MEET YOUR CLASSMATES: First-year juggles Greek life and sports

Most college first-years take their first semester slow, wanting to spend their first few months adapting to the new college atmosphere and focusing on their studies that usually have very little to do with extra activities.

For first-year Paden Hunt at the University of South Dakota, there is no such thing as having too much to do. Not only is a lot of his time taken up with his class work, but he is also involved with multiple organizations on campus and still has time to help people out and have a social life.

First off, Hunt is involved with Greek life.

“I’m a pledge for Beta Theta Phi,” he said. “The greatest fraternity ever.”

Not only that, but Hunt is a tight-head prop on the USD’s rugby team.

“During scrums, I am the one to try and push the other team back so that we can kick the ball, so that we can gain possession,” Hunt said. “I’m also the guy that makes tackles so that we can retain possession of the ball.”

Hunt went to his first rugby practice knowing only one thing about the game; the ball was funny looking. But now, he knows that he wouldn’t give the game up for the world.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was for me until I went to my first game and then I knew I was going to have to be carted off the field,” he said. “There was no way I was going to quit.”

This rugby enthusiast is also a member of another organization on campus known as Go Teach, which focuses on teaching students how to teach at rural and low-income schools. Hunt knows that he would like to go back to his hometown of Burke and teach history.

“I’m a double major in history and archaeology with a minor in coaching and sports education,” Hunt said. “I’ve always been geared more toward high school level teaching or even teaching at the college level. History has always been my easiest subject, so I thought I’d like to try and make it fun for more kids.”

With all these things going on in his life, one would think it would be hard to make time for a social life, but Hunt has successfully been able to juggle all of these aspects of his life without falling behind with his schoolwork.

He has made many friends at USD and enjoys hanging out with them as much as possible.

“There are a few friends on this floor that I think I’ll keep probably forever,” he said.

Another lesser known, pastime of Hunt’s is the amount of time he spends helping other people.

“I’m always looking to help people with what they need,” he said. “It’s really hard to find that nowadays; a guy that would drop everything he’s doing to help someone else and to help keep them sane.”

Hunt has a varied set of interests and hobbies, and hopes to grow as a person as he continues with his education at USD.