Tag: brookings

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Gay Rights And Chicken Sandwiches At SDSU

By Cory Allen Heidelberger


I got through the summer mostly avoiding discussion of the kerfuffle over Chick-fil-A and gay rights. Now my alma mater finally dragged me into it.

This summer, Chick-fil-A’s CEO Dan Cathy caused a fuss by saying he doesn’t care much for gay rights. Cathy said his company supports traditional families. His company has given millions of dollars to groups that fight gay rights. In July, Cathy said we risk “God’s judgment on our nation” if we allow homosexuals to marry. He called folks like me who think whom you marry is none of the state’s business “prideful” and “arrogant.”

Some foolish arrogance seeped out of the SDSU Students’ Association Monday night. The Jackrabbits’ student government had two resolutions on its agenda. The first expressed support for the university administration’s decision to invite Chick-fil-A to build a store on campus and declared a desire to increase inclusiveness for all SDSU students. The second criticized Chick-fil-A for its “dishonest” anti-gay activism and reaffirmed the SA’s commitment to addressing LGBT issues on campus.

The SA could have passed both of these resolutions. The student senators could have clapped President Chicoine on the back for improving Jacks’ access to crispy processed chicken. (But really, Jacks: is on-campus dining that confining? For me twenty-two years ago, Medary Commons French toast at dawn, Jacks Place pizza for lunch, and a good whiff of Charlie Schaaf’s chuckwagon stew smoking up Hansen Hall made SDSU a Shangri-La of food diversity. Add McDonalds down the street, and what more could a Lake Herman boy ask for?) Then the Senators could have wagged a finger at CEO Cathy’s anti-gay language and reminded him that he’ll be hawking his sandwiches on a campus committed to equal rights and opportunity for all students.

But no. By distressingly wide margins, the SA approved the sillier resolution cheering SDSU’s decision 23-6, then rejected the more important resolution affirming the SA’s commitment to truth and fairness 9-20.

From what I read of the debate in the SDSU Collegian, it appears the SA believes that homophobes need their help:

Kaytlin Pelton, another co-sponsor from the College of Ag and Biological Sciences, hopes that Chick-fil-A coming to campus would promote the discussion at SDSU about LGBT issues.”What better way to promote diversity than to bring in this company … That would be awesome” [Marcus Traxler, “SA Votes to Support University Decision on Chick-fil-A,” SDSU Collegian, 2012.09.17].

Chick-fil-A three times a day wouldn’t make me feel as queasy as Senator Pelton’s absurd argument. Bringing in a company that funds anti-gay propaganda to do business at SDSU is no better way to promote “diversity” than inviting the Ku Klux Klan to open an office in the Student Union.

We don’t increase “inclusiveness” by cheering exclusiveness. We don’t enhance “diversity” at SDSU or across South Dakota by giving more voice to fundamentalist Christians who think non-heterosexual behavior disqualifies folks from certain basic rights. But the SDSU Students’ Association says inclusiveness and diversity mean defending a wealthy corporate executive and his anti-gay activities instead of standing up for equal rights for and honest dialogue with a genuine persecuted minority among their constituents.

There’s a chicken-and-white-bread joke here somewhere. But the minority isn’t laughing.

Cory Allen Heidelberger writes the Madville Times political blog. He grew up on the shores of Lake Herman. He studied math and history at SDSU and information systems at DSU, and is currently teaching French at Spearfish High School. A longtime country dweller, Cory is enjoying “urban” living with his family in Spearfish.

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South Dakota Has Many Martys

By Heidi Marsh

My book club just finished reading”The Richest Man in Town,” the true story of a beloved Walmart cashier from Brookings, South Dakota, named Marty. Since the book was published over five years ago, it has gained both regional and national attention. The author, V.J. Smith, now travels all over the country speaking about the lessons learned from Marty.

If you haven’t read it, the kind old man was not rich at all. He lived a simple life with his wife and was very devoted to his job and the customers who came through his checkout line. He took extra effort to walk around the counter to shake every customer’s hand, sometimes even offering a hug. He actually listened to each patron and responded with more than just a simple”uh-huh” or”that’s nice.” Marty always took that extra step.

I love the story. I actually passed it around to my friends here at South Dakota Magazine. But, to be honest, I’m not that surprised. It is South Dakota after all. I know a handful of Martys, though maybe not to his level of fame.

Eric Tycz, for example, owned the Sportsmen’s Rendezvous in Tyndall. He pulled himself away from the kitchen every night to perform magic tricks for his customers. He called it a”Tyndall tradition” but in reality it was one more way to make his customers smile.

The young boy on the cover of our current issue is another example of”Martyism.” Four-year-old James Danh greets customers at Pho Quynh restaurant in Sioux Falls. Since the issue hit newsstands, we’ve received a flood of emails and calls from people who regularly visit the Vietnamese restaurant not only for the delicious food, but also the welcoming smile and silly jokes from James.

Who is the Marty in your community?

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Yoga’s Hot in South Dakota

By Rebecca Johnson

South Dakota may not be the yoga mecca of the U.S., but there are classes galore at fitness centers and studios throughout the state. Yankton alone has at least seven yoga teachers, and two of them work right here at South Dakota Magazine. I personally teach a basic, flowing style of yoga — linking poses with the breath then ending class with a guided relaxation. And it’s not just an exercise class — yoga is a 4,000-year-old tradition originating in India that helps to strengthen the body, improve flexibility, and calm the mind. An added benefit for us in the Western world is that it helps to manage stress.

One thing South Dakota has lacked is a hot yoga studio. Hot yoga classes typically take place in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 30% humidity. I tried a workshop once at the Dharma Room in Sioux Falls. I expected it to be a vigorous, powerful class, but was surprised by the slowness and gentleness of the practice. The class consisted of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. The heat allowed me to feel more flexible in poses that normally would have been out of my reach. But, since it was a one-time workshop, I hadn’t been able to have a go at it again.

Now I am in luck. Two hot yoga studios have popped up in South Dakota in the last few months and both have events this weekend. Deena Rushton opened Yogaversity in November. It’s located in the new Old Market Galleria in downtown Brookings. The studio is hosting their first workshop tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the cost is only $20.

Also new to South Dakota is Santosha Hot Yoga at 5003 S. Bur Oak Place in Sioux Falls. Their grand opening is tomorrow with the first class starting at 10:00 am. According to instructor Jennifer Long’s blog, Saturday’s class has a waiting list, but you may still be able to get in on Sunday’s class at 4:30 p.m. I recommend calling 275-YOGA to sign up. All December classes are only $5.

Yoga in a 105 degree setting is not for you? Then try a different type of class in your community. It’s a fantastic way to improve your overall health and you will be glad that you did.

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At 99, the Bummobile Rolls On

By John Andrews

My family donned winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, two blankets and downed a Thermos full of piping hot water (which became either tea or hot chocolate) to enjoy this year’s Hobo Day parade in Brookings Saturday morning. This year’s homecoming celebration happened noticeably late in the year, but everyone seemed adequately prepared and, in some cases, strategically located. Perhaps the smartest parade-attendees watched within a few steps of Cottonwood Coffee, a neat little shop downtown that had pots full of freshly brewed coffee placed on tables outside.

Floats change every year to reflect the Hobo Days theme. This year it was Night of the Living Hobos, and students seemed to relish the idea of dressing as zombies and unintentionally frightening children along the parade route. But it is also a parade of constants. You know the Pride of the Dakotas marching band will lead the way. Politicians will shake hands and kiss babies, resulting in gaps between floats. You’ll see former university presidents, faculty members and alumni. And you’ll always see the Bummobile.

The Bummobile is a 1912 Model T Ford that has been running ever since it first left Henry Ford’s factory. It belonged to Frank Weigel, a Flandreau farmer and SDSU supporter, who donated it to the Students’ Association in 1939 under the condition that it appear in the Hobo Day parade every year. And it has.

Sure, it has sustained its share of bumps and bruises. The Bummobile has been backed into campus buildings, caught on fire, and even lost a wheel on Medary Avenue as a Grand Pooba (SDSU’s student homecoming leader) learned to drive it. But it has performed admirably on parade day every year.

In October 1952, while campaigning for the presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower stopped in Brookings to speak at the Coolidge Sylvan Theatre. His visit came two weeks before Hobo Day, so after his speech locals asked Eisenhower to hop in the Bummobile. He agreed, and his picture was taken with that year’s Grand Pooba in the passenger seat. The Collegian, SDSU’s student newspaper, chided the candidate when it ran the photo under a headline that read,”Ike Reaches Peak in Career.”

In 2009 the Bummobile was fully restored. Harold Hohbach, a 1943 electrical engineering graduate, hauled the car to his home in California and gave it new life. Today, when it’s not chugging down the streets of Brookings, it resides in a glass case in the Hobo Day Gallery, found in the University Student Union.

I’ve never gotten the chance to ride in the venerable vehicle, but hopefully that will change. Then I’ll have at least one thing in common with Ike.