Editorial: D-Days is Better than Hobo Days
Vermillion and Brookings have a long-standing rivalry and there could be an argument over which school is better (spoiler alert: it’s USD). But there is little doubt that USD’s Dakota Days is way better than SDSU’s Hobo Days.
From the names alone, USD is the better option. Dakota Days makes sense. We live in South Dakota and we are celebrating our school spirit on homecoming. Hobo Days does not have any connection to SDSU.
Why are SDSU students dressing like hobos? Their mascot is a jackrabbit, what is the point of having Hobo Days and dressing up? Why are they adding another mascot for one week? It seems weird to dress up and build a cardboard house during the week you are celebrating your school.
Not only is this Hobo tradition strange to have for a week, they are also a little classist to make fun of people experiencing homelessness. Hobo has since become a derogatory term used to describe homeless or vagrant individuals. Traditions like making cardboard houses and dressing up like a hobo just reinforces harmful stereotypes.
From a brief glance at both school’s websites you can see the activities USD provides for its students and community are better than SDSU. USD boasts a street dance, talent show, fireworks and other events run by the school and student organizations. There are lots of different events for people of all ages to take part in.
The first thing on SDSU’s Hobo Days website is telling its students not to shave for a month. At the end of the month they vote on who has the best, worst and patchiest beard. As well as who has the longest, softest and roughest leg hair. Why is this an actual tradition at SDSU?
Students at SDSU also participate in “bum a meal” from people in Brookings. They sign up and are sent to go eat with a random family in Brookings.
There are of course some regular activities like a parade and pep rally that all homecoming festivities need, but what is going on in Brookings?
Dakota Days might not be everyone’s favorite, but we can all agree it is far better than what those people up north are doing.
