Tyler Boyle

The Volante — Brandon Valley 35, Harrisburg 14 The 11AAA state title went to the number two seeded Brandon Valley Lynx with the team's 35-14 victory over the Harrisburg Tigers. The win gives Brandon Valley their second state title in three years after the Lynx's loss to O'Gorman in last year's state title game.

The Volante — USD's Physics Department is taking part in radioactive material experiments with the goal to research and develop the next generation of germanium (Ge) detectors. Ge detectors are particle detectors that attempt to use excellent energy resolution and extremely low-energy thresholds for dark matter searches and detection of new properties of neutrinos.

The Volante — The Student Government Association voted this past October to move the jurisdiction of the Green Initiative Fund (GIF) from SGA to the USD Sustainability Committee. The GIF gives students at USD funds provided by the general activity fund (GAF) to pursue projects on campus that make USD a more sustainable and environmentally friendly place.

The Volante — Growing up as a young farmer in Assumption, Illinois, going into the military had always been in the back of Clete McLeod's mind. The now head strength and conditioning coach at USD had heard stories from his father and grandfather about the military and admired his uncles - Roy and Kenney - who served in the Vietnam War.

The Volante — As the Coyotes men's and women's basketball teams complete their last three weeks of fall practice, both team's conference schedules were announced last week for the upcoming winter season. The Summit League's Nov. 4 announcement detailed a 16 game schedule (8 games for the men, 8 games for the women) with all games being played as back-to-back doubleheaders against the same team.

The Volante — A few months after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oberlin College, Anna Moore came to USD this past spring to be a sustainability coordinator and do research as a graduate student. One of Moore's research projects included conducting a Zero Waste Assessment (ZWA) of the university's waste management program over the summer.

The Volante — Gabriel Nadales, a former Antifa activist, gave a speech in Aalfs Auditorium for a newly formed student organization at USD, Turning Point USA-USD (TP-USA-USD), on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Nadales is a conservative activist who travels to college campuses around the United States to spread his ideas and recently published a book titled "Behind the Black Mask: My time as an Antifa Activist."

The Volante — When former USD president James Abbot retired in May of 2018 the university was looking to do something to commemorate Abbot's 21 year presidency. That's when USD's communications director Michael Ewald got a call from USD's videographer Adam Gomez about doing a podcast with the former president.

The Volante — Despite there being no fall football season this year, the Coyotes held an inter-squad scrimmage this past Friday night in the DakotaDome for season ticket holders. Spectators were socially distanced during the game and required to wear masks at all times.

The Volante — Similar to the NCAA's decision to give spring and fall sport athletes an extra year of eligibility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA has now done the same for winter sport athletes. Sami Slaughter, a senior outside-hitter for USD's volleyball team, said she is excited the NCAA made this decision.

The Volante — President Donald Trump has said in his campaign for reelection this November against former vice president Joe Biden, the 2020 election is, "the most important election in US history." In addition, according to a recent poll, 69% of Americans believe the upcoming election is the most important election of their lifetimes.

The Volante — Yotes For Life (YFL), an anti-abortion student organization at USD, took to campus sidewalks with chalk on Oct. 20 for "National Pro-Life Chalking Day" to spread anti-abortion messages. Students for Reproductive Rights (SFRR), a pro-abortion rights student organization at USD, coincidentally chalked their own beliefs on campus sidewalks later that night.

The Volante — Student-athletes at USD have faced many unforseen changes this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the USD's athletic department is trying to help athletes handle the stress and anxiety that can come along with these changes.

The Volante — Jack Cochrane, a senior middle linebacker for USD, has succeeded in being a team captain for the Coyotes, selected as second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) and leading the MVFC in tackles in 2019. Now, Cochrane adds being selected as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

The Volante — After the delay of the announcement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Sheila Gestring revealed USD's 5-year strategic plan during USD's 2020 State of the University Address. Gestring outlined the plan's six strategic themes at the event: Academic Excellence, Engagement, Facilities and Infrastructure, Diversity, Serving South Dakota and Affordability, The plan, set to go through 2026, updated the public several new facilities planned to go up on campus over the next five years.

tylerhboyle.wixsite.com — As a young college journalist, the first amendment of the U.S. constitution, in particular, the right to a free press, means a lot to me. I understand the media has gotten plenty of backlash the past few years for not exercising the profession in an honest manner (and for many outlets deservingly so). However, the need for a free press is more important than any other time in history. With the rise of the novel coronavirus, a social justice movement, and the 2020 election, the media is playing a bigger role in informing the public than ever before. And now, social media is the messenger of choice for the press...

tylerhboyle.wixsite.com — George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, published in 1949 shortly after the fall of Nazi Germany and the rise of the communist Soviet Union, frighteningly depicts a future that society seems quickly headed for. The novel follows the protagonist, Winston Smith, living in London, England over the roughly 40 year old Oceana party/government in 1984.

The Volante — International student-athletes face a long processes when coming and leaving USD. These processes include filling out proper documents, gathering self-identification forms and organizing plane rides to their home country. Last March foreign Coyote athletes had to carry out this process unexpectedly when students were forced off campus and moved to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Volante — Since 1990, South Dakota has celebrated Native American Day instead of Columbus Day on the second Monday of October each year. This year, USD celebrated the holiday by announcing the revitalization of the Institute of American Indian Studies (IAIS). The IAIS, originally established at USD in 1955, was discontinued in 2009 after losing funding due to the 2008 financial crisis.

The Volante — 20 hours of practice time, at least 12 credit hours and homework is a busy schedule. But this is the reality of a typical week for a student-athlete at USD. However, Wyatt Thompson, a senior swimmer for the Coyotes, adds being a student-teacher to the equation.

The Volante — USD will now be the first university in South Dakota to offer a certificate and specialization in artificial intelligence (AI). The new program will allow undergraduate and graduate students of all majors to get the certificate or specialization.

The Volante — After four straight losses, the Tanager football team was looking to get back on track with a win over the top five ranked West Central Trojans (3-3). Vermillion (1-5) got off to a quick start by forcing a fumble on West Central's first drive of the game.

The Volante — When USD students move back into the dorms, hundreds of computers, phones and gaming systems move with them. Over the weeks, these devices have caused slow and sometimes inaccessible internet for students in their dorms. The Information Technology Service (ITS) desk sent an email to students on Sept. 2 addressing the issue.

The Volante — USD's School of Health Sciences has created the Community Action Response Epidemiology (CARE) team to partner with the South Dakota Department of Health and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board to provide contact tracing, health promotion and comprehensive services to the state of South Dakota.