Included in the Jackrabbit were the photos of each individual student, their year in school, and their home town. The majority of the yearbook, however, was made up of profiles of student groups, academic departments and almost every person and organization that played a role at the university. There were pages with pictures and descriptions of the plays, profiles of each Greek organization, details about what Little I and Students’ Association did that year, pictures of organizations and Capers cast and much more. The Jackrabbit also included art, poetry, and scenic photography of the campus. It was an incredible compilation.

As time wore on, the staff faced some rough patches, and in the last couple years, dwindled to a group of just three or four students. The volunteers, in conjunction with The Collegian, fought hard to maintain the Jackrabbit. However, with a tight budget and inadequate help, the publication’s quality declined, and students no longer saw the value in the diminished Jackrabbit. In 2002, SA officially put an end on the Jackrabbit by cutting its $62,000.

Today, one decade after its demise, The Collegian and the Students’ Association are looking at what it would take to re-initiate the Jackrabbit yearbook – this time in a digital form. How exactly it would take shape is as yet uncertain, but there is a movement to bring it back. If you would be interested in helping bring back an SDSU legend, one that was a tradition for over a century, please let us know. We will need all the help we can get. I can be reached at (507) 220-0506. Thank you for your interest.

The unit is a unique geographic zone in an area where the southern Black Hills transition into the high plains. Deep ravines, rock strewn slopes, tree covered hills, dry creek beds and Angostura Reservoir dominate the landscape.

The incredible diversity of terrain makes this area a haven for deer. Whitetails fill the creek beds and lake shore, while mule deer wander the dry hills and ravines.

I arrived at my destination along the north bank of the Cheyenne River just before dawn. As I opened my door and felt the chill of the early morning air on my face, the last vestiges of sleep melted from my body. I felt invigorated; my rifle, a Mannlicher .243, slid from its case in the backseat. I shouldered my backpack, slung my rifle and stepped off on what was to be a rather long walk.

I walked along the river for about a mile as the sun crept closer to the horizon. I had been the first to arrive at the parking area and was fairly confident I would be getting the first crack at territory that hadn’t been hunted since last year.

My plan was to follow the lake use area that extended west from Angostura Reservoir along the Cheyenne River to where it met the southeast corner of a section of the Black Hills National Forest. Once there, I would hunt for mule deer. It was about a six-mile walk to the forest and I looked forward to every minute of it.

Three miles into my walk, I realized I wouldn’t make my destination before sun rise. I turned north off the river bank and found a hill to sit on, so I could watch for deer as the sun rose over the horizon.

It was a fairly short detour, but the hill was steep and by the time I made it to a decent vantage point I was short of breath. I found a nice little ledge just under the top of a ridge line so I wouldn’t be silhouetted against the skyline. The sun rose and birds chirped, my binoculars found a pair of whitetail does making their way along the opposite bank. A flock of turkeys flew down from their roosts, yelping as they hit the ground and regrouped. Still, I didn’t see what I was really looking for.

I sat for about 45 minutes before I resumed my trek. I decided to stay up above the river bed for the rest of the way. It slowed my progress but I was rewarded for all the hard work with my first mule deer sighting of the day.

About 500 yards to the north
on the side of a cliff, I saw a
group of about six does picking their way to a tree-lined ravine. Behind them, with his nose to the ground, mouth open and tongue hanging out was a little spike buck
thinking he’d just hit the jackpot. I smiled, shook my head and kept walking.

I spent the rest of the morning climbing up and down creek beds and ridges being as quiet as I could. I didn’t see another deer until later that afternoon. By then, I was deep in the national forest struggling through a steep-sided ravine. The sky was a deep azure blue above me and the temperature had risen about 20 degrees, needless to say I had started to sweat.

I leaned against a tree for a rest and took a drink from my Camel-bak. As I looked up from the drinking tube, I found myself face to face with another small muley buck, this one was only 20 yards away. His antlers were narrow and carried only three points per side. I leaned up against a tree and watched as the little guy stamped and snorted, trying to figure out just what the heck I was. It didn’t take long for a gust of wind to confirm his suspicions and he bounced away as only a mule deer can.

As I climbed out of the ravine I noticed a spot of hunter orange high above me on ridge to the north. It was my turn to be
disgusted and much like that last little buck I snorted and turned my back to the hunter.

About an hour later I was on top of a ridge eating lunch and staring down a set of ominous dark clouds quickly approached from the west. I could feel the temperature drop as the sun disappeared behind the approaching storm. There was no way I was going to  make it anywhere near my truck before it hit, so I dropped behind the ridge out of the wind, found a tree and lit a fire.

Luckily the storm was fast-moving and short-lived. Less than an hour later I was back on my way and headed toward the truck. By this time, I had traveled close to nine miles and was starting to feel it. I decided to make for the river and take the easy road out. It wasn’t long before I found myself once again on the flat ground of the river bed.

Still thoroughly enjoying my trip up the river, I began to plan for the next day. I was in the middle of deciding what I would do differently when I heard a commotion on my left.

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I turned, unslung and shouldered my rifle in one smooth practiced motion. My right eye found the scope and the reticle settled on the shoulder of a mule deer buck. He was silhouetted against the sky at the top of the ridge he’d just run up, his antlers looked like they were going to poke holes in the clouds. My heart skipped a beat and I pulled the trigger during the pause.

The rifle boomed and bucked against my shoulder. My trigger hand worked the bolt chambering another round before I had time to think about it. For a moment I had the sinking feeling that I’d missed the mark. Then my eye caught movement through the scope and I watched as the biggest mule deer I’d ever taken rolled back down the ridge.

All traces of exhaustion were instantly replaced by elation. My fists punched the sky and I shouted my joy to the high heavens. I would never forget that moment as long as I lived.

As I approached my deer, it became clear just what I was dealing with. His antlers, while sizable, weren’t massive. His face was grizzled, grey and covered in battle scars. His body was easily in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. And I was still five miles from my truck.

Yes, it is a big deal.

Running back Dominique Clare said quarterbacks are “like second coaches.” O’Brien was more than just a typical player – he was a leader of the team.

What is forgotten in the hysteria – online, in the media and in the stands – is that O’Brien is a student who happens to wear football pads.
SDSU made drastic changes to its athletics department in the last decade, ushering in a new era: a Division I program competing against the likes of Nebraska, Minnesota, Kentucky, Iowa State and Arkansas through a variety of sports. It is understood that SDSU wants to compete, and succeed, at this level.

Perhaps no one faces the weight of that desire for success more than the starting quarterback on the football team. O’Brien faced it from every angle – from fans, coaches, teammate and peers. He maybe felt eyes peering at him whenever he walked in The Union.

When the Monday night news broke out, teammates responded.

“I think there’s a lot of unnecessary blame and pressure put on him … and a lot of times it’s not necessarily his fault,” Clare said to The Collegian Monday.

Other players spoke about the situation via Twitter, all resoundingly supportive.

It is unknown what the consensus is amongst fans. But there is a lesson at play here from this storyline of a young quarterback from Winona, Minn., who helped lead SDSU to a playoff berth for the first time in 30 years, who threw 69 touchdown passes in his high school career, who was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference honor roll for his efforts as a student.

We can clamor for a winning team and a successful program, but we must understand the pressure placed on all players on the sidelines, on the bench or in the dugout. We can boo or we can cheer. We can be mad when they lose, joyful when they win – we are all watching a game being played.

O’Brien played a game and, by all accounts, was committed to winning. When he thought the situation turned too ugly, he made a life decision.

Maybe it is a cliché, but football is not everything. Wide receiver Dale Moss said it best in a tweet Monday:

“…at the end of the day we have a life outside of sports.”

Stance: Fans should consider that Jackrabbits are not professionals. They are student athletes.

Editorial Board:
Emma DeJong, Editor-in-Chief
Drue Aman, Managing Editor
Laura Cox, Opinion Editor

We are excited the school year has finally begun, and we’re ready to provide you with critical and dependable news and entertainment.

When you open up the paper throughout this year, plan to read everything from game coverage to play reviews to political debates. Some topics to look forward to this semester include:

• An in-depth look at religion on campus

• Regular coverage of SDSU’s budget situation

• Up-to-date information about campus expansion

•    Feature writing on new SDSU faculty members

•    A look at the health of SDSU students

As the prominent news provider for the university, we commit to keeping you informed about decisions authorities make and how those decisions will affect students.

This is not an easy time for SDSU. We are making up for a $3.825 million budget cut announced last spring that’s impacting the university today.

Through these tough times, though, we commit to keeping you in-the-know. We will provide you news and entertainment with our weekly print product, as well as exclusive online coverage, video and – for the first time ever – podcasts.

Thanks for reading, watching and listening.

History is happening all around us. What began in Algeria, spread to Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. Revolution, the People’s Revolution, has now etched itself into history as a time when the people threw off their shackles of oppression and peacefully ousted tyrannical dictators. The exceptions being Libya, but the rebels have little choice to fight when confronted with armed government retaliation, whether by soldiers or mercenaries. The world watches 24 hours a day as reporters embed themselves in Egyptian crowds and follow the resistance of Libyan rebels fighting Gadhafi. We watch our State Department praise these resisters and denounce the leaders who had ruled for decades as dictators of nations. This is exciting. Most people can get behind the empowering of people over oppression and evil.

In this continuous media blitz in our 24 hour media lives, one speech given by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been glossed over. This speech, given on Feb. 15, highlighted the brave Egyptian protestors and condemned an oppressive government that attempted to silence its citizens. This speech was interrupted briefly by a man named Ray McGovern. McGovern, a military veteran and former CIA analyst of 27 years, is part of an organization called Veterans for Peace. He chose to remain standing during Clinton’s speech. No noise, no fanfare, just McGovern standing with his back to her while everyone else sat. Approximately 30 seconds into the speech, McGovern was tackled by two police officers, forced out of the podium area, and arrested for disorderly conduct.

The irony of this moment is that McGovern’s peaceful resistance to the U.S. government’s role in two simultaneous wars was violently squashed by the same people who were fighting for foreigners to peacefully protest their governments. The media goes so far as to label him a “heckler.” The only moment that McGovern spoke during this debacle was during his abrupt removal from the area when he said, “this is America?”

This is America? What poignant words. What is America? Last semester, I took a class that attempted to define America. The class walked away with no clear definition but it remains in my mind an ideology. America stands for freedom and equality, the ability to come from nothing and become anything. Millions strive to escape nations to live “The American Dream.” But is the American Dream still the American Dream? Are we still a free and open society?

The U.S. Patriot Act expired this year. Heard of it? This is a highly intrusive bill sold to the American people as keeping our nation “safe.” In our Post 9/11 world, fear is the universal motivator. This bill, which was originally intended to be provisional, was signed into a temporary extension by President Obama almost 10 years after its initial inception. Among other things, the bill allows for roving wiretaps on American Citizens to include phone conversations and private email. Even your library records are fair game to government agencies under this bill and have been for almost 10 years now. So the government can legally spy on you, citizen. This is this America?

I wrote an earlier article about the Department of Homeland Security “teaming” with Walmart to help combat terrorism in aisle 7. Asking you, citizen shopper, to report suspicious activity without defining what or who is suspicious. This creates an environment of mistrust and fear of fellow shoppers, not protecting you from foreign terrorists. The Department of Homeland Security asks you to report your neighbors now. Why would they do this? East Germany spent many decades living in a closed, monitored society and that was one of the most repressive governments of the 21st century. Our nation of the free is now mirroring this fascist government. This is America?

It is not the America that I found in class last semester and it is not the American that I, Roy McGovern, and every other veteran fought for. It is definitely not the America we grew up in as children. So what is it? That is hard to answer. We live in hyper-violent times that are constantly in upheaval. We are fighting two simultaneous wars, one lasting almost ten years and the other eight. Our political parties wage war against each other, which divides the people on arbitrary issues and ultimately pits citizen against citizen. The economy is in shambles and gas prices are rising and so on and so on… This is now America.

Jon Weiler is a non-traditional student majoring in English.

Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Westboro Baptist Church to protest outside the funerals of soldiers. They say that god is killing soldiers because of the United States’ “acceptance” of homosexuals. Apparently to them “acceptance” involves passing laws against gay people’s right to marry the ones they love.

As far as the Westboro Baptist lunatics’ right to protest goes, I begrudgingly have to agree with the Supreme Court’s decision. Those dirtbags have the same rights as all other straight people have in this country.

This is where it gets confusing to me. The Westboro Baptist bigots are universally reviled for their disrespect for fallen troops because of their hatred for homosexuals. Yet our former president proposed a constitutional amendment that would define as marriage as a heterosexuals only institution.

The message I am hearing is “We agree with the Westboro Baptist Church that homosexuals are less than citizens, we just have a problem with their choice of venue.”

This should not be a liberal or a conservative issue but the lines seem to be drawn that way. I am quite liberal and not shy about it, but I can find common ground on some conservative platforms and even agree whole heartedly with a few libertarian ideas.

Gay marriage is one topic I have never heard a single compelling argument against.

Churches that didn’t acknowledge marriage between same sex couples wouldn’t be forced to host gay weddings. God’s magical marriage spell isn’t a prerequisite to equal rights.

One argument I hear a lot is, “if we allow gay marriage we would have to allow polygamy.” Again, who cares? If some adult falls in love with more than one other adult, good for them. Doesn’t change my plans to play Dungeons and Dragons and watch Arrested Development all weekend.

Another argument I hear is “if we allow gays to marry then we have to let people marry animals or pedophiles marry children.” Wow! That sure escalated fast! So gay people are suddenly sexual predators? Why can’t we just allow adults to marry adults and continue to not let adults marry children. It seems like a fairly obvious place to draw a line. As far as marrying animals goes? Seems fine to me. As long as they aren’t abusing the animals it doesn’t seem like a problem to me. I mean, I consider my dog Gunner a friend, (totally platonic), but I doubt he has ever thought of me as anything other than the guy that feeds him.

All the other arguments I have read or heard get so far out on a limb that I don’t feel like I need to refute them.

Most of peoples’ problem with gay people is a problem of them feeling uncomfortable about gay people. Heck, I feel uncomfortable around anyone, gay or straight, being affectionate in public, but feeling comfortable isn’t protected by the government. Our rights are what matter. Whether it is the Wesboro Baptist’s right to spew their hate speech at grieving families or the right of gay people to be equal under the law.

The way I see it, since we cannot take away those hate mongers’ rights the best way to stick it to them is to give rights to all our fellow citizens.

The newly elected leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Kristi Noem, have launched the most devastating legislative assault on preventative health care in American history. Just over a week ago they voted to eliminate the national family program called Title X, which has provided millions of people with preventive care since 1970.

At a time when more and more young people cannot afford health care due to increasing costs and a struggling economy, the House leadership voted to completely gut the programs that provide preventive care, including birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) to millions of people. These cuts will directly affect the family planning clinic on campus and 14 other Title X-supported clinics in South Dakota.

If they really cared about saving money, they would know that family planning programs like Title X are fiscally sound. For every public dollar invested in family planning, taxpayers save nearly $4. Yet, 240 members of Congress don’t seem to care.

This is not just a women’s issue. All students need to be aware of this attack on prevention, under the guise of “budget cuts.” Being able to remain STI and baby-free requires responsibility of all parties involved.

We need to send a message to the extreme House leadership to get back to what they promised to do 8212; create jobs and fix the American economy. I urge Senators Johnson and Thune to reject this assault on prevention and restore Title X funding to South Dakota.

Michael VanBemmel

Senior

Computer Science