Feature
New dollar store opens on Cherry Street
As Dennis Whipple and Sarah Stewart unpacked merchandise and staged it on shelves and hangers in preparation for the opening of their dollar store, Whipple came across a handful of selfie sticks and questioned some of the product selection of his new store. “When I saw that, I said, ‘We’ll never sell this,’” he recalled. […]
USD English professor named S.D. poet laureate
South Dakota has a new ambassador of poetry. University of South Dakota professor Lee Ann Roripaugh was named the new poet laureate for the state of South Dakota over the summer, and will foster prose reading and conduct reading/writing workshops throughout the state for the next four years. Roripaugh grew up in Laramie, Wyo., and […]
Miss USD prepares to compete for state title
For one University of South Dakota senior, persistence has paid off. Stephanie Fischer, a communication sciences and disorders major, won the Miss USD competition held Feb. 8 in Aalf’s Auditorium after competing the past two years and getting first runner up. “It’s kind of just a thing where people you know push you to do it and […]
New campus group focuses efforts on supporting child cancer patients
When junior Morgan Moe found out her mom was diagnosed with cancer last summer, her life changed. She was attending the University of Lincoln-Nebraska, but decided she needed to be closer to home in Sioux Falls to be with family. After living in Sioux Falls and attending the University Center while her mom underwent treatment […]
Entrepreneurs strive to create next “big thing”
Michael Helgerson is after the next “big thing” in technology. The 31 year-old Vermillion native and senior business major said his new idea could revolutionize the way college students interact with universities. QUICKcampus or QUICKclass, a smart device platform, would provide indoor directions and information regarding news, student events, athletic events and student organizations via […]
Understanding attraction, sexual and romantic orientations
University of South Dakota students are celebrating LGBTQ+ communities during this year’s Pride Week. USD’s LGBTQ+ group on campus, Spectrum: Gender and Sexuality Alliance, is hosting the events all throughout the week. The Volante compiled a quick guide about terminology and the different types of attraction and orientations, as you can feel attracted to different […]
USD alum Whitesock overcomes addiction, named a Bush Fellow
David Whitesock’s undergraduate experience at the University of South Dakota was a little bit different than the rest of the student body’s. “I lived in Brookman Hall, which as a 29-30 year old who lived in an apartment much of his life, living in that environment was tough,” Whitesock said. “But my whole day could […]
Speech and debate team to compete at national tournament
Five members of the University of South Dakota speech and debate team will travel to the University of Ohio in Athens, Ohio to compete in a nationwide tournament April 16-20. The team, which is affiliated with the American Forensics Association, currently competes in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and attended eight regional tournaments this […]
Music majors perform recitals to graduate
To earn some degrees students have to submit a paper or project to graduate, but for music majors a special requirement must be fulfilled. Every year junior and senior music majors at the University of South Dakota perform at both vocal and instrumental music recitals to fulfill their graduation requirements. Rick Rognstad, professor of music at […]
Language department chair draws from West Point, ballet experiences to teach students
Three months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Laura Vidler couldn’t shake off the urge to serve her country in some way. She didn’t come from a military background and didn’t know if she had what it took to be in the military, but she knew she had to contribute to her devastated country one way […]