Students’ actions have resulted in more supervision and fewer commodities at Larson Commons, one of SDSU’s main dining halls.

There have been cases of property destruction, messes left on tables and food taken out of the dining hall.

The most recent incident occurred when a student stole the handle to the milk machine.

Cy Fixen, the Students’ Association senator for the College of Pharmacy, said the milk machine had to be replaced at a cost of $750.

“In the long run, that’s going to cause students to have to pay more for the food,” Fixen said. “It may seem harmless, but it affects everyone.”

Fixen said some students completely disregard the Larson Commons staff. He said it is difficult to regulate what goes on in Larson Commons, but SA is being proactive.

“SA is encouraging students not to confront other students who are causing problems,” Fixen said. “It’s sort of a grass roots thing … We hope students will spread the word by mouth, and tell a [Community Assistant] or Aramark employee when they see vandalism and disrespect happening.”

Jacob Pecenka, a freshman biology major, and his friends eat at Larson Commons on a daily basis. They see a lot of the vandalism first-hand.

“Some people steal glasses to spit their sunflower seeds in,” Pecenka said. “People will put food in their backpacks too.”

However, Pecenka said he has not seen very much disrespect toward the staff.

Sandy Nilegels has worked at Larson Commons for almost nine years. While she cares about the students who come through Larson Commons, she said they can be messy.

“It’s all-you-can-eat here, but you have to take your dishes to the carousel when you’re finished,” Nilegels said.

Larson Commons is set up in such a way that Nilegels finds it difficult to watch everyone.

“I try and keep an eye on them, but you can’t watch them all,” Nilegels said. “I’ve noticed the napkin holders have been disappearing and students have been leaving messes at their tables. You would think at that age they would know better, right?”

Nilegels said she thinks some of the vandalism happens after hours when Larson Commons is only open for students to study and get help from student tutors.

Larson Commons Manager, Eric Elenkiwich, said there is very little supervision after hours, so right now there is not much they can do to punish offenders.

Elenkiwich said they took the TVs down in fear that someone would steal them. He said they would love to put up flat-screen TVs if students can prove they deserve them.

Until the situation improves, there will be increased faculty supervision in Larson Commons.

#1.1825224:3169340075.png:Larson-Mackenzie.png:The all-you-can-eat buffet on campus, Larson Commons, has experienced recent damages and acts of thievery. These occurrences has caused the staff to increase security by having a more watchful eye for potential vandalism.:Collegian Photo by Mackenzie Clayton
#1.1825222:2341135331.png:Larson-CommonsAaron-Stoneberger-21.png:The milk dispensing machines at Larson Commons have been the most recent victims of student vandalism.:Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

SDSU Parking and Traffic Committee reevaluates campus parking and tries to serve students in many capacities.

The Parking and Traffic Committee is one of the many university committees that help serve and represent the entire campus, whether you are a student or faculty member.

“Students might think the committee is out to get them, but I can promise you that it’s not,” said junior Anthony Sutton, the student chair of the Parking and Traffic Committee, Student Association finance chair. “You can’t make everyone happy, but we are here for the students and we really do care.”

The committee designates parking areas and establishes parking and traffic rules, penalties and fees. Some of the objectives include maximizing parking area, maintaining lawful traffic movement and ensuring access for emergency vehicles.

“It’s my job to work with Facilities and Services, write up summaries and agendas and bring up items and issues in the meetings,” Sutton said. “The student committee members and I make sure the students’ voices are heard. If students have questions or concerns, we can share their concerns at the meetings.”

As chair of the committee, Sutton holds many responsibilities, including running the meetings and representing students.

“I wanted to be part of the committee because parking is a hot-button issue, and it’s a lot more complex that you think,” said Sutton. “I wanted to understand the nature of the beast and bring positive change to the committee.”

The committee has already had to accommodate student parking needs this semester.

“We did some shuffling around to make sure we had sufficient and residence hall parking because of the overflow in dayrooms,” said Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Services and committee member Dean Kattelmann.

A parking consultant offered some suggestions for more efficient and effective parking solutions earlier this semester that the committee is taking into consideration.

“Later this year, we will deal with long-term parking issues,” said Sutton. “When you build a building, you have to make parking a major piece of the plan.”

The Parking and Traffic Committee plans on improving and proposing solutions to new issues that come up in their monthly meetings.

Making students, staff and faculty members aware of what the committee does and how to appeal tickets is part of improving communication.

“I got a parking ticket freshman year,” said Tara Kindel, junior journalism major. “I wish I would have appealed it, but I didn’t have time. I wouldn’t even know how to go about it.”

Kattelmann said he thought the Parking and Traffic Committee represents a reasonable voice.

“I think the committee does an excellent job doing what is best for the university,” said Kattelmann. “We look at the big picture decisions.”

Because the committee tries to equally represent the entire population at SDSU, it can be difficult to find a perfect balance.

“Everyone’s needs are different,” said Sutton. “We are trying to find a university-wide solution.”

“I never knew him to be mad or upset about anything.”

Logan Pederson

“He was just about the nicest kid you could find. It was an honor to know him and call him my friend.”

Carter Mack

“Whenever you were with Aaron you knew you were in for a good time along with a laugh.”

Katie Hoekstra

“He would make everything fun. I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at Aaron.”

Liz Ketterer

“Aaron was the type of guy that always cheered me up. Had a witty joke to get me to smile when I was having a bad day. He was that way with everyone.”

Jonathan Treiber

“I really don’t know where to start. The list of reasons why he was such a good person are almost endless. I miss my friend very much.”

Daniel Upton

“Aaron was a super nice guy. He would always do anything to help someone out. All in all, Aaron was an awesome kid.”

Jamie Lorenzen

After an exhaustive search and much consideration, the Jackrabbit Village halls have been named after three exemplary alumni.

When it comes to the Jackrabbit Village, students no longer have to guess what’s behind doors A, B or C. Finally, names for the new halls have been chosen and will no longer be referred to as a letter name.

In a letter to President David Chicoine on July 19, Provost Laurie Nichols asked that the halls be called Velva Lu Spencer Hall, Josef Thorne Hall and Cleveland Abbott Hall. Each name honors a significant person from SDSU’s history. Chicoine accepted the request on July 20 for the matter to be discussed at the Board of Regents meeting on Oct. 14, where all names were recently approved.

According to the letter, Velva Lu Spencer attended SDSU where she received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Sociology. From 1988 to 2003, Spencer served as SDSU’s first American Indian adviser. Her success with retention and graduation of American Indian students was outstanding not only at SDSU, but in the region as well.

Josef Thorne attended SDSU and was a fullback on SDSU’s NCC champion football teams under Coach Ralph Ginn. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1962 but decided to join the army instead as a second lieutenant where he became a helicopter pilot. While in Vietnam, his helicopter crashed when enemy soldiers from the ground fired at it. He was the first South Dakotan to die in Vietnam. For his efforts and accomplishments, Thorne has been hailed as one of South Dakota’s heroes.

Cleveland Abbott was SDSU’s first black varsity athlete. While enrolled, he earned 14 letters. He was a World War II veteran and his most noted accomplishment was serving on the 1946 U.S. Olympic Committee. He coached the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. The football stadium at Tuskegee is also named in his honor where he coached football and served as athletic director until his death in 1955.

Doug Wermedal, assistant vice president of student affairs, said that choosing the names was taken into careful consideration. E-mails were sent to students, faculty, alumni and others to gather ideas for nominees. The suggestions went through a series of considerations and were eventually sent to the Board of Regents for final approval.

Wermedal said each residence hall is now named after “really remarkable people”.

“When Cleveland Abbott attended SDSU, integration hadn’t even started yet, so for the fact that SDSU integrated in 1916 shows a really unique piece of history,” he said. “Velva Lu was quiet but incredibly deep with her advocacy for student success … Josef Thorne did an incredible service to his country when he went and served in Vietnam after declining to play for the Green Bay Packers.”

Students on campus are responding well to the new residence hall names.

“Having a residence hall at SDSU named after Velva Lu Spencer would be a huge honor seeing her work was so prominent for American Indian students,” said Hope Johnson, junior sociology major.

Kyle Harris, a business major and the kicker on the SDSU football team, said it’s great Josef Thorne was selected as a person to name a residence hall after.

“To quit a sport you love … to go oversees and fight for your country is huge and takes a lot of guts and courage,” Harris said. “He’s a hero for what he did, and I think it’s a huge honor to his family and also to SDSU that one of our buildings is named after him.”

When it was announced to the families that their loved ones were going to be honored, Wermedal said “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house”.

“Josef Thorne’s father said knowing that his son would be honored was the best day of his life,” he said.

#1.1717756:3251342487.png:New-Dorms-2-Color-Ryan-Robinson.png:The official names of the Jackrabbit Village Complex residence halls will be Velva Lu Spencer Hall, Josef Thorne Hall and Cleveland Abbott Hall.:Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson

The Alpha Xi Delta sorority house was demolished at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30 after the university bought the land to expand the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building.

“They lived in that house until a week ago, Friday,” said Susan Strickler, housing corporation board president for Alpha Xi Delta. “Once the house was sold, they had to leave.”

The Alpha Xi Delta Corporation of Brookings owned the house, and SDSU purchased the property from the sorority for $270,000.

“Based on a recommendation by President (David) Chicoine, the Board of Regents made the ultimate decision to approve the use of the funds for the construction of the building, the timetable and the scope of the building project,” Chief Financial officer Wes Tschetter said.

In December 2009 SDSU asked the BOR if they could buy the land. This was approved in August by the 2010 South Dakota Legislature and signed by Governor Mike Rounds.

The committee for the EESC building is planning to meet before Oct. 13 and “a contract to the low bid for the building’s construction will be made,” Tschetter said.

“Construction will begin within a few weeks, if not sooner,” Tschetter said.

SDSU’s Alpha Xi Delta’s President Molly Eichenberger said she did not wish to comment about the situation.

Marysz Rames, vice president for Student Affairs, said the university has provided the girls who were living in the house a place to live that is off-campus.

“They are living in property that we have available,” Rames said. “There was support so they would have a place to land.”

ture have not been decided. Strickler said there are still many aspects that still need to be considered.

“The board has to decide what kind of money they want to spend,” Strickler said.

Tschetter said one possibility is that a new house will be built as a part of Greek Village, which is being developed.

“They will likely build a new house but this is the sorority’s decision,” Tschetter said.

#1.1668897:4059791854.jpg:AZD-4-Color-Ryan-Robinson.jpg:Alpha Xi Delta sorority girls watched together as their house was destroyed Sept. 30 to make room for the new engineering expansion. The girls all received a shingle from the house prior to the demolition as a momento, and they tied a rose to the front doorknob of the house as a symbol of love to the house they shared their lives in.:Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson
#1.1668903:1803213533.jpg:AZD-7-Color-Rachelle-Sather.jpg:The Alpha Xi Delta members watch as the demolition crew began work on their sorority house on Sept. 30. Building a new house in Greek Village is a possibility for the members.:Collegian Photo by Rachelle Sather
#1.1668899:1416630752.jpg:AZD-5-Color-Ryan-Robinson.jpg:The new empty lot will be used to build an addition to the new engineering building. The Alpha Xi Delta sorority residents have been relocated to a new building in Greek Village.:Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson
#1.1668901:100057500.jpg:AZD-6-Color-Rachelle-Sather.jpg:Demolition of the sorority house took the majority of the day and brought the attention of many near by students. The Alpha Xi Delta girls were able to salvage all the radiators for recycling.:Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson

Hobo Week will soon be upon us and that means a week of fun and festivities. One of the great traditions of the week is SDSU’s own talent showcase, Cavorts.

Auditions for Cavorts are Sept. 30 from 5 to 11 p.m. in the VBR of The Union. Sign-up is outside the UPC office. Be ready with your talent name, any equipment you will need and contact information.

Cash prizes are up for grabs for first through third place.

“Don’t be hesitant: Sing, dance, act, play, improv, comedy. Anything goes,” said Tom Brinker, 20, showcase coordinator and co-host for Cavorts. “As long as they get into it, it is a talent.”

Brinker participated last year in the talent showcase with a parody of Will Ferrell’s Saturday Night Live cheerleading skit.

Last year, about 20 acts auditioned and ten were showcased at Cavorts. The number of acts will be dependent on the number of entries, Brinker said.

Performances are evaluated by a five-judge, student-panel. Acts are judged on charisma, creativity, showmanship and most importantly entertainment value.

Brinker is co-hosting with Michael Preszler, president of University Program Council and Robin Bickel, Hobo Day Grand Pooba this year.

“I’m really excited about Cavorts this year. It adds to the tradition of Hobo Week,” said Caitlin Hicks, 20, graphic design major from Yankton.

Cavorts is on Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. Everyone is welcome and tickets are $5 at the door or at Info Exchange starting Oct. 11.

“Show us what you got,” Brinker said.

When the Screen Actors Guild came to the South Dakota Film Festival, held in Aberdeen Sept. 9-12, they had a definite plan in mind. The SAG held a seminar to promote the hiring and non-discrimination of Native American actors and actresses from the Midwest. Through this seminar, they were able to give advice to aspiring actors. The ultimate goal was to make the process of breaking into the film industry less intimidating.

“One of our focuses for coming here was to generate interest in hiring Native American actors for film projects both regionally and nationally,” said Adam Moore, associate national director of affirmative action and diversity with SAG.

SAG also was here to promote the fair and equal treatment of Native American actors and actresses, not only here, but across the country.

“In addition we wanted to re-affirm the SAG’s position and assistance in maintaining fair and non-discriminatory environments in the film industry,” said Delanna Studi, a member of the National Task Force for American Indians. “For me as a Native actress, it was important to get out here and show that there is a possibility for success in the industry, and hopefully it will inspire younger generations to pursue their own careers in the industry.”

The presenters of the seminar included Chris Eyre, director of the films Edge of America and Smoke Signals; Rene Haynes, casting director for Edge of America and the Twilight saga and actors Delanna Studi and Brian Westcott, both members of the National Task Force for American Indians.

The SAG is committed to advocating on behalf of Native actors, though their focus is going out into communities where new actors are and where films are being created in order to pull in new talent.

“The tribe I am most interested in is the tribe of fellow actors,” Brian Wescott said. “We are all one group aspiring in the same direction: to improve as actors and create more interesting films.”

The SAG serves many functions. It advocates on behalf of the rights of actors and also creates environments that make it easier for actors to do the best job.

“The SAG is a resource for filmmakers and actors to tell the stories they want to tell in the most professional way possible,” Moore said.

The second half of the seminar was devoted to giving up-and-coming actors and filmmakers helpful advice about how to audition and work professionally in the industry.

“We, as a group, wanted to de mystify the daunting nature of trying to break into the film industry and give aspiring actors and filmmakers the tools and confidence to be able to become successful,” Haynes said.

The underlying focus of this seminar was to build the confidence level of aspiring actors and actresses in their abilities.

“You are your own obstacle to be successful,” Studi said. “If you love the industry and want to be a part of than you need to stick with it.”

During the course of the seminar the group broke down the various aspects involved in becoming successful in the film industry. The final segment of the seminar focused on top ten steps for taping your own audition.

A traffic consultant found SDSU’s parking to be adequate for student enrollment.

Anthony Sutton, parking and traffic committee chair for the Student’s Association said administration hired a parking consultant to evaluate the parking situation on campus last April.

“With all of the changes (to campus), it only made sense to see where we are at (parking-wise) for the long-term,” Sutton said.

Dean Kattelmann, assistant vice president for facilities and services, said SDSU has excess parking space on campus.

“There are over 900 extra spaces and about 7,800 total spaces on campus,” Kattelmann said.

Kattelmann said there are two parking spaces for every commuter tag on campus. Eighty-five percent of the residence hall beds have a parking space.

“Not every student living on campus brings a vehicle to school,” Kattelmann said.

Some students are still unsatisfied with the parking at SDSU.

“I have been able to park on campus twice since buying my parking pass because I’ve had trouble finding a spot,” said commuter This Hammink, a 22-year-old electronics engineering technology major.

In an effort to respond to the student voice and add more lots, a new commuter lot across from Crothers Engineering Hall was paved this summer that will add 295 parking spaces. The lot will be ready for traffic by October’s end.

“It will be nice when the new lot is finally open,” Hammink said.

The lot is not completely finished yet and only the interior spots will be available for parking.

“The perimeter spots will not be open until the final landscaping is in place,” Kattelmann said. “If we continue to have good weather, the lot could be usable in two weeks. We lost a week of construction due to the bad weather.”

Students are proposing more parking changes for the long term.

“I think we should join The Union parking lot with the lot in front of the HPER,” said Rohit Anand, 22, software engineering major from Brookings.

Other changes students will notice on campus include the lot to the west of the Newman Center converted to a complete reserved lot.

Plans are in the works for the lot near the Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to become a remote lot and for pavement of a new motor pool next summer. The current motor pool is located south of the Horse Unit.

This is the first year students are no longer able to purchase parking permits at the University Police Department. Now, all permits are available at the Cashier’s Office, Administration building, room 136.

“The biggest change was switching UPD permit sales to the Cashiers office,” said Eric Haiar, 21, state and local government chairman of Student’s Association.

According to the SDSU Parking and Traffic Regulations 2010 Handbook, the current parking permit prices are; $86, residence hall lot; $152 residence hall reserved; $120, commuter lot; $240, reserved; $80, remote.

A $20 replacement fee for the plastic hang-tag is required for students and faculty that have lost their tag.

Visitors are still able to pick up parking passes at UPD and The Union.

On Sept. 9, the Parking and Traffic Committee met and discussed if SDSU was too lax on their parking enforcement. Also discussed was a recap of how parking decal sales went.

“We were brainstorming ideas to solve different problems handling parking passes by the Cashier’s Office such as the long lines in the Volstorff Ballroom. We don’t have any results as of now,” said Haiar.

The committee is waiting to make a decision to present the idea to SDSU President David Chicoine.

“As of now, the plans have only been vetted to Administration and the Parking and Traffic committee,” Kattelmann said.

Unveiling of the proposed walking campus plan is set for Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. in the Volstorff Ballroom at The Union. The presentation will be open to the public.

#1.1599606:3549500466.jpg:The newly paved parking lot will add 295 spaces for SDSU commuters.:The newly paved parking lot will add 295 spaces for SDSU commuters. Other parking changes include new designations for several lots and a new location to purchase parking pass decals is in the Cashier?s Office, Administration building, room 136.:Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

Students and faculty members returning to school from the summer break may notice a color change of the President’s residence. The Woodbine Cottage underwent a new gray paint job that was needed for repairs to the exterior paint this past summer.

“Roughly five years ago the cottage was painted the dark olive green color with the dark red trim,” said Jennifer Quail, production manager of facilities and services. “Unfortunately the quality of the paint job done at the time wasn’t good, and it should have lasted a lot longer than it did.”

The previous paint on the house began to chip off in many spots and there was also serious sun fading occurring. Decision to re-paint Woodbine Cottage before the paint deteriorated any further was derived by Dean Kattelman, assistant vice president of facilities and services.

Quail, who majored in interior design at SDSU, worked alongside First Lady Marcia Chicoine to decide the color palette for the cottage. Together, they researched styles and colors of houses from the era when it was built in 1887.

“We decided on the gray color because most houses in this region of the time were painted either gray, white or brown,” Marcia Chicoine said. “We have received a lot of good feedback about the new color. People say that it makes the cottage look much bigger.”

The structure that contains the garbage cans is still the green and red, both of which are from the previous paint colors. Marcia Chicoine said it was left it to remind people of what the house used to be colored.

The Chicoines moved into the Woodbine Cottage in January of 2007 when President David Chicoine accepted his position at SDSU. Marcia Chicoine said they have settled in just fine and really enjoy living in the house.

“It’s a very interesting house because of its age,” Marcia Chicoine said. “There’s a lot of open space which makes it very comfortable. David and I spend most of our time in the east porch, although my favorite room in the house is the former music (and) library room just off the main entrance.”

The furnishings in the house are made up by a fairly even mix of the Chicoines’ own items and some that SDSU provided for the cottage. There is a baby grand piano in the main living room and three Harvey Dunn paintings on loan from the South Dakota Art Museum.

“Due to the construction going on in the museum and the lack of space to show works, the museum asked us if we would like to have the three paintings displayed in our house,” Marcia Chicoine said. “Of course we said yes. Who wouldn’t want to have works of Harvey Dunn displayed in their home?”

Overall, the Chicoine’s are content in their color option.

“The gray color adds a distinction to the house and I am very pleased with how the paint job has turned out,” Marcia Chicoine said.

The paint job cost SDSU $17,000 and was done by Califan Painting company.

#1.1599624:2984210835.jpg:A familiar sight to the Brookings community, the historic Woodbine Cottage underwent a color change.:A familiar sight to the Brookings community, the historic Woodbine Cottage underwent a color change to its exterior paint this past summer. SDSU facilities and services assisted in the process of the job, and the Cottage was featured in the 2008 Brookings Home Tour.:Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger
#1.1599628:1559836277.jpg:The Woodbine Cottage on Harvey Dunn Street has been home to SDSU President David Chicoine.:The Woodbine Cottage on Harvey Dunn Street has been home to SDSU President David Chicoine and his wife, Marcia, since 2007. They are the seventeenth presidential couple to reside in the Cottage. It was built in 1887 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. :Collegian Photo by Frederic Cone

I always thought that living in the dorms would be a lot like living in one of the houses from a Harry Potter book. Given the option I would choose to live in Slytherin. I think Voldemort is not evil, just misunderstood. I know I would be upset too if I heard people referring to me as “You-Know-Who” or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” Can you imagine what that would to someone’s psyche? Here comes Tom Riddle (I assume he gave himself the awesome nickname Voldemort after some young wizard teased him about being a half-blooded wizard) walking around the grounds of Hogwarts and everyone screams and scatters. I would tend to get a little angry and hurt by these actions, too. Voldemort just wants to fit in. Oh, and people are all upset about Voldemort wanting to kill Harry Potter. Don’t they realize that Voldemort doesn’t have a choice? It’s a prophecy for crying out loud, and last time I checked a prophecy cannot be changed. But anyway, where was I? Oh, yes; dorm life. I have never moved into a dorm, and the full collegiate experience is nothing without dorm living.

I recently helped someone move into a dorm. The dorm rooms did remind me a little bit of Harry Potter in the sense that they were slightly smaller than the cupboard under the stairs where Harry spent most of his childhood. I risked life and limb to navigate across a sea of freaked-out freshmen, mournful mothers, and frustrated fathers, just so I could help a stranger move into a dorm.

When I got to campus I saw a group of people huddled around a microwave, a futon, and a couple of boxes. The telltale signs were there: this is a student ready to move-in. I went over and explained who I was and what I was doing. The student, sophomore Barry Davis, also introduced himself and eagerly accepted my help (if I were in that situation, I probably would have said, “I don’t know you. I need an adult!”). Together, with Barry’s family, we moved him into a room on the second floor of Young Hall. We got all of Barry’s belongings up in two trips (I think that is an SDSU record). As we were moving in, Barry’s dad explained that this year’s move-in went better than last year’s. Ordinarily, I would have just said “Ok” and left it at that, but the writer’s instinct told me to probe a little deeper. So I asked Mr. Davis what he meant. Mr. Davis told me that last year, as a freshman, Barry brought a lot more items to school and he lived on the fourth floor. I am glad all I had to do was help move a couple of things to the second floor.

I couldn’t live in a dorm room for a couple of reasons. For starters, they’re small. And I don’t mean small as in cozy. I mean small as in I have seen mausoleums with more square footage than dorm rooms. Also, I couldn’t get out of my lease, and if I did get out of my lease, I don’t think my wife would be too happy about us moving into a room on a floor with a bunch of guys.

I do want to thank Barry Davis for allowing me to help him move into a dorm. I am proud to be counted as one of the multitudes who call Barry Davis a friend. It’s true; he accepted my request on Facebook.

Tony Reiss is a non-traditional student majoring in economics. Contact Tony at anthony.reiss@jacks.sdstate.edu.