COVID-19: Check on your loved ones

The COVID-19 outbreak has already had enormous effects on the U.S. The pandemic has caused mass hysteria, panic and stress on people around the country. The explosion of COVID-19 cases has caused many states to shut down non-essential businesses, parks, beaches and other public places. Left jobless, many people are cooped up in their houses […]

3 mins read

‘A mixture of sadness and gratitude’: College of Fine Arts adjusts to online learning

Singing for a large audience, showcasing artwork in a packed gallery and acting in a crowded auditorium are just a handful of things that won’t be happening in the College of Fine Arts this spring. Since classes are now strictly online and all university-sanctioned events are canceled, USD’s musicians, artists, singers and actors are getting […]

4 mins read

Club quarantine: Celebrating birthdays while social distancing

Twenty-first birthdays — and birthdays in general — are counted down and anticipated for most people. The right of passage of going to the bar with friends has been taken away from people celebrating their birthday during self-quarantine. USD students are still finding a way to make this year’s birthdays special, despite not being able […]

3 mins read

Nursing majors transition from eight hours of clinicals to four hours online

This is the second part of an ongoing story on the transition to online learning. Nursing majors are required to complete over 200 clinical hours before they graduate. Due to COVID-19, the program transitioned from hands-on learning to at-home Zoom classes with the rest of USD.  Under normal circumstances, nursing majors complete eight hours of […]

4 mins read

South Dakota reaches 108 cases of COVID-19

As of Tuesday, South Dakota reached a total of 108 cases of COVID-19, 44 of which have recovered, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. Clay County recorded its first case of COVID-19 on March 28 according to an email from USD University Relations. The email also stated as of March 28 there are […]

2 mins read

University housing during social distancing

Not all USD students can go home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are international, while others won’t have sufficient internet access to complete classes online. Once the majority of students have moved out, USD plans to consolidate the ones who can’t leave into two residence halls for the remainder of the semester. Kate Fitzgerald, director […]

2 mins read

Vermillion Police adapt to coronavirus

With social distancing being recommended, some crimes in the Vermillion area have increased while others have decreased. Matt Betzen, chief of the Vermillion Police Department (VPD), said he began to notice the trend of certain crimes going down and its impact on the type of calls being received. “Unfortunately we have seen an increase in the […]

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How COVID-19 compares to past pandemics

Correction: The graph and previous version of the article state that the Swine Flu of 2009 caused 151 million deaths, when there were actually 151,700-575,400 death according to the CDC. The Volante regrets this error. COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China in December of 2019. Since then, the disease has spread to more than 600,000 […]

2 mins read

Vermillion sees first case of COVID-19

On Saturday, March 28, Clay County reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The individual is a 20-30 year old woman who is currently self-quarantining in her home.  This individual reported mild symptoms and was tested through Sanford Health Center’s curbside testing site, according to Time Tracy, CEO of Sanford Vermillion Medical Center. The case […]

1 min read