motorcycle magically appear in his show’s opening number, Reza also specializes in illusions on a more personal level.

“It’s the things that he can do before your eyes that you can’t mistake that show that he is truly an artist,” said Karissa Grotenhuis, Vice President of Marketing at the Branson Agency (the company in charge of booking shows for Reza). “It separates the artist from the magician.”

Reza, who creates all of his own illusions, says that he will get an idea and then work to make the illusion possible.

“I will get ideas from everywhere,” said Reza. “It usually takes several years to make the illusion a reality.”

As far as the idea of moving away from Brookings, Reza admits he has thought about it. However, he claims that Brookings will always be his home base.

“It’s nice to come back from a tour to the chillness of Brookings,” said Reza.

Reza formerly did a large-scale show in Brookings every year, but now he has taken the show away in order to grow it and bring it back eventually.

Though Reza has humble beginnings, he has big plans for his show.

“We have had a lot of offers for TV, but you have to wait for the right one,” Reza said.

No one may know what the future holds for Reza, but it is clear that the present holds many opportunities for entertainment.

“I love what I do,” said Reza. “Even though it is hard, it never feels like work.”

#1.881451:979877655.jpg:Reza 1.jpg:Brookings based illusionist Reza has traveled around the country and performed his show to sold-out crowds.:Ryan Robinson

The parchment is thinner and the ink a little less bold, but the Constitution of the United States is still in use more than two centuries after it was written.On Sept. 17, the Constitution of the United States will celebrate its 222nd birthday. And while the year 1787 may seem like an eternity ago, the Constitution still affects the lives of U.S. citizens every day.For example, the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, cover everything from freedom of speech to freedom of the press and freedom of religion.The following are just a few of the things that citizens would not be able to do in this country without the help of the Bill of Rights:

Criticize the Government:The freedom of speech allowed in the first amendment allows citizens to say what they want about how the government is running and about how elected officials are doing their jobs. “Even though I don’t follow the government’s activities closely enough to fairly criticize them, I like that the opportunity is there,” said Erin Tommeraasen, a senior math major. Own a firearm:Without the second amendment, the ability of Americans to own firearms would be uncertain. “It is an essential American right, whether it is for protection or sporting activities or wildlife control,” said Kathryn Strandell, a psychology major from Springfield, Va.

Choose a faith:Another essential part of the first amendment is freedom of religion. “Religion is a completely personal choice, and I am glad that the Constitution allows us to choose or not choose our own faith,” said Rachael Body, a junior advertising major from Luverne, Minn.

As far as the nuts and bolts of the Constitution go, there are seven articles to the U.S. Constitution and 27 amendments. The 17 amendments outside the Bill of Rights also provide Americans’ rights, such as the ability to:

Vote:Everything from the voting rights of African Americans and women to adults 18 and over is protected by several amendments. “I thank the 19th amendment for allowing me to have a say in my government by giving me the right to vote,” said senior Kaitlynn Krack, an environmental management and biology major from Hayti, S.D.

Elect a Senator:Thanks to the 17th amendment, the people of each state are able to elect their own senators. Prior to this, they were appointed officials. “Our constitutional values give us the right to elect our own senators, so it is important to take advantage of that right,” said Katie Hill, a sophomore undeclared major from Spirit Lake, Iowa. Have a Drink:Although the 18th amendment started Prohibition, the 21st amendment repealed it and allowed alcohol to be legal once again. “I appreciate the fact that I can go out and have a drink after a rough week of work and school,” said Molly Peterson, a communication studies graduate student from Brookings.

Constitution Celebration

SDSU is hosting a talk entitled “Is the U.S. Constitution Still Relevant in the 21st Century?” to mark the 222nd birthday of the document. The talk will feature a panel of three local experts and will be given on Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. in the Briggs Library, Room 105.

For more information, check out the National Constitution Center’s coverage of Constitution Day at http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_progs_Constitution_Day.aspx.

As of July 1 the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the College of Education and Counseling and the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation merged to become the new College of Education and Human Sciences.

“We made the change to bring together different programs and faculty that have similar goals,” said David Hilderbrand, Interim Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Previously the Physical Education major was in the HPER department, which was in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Early Childhood Education major was in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Teacher Education was in the College of Education and Counseling. Likewise the Nutrition major was in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, but the Health Promotion major was in the HPER department in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The academic programs affected have not been changed,” said Hilderbrand. “We are just bringing related disciplines together for greater collaboration.”

The new college was then proposed in 2009 and made effective as of July 1, said Hilderbrand.

The result is the College of Education and Human Sciences which consists of around 150 employees 2,300 undergraduate students and between 400-500 graduate students, said Hilderbrand.

Ayla Waldschmidt, senior music education major, said the merger is a “valid crossover between the former colleges.”

Jerry Jorgensen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, calls the Health, Physical Education and Recreation program’s move from the College of Arts and Sciences to the new College of Education and Human Sciences very fitting.

“HPER aligns better with the mission of the new college,” Jorgensen said. “The department will flourish in the new setting and continue to grow stronger.”

With the new college comes a new mission statement: “To develop the human potential by advancing teaching, learning and scholarship for the purpose of enhancing individual, family, school and community well-being.”

Hilderbrand said that there has not been much reaction from the students yet, but activities are planned for students in the new college to get to know each other.

College of Education and Human Sciences

The new college now contains seven departments, including Aviation; Counseling and Human Resource Development; Health, Physical Education and Recreation; Design, Merchandising and Consumer Science; Educational Leadership; Human Development; Nutrition, Food Science and Hospitality and Teacher Education.

Students returning to campus should be sure to check out the South Dakota Art Museum’s current exhibits. The museum features seven different galleries full of art for students and community members to enjoy.

“Students are actually considered members of the museum,” said John Rychtarik, South Dakota Art Museum Curator of Exhibits.

This means that students receive a ten percent discount on purchases in the store and on any museum workshop.

In addition to the store discount, Rychtarik says it is a nice place to “hang out and look at exceptional art.”

One of the exhibits of exceptional art that is currently up features Dale Bendel, an artist from Gary, S.D. Bendel’s exhibit, “Centaurs and Flappers”, features original paintings and sculptures, including a full-sized carousel horse.

“Bendel is sort of a well-kept secret as an artist. He has done a lot of woodwork, but this is his first real show as an artist,” said Rychtarik.

Dianne Hawks, the museum’s Marketing Specialist, said the exhibit is part of an ongoing South Dakota Artists series at the museum and will be up until Dec. 13.

Another exhibit that is currently up at the museum is “Works on Paper.” According to the exhibit’s brochure it contains “thirty-eight pieces by thirty-six artists.”

“‘Works on Paper’ consists of an assortment of photos, paintings, drawings, illustrations and 3-D work,” said Hawks.

The collection is owned by the museum and will remain hanging until Sept. 20. It will be followed by a collection of contemporary quilts entitled “Don’t Fence Me In”.

“The contemporary quilts are more like small fabric collages,” said Rychtarik. “These quilts feature western motifs and have used very interesting techniques and subject matter.”

An exhibition of Amish Quilts will be coming to the museum from the International Quilt Studies Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. This exhibit will be titled “Collector’s Eye”.

“Because the Amish did not believe in mechanized sewing machines, these quilts are all hand sewn,” said Rychtarik.

The quilts on exhibit are all from the 1880s to 1900s. “They are neat not only because of the age and craftsmanship, but because the quilts were handmade from the very first steps of weaving the cloth to the finished product,” said Hawks.

The Amish Quilts exhibit will be featured until April 18.

Another cloth exhibit on display is the “Marghab Linen Collection”. The collection is a grouping of linens that were distributed to many of the finest salons throughout the world during their time. The collection is from a donation of one of the Marghab Linen Company’s founders, Vera Way Marghab of Watertown, S.D.

According to the exhibit’s pamphlet, “‘The Marghab Linens’ are an example of how quality materials and expert skills, when combined, produce beautiful yet functional works of art.”

The linens on display are from the early 1900s, and will be changed out for further selections from the collection on Jan. 17.

There will be an Oscar Howe exhibit titled “Paintings from the South Dakota Art Museum Collection” beginning this week.

Howe is a contemporary Native American artist from South Dakota that has become very important in the art world, said Rychtarik. “His art is a bridge between the white and native cultures.”

Rychtarik calls the museum’s collection a “good representation of the works that he did.” The current display will be up until June.

The current Harvey Dunn exhibit at the museum features illustrations and is entitled “Select Works”. This exhibit contains approximately one-third of the museum’s Harvey Dunn collection.

“These 30 selections are ones that are not often displayed,” said Rychtarik. “It’s a good representation of his work as an illustrator.”

The basement of the art museum features the work of children’s author and illustrator Paul Gobol. This exhibit of the illustrations of his book “Iktomi and the Buffalo Skull.”

“The Iktomi stories are all about Native American traditions for children,” said Hawks.

This exhibit is part of an ongoing display of Gobol books for children.

“The Art Museum is a peaceful place to get away from the hectic life of the student,” said Rychtarik. “We are here for the people of South Dakota, visitors and the students.”

There will be a public reception for the Amish Quilt exhibit and for Dale Bendel on Sept. 11 and will feature Bendel and former SDSU Professor Dr. Harriet Swedlund.

For the past 13 summers, a group of very special people has gathered at the Circle H Ranch to provide a therapeutic horsemanship program to people with developmental disabilities in Brookings and the surrounding area.

STARS, an acronym for Special Training And Riding Skills, aims to teach basic horsemanship skills to its riders while also providing them with physical benefits. The primary objective for the riders, though, is simply to have fun.

“Most of our riders are here for the fun of it,” said Larry Thomas, one of the program’s founders and current STARS president. “There is a therapeutic benefit to anyone who rides a horse, and our riders are no different in that respect.”

Improved range of motion, flexibility and muscle strength are all physical benefits from horse riding. “The motions of the horse mimic the human body’s,” Thomas said. “For some riders, this is as close as they can get to the feeling of walking.”

To qualify for the STARS program, potential riders must have a developmental disability and must have the consent of their guardians and doctors. Last year the program had 46 riders and nearly 60 volunteers.

“It takes three volunteers for every rider,” Thomas said. “We have one person who leads the horse and another two people, one to walk along each side of the horse.”

STARS is currently looking for volunteers for the fast approaching summer sessions. STARS meets for two sessions every Tuesday and Thursday night from June 19 to August 31, but does not meet the week of July Fourth. They usually have around five rides every session and will meet at Dick Halstead’s Circle H Ranch located between Brookings and Volga. To volunteer with STARS, stop by Advance and pick up an application or call 692-7852 to have one mailed to you.

Beginning in the fall semester SDSU will offer something for international students that it hasn’t really offered in the past – a housing community.

The International Residential Campus Community, or IRCC for short, will be located in Bailey Hall as a part of the University Apartments and will offer 15 international students specialized housing to meet their unique needs.

The IRCC will be open to all international students, not just incoming students, said Michael Kervin, SDSU’s Director of Residential Life.

The four apartments that compose the IRCC will be located on third floor Bailey and will offer additional supplies to international students. Silverware, plates, bowls, glasses, basic cookware and a donated used TV will be checked out to each apartment in addition to the furniture that usually accompanies the Bailey Hall apartments.

“There are certain items that you don’t think about bringing with you when you go abroad,” said Kervin. “We would just like to offer them an opportunity to acclimate to the Midwest.”

The IRCC will also have an ambassador that will act like an RA for the community. The ambassador will live in one of the apartments and will coordinate programs and trips for the residents in the community. Destinations could include places like Pierre, Mt. Rushmore or the Mall of America. This person may also work with area families to find fitting host families for each international student. Ideally students could go to a host family’s home to share a meal a few times a month, and to spend some time with over holiday breaks.

By locating the IRCC in Bailey Hall, each group of students will have a kitchen where they can prepare their own ethnic foods as well as foods similar to those prepared at campus dining facilities. This provides an option that is not available in many of the traditional residence halls.

Kervin would like to emphasize that involvement in the IRCC is strictly voluntary, and that no student is mandated to live in the community.

“Put yourself in their shoes,” said Kervin, “Sometimes international students may be here for five years without ever visiting home.”

One of SDSU’s largest student organizations only gets to shine one weekend a year. March 30 and 31 is the weekend those students will put an entire year’s worth of planning into action.

Little International, otherwise known as Little I, is an annual tradition at SDSU that incorporates high-school and college students as well as advisers, alumni and families. According to this year’s manager, Dustin Mohrhauser, last year’s event attracted between 200 and 300 college students and around 1,800 high-school students from 75 different high schools.

In addition to being last year’s assistant manager, Mohrhauser, a senior animal science major, first became involved with Little I through 4-H and FFA nearly 15 years ago.

Assistant Manager Crissa Zenk has also been involved with Little I for quite some time. The Wagner native and junior agronomy major had been involved throughout much of her childhood, beginning around age eight.

Not all staff members have been involved since childhood, though. Ashlea Paul, a junior health promotion major, grew up in Swea City, Iowa, and did not hear about Little I until she watched it as a high-school senior. Since coming to SDSU, Paul has been involved with Little I for three years, including three staff positions and competing in the pig division of the showmanship and fitting competition. This year, Paul oversees photography, writing the catalog and scoring and tabulation.

Paul says that Little I is a good experience that gets people involved in different activities.

“People come from all over to meet in one place for agriculture,” Paul said. “It really is a family event.”

While Little I is an annual event at SDSU, other universities around the country also hold their own Little Internationals. Zenk lists North Dakota State University, Kansas State and Michigan as examples.

At SDSU, 113 students work on staff, plus three advisers and numerous contributors from the community participate, she said. In total, Zenk estimates between 300 and 350 people are involved in putting this year’s event together.

Although most of the staff are animal science majors, a few are not. April Lewis is a first-year staff member. A parks and recreation major, Lewis first participated in Little I through FFA at her high school in Garretson. She now works as a scoring and tabulation assistant.

Other majors on staff this year include sociology, nursing majors and several others. Mohrhauser says that the array of majors on the Little I staff varies form year to year, and all staff members bring different aspects to the table.

An event that has been around for 84 years is bound to have a few traditions.

been around so long that they seem like [they are] tradition,” said Mohrhauser, “But the only three things that have been around since the beginning are the red barn that we use for a background, the white picket fence around the arena and the green wood chips.”

The wood chips, which the students dye green, are mixed using the cow-calf unit’s feed mixer. It is done during the week of Little I, and can become time consuming, said Mohrhauser.New for this year’s Little I is a meat products contest, in which participants will create a summer sausage. The top three creations will be auctioned off at Saturday night’s event, Mohrhauser said.

Little I now has a scholarship fund for the champion and reserve champion round-robin showmanship competition and has brought back the draft horse division of the showmanship and fitting competition.

Zenk, who will manage next year’s Little I, said the committee is looking to increase participation next year among alumni, community members and students not already involved in the college of agriculture and biological sciences.

“We would really like to see Little I become more of a campus-wide event by getting students in other colleges involved,” Zenk said. The committee has looked at adding additional contests to accomplish this.

For more information, including ways to get involved with or compete in Little I, visit the SDSU Web site and search “Little I.”

Last Friday’s snow caused many cancellations, but it didn’t stop members of Phi Upsilon Omicron from conducting their community service project by helping out the Boys and Girls Club of Brookings.

Phi Upsilon Omicron, which serves as the National Honor Society for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, has a themed professional project every year. “This year’s theme is ‘Many Paths Same Destination,”‘ said senior dietetics major and Vice President of Phi Upsilon Omicron, Veronica O’Leary.

The group started brainstorming ideas for the project in November, and broke into smaller groups based upon their majors from there. Each group then created an activity related to their majors that would be suitable for kids to do, said Phi Upsilon Omicron’s president and senior nutritional sciences major Brittany Gorres.

In the past, the group has worked to bridge the gap between young adults and the elderly, said O’Leary. But this time the group decided to work with middle-school students.

“We decided to work with middle-school students because they haven’t started to really think of what they are going to do after high school yet, and we wanted to give them some ideas of the options that are out there for them,” said Gorres.

Upon deciding that working with middle- school students would be best, the group chose to volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of Brookings. The group found that it was a good place for their project because there are a lot of middle-school students there, said Gorres.

The end result was four different stations with hands-on activities for the sixth through eighth graders of the Boys and Girls Club to go to. Each group’s project seemed to go over well with the kids.

The groups of four to five middle-school students spent fifteen minutes at each of the stations where a small group of SDSU students talked to them about the different majors available in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, then guided them through an activity related to that station’s major.

Not only were the students having fun, but they were learning at the same time. At the Nutrition, Food Science and Dietetics group’s station, the kids learned how to read a nutrition facts label, and about career options within that major.

Creativity also came into play with the Interior Design station. At this station, the sixth- through eighth-graders were able to design their own kitchen, and color it in their own motif.

The Human Development group chose a project where the kids set out to create a timeline of their life that included their life-long goals. For this activity the kids focused on major life events that both have and have not yet happened.

The middle-school students also had a chance to discover through creatively playing with a homemade etch-a-sketch, experimenting with food coloring and corn syrup, and becoming amused with a mixture of corn starch and water at the Early Childhood Development station.

“The kids seem to really like [the activities],” said Gorres. Gorres also said, “[The kids also] found them particularly enjoyable due to the hands-on element [of the activities] which allows them to learn through the activities.”

Independent study courses at SDSU offer students an opportunity to explore an area of interest that may not be covered by a class that is currently offered.

Most departments have independent study courses designated as special problems courses, said Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Kay Helling.

She said a student works one-on-one with a faculty member in a particular department to create the independent study course. The student and faculty member would then come to an agreement upon when and how to complete assignments and projects.

“Students work closely with a faculty member on a particular topic that may be of interest to [the student],” Helling said.

Independent study courses are currently being placed under the x91 course offering in WebAdvisor and the course catalog; students may register for them only with “department written consent,” Helling said.

According to Helling and the SDSU course catalog, independent study courses are available as both graduate and undergraduate course offerings and usually range between one and three credits. However, they may not be used as a substitute for a required course or for a thesis or dissertation.

Many departments currently have independent study courses but participation does vary from department to department, said Helling.

Although most independent study courses are one on one, Helling said that small groups could potentially work on an independent study course together.

If you are interested in an independent study course, Helling suggests that you start by contacting your academic advisor or department head.