Academics
Students prepare for midterms, testing philosophy varies by professor
As the halfway point of the semester nears, many students are preparing for their midterm exams. However, not all professors administer tests the same way. Brennan Jordan, a science professor, believes tests are more of a teaching tool than a testing tool. “Midterm exams give the students incentive to review material that they have been working […]
Law students, faculty celebrate milestone during first pinning ceremony
With lapel pins on the breasts of their shirts, USD law students celebrated the six-week milestone of law school during a ceremony. At the ceremony on Oct. 8, first-year law students recieved a lapel pin of the law school’s insignia. The law school hopes to turn the ceremony into a tradition to allow law students to […]
USD student debt, default rate lower than national average
With an average of $26,000 worth of debt per student upon undergraduate graduation, USD is a less costly education when it comes to the national average, according to new data released by the Department of Education. Earlier this month, the department released their College Scorecard website, which compiles data on more than 7,000 higher education institutions […]
Rushmore Public Policy Institution aims to inform students, publish undergrad work
Students will soon be able to publish their own public policy articles at USD. The Rushmore Public Policy Institution, a new student organization on campus, is looking to publish the work of students. Junior Dustin Santjer, the group’s founder, said the organization serves multiple purposes. “(Rushmore Public Policy Institution) is two different things. It is […]
USD to be first South Dakota public university to host TEDx event
USD is in the early stages of planning a TEDx event, the first public university in the state to do so. TEDx is an individually-run TED talk that provides students, staff and faculty with an opportunity to listen to community members speak on important, globally-relevant issues. TED is a nonprofit organization that produces educational content for many different topics […]
Honors students will offer free ACT prep course to high school students
Working to find its niche in the community, the USD Honors Association is working to prepare high school students for the ACT. HA President Joshua Arens, a junior, said he’s excited for the new ACT program to make an impact on high school students, as well as the organization’s progress as a whole. “We’re obviously […]
Politics class offers ‘platonic buffet of knowledge’ through alternative learning methods
In Marshall Damgaard’s South Dakota Politics course, there are no tests, quizzes or lectures. Class meets just once a week, and students aren’t required to attend. But the classroom is always full with students ready to learn something new. Damgaard said that’s because students have been learning in classrooms since they were very young, and […]
USD physics team uses germanium to detect dark matter
Throughout the universe a substance exists that can’t be detected with a telescope, and the only evidence of it is the effect it has on visible objects in space. A team of USD research faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students are growing germanium crystals to make detectors that will help detect and study dark matter […]
Printing press class looks to publish works
USD students looking to a pursue a career in publishing now have a hands-on class in which to improve their skills. The Astrophil Printing Press is an independent publishing house created by USD lecturer Duncan Barlow. Its establishment goes back six years, but this is its first year being taught as a class on campus. […]
School of Education hosts first of new monthly events
After returning from a mission trip where she worked with children and adults with disabilities, sophomore Whitney Barnes determined she had found her passion to be a special education teacher. “I kind of just realized it was something I want to do for the rest of my life, so hopefully that’s the direction I’m going […]