Only a small part of your life is dedicated to college. Live it up and take it all in as there is always something new to experience at SDSU. These 4 short stories wrote in collaboration with the SDSU Public Relations class for our 2023 Visitor Guide.
It is easy to be a part of a community at South Dakota State, with over 200 clubs, activities, and intramural sports. These campus favorites, including those mentioned here provide a sense of togetherness and unity through the blue and gold.
The Taylor Swift Society is the newest addition to campus and has already amassed a following of Swifties. Student fans of the star drew inspiration from similar organizations at schools across the country and knew they had to create their own for SDSU. The approximately 80 members share a love for Swift and bond through biweekly meetings and on-campus activities such as trivia, concert viewings and lyric analysis.
For 100 years, Little International has cultivated community as the largest two-day student-run livestock exposition in the nation. Student staff members share a passion for the agricultural industry and create their own family through the months-long planning process. Students of all backgrounds can exhibit a chosen livestock species as novices or experienced showpeople. After two weeks of working with their animals, exhibitors are judged on showmanship and fitting. Little International provides a unique opportunity to learn new skills, exhibit livestock, and participate in a timeless tradition.
The Intramural Sports Program fosters a welcoming atmosphere for students and community members to compete, no athletic experience necessary. Broomball is one of several activities in the Intramural Sports Program. Players compete on ice and attempt to score by sweeping a ball into nets using an aluminum stick or “broom.” Through countless hours of practices and matches, teams become like family and competition fades into a stress-free environment. The fast pace of broomball also provides an exciting atmosphere for spectators who can attend competitions at no cost.
Visit www.sdstate.campuslabs.com/engage/ to learn more about SDSU clubs and organizations.
Everyone loves an afternoon of tailgating and cheering on SDSU football or watching women’s basketball win the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. True Jackrabbit fans find all kinds of ways to show their spirit and support. Here are three more teams to cheer on throughout the year.
SDSU Wrestling: The season runs from Nov. 12 to March 18. While competing at Frost Arena, the Jacks will have seven home matches with one home tournament. The Jacks have been ranked top 25 in the country for the last 3 years and reside in the Big XII Conference. Despite construction at Frost Arena, SDSU Athletics keeps an electrifying atmosphere with thousands of people in attendance.
SDSU Softball: Playing from February to May, the Jacks have 40-plus games to watch. Over the last few years, SDSU Softball has made appearances in the NCAA tournament. With so many games throughout the season, women’s softball brings entertainment to its fans with home run after home run. With a record-breaking 76 home runs in 2022, the Jacks know how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
SDSU Volleyball: The Jacks play from August through November with postseason going into December. With the hiring of new head coach Dan Georgalas in 2019, SDSU volleyball has made big strides. Over the last 10 years, SDSU has only had three winning seasons, with the two most dominant coming under Georgalas coaching. In October 2022, the Jacks set an attendance record of 1,524 against University of South Dakota.
With 19 sports competing at the NCAA Division I level, the Jackrabbits have claimed 34 regular and postseason league championships since 2009-2010 and these numbers will only increase. There’s plenty to cheer for all year in Brookings. SDSU’s sports teams are constantly making history and climbing their way to the top.
One of the biggest things I wish I had learned as an incoming freshman is, it’s okay to make new friends. College is all about meeting new people, and sometimes it’s easier just to hang out with people from high school who attend the same university as you, but it’s okay if you don’t. Likewise it is not the end of the world if you drift from the people you are friends with your first semester. You’ll keep meeting new people at SDSU and find your home away from home.
The community of Brookings offers many different ways to get out into town and find something you love, which is one thing I wish I had known my freshman year. As a college town, Brookings has a variety of options for having fun on a budget. If you’re a film fanatic, Brookings Cinema 8 offers tickets to all shows on Tuesdays for $5, from daytime matinees to evening showings.
If you love bowling you should definitely check out The Lanes. Brookings’ local bowling alley is another fantastic spot to have fun without breaking the bank. On Monday nights after 9 p.m., you can bowl for as long as you want for $5. That fee also covers shoe rental. If you want to try out Spark Bowling, The Lanes offers a similar deal but for a fee of $10. The bowling alley is open until midnight every night which makes it the perfect place for a late-night excursion with your friends.
Coming from a large city, it was a concern of mine that there wouldn’t be a whole lot to do, but it was a relief to realize my concern was unnecessary. Brookings County offers plenty of other things to do outside the city, such as visiting Lake Campbell or Poinsett. If you feel the need to explore the rest of South Dakota, Brookings is at the corner of U.S. Highway 14 and Interstate 29, which makes it easy to take road trips with your friends on weekends and breaks.
Take a deep breath. Enjoy every milestone, like Move-In Day and Rush Week. Our college experience won’t go exactly how we expect it to, but our time will be better than expected.
Through this journey, you have to be unapologetically you because this is how we find our people – the people who will get us through difficult times and the people we enjoy sensational times with, like ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
Most important, you will find your true passion in these years. We are only here four years. We have to do what is best for us and do it right away so we do not a waste a single moment. So when you knew your first major was not for us, change it right away rather than waiting until your sophomore year like I did.
What I wish I could’ve done differently for us is slow down and enjoy each moment of college. Slow down and enjoy every moment that leads us to where we want to be. Everything will fall into place. Enjoy the steps leading to the nnow. We will never get to relive the absolute chaos of our first Hobo Day so live that night like it will never happen again. Meet everyone you can during Move-In weekend because everyone is looking to make friends and is just as nervous as you are.
The biggest lesson I have learned is to make the most of our college experience. You have to enjoy the highs and embrace the lows as this is what builds your character. Not every week will be exciting, like when we beat North Dakota State University that Saturday, but we will learn to respect the stress of finals, the grind of long days with labs, and late-night paper writing. In the end, love it all.
