Latest news with #AugustanaUniversity
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Sioux Falls leader should return to Congress: Your letters
Your letters to the editor for June 15, 2025: I am providing my opinion which former US Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, should run for US Senate. The state suffers from her absence in DC and can benefit from her intellect and compassion for South Dakotans. She has broadened her horizons by leading the fine educational institution, Augustana University. All three branches of Federal government are controlled by conservatives. Time to change that. Now. It could have ended years ago - and by any measure of morality, certainly should have ended - the day Donald Trump mocked a journalist about the man's disability in front of a large rally crowd. But apparently that was just Donald being Donald. He says it like it is. It surely was not a window to the character of the man who would be President. It might have ended when he started calling women fat pigs, dogs, slobs. But again, 'he just says what's on his mind.' He 'frankly doesn't have time for total political correctness,' he declared in response to condemnation. We admire that, his supporters proclaim. Or the day he bragged that you can just grab a woman's genitals when you're rich and famous. Certainly that would be a campaign killer. Even our own Senator Thune responded to that with 'Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately.' What say you now, Senator, after confirming every clown he put forth in his parade of Cabinet posts? The clincher, I was sure, was the rally in Iowa when he declared with confidence that he could shoot someone and not lose any voters. Yet his supporters either missed or dismissed that blatant insult to their intelligence. Yikes! Allegiance is welcome - required, actually. Critical thinkers need not apply. That 2016 statement may be the only time Trump knew what he was talking about. And now, in his confusion about who ends up paying for tariffs, he's telling you to bend over again. This is gonna hurt, but if you keep your eyes closed tight and just wait - and keep waiting - everything will be fine. Because he's a very stable genius. Yup - I'm mad, and share that righteous anger with millions. Been wrong plenty of times, but I'm right about this: The man is a menace. And we need to remember that our own Senators Thune and Rounds, as well as Representative Johnson are deeply complicit in this mess. Their aid and comfort was frequent; their consistent silence is deafening. Some wise person once observed that you can trust that Americans will always do the right thing - after they've exhausted every other possibility. Can I hear an Amen? − Jeffrey Smith, Sioux Falls This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: This Sioux Falls leader should return to Congress: Your letters
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gjallarhorn has become a fan favorite at Augie hockey games
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Saturday is Syttende Mai, a celebration of Norway's Independence Day. Augustana University is showcasing some of its Norwegian heritage with a new display in the lobby of the Midco Hockey Arena and it's become a fan favorite. DHS wants $50M jet for Noem, Coast Guard This Gjallarhorn was on display above the crowds at Augustana University's Midco Arena when it first opened last year. It was donated by Ace Hardware owner and Augie alum, Kevin Nyberg. 'We found this Gjallarhorn at a music store in Minneapolis. The creator of this Gjallarhorn is the one who also created the Minnesota Vikings Gjallarhorn that's hanging in US Bank Stadium,' Nyberg said. But they got to thinking. 'The purpose of the Gjallarhorn was so fans and students could embrace it,' Nyberg said. So they built a small replica of a Viking ship to display it on. Dean Versteeg is one of the builders. 'It's about a one-half scale of the Snooky, a Norwegian Warship, so initially it would have been about 20 feet long, this one is just short of 10 feet long,' Versteeg said. Mark Berdahl, another Augie alum, also had a hand in it. 'It was my workshop where we made it, so we put on our best Nordic hats on and tried to figure out what they would have done and try to keep all the modern stuff out of it,' Berdahl said. Hockey fans and others now get to take pictures with the Gjallarhorn. 'It's fun to come to the games and watch people stand behind it and get pictures taken and make all the gestures and lots of smiles on their faces,' Berdahl said. The Gjallarhorn is not just for display, it actually works, listen, but they don't let fans do that, In all it took a few months to build. 'One thing that's amazing about it, is there are no screws or bolts holding this Viking ship together and as a hardware guy, I like nuts and bolts and there's not one in there,' Nyberg said. But now fans know the nuts and bolts and the history behind this Gjallarhorn. The Augustana Vikings hockey season gets underway on October 10th against Minnesota Duluth. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
How women's flag football is rapidly growing on college campuses across the US
Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Flag football's popularity is surging among women and girls across the United States, with Augustana University and six other NCAA schools launching club teams this spring through a $140,000 support from the Minnesota Vikings . The sport's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has further boosted participation, leading to expansion at high school and collegiate levels, with over 42,000 girls playing nationwide in sanctioned programs during the 2023-24 school year. At Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kiley Coyne, an assistant director of admission for the music department and women's tackle football player, took on coaching duties for the new team. "I remember saying, 'I just need 10.' If we can have an offense and a defense, let's go," Coyne said. "Now we have 23 people who've gone out for it." The NFL has been actively supporting the sport's growth, recognizing its accessibility for female athletes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Susan Boyle Is Now so Thin and Looks Beautiful! Undo "I think one of the beauties of flag football is how accessible it is," said Stephanie Kwok, the league's vice president of flag football. "It's adding to the opportunities for girls to play sports." The collegiate league includes five institutions in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin, with teams gathering for multiple games at the same site on three Saturdays this month. Brooklyn Sturm, a freshman at Augustana, found a new athletic pursuit in flag football after playing volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school. "I thought I needed to focus on academics, but when I got here it felt like a part of me was missing," said Sturm. "If we had this opportunity in high school, I probably would've taken it." The sport's growth extends beyond collegiate levels, with 14 states now sanctioning girls' flag football and approximately half a million girls ages 6 to 17 participating in organized play. More than 100 higher-education institutions now offer women's flag football as a varsity or club sport, with the NAIA beginning sanctioned competition in 2021. At Augsburg University in Minneapolis, the program has attracted women new to organized sports. "Why am I doing this? It's for those women who've never worn a uniform, who've never been part of the school spirit of being part of a team," said Melissa Lee, an associate athletic director and team coach at Augsburg University. "What's their token answer? We played powderpuff at homecoming our junior and senior year," said Lee, who recruited 24 women at the school of about 2,400 undergrads. "That was all it took for me. I said, 'You're on the team.'" Flag football rules differ significantly from tackle football, featuring smaller fields and 5-on-5 play. Teams have four downs to cross midfield and another four to score, with special rules for rushing the passer and running plays near the goal line. Plans for next season include expanding to 7-on-7 play and potentially doubling the league's size. "I just love taking new opportunities," Sturm said, recalling her family's reaction. "Now that they know I'm getting back into it, they're like, 'This is you. This is what you're supposed to do.'" The NCAA has recommended women's flag football be designated an emerging sport, with at least 20 more teams expected to start in 2026. Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India , including match schedules , team squads , points table and IPL live score for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap .
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Saturday Boredom Busters: April 12th
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Polar Plunge is one of the biggest fundraisers for Special Olympics South Dakota. You can watch competitors diving into their new mobile plunge unit located at Combined Pool & Spa on S. Western Avenue from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Books & More Sale includes hardcovers for just $1 and paperbacks for only 50-cents. The sale is taking place from 9 a.m. to noon in the Fantle Building/Center for Western Studies on the Campus of Augustana University. All proceeds will support the Augustana Library Associates programs. All Sioux Falls Nyberg's ACE locations are hosting Circus Days. Enjoy free soda and hot dogs and meet the El Riad Shrine clowns from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shriners will also be handing out coupons to the Shrine Circus which takes place from April 24th to the 27th. AMC Collective in Sioux Falls is hosting a Chicks and Bunnies Make & Take. Stop by anytime from noon to 3 p.m. and make your chicks and bunnies out of fuzzy pom-poms and felt. The cost is $4. Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ in Sioux Falls is hosting Bunny BINGO from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Cards are $10 each. Other games include a 50/50 raffle, candy guessing game and mystery grab bags for kids. Prizes include kid-friendly Easter baskets plus desserts. The Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls is hosting a Fishing Open House. Families can enjoy free fishing at the Outdoor Campus pond from 1-3 p.m. All gear and bait will be provided. Events at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls include Junkin' Market Days, a shopping experience in the Expo Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also at the fairgrounds, the Spring Arabian Horse Show runs through Sunday. The City of Sioux Falls Leaf & Branch Drop-off sites are open for the spring. They're located at Lyon Boulevard, south of the fairgrounds and on Chambers Street, near the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Today's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday's hours are noon to 5 p.m. The Orpheum Theater in downtown Sioux Falls presents the Easter musical The Passion and the Cross. The performance is at 2 p.m. Sunday's show time is 4 p.m. Tickets go from $15 to $20. The Green Earth Players present A Night at the Palace, featuring three one-act plays performed at the Palace Theatre in Luverne, MN. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Sunday's matinee is at 2 p.m. The Mighty Corson Art Players present Women Playing Hamlet. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. at the Corson Playhouse. Sunday's showtime is 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, $20 for students. Roosevelt Theatre presents Alice in Wonderland. The performance is at 2 pm. in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $6. Movies playing at the historic State Theater in downtown Sioux Falls include Hugo and The Last Waltz, both rated PG and Dig! XX, (NR). The Wells Fargo CineDome & Sweetman Planetarium at the Washington Pavilion features T-Rex, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, 3-2-1 Liftoff and Robot Explorers. New movie releases playing at a theater near you include The King of Kings, rated PG, The Amateur, rated PG-13 and Warfare, rated R. The Stampede hockey team closes out the regular season with Kids Takeout Night. The Herd takes on the Fargo Force at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. Enjoy third round action of The Masters golf tournament on KELOLAND TV. CBS Sports coverage from Augusta National goes from 1-6 p.m. Central Time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local economists weigh in on federal policies
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday night for the first time since returning to office six weeks ago. And in his address, the economy was a big focus. Trump made promises such as lowering the price of eggs and passing tax cuts for everybody. 'Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families,' President Trump said during his Address to Congress. He also discussed policy changes regarding federal government spending and labor force, which is something Reynold Nesiba, a professor of economics at Augustana University, has been focusing in on with this Administration. House Bill 1052 on CO2 pipelines passed. Now what? 'When you have a federal government that's just laying off people on a whim in the way that DOGE is going about that, that's just creating great uncertainty for the federal labor force and it's going to haunt the federal government for a long time to come in terms of being able to recruit and retain people,' Nesiba said. Evert Van der Sluis, an economics professor at SDSU, says that it might be a good thing to increase government efficiency if the goal is to create a higher return for tax payers. 'On the other hand, the specific goal has not really been stated other than to say, 'well, we want to reduce the size of the federal government,'' Van der Sluis said. 'But if you look at the historical numbers, it turns out that the size of the federal government, in terms of the number of people working there, has been fairly flat for the last 50 years or so.' Trump also discussed tariffs, defending the ones imposed against imports from Canada, Mexico and China. 'Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,' Trump said during the Address. Nesiba says imposing 25% tariffs on Mexica and Canada, as well as another 10% to imports from China, will have an inflationary reaction. 'We will be paying more for automobiles, for food, for clothing from those three trading partners,' Nesiba said. Van der Sluis says a tariff is simply a tax on imports. 'And there's been kind of some confusion as to who pays for those tariffs. And it's largely the case that the buyer pays,' Van der Sluis said. 'So that means importers — that could be businesses but then that higher tax, these higher costs that get paid get passed down to those who buy the product of whatever that import is going to be used for.' Both Van der Sluis and Nesiba say, right now, there's a lot of uncertainty in the economy. 'So, for quite some time, I think since before the elections, the economy is doing quite well but as we create more uncertainty then businesses might hold off on new hiring because they want to see what's around the corner before they take any big risks,' Van der Sluis said. 'I think one would have to have a lot of faith to decide, you know, I think now is really a great time to open up a new factory or open up a new storefront,' Nesiba said. 'It's that uncertainty that I think is going to be the biggest factor that has the biggest potential to adversely affect overall economic growth.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
