The Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a plan to authorize the South Dakota Board of Regents to spend more than $200 million in the next 10 years to construct new buildings and either renovate or demolish existing buildings at state universities.

The projects at the six universities, including SDSU, would be financed by up to $107 million in bonds, which would mostly be covered by students. No state tax dollars will be used to fund the projects and private donations are expected to cover the rest of the costs.

The bill will now be passed on to the full Senate for final approval.

Leah Dietel looks to shoot in the first half of the Jacks' 88-43 win over NDSU Feb. 18. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

It’s still raining in Brookings.

SDSU nearly tied a school-record for three pointers with 15 and dominated rival NDSU for the second time this season in a 88-43 win at Frost Arena Saturday. The win guaranteed the Jackrabbits at least a share of the regular season conference championship in the Summit League.

“Obviously, we haven’t done it since I’ve been here and we haven’t done it for a while but it was definitely a big game for us to lock that up,” Ashley Eide said.

The stat of the day told the story: SDSU had 15 made three-pointers. NDSU had 15 made field goals for the whole game.

Seven threes fell for the Jackrabbits in the first half but SDSU was in a battle with the Bison over the first eight minutes of the game. NDSU led 14-13 but the Jackrabbits went on a 13-0 run and that’s where NDSU coach Carolyn DeHoff cited her team’s struggles to hang with the Jacks.

As if the game was not already in hand at the halftime break, the Jackrabbits launched a 23-0 run to stretch the lead to 41 points and helping continue the recent string of dominance over the Bison. Saturday’s victory makes it 13 wins in 14 tries for the Jacks over NDSU.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with who we were playing but I think we jsut connected really well today. We found the open people and we got our inside-out game really going today,” Steph Paluch said.

SDSU's Rachel Walters battles NDSU's Abby Plucker (left) and Jennifer Lopez in the Jacks' 88-52 win over the Bison Feb. 18 / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

Once the game was in hand, the contest drew comparisons to the matchup earlier this year in Fargo, where SDSU shot the proverbial lights out and knocked out NDSU early in the second half. Even then, the Jackrabbits led by 20 at halftime and after holding NDSU to 27 percent shooting, SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston credited his defense.

“It’s been the best thing we’ve done all year, the way we’ve defended and the way we’ve rebounded. We’ve been exceptional defensively,” Johnston said. The Jackrabbits finished plus-18 in the rebounding category.

Twelve SDSU players recorded time in the blowout and 11 scored at least two points. Paluch led the Jackrabbits with 18 points, followed by 17 points from Jennie Sunnarborg and Eide. Jill Young rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points.

Not known for their defense or rebounding, the Jacks stepped it up in both departments for a program-first win over Buffalo, 86-65 in front of 5,378 fans at Frost Arena Saturday.

SDSU's Brayden Carlson drives past Buffalo's Zach Filzen in the first half of SDSU's 86-65 win on Feb. 18. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

Behind a stellar 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds from Nate Wolters and 21 points from Griffan Callahan, the Jackrabbits won the battle underneath the hoop and finishing with a 35-31 advantage in rebounding in a game where SDSU never trailed. That led the Jackrabbits to pick up the first TV win for The Summit League in the BracketBusters event.

“It was a great experience for our kids. They have worked so hard to get this game at home and play in front of everybody and they took full advantage of it,” SDSU head coach Scott Nagy said. “It has to help the university to show our logo and we have a great logo but it has to help the university and it definitely doesn’t hurt our program.

The Jackrabbits broke the game open with a 15-3 run over an eight minute stretch in the first half and led 31-18 with two minutes left before the halftime break. Taeveunn Prince’s put-back tip-in at the end of the first half gave the Jackrabbits a 38-26 lead at the end of the first half.

The Bulls entered the game third in rebounding nationally, with 42 rebounds per game. The Jackrabbits rank in the middle of the Summit League in the same category. But SDSU was far more aggressive in the first half, with SDSU’s guards accounting for 15 rebounds, while Buffalo’s bigs has just five in the first 20 minutes.

“We spent a lot of time on that. We just put our bigs on their bigs and let the guards come in to get the rebounds,” said Tony Fiegen, who has the scars to prove it after taking an elbow to the side of the head, requiring a handful of stitches at halftime.

Buffalo was able to close within eight nearly midway through the first half on a pair of Zach Filzen three-pointers but the Jacks busted the lead back to 14 with 12:06 left on a three from Griffan Callahan and sinking long ball from Wolters. The lead would never be in doubt from that point on and the Jackrabbits made it 15 straight wins at Frost Arena dating back to last season.

Tony Fiegen shoots over Buffalo's Javon McCrea in the first half of SDSU's win over the Bulls on Feb. 18 / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

“The crowd was amazing. They really got going and they really helped us get going and we just fed off of each other,” Callahan said.

Few things phased the Jackrabbits. Not the national broadcast, or the noon start, nor the foreign opponent. In few words, they woke up and played ball.

“Once the ball goes up, none of that stuff really matters,” Fiegen said. “I think [the early start] helped some of us come out and play loose. We were ready to play today.”

With two regular season home games preceding the Summit League tournament, Nagy wants his team to stay crisp and play with an “edge.”

“Today we were where we need to be. If we keep this edge and play this way, we’re pretty tough to beat,” he said.

A large crowd of 5,389 enjoyed an SDSU victory over Buffalo during the BracketBusters game Feb. 18. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

New cheese manufacturing facility will provide opportunities for future dairy science students to gain real-world experience in their field of interest. (submitted photo)

Bel Brands USA announced plans earlier this month to build its third dairy manufacturing facility in the nation in Brookings.

The company plans to invest approximately $120 million in the new plant, which could bring about 400 new jobs to the city as well as several opportunities for SDSU dairy science students.

“This is huge,” said Vikram Mistry, dairy science department head. “The benefits go beyond just the act of working in a plant. A company of this stature brings in experience for the students right here at their doorstep.”

Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., Bel Brands is known for Laughing Cow cheese wedges and Mini Babybel cheeses. General Manager Lance Chambers said the company has grown significantly over the past few years, and the new Brookings plant is “essential” to meet the demand for Mini Babybel cheeses.

“The robust South Dakota dairy industry and its hard-working Midwestern values make Brookings an ideal location for our new plant,” Chambers said.

This will have a significant effect on the dairy program at SDSU, Mistry said.

Dairy science students will be able to find more opportunities to gain invaluable experience while working toward their degree. Because Bel Brands is an international company, Mistry said it would help increase global awareness and professional experience for the students.

“I think it speaks very highly of our faculty, our students and the university (that Bel Brands chose Brookings),” he said. “The opportunities for future students are immense.”

Working at a start-up factory like the one coming to Brookings can offer students an insight into real-world problems, said Austin Asche, a junior dairy manufacturing major from Hutchinson, Minn.

“You can really gain practical knowledge on the problems and difficulties you have starting up a plant,” Asche said.

He pointed out that a large-scale dairy plant would require a large supply of milk to make their products.

“They’ll need more cows to fulfill the milk requirements,” Asche said. “That means opportunities for production students to expand their farms.”

Students will not be the only people benefitting from having a major dairy plant in the local area. Mistry said the dairy industry itself would be impacted with more well-trained SDSU students entering the workforce.

He added that recognition from Bel Brands will make it easier to continue recruiting high-quality faculty and staff, which also benefits the dairy science program overall.

“People like to establish their careers where there is excellence,” Mistry said.

The SDSU wrestling team experienced its own devastating loss  Thursday night in Frost Arena, being swept by the University of Wyoming, 45-0 on senior night.

Wyoming, ranked 7th nationally, improved to a record of 9-3 (5-0 in the Western Wrestling Conference), while the Jacks slide to 4-9 overall and 0-6 in conference.  Thursday’s dual match marked the end of the regular season for SDSU.

Throughout the match, there were brief moments of glory on the side of the Jackrabbits, including Nick Flynn’s match, which went down to the wire before going into overtime and losing 7-2, once riding time factored in.  Although Flynn, the lone senior on the team, did not win his match, he felt that there were still some positives to be taken away from the meet.

“I just wanted to give it one last, hard fight.  It’s been an enjoyable experience for me, and now I’m looking ahead to Regionals,” Flynn said.

The Jackrabbit wrestlers could not find a foot to stand on, as they dropped all ten of their matches, four of which were determined by fall.  Wyoming boasted some of the top wrestlers in the country, including senior Joe LeBlanc, the number one wrestler in the country for the 184 pound weight class.

“When you’re that good, you’re just that good,” said head coach Jason Liles.  “They were pretty salty.”

Despite the numbers on the scoreboard, Liles felt that the team has shown marked improvement this whole season, and especially in the last two weeks.

“We’re miles ahead of where we were even a year ago.  These last four meets have been real close, and we were in position to win the majority of them,” he said.

The Jacks will now turn their focus to the looming West Regionals, hosted in Cedar Falls, Iowa on March 4th.  SDSU has several wrestlers that could make some noise at the regional level, including juniors Aaron Pickrel and Dustin Walraven.  For these final weeks of practice, the Jackrabbits will be focused on getting healthier and being rested for the match.  In this time off, the team hopes to find more motivation and enthusiasm for their final competition of the season.

“We have to bring our A-game,” Flynn said. “We’re a really talented team; we’ve just had trouble doing the right thing on the mat at the right time.  When the lights go on, we’re going to have to put it all together.”

They will be located on the main level of The Union after the expansion is complete.

Anthony Sutton, Students’ Association vice president, said the university used results from a student survey to make the selection.

“I’m excited that we’re going to have a blend of national options and local options,” he said.

Chick-fil-A was founded in College Park, Ga., during the late 1940’s and is one of the nation’s largest privately owned restaurant chains. As the name suggests, this fast food chain is all about chicken. They use 100 percent pure breast meat and cook it in peanut oil to reduce trans fat.  The chain sold more than 282 million Chick-fil-A sandwiches in 2010, and on Jan. 9 the company announced more than $4 billion worth of sales for 2011.

Panda Express is a division of the Panda Restaurant Group headquartered in California. The first Panda Express opened in 1983 in Glendale, Calif. The chain’s first university location was opened 10 years later in 1993 at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Extreme Pita was founded by brothers Alex and Mark Rechichi in 1997 in Ontario, Canada. The company quickly expanded through Canada and in 2003 opened its first U.S. location in Arizona.

Wednesday night, they took “beating the Bison” to a whole new level.

Powered by a 30-point performance by Nate Wolters, the Jacks obliterated NDSU in convincing fashion, 80-57 in front of 3,303 fans at Frost Arena. It marks the first time in the last six meetings in Brookings where the Jackrabbits defeated their northern conference foe.

Nate Wolters drives to the basket in the second half of the Jackrabbits' 80-57 win over NDSU on Feb. 15. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

“We were good defensively tonight and when we’re good defensively, we’re hard to beat,” SDSU head coach Scott Nagy said.

The array of superlatives in the win is vast. The Jackrabbits had three turnovers Wednesday night, easily a season-low and it marks the first time since 2003-04 the Jackrabbits swept the regular season against the Bison.

Wolters had 22 points in the first half and finished the game with 30 points on 14-of-18 shooting and finding a level of red hot play that is rare even by his standards.

“I played pretty well and hit some jump shots. I had been struggling with my jump shot and that helps and got into a good flow,” Wolters said.

The Bison struggled to take care of the ball. SDSU gained 17 points off of 11 NDSU turnovers and the Jacks took the ball away a total of 16 times.

“You have no chance to survive a performance like that if you’re giving up layups in transition,” Bison head coach Saul Phillips said.

Coupled with the first half performance of Wolters and 12 points from Jordan Dykstra, the Jackrabbits constructed a 43-24 lead at halftime, placing the Bison on the long list of Summit League foes that have found no answer for SDSU in the first half at Frost this season. Wolters added eight more and found a spot on the bench, recording just 28 minutes and watching the reserves close the game out.

NDSU’s Lawrence Alexander led the Bison with 20 points but was sidelined for much of the first half with two early fouls. A freshman making his first appearance in the close quarters of SDSU’s home, Phillips said he was a little rattled.

“Don’t underestimate the newness of coming into a place like Frost, in this environment, in this rivalry, for a kid that’s seeing it in the first half. It’s going to happen. Unfortunately, it happened in a way where we weren’t able to recover,” Phillips said.

SDSU now has at least the number-two seed in the Summit League tournament locked up. Nagy won’t let his team coast for the next few weeks.

“If you wait until then, you won’t be able to turn it back on. We have to keep it on and every game we play now has to be directed toward what we want to be able to do in the end,” he said.

Now the focus turns to Saturday’s home game against Buffalo, who entered the day fourth in the nation in rebounds per game. The Jacks finished the game minus-12 in rebounding margin against the Bison, the one area that SDSU was not very good in. That will be the emphasis for SDSU heading into their nationally-televised BracketBusters game this weekend.

“I think Saturday will help [elevate SDSU’s play], playing in an ESPN game and our players should be excited about that. If that doesn’t excite them, nothing will,” Nagy said.

3,303 fans watched SDSU defeat NDSU, 80-57 on Feb. 15 at Frost Arena. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

Not more than five minutes later, I get my first comment. I was expecting it to be a fellow meat eater commenting on the truth the picture illustrated, but it was one of the few vegetarians that I’ve become friends with.

With that being said – I don’t care what you eat. You could eat paper for all I care and I’ll still be your friend. What you eat is your own personal choice, but don’t think that I’m a terrible person because I don’t eat what you do.

As the conversation continued, I read comments from both sides of the situation. I was really taking it all in. I love when people show what they are passionate about, but I don’t like when people try to tell me what I should be passionate about, or that I’m wrong for choosing what I eat.

I will admit, I have contemplated becoming a vegetarian. I don’t see anything wrong with this choice. You are, after all, still supporting farmers. I feel that vegetables are an important staple of the diet, even if it’s potatoes. I did the research but I knew it wasn’t for me.

I couldn’t take away from what my family instilled in me when it comes to the importance of supporting our local butcher shop, of knowing where our food comes from, or the dedication, time, and labor that goes into getting the steak or pork chop from field to table.

After I finally chimed in on the situation, moderating the above facts I stated to you, peace finally arrived. I learned a few things about this situation. Here is what I would like you to take away from this.

1) Don’t start a debate if you don’t want to defend what you stand for.

2) Don’t de-friend someone on Facebook just because you don’t see eye-to-eye. That’s just stupid. If we all did that, we wouldn’t have Facebook.

3) Don’t push what you believe in on other people. Instead, try to educate people on why you chose the lifestyle you did.

4) It doesn’t matter what other people think or say, because if you are truly happy with what you’re doing, nothing else matters.

5) I don’t mind vegetarians. We are, after all, human.