Student Life
University examining religion absence policy
The University of South Dakota might soon recognize more religious holidays and funerals as excused absences under a new attendance policy. Currently, the university’s policy asks students to notify professors two days prior to missing class for university-related absences. Gerald Yutrzenka, co-chair President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness, said the council has introduced a resolution […]
Ernetta Fox mixes family experience with helping students
Ernetta Fox didn’t originally intend to work with Disability Services. The current department director graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in theatre. After teaching at a university in Texas, she moved back to Vermillion to care for her mother, who was disabled From there, she transitioned into working professionally with individuals […]
Roommates team up for charity marathon, fraternity challenge
Sophomores Sheldon Moysis and Shane Hansen, roommates in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house, both had ‘run a marathon’ on their bucket lists. Neither thought it would become a reality — certainly not the way they are doing it now. The two are halfway through their training to prepare for the Eisenhower Marathon in Abeline, […]
Active shooter training in community could mean fighting back
Virginia Tech. Columbine. Newtown. All could be considered shorthand for mass school shootings that sent shockwaves through the United States. Schools and offices, in their wake, have widely adopted a fairly typical lockdown procedure: sound the alarm, call the police and wait behind locked doors. But some security experts believe this approach is insufficient and are offering a […]
Campus dining undergoes changes to improve student experience
The University of South Dakota has undergone several changes with the expansion of the Muenster University Center and national food chains being brought to campus to offer more choices to students last spring. When students arrived back to campus in January, more changes had occurred in the MUC with campus dining. Sophomore Mitch Branjord noticed […]
Complaints lead to ‘Yote Float return
Despite the University of South Dakota Student Services’ quiet last call for ‘Yote Floats in December, the ice cream social resumed Tuesday after a number of student complaints about the cancellation of the event came pouring in last week. Lindsay Sparks, director of transitions and student programming at Student Services, said the weekly ice cream […]
Tyler Larson makes his mark on men’s basketball
Senior guard Tyler Larson sent 16,000 rowdy Creighton fans into a hushed hysteria when he nailed two three-pointers — just six of his 25 points in the game — in the final 10 seconds of regulation to send the Dec. 9 basketball game into overtime. Although the University of South Dakota Coyotes fell short of the upset, […]
Wellness Center usage jumps as new year begins
University of South Dakota students are wasting no time in pursuing fitness resolutions for the new year. According to data collected by the USD Wellness Center, 6,385 people used the facility the first four days of the semester from Jan. 12 to Jan. 15. Steve Mayer, the director of the Wellness Center, said the first six […]
Students say social change depends on education, dialogue in response to nationwide protests
A group of 250 Syracuse University students staged a “die-in” Monday, which lasted four and a half minutes to symbolize the four and a half hours Michael Brown’s body was in the streets of Ferguson, Mo., following his death. More than 150 protesters, including many UC Berkeley students, were arrested the same day following a march […]
Nearly 600 students to graduate Saturday
As students gear up for finals week, a collection of seniors will also say goodbye to the University of South Dakota as they move forward in their careers at an alternative time compared to the typical May graduation date. There are 375 undergraduate and 200 graduate students participating in the 39th Winter Session Commencement Saturday, which […]