Students from Brookings ‘proud’ to be Coyotes

With the annual football game against SDSU this Saturday, students around campus are preparing to defend the Dome.

Several students from Brookings, SD, home of the Jackrabbits, are looking forward to the game and said they’re proud to be Coyotes.

Feeling at home

Lauren Kratz, a junior medical laboratory science major, said the reason she chose USD was because SDSU didn’t seem like the right fit for her.

“Although I grew up in Brookings, SDSU never felt like home,” Kratz said. “I came here (USD) the summer between my junior and senior year for Girl’s State and when it came to applying to colleges, I didn’t even think about applying to SDSU.”

Coming to USD from Brookings was a different transition for Krantz, but she said it’s worth it when USD fans find out she’s from Brookings.

“I’ll wear my USD gear around town and people will look at me and ask, ‘Aren’t you from Brookings?’ and I say, ‘Yes, yes I am,’” Kratz said. “And I have a lot of friends that still go to SDSU.”

Jacob Meyer, a junior elementary education major, said he chose USD because he fell in love with the campus.

“I didn’t really want to go to school 10 minutes from home, wanted to give something else a try, meet some new people and this place fit the bill,” he said.

Meyer said he grew up cheering for the Jacks.

“I attended a lot of Jackrabbit basketball and football growing up, it’s a little different in Brookings, the whole town gets involved,” Meyer said. “It’s a whole town affair and I saw a lot of Jackrabbits sports growing up.”

Coyote pride

Josh Sorbe, a sophomore political science major, said he lived in Brookings for 14 years, but chose to attend USD.

“I was recruited by the athletics department, and the political science department did a really good job of reaching out and showing me what they had to offer,” Sorbe said. “I just decided that coming down to Vermillion was the option for me.”

Sorbe said the transition from Brookings to Vermillion wasn’t easy.

“It was difficult, especially considering I was coming here for athletics, and the big rivalry between the two athletic departments,” Sorbe said. “I definitely got some eyerolls, I got some scoffs and some disappointed faces when I told people that I committed to USD.”

Growing up in Brookings, Sorbe had been a Jackrabbits fan since he was young.

“I look back at pictures and I had SDSU swimming and diving T-shirts when I was younger and some Jackrabbits stuff, just because you grow up in Brookings for so long, the community supports the school a lot,” he said. “So, I grew up an SDSU fan, and then once I started looking at schools, I kind of realized maybe I shouldn’t do that as much anymore.”

Although he grew up seeing blue and gold, Sorbe said he isn’t afraid to show his USD pride when visiting home.

“I love showing off,” Sorbe said. “Last year I was skeptical to put a USD bumper sticker on my car because I was scared it would get vandalized, but I said you know what, I’m just going to do it. I’m proud of the Coyotes.”