Friday, Sept.

25, 2020
THE
AUGUSTANA MIRROR Vol. CVIX
No. 2

Living with COVID-19 Hot takes with Teague The plan for Division I
Students share their experiences Pledge should be “laid to rest” No invitation from Summit League
Variety Page 7 Forum Page 4 Sports Page 12

EXPLAINER

Absentee or
early voting:
What you
need to know
Jenifer Fjelstad
jrfjelstad18@ole.augie.edu

The Nov. 3 U.S. general election is

coming up quickly, and for many stu-
dents, especially for first-time voters,
the process of registering and getting
an absentee ballot can be confusing.
Whether you are far from your home
voting district and or have concerns
about safety during the COVID-19
pandemic, you may wish to vote ab-
sentee. It actually doesn’t take long to
register and apply with the right web-
site addresses. Basically, there are four
steps: register, apply to vote absentee,
fill out the ballot and send it in.
Photo by Gage Hoffman
Find your state or local election
Yue Shirley Wang is one of the nine freshman international students on the Augustana campus for the fall. office at usvotefoundation.org/vote/

International student enrollment down,

eoddomestic, and reference your Sec-
retary of State’s website for extra in-
formation. Another tip, remember to

experiences changing due to COVID-19

keep a close eye on which address you
register as ‘home’ and which the bal-
lot will be sent to. Here’s how students
from South Dakota, North Dakota,
Dawn Geertsema Sophomore Gedion Alemayehu knows some of those stu- Minnesota and Nebraska can register
drgeertsema18@ole.augie.edu
dents personally. to vote and get an absentee ballot.
“I have one friend that is from South Africa that didn’t come
International student enrollment is down, changing the ori- South Dakota
back,” Alemayehu said. “I literally lost contact with her. I was
entation experience for 2020 international freshmen.
talking to her over the summer, and she was not sure what she If you are a South Dakota resident,
Total international student enrollment has been between 120
was going to do. I also know many people are still students and you can register to vote if you are at
and 140 students in recent years, but it is down to 76 students
are just taking classes online.” least 18 years old on or before Nov. 3
for fall 2020, 15 of whom are new to Augie, according to Direc-
Thirteen international students are currently taking classes and a U. S. citizen. It is also required
tor of International Programs and Enrollment Ben Iverson.
completely online from their respective countries, including to not be currently serving a sentence
“The pandemic has interrupted nearly everything related
China, Russia, Brazil, Vietnam and Ethiopia. for a felony conviction and not to be
to study abroad, [including] the number of new students who
Iverson explained, “These students are online completely judged mentally incompetent by a
have chosen to join us this year and current students,” Iverson
from the beginning.” court of law.
said. “Some decided to take a semester off, and some are taking
Iverson said that many of the classes the online students are
classes from home because they weren’t able to get visas or find
flights to return.” See IPO, page 2 See VOTING, page 9

Professors, students adapt to hybrid classes for fall

Anna Sorenson
acsorenson17@ole.augie.edu
This semester, professors across campus
had to decide how to teach their courses amid
a pandemic. Some have chosen to hold class
completely in person, while others with pre-
existing health concerns are holding classes
entirely online. Many have found themselves
in the middle, structuring their courses in a
new, hybrid format.
The hybrid-flex design is part of Augustana’s
Viking Flex Plan, which outlines the guide-
lines that inform how the university offers an
in-person learning experience. According to
the plan, many classes are incorporating both
face-to-face learning and an integrated virtual
learning component.
For nursing professor Karla Abbott, that
combination of in-person and virtual learn-
ing has resulted in holding her Nursing 420
course, Behavioral Health Nursing, just on
Wednesdays and Fridays.
She reserves Mondays for students to asyn-
chronously complete prep assignments and
watch powerpoints. When meeting in person,
Abbot incorporates the information from the
prep work into the class activities.
“It’s my chance, when we’re face-to-face, to
iterate the important points that I want them
to remember,” Abbott said. “Not just ‘here’s
the information that’s on the exams,’ but ‘here’s
what you need to know as a nurse for behav-
ioral health.’”
Psychology professor Anne Zell has struc-
tured her Psychology 115 course in a hybrid
Karla Abbott
See HYBRID, page 2
NEWS augiemirror.com Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 2
HYBRID Continued from page 1
SAFETY LOG
Below is recap of notable Cam-
format, as well. said she thinks the hybrid-flex model is working well. Zell said pus Safety reports from Aug. 28
Zell decided to hold in person classes only on Fridays. She she has gotten positive feedback from her students, so far, and is to Sept. 19.
teaches the course material through pre-recorded video lectures hoping that they have a good experience the rest of the semester.
throughout the week. Zell said she has replaced some of the con- “We’re kind of warming up and figuring things out,” Zell said. Stolen Property
tent with podcasts and videos to offer students more variety in “This is my way of trying to make the environment safe and still Sept. 19
how they learn the material. have the opportunity to have that interaction with students and Campus Safety officers noticed
Classtime on Friday is devoted to small group discussion about with me.” that “A” and “U” were missing
that week’s lesson. The groups either freely talk about the read- Freshman Margaret Samp agrees that the hybrid-flex format is from the Augustana University
ing or focus on a specific objective that Zell thinks should be dis- working this semester. Samp is taking a government course from sign in front of the Froiland Sci-
cussed in class. professor David Golemboski. ence Complex on a routine patrol.
“I knew that I would be somewhere in this middle area, so it She said Mondays are set aside for online video lectures, Student Injury
was a matter of thinking through the different options for how to Wednesdays are in-person Socratic group discussions and Fri- Sept. 19
set it up and what would best enable me to meet some of the goals days are for small group discussion with the professor. The class
A student was injured after jump-
for the class,” Zell said. is divided into four groups, and only two of the groups meet with ing off a golf cart.
Abbott and Zell both said they decided to restructure their Golemboski per week while the other two groups write a reflec-
courses this semester out of concern for safety. tion of the material. Trespassing
“I have almost 30 people in each class, and it did not seem wise “It works really well with government,” Samp said. “It seems Sept. 17
to have 30 people crammed into a room for 50 minutes, three like what it will be like when I go to law school.” A staff member saw a non-student
days a week,” Zell said. “I don’t want to put students at risk. I don’t Samp, who has dyslexia, said she prefers hybrid courses over in a Morrison Commons restroom,
want to put myself at risk. I don’t want to put everyone that we completely online courses. who was transient and had no
might come into contact with at risk.” “[Online] doesn’t work for me, especially with a disability,” reason to be on campus. They were
Abbott took the risk of exposure into consideration, as well. Samp said. “I need that in-person communication and group dis- removed from campus.
“Let’s say they went home or they went to a gathering over the cussion. I just know that I’m not a student who can sit at a com-
weekend or even if they went to church, even though we’re so- puter and have a lecture […] That is not the way I learn, and it’s Fire Alarm
cially distanced and we’re so careful with our weekend activities, not really accommodating to students with disabilities.” Sept. 13
it was just one extra way to at least keep [students] apart from one Looking ahead to when the pandemic is over, Abbott and Zell A dryer motor burned out after a
another until Wednesday,” Abbott said. said they anticipate they will return to completely in-person class- dryer in Bergsaker Hall had been
The nursing professor also said that with her course starting es. Abbot said she thinks in-person teaching and learning is more overloaded with clothes and set
at an earlier time this semester, she wanted to give her students a beneficial than online. off the fire alarms. Campus Safety
break at the start of their week. “I much prefer face-to-face interaction with classes,” she said. and the Sioux Falls Fire Rescue ar-
“I was trying to give the students an opportunity to not have to “Being in class, seeing and listening to the instructor and interact- rived on location, and the dorms
were evacuated.
be on campus at 7:50 in the morning — on a Monday,” she said. ing with your classes is the best.”
Although Augustana is only a month into the semester, Abbott Noise Issue/Alcohol
Sept. 12

IPO Continued from page 1

A Campus Safety officer investi-
gated a report of a party and loud
music in Stavig Hall. The officer
taking are offered at the same time as they would be on campus. national students,” Wang explained. “I think each of us has gotten
identified students drinking in a
This means that, for places like China that are 13 hours ahead, stu- to know each other. It’s a tighter group.” dorm room.
dents have to adapt. While decreased international student enrollment alone may
“We have a couple of students there who are living night owl not be a problem for those students, Alemayehu said he feels that Chair Incident
lifestyles as a result,” Iverson explained. the pandemic has been hard for many of them. Sept. 11
The pandemic has also affected the international student orien- “For four or five months, we’ve been in a state of solitude,” he A male subject was taped to a
tation this semester. said. “I feel as perplexed as everybody else does, but there’s the chair ourside of the Svendsbye
Iverson said that in past years, international students would get added burden that you have a country to worry about or you have Apartments. A Campus Safety
the opportunity to explore various locations in the Black Hills like a family to worry about. For me, when I look up COVID updates, officer identified the students, two
of whom resided in the apart-
Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands. I look up South Dakota and the United States, but I also check my
ment building. The subjects were
“The orientation was different for us because we’re not just new country and my city back home.”
reported to have been playing a
to college life but also to the United States,” said Alemayehu, who And homesickness is one of the hardest things, he said. drinking game, which required a
went on the retreat last fall. “It was a fun time.” “I know that American students feel that because they’re not in participant to be taped to a chair.
Instead of exploring the Black Hills, Iverson said to adhere to their state,” Alemayehu said. “But on a larger scale, international The subject taped to the chair was
university travel restrictions, the International Programs Office students feel that, especially during breaks, because we can’t go released.
(IPO) took the students to explore Sioux Falls and the surround- back for a weekend because that’s how long it takes to even get
ing area. there.” Drug Violation
“So far the experience with the IPO has been wonderful,” said Moving forward, international students can expect a few chang- Aug. 29
Yue “Shirley” Wang, one of the nine freshman international stu- es to IPO events. Campus Safety officers detected
dents on campus this fall. “They brought us in a week early, and we In past years, the IPO has put on an event called the Friday Ren- the smell of burnt marijuana in
did a lot of fun things.” dezvous. Iverson said that it was essentially a chance for interna- Stavig Hall, isolated the source
Some of their escapades included rock climbing at the Palisades tional students to present about their country and for returning and contacted the occupants of
with the Augie Outdoor Program and seeing a Canaries baseball study abroad students to talk about their experiences. the dorm room.
game. To replace the Friday Rendezvous, the IPO is going to release Unconscious Subject
“It brought all of us together close,” Wang said. a podcast centered around interviewing international students Aug. 28
Alemayehu said the difference in attendance between the two about their life experiences. A VA in Solberg Hall called Cam-
years’ events was notable, tying back to the decreased enrollment. “Last year, we did a newsletter that we called the Window Seat,” pus Dispatch about a student who
“I remember that it was two full busses,” he said. “Compared to said Iverson. “We’re not going to continue the written version, but was unconscious in a dorm room.
this year, it wasn’t even two vans.” we’re going to continue it in the form of a podcast: the IPO’s Win- The subject was unresponsive but
But that may not be a bad thing. dow Seat podcast. We hope to release one every Friday.” breathing. Officers called 911, and
“This year, I am grateful that there is a smaller amount of inter- The organization hopes to release the first episode Sept. 25. the subject was transported to a
medical facility by ambulance.

JOIN US
Variety Editor Julia Johnson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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Anna Sorenson
Olivia Bertino
THE AUGUSTANA MIRROR Ari Forcelle
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Noah Wicks Dawn Geertsema
REPORT AN ERROR
ASA Reporter Andrew Kronaizl Slater Dixon
Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor Teague Schultz
Social Media Producer Kayla De Alba
Mia Werger The Augustana Mirror corrects all
Photographer/Videographer Gage Hoffman Seth Miller factual errors brought to its atten-
Photographer/Videographer Camryn Hay augustanamirror@gmail.com @augiemirror tion. Please email augustanamir-
ror@gmail.com with any errors.
3 Friday, Sept. 25, 2020
ASA freshman senators share goals, expectations
Now that the fall Augustana Student As-
Andrew Kronaizl
ajkronaizl19@ole.augie.edu sociation (ASA) elections are over, the newly
elected freshman senators are getting ready to
Jonah Kost
Hometown: Aberdeen, SD
Majors: Journalism and Government
What made you want to run for ASA?
I wanted to run for ASA for a few rea-
sons. I love government and participat-
ing in student government. I started
because my high school banned Birken-
stocks, and I thought it was a silly rule. I
went to a school board meeting and was
able to get Birkenstocks back at my high
school. Ever since then, I have enjoyed
making change in my community and
feel like I am a good fit for what it takes.
There are always changes to be made,
and I want to use my voice and platform
to make those changes.
I wanted to run here at Augustana to get
out of my comfort zone, too. I was the
only person from my graduating class
to come here, so I didn’t know a lot of
people in my Augie class before move-
in day.
I can be a bit of a shy person until you get
to know me, but I always love meeting
new people and making connections. I
thought that becoming an ASA senator
would give me a platform to serve my
community better and also make more
connections with my class and upper-
classmen.
What are your goals for ASA this year?
This year for ASA, I want to find cre-
ative ways for freshmen to meet each
other and have fun, all while following
the guidelines to keep us safe. Because
of masks and social distancing, it can
be hard to organize events safely. In my
first few weeks here, I have found it dif-
Benita Manzengo
Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Re-
public of the Congo
Majors: Government and Psychology
What made you want to run for ASA?
Myself. I literally made myself run. I
wanted to force myself out of the com-
fort zone I had put myself in since I
came to the U.S. I needed to take a step
toward the person I want to become.
What are your goals for ASA this
year?
Among other things, one of my plans
is community building. I want to create
a community that brings first-year lo-
cal students and international students
together. There is a lot we can learn
from each other, and I am really excited
about that.
What are you looking forward to the
most about ASA?
I am looking forward to meeting every
member of the ASA team this year and
augiemirror.com
step into their roles. Freshman senators Jonah
Kost, Megan Richardson, Scott Shlanta and
Benita Manzengo were chosen to represent
Jonah Kost
ficult to meet new people who aren’t in
my FYS, other classes or floor.
I think that it would be awesome to
come up with safe and fun ways to meet
new people while also stopping the
spread of COVID-19.
What are you looking forward to the
most about ASA?
I am looking forward most to making
more connections with my class and be-
ing a voice for them in the senate. It is
an incredible honor to be elected by my
class when some of them haven’t even
met me yet.
I am excited to meet everyone in my
class and learn more about what I can
do to best serve and represent them.
Benita Manzengo
learning from them. I want to know
what made them take the opportunity
to run and how it impacted their lives.
I am mostly looking forward to seeing
how this journey will shape us, not only
as a community but also as individuals.
NEWS
the freshman class. The new senators all share
their expectations and goals for ASA in the
2020-2021 school year.
Megan Richardson
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Major: Biology
What made you want to run for ASA?
I decided to run for ASA because I want
to continue to improve our amazing
campus here at Augustana and become
involved in making a change.
What are your goals for ASA this year?
My goal for ASA this year is to help nav-
igate new norms with the unique times
that we are in. In order to do this, I hope
to provide socially distant and safe activ-
ities over the weekends and create more
ways for freshmen to meet each other.
What are you looking forward to the
most about ASA?
I am most looking forward to helping
out and participating in something that
is bigger than me. This organization
gives students a place to go with new
ideas or concerns, along with the con-
fidence in knowing we will do our best Megan Richardson
to help.
Scott Shlanta
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Majors: Biology and Data Science
What made you want to run for ASA?
The idea of student government has al-
ways been appealing to me, but it was
the encouragement of my friends and
classmates that really put my heart into
the campaign.
What are your goals for ASA this year?
My most immediate goal is to make
sure that everyone living in Augustana’s
quarantine facilities feels comfortable. I
have heard stories about other universi- Scott Shlanta
ties that have neglected their students in
quarantine, so I want to ensure that the What are you looking forward to the
people quarantining at Augustana have most about ASA?
the basic necessities they need to be suc-
Secretly, I am hoping to get a bill passed
cessful (e.g. food, toilet paper, wifi, etc.).
by challenging another senator to a rap
In the long term, I am interested in find-
battle, but on a serious note, ASA has
ing sustainability solutions on campus.
been the source of many concrete im-
Considering the support for sustainable
provements at Augustana. I am simply
living that we have seen from clubs like
humbled to be entrusted with the power
Augie Green and the university itself, I
to make my school better.
am extremely optimistic about our abili-
ty to make positive change at high levels.
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FORUM
POLITICS
Werger: Six challenges for upcoming election season
MIA WERGER
mdwerger17@ole.augie.edu
In November 2016, I was a bright-
eyed 18-year-old, proud of myself for
being “an engaged citizen.” I’d attended
my state’s primary caucus earlier that
year, registered to vote and mailed in my
absentee ballot (I was living overseas at
the time.) I thought I was doing a pretty
good job of changing the world.
“A pretty good job” means some-
thing different to me today. Every elec-
tion shapes history, but 2020’s sure feels
unique. This year, if I want to feel the
same pride as an engaged citizen that I
did in 2016, it’s going to take more than
mailing in a ballot.
The bar for civic duty has been raised.
I challenge myself to do more for this
election, and I challenge you to do the
same. Here are six critical ways that we
show up for democracy:
1. I challenge you to vote.
Voting is the bare minimum require-
ment to be a changemaker. It doesn’t
matter whether you like the candidates,
whether you live in a swing district or
how populated your state is. You don’t
have to like the system, and you don’t
have to “play the game” any other day of
OPINION
Hot takes with Teague: Time to retire the pledge
TEAGUE SCHULTZ
tjschultz17@ole.augie.edu
The Pledge of Allegiance is one of the
more baffling parts of the American expe-
rience. Originally written by a magazine, it
was created to advertise free flags for new
subscribers. The pledge was then quickly
adopted by Americans and worked its
way into becoming officially codified law.
Given its deceptive genesis and rather dis-
criminatory history, this relic of Ameri-
can patriotism should be laid to rest.
Regardless, it has become a touchstone
in America. To question it is to lack patri-
otism and to therefore be “un-American.”
Unsurprisingly, President Trump used this
rhetoric maliciously in a misinformation
campaign to smear the Democratic Party
and sow fear among his base.
The tactic of using the pledge as a way to
discriminate against political rivals, how-
ever, is far from new. President Trump is
merely following an example set forth in
the sordid history of the pledge.
According to “Smithsonian Magazine,”
the pledge began as the brainchild of
Francis Bellamy, a writer at “Youth’s Com-
panion” magazine. The Companion origi-
nally wanted to pen a Pledge of Allegiance
so they could take advantage of American
patriotism by offering a free American flag
to “every Public School from the Atlantic
to the Pacific,” so long as they subscribed
to the Companion.
As it was written in 1892, the pledge
Friday, Sept. 25, 2020
the year. You just have to show up to the
polls on Nov. 3. Think of this as running
laps, practicing scales or eating your
veggies: if you can’t do the basic, boring
bits, how are you going to build the skill,
strength and street cred to do anything
more powerful?
2. I challenge you to persuade one
friend to vote.
I don’t have to tell you that an indi-
vidual vote is quite small. So if you want
to have an impact in this election cycle,
you have to look beyond yourself. And
although your friends might love to tell
you why “voting is stupid,” remember
that people are heavily influenced by
their peers. To look someone in the eye
and ask them, “Can I help you register
to vote today?” or “Will you come to the
polls with me?” is powerful.
3. I challenge you to promote voting on
social media.
There’s a lot of noise on social media
right now. That’s why I challenge you
to talk to a friend in-person before go-
ing online. But since social media is part
of our lives, what we post does matter.
When you write or share something that
encourages people to vote, it makes civic
engagement more normal and expected.
stated, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and
the Republic for which it stands, one na-
tion, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all.” Since then, the pledge’s wording
has undergone several changes, with the
most notable change taking place during
the height of the Red Scare in 1954. Chris-
tian lobbyist groups — with the support of
President Eisenhower — convinced con-
gress to add the words, “under God” to the
pledge as a way to distinguish Americans
from Communists, whom they viewed as
un-American and “Godless.”
President Trump has followed this harm-
ful rhetoric, almost exactly, by taking a
stand against socialism while disparaging
Democrats. In a tweet about the Venezua-
len Maduro regime from June 22, Trump
said, “Unlike the radical left, I will ALWAYS
4
4. I challenge you to volunteer.
Do you have a body? Then you can
participate in voting efforts. Pass out
clipboards at a voter registration drive
(contact your local ACLU, League of
Women Voters or other political orga-
nizations to get involved). Or spend a
couple of hours phone- or text-banking
for voter registration or to campaign for
a candidate (contact your local chapter
of Indivisible, 350.org or Sunrise Move-
ment to sign up). On election day, work
as an election judge or volunteer as a poll
watcher.
5. I challenge you to be all-in. try. Local elections are where your voice
is loudest. So promise me you won’t skip
I know it can feel like we don’t have
over the local races on the ballot. Spend
any good choices on the ballot, and that
an hour researching the candidates so
sucks. The system certainly needs fixing,
you can make an informed choice.
but it’s the system we have right now.
Of course, the voting cynics are right
So much depends on this election. Pick
your candidates, get behind them and be about one thing: voting alone can’t solve
all-in. all our problems.
We don’t just need grudging voters.
6. I challenge you to also focus on local We need activists, investigators, orators,
elections. boycotters, people to run for office and
people to support all the other roles. But
Local elections don’t get much hype,
becoming a serious change-maker isn’t
but a lot of change happens at the local
simple. It takes sustained effort. That ef-
level. Small communities can experi-
fort has to start somewhere, somehow.
ment with new ideas and then share what
This November, it starts with voting.
they’ve learned with the rest of the coun-
the words, “under God,” when reciting the
pledge. Trump is unfairly using these two
caucuses to paint all Democrats in the
same light: Godless and un-American.
By doing this, he is directly ignoring
Pew Research Center and Gallup polling,
which shows that there is a nearly equal
number of Christians who identify with
the Democratic and Republican parties at
just under 49 million each. This leads to
one conclusion: He is saying the 50% of
Americans who identify as Democrats or
as Democratic-leaning are un-American.
This rhetoric also encourages his base to
treat them as such.
It is shameful that an American presi-
stand against socialism ... My Admin has
dent would create such discord among the
always stood on the side of FREEDOM
American people, simply because two
and LIBERTY.”
caucus groups decided to remove the
Two months later, Aug. 22, Trump
words, “under God,” from the pledge. It is
went on to use the pledge to denigrate
especially egregious because those words
Democrats even further by tweeting, “The
were not even present for the first 62 years
Democrats took the word GOD out of the
of the pledge’s 128 years of use. As the
Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat Na-
pledge was used against political enemies
tional Convention. At first I thought they
when “under God” was added 66 years
made a mistake, but it wasn’t. It was done
ago, so it is being used again.
on purpose.” His assertion that the Demo-
Given that the pledge was concocted to
cratic National Convention (DNC) omit-
be a clever marketing scheme and has an
ted the words, “under God” is false.
ongoing record of being used to malign
According to FactCheck.org and re-
the good names of average Americans, its
cordings of the nationally televised DNC,
use in schools and governmental affairs
the pledge was recited in its entirety all
should be thrown out. It is clear that when
four nights of the convention. Trump’s claim,
a patriotic oath is wielded with such vitri-
however, is not completely baseless. Two
olic intent by a president, its power needs
caucuses, separate from the DNC, did omit
to be taken away.
5 Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 augiemirror.com FORUM

How should college towns and universities handle increasing COVID-19 cases?

ANNA SORENSON Tensions came to a head in Brookings, infringed on personal rights and would places unless social distancing of six feet
acsorenson17@ole.augie.edu
home to South Dakota State University, further harm businesses that are strug- is maintained. The ordinance also limits
at a council meeting on Sept. 2. The gling to survive the pandemic. Many businesses to a maximum of 10 custom-
As positive COVID-19 cases have
council was going to vote on extending residents also spoke in favor of the ordi- ers or half of their capacity, whichever is
risen on college campuses nation-wide
Emergency Ordinance 20-010, which nance, citing safety concerns. greater. This applies to bars, restaurants,
since the start of the school year, some
outlined safety measures and require- The Brookings City Council also casinos, grocery stores and gyms.
college towns have responded with city
ments for the Brookings’ community. amended the ordinance at its Sept. 8 The ordinance, which is similar to
ordinances and mandates designed to
In response, over 200 residents at- meeting. The ordinance now requires other restrictions established in college
curb coronavirus spread. These restric-
tended the meeting in opposition to the individuals to wear face coverings in towns across the country, will be in effect
tions, intended for students, have also
restrictions, arguing that the ordinance indoor businesses and indoor public for 60 days after Sept. 8.
impacted residents of the towns.

Universities should reevaluate COVID-19 policies to assist communities with safety concerns
Slater Dixon
sjdixon20@ole.augie.edu
Government restrictions in-
tended to minimize the spread
of COVID-19 are a conten-
tious issue, to say the least. Over
200 residents of Brookings at-
tended a city council meeting
this month, largely unmasked,
to oppose restrictions that the
council was considering in re-
sponse to the recent increase in
case numbers. Many residents
gave unfactual claims about
comorbidity and made com-
parisons to the flu — others re-
sorted to vague assertions about
constitutional freedoms.
However, one does not need
to resort to faulty science, slip-
pery slope arguments or Face-
book anecdotes to argue against
COVID-19 restrictions in col-
lege towns. There is a strong ar-
gument to be made that, beyond
mask mandates, city govern-
ments should not take respon-
sibility for controlling outbreaks
due to colleges. Instead, uni-
versity officials should adjust
their policies and messaging to
encourage students to stay on-
campus. If this method does not
work, then students should go
home.
Dealing with COVID-19 cre-
ates an array of challenges for
college administrators. Some
solutions, like on-campus mask
mandates and limits on gather-
ings are easier to enact. Many
schools have responded to in-
fractions by taking strict action
to enforce their COVID-19 pol-
icies, even suspending students.
Actions like these are unsustain-
able, hard to enforce and poten-
tially expose institutions to civil
suits.
The chief issue, however, is
off-campus behavior, which is
much harder for administrators
to control. A school can enact
widespread efforts to control
students’ behavior on campus,
but there is little that they can
do once students have left.
As a result, some institutions
have pressured local govern-
ments to impose mandates on
gatherings in businesses and
private residencies. These ordi-
nances are hard to enforce and
Slater Dixon
burdensome for small business-
es, which continue to suffer as a
result of the pandemic (South
Dakota restaurants lost up to
$90 million in revenue as a re-
sult of the pandemic according
to the National Restaurant As-
sociation).
The main problem with city-
wide limitations on gatherings
is that they fail to address the
heart of the issue. Administra-
tors advocating for city-wide
restrictions fail to grasp the
powerful resolve of thousands
of young adults who have en-
dured months of social depri-
vation. These students, many
weary from an uneventful sum-
mer spent at home, will inevita-
bly seek in-person socialization.
Strict on-campus guidelines
push them off campus and into
the surrounding communities.
Freshmen, for example, may
struggle to make friends within
the first week and drive home
over the weekend. Other stu-
dents, feeling constrained on-
campus, may resort to meet-
ing elsewhere, increasing their
chances of spreading the virus
within the community. Strict
enforcement of campus guide-
lines seems necessary to curb
the spread of COVID-19. How-
ever, it may not be entirely effec-
tive.
There is an alternative to the
strict enforcement of broad
standards. If campuses shifted
their messaging to emphasize
small, responsible gatherings on
campus, then students would be
less likely to leave campus.
Schools often list the many
things that students can not do
— gather in large groups, take
off their masks or stand close to
each other. But by allowing, or
even encouraging, students to
spend time with a specific, small
group of friends in a less-dis-
tanced format, students would
be much less inclined to go off-
campus. This change, although
small, could have a huge impact
on not only the amount of stu-
dents going off campus, but also
students’ quality of life on dis-
tanced campuses.
A school with a high percent-
age of students in Greek life, in a
large city or with a large amount
of vulnerable faculty may find
excessive risk for its community.
These universities should seri-
ously consider having their stu-
dents quarantine, return home
and go online.
A university’s duties go be-
yond educating students — it is
also responsible for serving the
community it is located in. It
is not the responsibility of resi-
dents to sacrifice their way of
life for the college students tem-
porarily living in their commu-
nity, but it is the responsibility
of students to respect the towns
they choose to live in.

Ordinances from college towns restrict, harm struggling businesses amid pandemic
Alayna Jones
ajones20@ole.augie.edu
According to an article in
the Alcohol Rehab Guide, “Col-
lege Alcoholism,” roughly 80%
of students consume alcohol
to some degree. With this sta-
tistic, some college towns with
large student populations are
mandating that liquor stores
restrict business hours to main-
tain a better environment for
students. Asking businesses to
restrict their own hours is a bit
on the extreme side.
Restricting one’s business
to only a few hours a day can
negatively affect profits and cus-
tomers. Those lost profits help
owners pay bills, employees
receive paychecks and inven- working adults are done for the spread of COVID-19. Instead of
tory remains stocked. A soci- day. punishing a whole town for the
ety can’t “punish” a group of This action is on the unjust actions of students, they should
people and expect everyone to side. The United States is com- make resources available for
listen. Adults who are over the posed of freedoms and choices. others to get help if they could
age of 21 are affected by this be- For elected officials to control be struggling with an addic-
cause they are being restricted when stores or companies can tion. Also, store clerks should
on buying alcohol legally. Stu- be open for business or closed, be identifying a customer’s I.D.
dents rely on stores that are losing profits along the way, is and able to conclude what is
open late to pick up stuff for the unfair to people who could be fake or real. If they aren’t reliable
weekend or to get together with making ends meet at their job. to check or do a “slide-by” they
friends. With closures, those If businesses are slow during shouldn’t be employed.
students will have to go out of Alayna Jones hours, employees could be sent There are healthier and saf-
their way, putting their business home early, losing a few extra er ways to decrease underage
elsewhere. hours in their paycheck. Every- drinking and prevent the spread
out half a workday. If a business
They also want to restrict one is affected by this, and it of the coronavirus. Restricting a
decides to cut hours for safety
hours to prevent the spread of does not come out positive. business and customers who are
precautions, it can make the
COVID-19. Public safety is im- I do understand that this re- legally able to shop should not
choice to close an hour earlier
portant so the pandemic can striction is trying to prevent also be pooled into the trouble
or maybe open up later, instead
end sooner, but it’s costly to cut underage drinking and stop the that others may cause.
of closing at 5 p.m. when most
VARIETY Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 6

Photo by Gage Hoffman

Colin Irvine gives a sermon for the congregation outside of the chapel on a sunny fall day. Some students responded positively at the opportunity to worship on the green.

Outdoor Chapel: 'Surrounded in God's creation'

Adjusting Augie chapel for COVID-19 safety has
brought the congregation outside for prayer̶
leading to potentially permanent changes in worship
Ari Forcelle “It adds a layer of comfort to fears about
amforcelle18@ole.augie.edu
coronavirus.”
The outdoor experience is not the
Adjusting to COVID-19 regulations,
only change students have to adjust to.
people from around the Augustana
Every Tuesday for communion, stu-
community came together to worship
dents now grab a prepackaged cup of
outside "surrounded in God's creation."
grape juice and wafers. Hymnals are not
The ministry had picked three dates
provided in the pews or outdoors, so the
for outdoor worship this fall. The final
chapel has progressed to an online bul-
one was Tuesday, Sept. 22 when Colin
letin, which can be accessed from post-
Irvine, provost and executive vice presi-
ers within the chapel.
dent, lead a sermon for ASA installa-
Currently, there is no contact tracing
tion.
for individuals coming to either indoor
The adjusted chapel worship hours
or outdoor worship. Chapel staff do,
are Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. Photo by Gage Hoffman
however, count whether the 75-person
Each service is 25 minutes. Tuesday ser-
capacity inside has been reached. If in- Outdoor Chapel drew in many students, professors and their families from
vices include communion, and Thurs-
door worship reaches maximum capac- around campus. If people feel unsafe in groups or they reach max capacity, the
days feature senior sermons. chapel offers a livestreaming option for each sermon.
ity or individuals do not feel comfort-
This fall the chapel’s indoor capac-
able or cannot gather, live streaming is restriction in stride, the chapel services people in new ways,” Cope said.
ity is limited to 75 individuals, which
available online. connect with God in a different way by With all the adjustments this fall, se-
can be challenging. Anywhere from 30
Having the live stream option for readjusting to new praying initiatives. nior chapel president Claire Eisworth
to 150 individuals typically attend ser-
each sermon opens up the possibil- One of these initiatives is body believes that Rosendale and chapel staff
vices, according to the Rev. Ann Rosen-
ity for professors or family members to prayers, in which students use actions are doing a great job of accomodating
dale.
tune into specific sermons as well. Cope to follow along. people and making them feel safe while
“Outdoor worship provides us more
mentioned her family members enjoyed “We use our bodies to lift our prayers still showing God’s grace.
space to gather on the campus green,”
tuning in online to watch her senior ser- to God,” Rosendale said. “We see it as “Chapel is here, and we are trying,”
Rosendale said.
mon. They also liked the ability to re- an opportunity to engage our hearts and Eisworth said.
Adjusting to the setbacks, students
watch the live stream. our spirits and our bodies.”
are making the best of each outdoor
COVID-19 restrictions prohibit This could be dancing, clapping or
worship experience.
speaking and singing in unison with- snapping.
“People like being outside. It's differ-
out an approved face shield. Taking the “It is a good opportunity to challenge
ent. It's new,” senior Audrey Cope said.
7 Friday, Sept. 25, 2020
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Deaf Awareness club leads with sermon and song
Julia Johnson
jjohnson18@ole.augie.edu
Since the pandemic began,
typical church scenes of the
congregation singing in unison,
sharing the Eucharist and giv-
ing each other the sign of peace
have halted.
As public gathering places
quickly became coronavirus
hotspots, many churches dis-
persed as they deliberated ways
to keep the congregation to-
gether while also staying safe.
Last Tuesday, the chapel
and Deaf Awareness combined
forces to try a new way of keep-
ing the congregation engaged
while also enlightening hearing
church-goers about the Deaf
community: teaching “Jesus Larry Puthoff signs his sermon for the chapel, connecting deafness and spirituality through
Loves Me” in American Sign the gospel of Mark and sharing his own experiences appreciating his experience being deaf.
Language (ASL) and allowing
be opened, God has opened our together and sign to engage to “lift up Deaf awareness in
ASL lab staffer Larry Puthoff to
minds, our hearts and our eyes, themselves.
lead the sermon.
in more ways than one,” Puthoff
Puthoff ’s sermon celebrated
signed.
the source of his spirituality: his
Although people can’t sing or ganize this event, said allowing ing interpreters in worship al-
deafness.
speak in unison, they can come ASL interpreters to lead helped lows for a deeper understanding
“Though our ears may not
COVID-19
Students share their experiences having COVID-19
Kayla De Alba
kdealba18@ole.augie.edu
Students returned to campus in August ready to
come back to classes, but the spread of COVID-19 has
led to more than 100 students contracting the virus in
total and sent many more into quarantine for being ex-
posed to someone who tested positive. These students
have all had different experiences, due to flexibility with
quarantine locations and the wide-ranging effects of the
virus.
Senior Rachel Rosenbaum said she couldn’t wait to
be back on campus, but it took a turn for the worst.
“It was kind of a bummer because I got my symp-
toms the very first day of class,” she said.
The weekend before returning to campus, she attend-
ed a wedding that exposed her to the coronavirus.
“I woke up like four times in the middle of the night
with chills, fever, body aches, headache — terrible
symptoms,” Rosenbaum recalled.
Senior Will Olson had a similar experience.
“I had about every symptom but loss of taste and
smell,” he said. “I usually don’t get headaches, but my
symptoms started with migraines, so I knew something
was up.”
Olson was playing summer baseball in Macon, Geor-
gia, when he tested positive.
Alternatively, junior Ashleigh Aarbo’s roommate was
the one who contracted COVID-19. Due to this, ev-
eryone in Aarbo’s off-campus house had to quarantine.
Aarbo mentioned that she had a sore throat and a runny
nose, but she had trouble figuring out if she actually had
COVID-19.
“I have sinus allergies, so I just feel like that all the
time. So I never know if it’s something I have to go get
checked out or get tested for,” she said.
Aarbo tested negative soon after.
Administration has asked students to inform them
if they contract the virus or come in close contact with
augiemirror.com
Photo by Noah Wicks
daily worship.”
The Rev. Ann Rosendale, the In addition to the spiritual
campus pastor who helped or- aspect of signing prayer, includ-
someone who has.
“I called this number that someone gave me, and I
told them that I had COVID,” Rosenbaum said. “Then
the Augie nurse reached out to me and would give me a
couple phone calls every few days and check in on me.”
She says they did a great job making sure she had a
place to stay and that someone was taking care of her.
Although Aarbo had less severe symptoms, she
didn’t get contacted as regularly. She said, “I got a text
once checking in.”
Additionally, it was a difficult process for Aarbo
from the start. She tried to contact the administration
to tell them that she and her roommates were going to
get tested and quarantine, but she couldn’t get through
easily.
“We had to call campus clinic to set up testing,” she
said. “Then, we had to try and call the dean of students
[office] to tell them we had pending tests, but it was re-
ally hard to get in communication with anyone because
they only have one person doing it all or something.”
While the students waited for their results, they had
to quarantine.
Olson’s quarantine was different because he was
across the country.
“I was staying with a host family, so I was feeling
pretty guilty about bringing COVID into their house,”
Olson said. “I worked it out so I could stay in their guest
bedroom and use a bathroom away from them until I
recovered.”
Similarly, Aarbo said she stayed in her house for the
full 10 days that were advised.
“I’ve been in my room pretty much,” she said. “Every-
one’s just been in their rooms.”
Despite being quarantined for 10 to 14 days, some
students say they had a great experience with classes
and their professors.
“I feel like my professors have definitely handled the
situation well, probably most out of everyone,” Aarbo
said. “They really accommodated well with us.”
VARIETY
of Deaf culture, senior ASL in-
terpreting major Mariah Mantz
said.
Mantz, the former president
of Deaf Awareness on campus,
said many of the club’s beloved
events like Burst of Sign, where
students sign songs, jokes, skits,
and more have been canceled
because of COVID-19. She felt
nervous signing in front of the
full chapel (75 people socially
distancing) because she said the
quick, 30-minute chapel service
became “our time to shine as a
club.”
Mantz translated the lyrics
for “Jesus Loves Me” and taught
them to the congregation. She
said she “tried to make the song
as simple as [she] could” so
people could follow along more
easily.
She also watched a video of
a Deaf mother signing the song
to her baby and used some of
the mother’s tender motions to
Continue ASL, page 8
Submitted by Ashleigh Aarbo
Ashleigh Aarbo gives the camera two thumbs up
from the confines of quarantine.
Rosenbaum shared a similar experience, saying, “The
professors were really great about organizing stuff with
me, giving me my assignments, making sure I was clear
on everything and answering all my questions, which
was awesome.”
Luckily, all of them have recovered since then and are
back on campus enjoying the fall semester. But some
still had a few continuing symptoms.
“I had a lingering cough for a few weeks,” Olson said.
“I took it really easy getting back into physical activ-
ity because I was off my feet for about three weeks. The
cough went away after about two or three weeks.”
Rosenbaum said that she recovered quickly. She had
fevers for about a week and a lingering cough soon after,
but she felt better almost overnight.
Continue COVID-19, page 8
VARIETY
MOVIE REVIEW
Tenet: time wasted
Holden Sutter
hasutter17@ole.augie.edu
Christopher Nolan is about
as close to a mainstream auteur
filmmaker as there is. Studios
toss him millions, and he pumps
out original, modern classics like
Inception and Dunkirk. His new-
est film, Tenet, has been some-
thing for film audiences to look
forward to during this rather
dismal year. Unfortunately, No-
lan’s first screw up is yet another
thing to add to this year’s list of
disappointments.
When a wealthy gun runner
threatens to destroy the world, a
covert team of CIA operatives is
dispatched to stop him. They use
a form of time inversion, which
allows them to move backward
in time while the rest of the
world continues forward.
This film is incredibly compli-
cated, which is pretty common
for Nolan’s films since he likes to
juggle deep philosophies with an
investing narrative. Unlike his
other work, Tenet doesn’t really
give viewers a chance to figure
out what’s happening. Making
sense of Tenet requires compre-
hension of the exposition-filled
dialogue. However, the movie
moves at such a brisk pace that it
becomes nearly impossible to re-
member everything that is said.
The film’s complexity isn’t
helped by the sound mixing,
which is obnoxious. The score
booms so loud that it shakes
the audience’s chairs. Under-
neath that, the film’s dialogue
can barely be heard. Several of
the main characters wear masks
throughout the film which muf-
fles the quiet dialogue even fur-
ther. Ludwig Göransson, known
for his Oscar-winning work on
Black Panther, composed the
score, but it’s indistinguishable
from a generic score from any
other Nolan movie.
Tenet’s time-manipulation
gimmick is admittedly pretty
augiemirror.com Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 8
COVID-19 Continued from page 7
“It was almost like a switch,” Rosenbaum Now that they have experienced the sever-
said. “It turned from being really terrible and ity of COVID-19, they know the importance of
I was miserable Wednesday, to Thursday and taking the necessary measures to prevent the
Friday [when] I was like ‘oh I'm like a whole spread of the virus.
new woman.’ I was totally healthy again.” “It was the most sick I have ever been my
When asked, none of the Augustana students whole life,” Rosenbaum said. “I’m a nursing
mentioned having to get tested again before re- major, so I know the seriousness of the disease
turning to campus. Although and obviously respect social dis-
this was the case, Olson de- tancing and masking.”
cided to get tested again. It was the most sick Similarly, Aarbo men-
“I got tested again just I have ever been my whole tioned that not being able to
to make sure I wasn’t still go anywhere "sucked."
life.
contagious so I could come "Being cooped up in your
home and see my family,” -Rachel Rosenbaum house for two weeks is just
Olson said. Senior not fun,” she said.
Having the students Olson said, “I definitely
Graphic by Julia Johnson quarantine helped slow don’t want to get it again. I
the spread of the virus, but have immunity for a couple
some of them expressed difficulties that they more months from COVID, so I am not too
were experiencing. worried about getting it again in the short term.
Aarbo said she was having some technical I do think it should be taken seriously because
difficulties. “Either our Wi-Fi will be weird, while you may not have symptoms, you still
or the school’s Wi-Fi will be weird,” she said. have to be quarantined for two weeks.”
unique. Although after the film “A lot of times on Zoom it’s muffled voices in The administration asks that students social
introduces time-manipulation the background or the professor's mic is being distance, wear masks whenever possible and
and lectures the audience about weird.” frequently wash hands to combat the virus.
it, the movie seems to forget
about it for the next thirty min-
utes. The audience doesn’t get to ASL Continued from page 7
use their newfound knowledge
enhance the song. This is one experience the world through. ten to God.” Augie Chapel and
right away. It’s similar to how
of the only times the club can “We may not hear the rus- Deaf Awareness will continue
homework is beneficial to learn-
safely engage the community tling leaves in a tree — we can’t to work together through the
ing, if students don’t apply the
during the pandemic, and hear that," Puthoff signed. "But fall. Those interested can join
information right away, there’s a
Mantz said she’s proud of what we can see the beauty of the next month’s event on Oct. 6 at
strong chance they’ll forget it.
it has accomplished so far this leaves in the wind, swaying 10 a.m. — either in person or
The movie isn’t without its
semester. back and forth.” on the chapel’s live stream —
redeeming qualities: Visually it’s
Puthoff also talked about Ultimately, Rosendale said to get a unique glimpse into
quite a treat. Nolan has an affini-
Deaf culture in his sermon, ap- having the ASL interpreters Deaf culture.
ty for keeping effects as practical
preciating the unique perspec- sign “Jesus Loves Me” helped
as possible. He weaves together
tive his deafness allows him to the congregation “learn to lis-
insane stunts with CGI seam-
lessly. By filming primarily on
IMAX cameras (which provide a
higher quality image and a wider
field of view), Nolan manages to
make the scale of every scene
seem massive. He remains un-
surpassed visually, even on his
weakest film.
Tenet is packed with a talent-
ed ensemble cast with the likes of
John David Washington, Robert
Pattinson and Kenneth Branagh.
Branagh in particular controls
every scene he’s in. His villain-
ous presence is unpredictable
and intelligent — posing a true
threat to Washington’s character
(literally named The Protago-
nist). It’s a shame that the only
Follow us on
main female role, portrayed by
Elizabeth Debicki, is relegated to
a damsel in distress whose only
motivation is that she has a kid.
How original.
TWITTER
People will defend this mov-
ie. That’s okay. However, Te-
net’s complexity and arrogance
shouldn’t be defended just be-
cause it’s made by an accom-
plished filmmaker. Even The
Beatles made “Revolution 9.”
The best philosophy to take away @augiemirror
@augmirrorsports
from the movie is this: It’s okay
to have a film be enhanced by
a second viewing, but a second
viewing shouldn’t be required to
process it.
9 Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 augiemirror.com NEWS
VOTING Continued from page 1

Find the registration form at the county er’s precinct before the polls close. To be safe,
auditor’s office or print a form from the South it’s best to send your ballot in the mail early.
Dakota Secretary of State’s website to get The U.S. Postal Service recommends you send
started. Printed forms should be sent to the it before election day, at least a week before
county auditor’s office. State law does not al- the deadline.
low voters to submit the form by fax or email. Minnesota
Once you’re registered,, it it’ss time
Students from Minnesota
to fill out your absentee ballot
can register to vote if they are
application form. The state ate
U citizens, at least 18 years
U.S.
recommends you apply att
old on election day and resi-
least a week before the
dents of Minnesota for at
election. You have to fill
least 20 days. Those with
out the form and verify
felony convictions must
your identity. For that,
have finished all parts of
you should include a
their sentence.
photocopy of an accept-
Minnesota voters can reg-
able photo ID, like a driv--
i
ister online through mnvotes.
er’s license or passport. Al-
org Make sure you have your
org.
ternatively, you can verify your
driver
driver’s license number, ID card
identity by having the form nota- t
number or the last four digits of your So-
rized. To get something notarized, you can
cial Security number available.
start with a search in the notary public com-
Minnesota students who want to vote early
mission records by county or city. Once filled
with an absentee ballot can apply online at
out, you can submit it to the county auditor’s
the Secretary of State’s website. The ballot will
office, which is the same place you registered,
show up in your mailbox quickly, so don’t for-
or to the office of county election officials.
get to check your mailbox often.
Once your ballot comes in the mail, you’re
Once you’ve selected your candidates and
free to fill in those bubbles whenever you’re
sealed the envelope, send it off to the county
ready. The election official’s office must re-
auditor’s office. Ballots must be postmarked
ceive an absentee ballot with enough time left
on or before Nov. 3 and received by the stu-
on election day to deliver the ballot to the vot-
dent’s county of residence by Nov. 10.

At a glance: First-year student enrollment

Dawn Geertsema
First-year students study... First-year students are from...
drgeertsema@ole.augie.edu

There are 323 first-year students

Explo

attending Augustana University for the

27

fall semester of this year, a 107 student

ring

decrease from the 430 freshmen of fall

2019.
Here is a breakdown of first year
Social Sciences
student enrollment by geographic loca- 97
tion of residency and area of study. All
information is from Beamlak (Bammi)
Abate, assistant director of admis- Natural Sciences Hum
anit
sion data and technology. All of this ie
information was generated based on
175 24 s
full-time, first-time freshman students
who have made housing deposits.
Disclaimer: international students
denoted as from the United States like-
ly had U.S. mailing addresses because First-year international students are from...
they may have already been going to
high school or been in the country for
various other reasons, according to
Ben Iverson, director of international 1 1
programs and enrollment. 4 1
The freshman major distribution
data follows the trends from recent
years with the majority of students fall- 1
ing into the sciences both natural and
social. 1
According to Madeleine Ellis, direc-
tor of undergraduate enrollment, the Azerbaijan: 1
distribution is likely to change and China: 1
even out more as students drift toward France: 1
the humanities majors. Greece: 1
Going into fall 2020, the top five India: 1
most popular major classifications for
Unied States: 4
the class of 2024 are biology, 62; exer-
cise science, 30; exploring, 27; nursing
(pre-admittance), 23; and nursing, 18.
Graphics by Dawn Geertsema
SPORTS 10 augiemirror.com Friday, Sept. 25, 2020

Tennis player stays in Russia to complete fall semester

Jeni Fjelstad
jrfjelstad18@ole.augie.edu

Spring break 2020 created Alexandra

Kistanova’s favorite memory from being
on the Augustana women’s tennis team.
The women took a trip to Florida for two
successful tennis matches and a little
team-bonding beach time.
Meanwhile, in South Dakota, admin-
istrators were deciding the fate of the se-
mester, the tennis season and the rest of
spring for students.
Thursday, the coach called an emer-
gency meeting to break the news to the
players. What he told them left them si-
lent and shocked.
The third match was canceled—along
with the rest of the season—due to CO-
VID-19 precautions.
“It was really sad, and at first I did not
believe it,” Kistanova said.
Those final sunny moments were the
end of a lot for Kistanova.
Now, she couldn’t practice tennis, take
in-person classes or be with her team.
This semester, the business adminis-
tration major is taking her classes on-
line from 5,500 miles away at her family
home in Seversk, Russia.
Like many international students, she Submitted by Alexandra Kistanova

felt conflicted about whether to return to Alexandra Kistanova spent time with other friends and students her freshman year as she acclimated to campus.
Russia or stay in Sioux Falls, especially
mester, checking the U.S. Embassy web- tice and to play tennis, but it’s a very rare Being on Augie’s team involves com-
with the possibility of classes restarting
site daily. opportunity,” Kristanova said. munity, but in Russia, she practices
after Easter. On one hand, being at home
Many people in Russia also hoping Kistanova said COVID-19-related re- alone.
with her family for quarantine came
to get to the United States rushed to the strictions are stricter in Russia than in “I think I just miss the team spirit and
with the cost of being potentially unable
embassy after it reopened with tightly South Dakota, so indoor public sports the support,” Kistanova said.
to return. On the other, staying in Sioux
restricted operations in August, and facilities are closed. And it’s been too Valeriya Monko, also from Russia,
Falls meant she had no idea when she’d
Kistanova couldn’t get an appointment rainy to practice outdoors. was supposed to join the Augustana
be able to visit home.
to renew her yearly visa that allows her Private facilities are reserved for stu- tennis team as a first year student, but
In the end, she returned to Seversk in
to study in the U.S. dents of “sports schools” like the one she also ended up taking this semester’s
March.
That put her days of late night prac- Kistanova graduated from before com- classes from abroad.
“To be honest, all my best friends are
tices with the team are on hold. ing to Augie. In the 2019-2020 tennis season,
also at home now,” Kistanova said. “They
While her teammates on-campus Tennis can’t exactly be played in her Kistanova achieved an 11-0 singles re-
could not go back, so basically we’re all
make snapchat group plans and practice family’s living room. cord and 7-0 in conference play, accord-
in the same situation.”
together, Kistanova has no outlet for her That means the only way for Kistano- ing to GoAugie. She also received player
Until September, she held out hope
tennis skills at home. va to get practice time is to get special
that she might be able to return this se-
“Sometimes I have the chance to prac- permissions from her former coach. See TENNIS, page 11

Check your DI Continued from page 12

will make it hard for athletics to com- was very happy to see that Augie invests “I personally feel Augustana is [in] a

inbox! pete. Schools are hoping that testing will

become more readily available and cost-
effective in time for sports to return.
With winter sports being delayed,
men’s basketball head coach Tom Bil-
leter’s road back to the conference tour-
nament has been put on hold. Billeter
was one of three coaches on the Athlet-
ics Steering Committee for Viking Bold.
“The journey to 2030 has always in-
cluded Augustana competing at the DI
level,” Billeter said. “That is still our
goal. Due to the Summit League’s de-
cision, I have actually been telling our
in their sports.”
Sannes is a pitcher from Brainerd,
Minnesota, who, like other recruits,
came in with the likelihood of DI being
a strong possibility.
“Although it was never fully prom-
ised,” Sannes said, “I was under the
impression that it was more likely the
university goes Division I than stays in
DII.”
Now on campus, Sannes said that he
wished to be part of a DI program soon-
er, but he understands the importance
of athletics succeeding now so that he
very good DI situation due to a couple of
key factors,” Billeter said. “Not every in-
stitution seeking DI has, mainly, an out-
standing all-awround private university
in a DI type metro area like Sioux Falls.
Our community, with its resources and
facilities, continues to impress all who
come here with what we are able to offer
and do.”
With Billeter’s experience at the DI
level, he understands what’s necessary
to make DI work not only from the top
with administration and the president
but at ground level with the students

Take the
recruits our president’s vision remains, still has the chance later in his college and athletes themselves.
yet we are definitely a DII program at career. “It won’t be easy, as nothing is,” Billet-
this time.” “Being at Augie has already helped er said. “But I know as a coach I always

poll on the With DI being a goal but not a cer-

tainty in Augustana’s future, incoming
recruits choose to join the program
2020 without knowing what the process is
going to look like.
me push out of my boundaries and meet
new people,” Sannes said. “As a majority
push my student athletes to be the best
they can be and to reach for uncomfort-
of students I meet are athletes, it’s not able heights that, once achieved, will
too hard to find connections with them.”
Even with athletics uncertain of the
bring great pride and accomplishment.
I don’t know how I can constantly seek

election “I took a visit to Augie in the fall of

2019,” freshman baseball player Ethan
Sannes said. “The visit was spectacular. I
road ahead, short term and long term,
there’s still plenty of hope from inside
the department.
this for my players if I am not pushing
myself to do the same.”
11 Friday, Sept. 25, 2020
TENNIS Continued from page 10
of the week honors. She’s one of three
NSIC athletes with a perfect NSIC re-
cord.
Sophomore Kelana De Ruyter met
Kristanova in their history-based First
Year Seminar, and they studied and ed-
ited essays together often in the library.
After countless late night study sessions
trying to decode and explain the U.S.
Constitution, they decided to be room-
mates in Granskou Hall their sopho-
more year.
But now that fall has come, De Ruyter,
who is used to living with lots of people,
finds herself alone in the dorm.
They snapchat every once in a while,
but of course, it’s nothing like sharing a
room, meal times and study sessions to-
gether.
De Ruyter describes Kristanova as
passionate about both tennis and her
studies. That shared academic vigor is
one reason they became good friends.
As the fall semester ended last year,
three of De Ruyter and Kistanova’s
exchange-student friends were prepar-
ing to return home. The group of nine
friends decided to go to Falls Park and
enjoy the lights and fresh air.
De Ruyter was the only one with both
a car and a U.S. driver’s license.
So De Ruyter, Kistanova and their
friends squeezed into her car to get to
Falls Park, walked around and took
plenty of photos.
For continuing friendships and at-
tending classes, a 12-hour time differ-
CLIMB Continued from page 12
that’s on the wall, but it’s a whole group
working together to get them to the top,”
Brown said.
Typically, Brown and the AOP will
set up the anchors in the rock before the
students and faculty arrive so that each
climber has as much time as possible to
be on the wall.
“It’s the feeling of you against the
rock,” Solberg said. “It’s a good way
to test your skills against an obstacle.
There’s no real easy way out when you’re
up there. It really can show you what you
can do.”
Solberg said half the struggle of
climbing is dealing with the mental as-
pect. Romig, a new climber, also said he
struggled with his fear of heights over
the actual physical toll.
“There was this one part [where] I
just couldn’t do it anymore,” Romig said.
“I kept looking down, and I psyched my-
self out.”
Solberg said that climbing uses dif-
ferent muscles in the hands, wrists and
legs than most other activities. This
means the body generally doesn’t feel
sore the day afterward, but simple tasks
like opening doors causes winces of pain
that show just how many muscles climb-
ing actually takes.
The belay partner assists the climber
by controlling the tautness of the rope.
The more control the belay partner
has of the rope, the shorter distance a
climber will fall if they let go of the wall.
augiemirror.com
Submitted by Alexandra Kistanova
Alexandra Kistanova and her teammates stay in touch while she is in Russia.
ence between Sioux Falls and Seversk work.
isn’t ideal. Sioux Falls sleeps during her after-
“I just tell everyone that I study in the noons, so she has that time mostly free.
U.S., but I’m still at home and that’s so Then, she starts accounting, statistics,
weird,” Kistanova said. “That’s not what English and art history classes at 9 p.m.
I wanted when I applied for a university and continues synchronized learning
in America.” until 1 a.m. She sleeps for a little while,
Imagine doing homework in the and then the cycle starts all over again.
morning, catching up on sleep in the De Ruyter said that Kistanova has al-
afternoon, and waking up for class after ways been great at balancing her busy
sunset. For the night owl personality, it schedule, so it’s no surprise she’s adjust-
fits well. ing to this curveball well.
Augie’s typical midnight deadlines Overall, Kistanova said classes are go-
translate to noon for Kistanova’s home- ing well, but it’s still awkward to be the
Ryan Brown led two trips to the Palisades this semester to teach students and faculty how to rock climb and belay.
Brown said some students have taken an new things,” Townsend said.
interest in learning to belay and receiv- Townsend and some of her friends
ing their certificates to do so. wanted to belay, so Brown invited the
“It’s really exciting to see new people students out early to learn. Solberg and
as they learn new skills,” Brown said. his friends also wanted to learn the extra
Junior Tiana Townsend climbed both skill.
times this semester with the AOP but, “I just really like rock climbing,” Sol-
like Romig, has no prior experience. berg said. “It’s a lot of fun to do, and I’m
“The AOP people are always so pa- glad to have the ability to do it.”
tient and fun, and they want to teach you Brown will take students climbing at
SPORTS
only face showing up on Zoom.
Kistanova said her extended stay in
Russia has one unexpected benefit. She’s
made quarantine the perfect time to get
her driver’s license, which is a more diffi-
cult and lengthy process than in the U.S.
“Here you have to go to driving
school for three months and take like
four exams in the police department,”
Kistanova said.
Lessons in driving and theory of driv-
ing are also required.
Being 5,500 miles away also meant
she couldn’t work at her intended jobs.
Kistanova was going to begin working at
the Elmen right after spring break.
She interviewed again to work there
this fall but again lost this opportunity
when it became apparent she wouldn’t
be able to obtain her visa to return.
Also, she was also planning to be an
Augustana Cultural ambassador this
August during the international stu-
dents orientation.
“However, again, I lost the opportuni-
ty to meet a lot of new people,” Kistano-
va said.
She said after the initial adjustment
to the unexpected situation, she’s gotten
used to being at home again.
“Now, I can’t even imagine that sever-
al months ago I was in the U.S.,” Kistano-
va said. “Now sometimes I’m thinking,
well, maybe it was just a dream because
it was my freshman year, and I did not
expect it to end like that.”
Submitted by Ryan Brown
the Palisades again Oct. 3. He plans to
use the indoor climbing wall at Central
Church as the weather cools down more.
“I think there’s a lot of overlap with
regular life, between outdoor adventures
and real life,” Brown said. “We’re going
to have struggles. We’re going to have
things we don’t think we can do, but to
be able to keep pushing and get through
it—I think you can learn a lot.”
SPORTS Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 12

The road ahead for Augustana athletics

Seth Miller things that it didn’t make it entirely sur- athletics. This means winning games,
smiller18@ole.augie.edu
prising.” achieving in the classroom, and growing
With COVID-19 wiping out fall our budget to repeat the process for a DI
In an email on May 27, President
sports for almost the whole country, invitation next year.
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin delivered a
universities and conferences lost months This fall, the NSIC and DII decided to
statement that left the Augustana com-
of revenue. Athletic teams from many not hold fall championships and to delay
munity shocked and confused about the
major schools have since been cut in an any competition until Dec. 31, a deci-
future of the university’s athletic pro-
effort to save the budget. After extending sion DI and some major universities did
grams.
an invite to the University of St. Thomas not make.
“Unfortunately, the Summit League
in the spring, the Summit League ex- “As DII, the direct athletics impact of
has decided not to extend an invitation
tending one to Augustana during this COVID-19 is different than a DI school
to Augustana at this time,” she said.
time became improbable. because of the financial ties,” Morton
The announcement came as a major
“For us, it was, okay, what did you said. “We’re having to be more efficient
speed bump to Vision 2030’s planned
learn from the process,” Morton said. with our dollars, but I don’t think it’s
jump to Division I athletics, especially
“We learned a lot about ourselves. As we pushing us back. I think we’re gonna
after plenty of news articles and talk
put our own story together, the presi- learn a ton from watching others.”
around the state.
dent and I are adamant that you can’t get Morton also noted that the difficult
“[I’m] disappointed but not sur-
knocked down and give up on the plan.” parameters on asymptomatic testing at
prised,” Athletic Director Josh Morton
Morton emphasized that over this this time for the state of South Dakota
said. “All of us across the country in col-
next year the goal needs to be the same
lege athletics are dealing with so many
as always: keep pursuing excellence in See DI, page 10 Josh Morton

Rock climbers take on Palisades with AOP

Olivia Bertino
orbertino19@ole.augie.edu
The tallest cliffs in Palisades State Park reach up to 50
feet. The giant Sioux quartzite formations crack apart
like splintering wood. The first time a new climber gets
to the rock, they might only make it up a few feet at a
time. Scaling a 30 to 40 foot wall, like the participants
in the Augustana Outdoor Program (AOP) do,
poses its own challenges even for an experienced
climber.
“You just look at this huge rock wall [and
think] ‘it’s definitely possible to climb that
but I don’t know how,’” junior Will Sol-
berg said.
Solberg started climbing his
freshman year with some friends.
He said climbing with the
AOP was a more
laid back ex-
perience. He can test out new skills that he otherwise
wouldn’t have the opportunity to with friends.
Director Ryan Brown leads AOP climbing expe-
ditions for both students and faculty. This semester,
Brown took students and faculty, regardless of skill
level, to the Palisades twice for an alternative type
of athletic activity.
Junior Rich Romig said he knows the AOP
makes everything safe for them, but the feat
is still scary for new climbers.
“It doesn’t feel like [it is safe] when
you’re on the wall,” junior Rich Romig
said. “It actually feels like I’m going
to fall.”
Romig has only
climbed twice,
both times with the AOP. For a new climber like
Romig, Brown ensures that the climber under-
stands the process and the safety measures in
place. The whole group stands behind the
climber while he or she is on the wall, cheer-
ing them on and shouting encouragement.
“Everybody’s really engaged
with that one single person
See CLIMB,
page 11