Students living in the campus dorms or even off-campus apartments will tackle roommate issues during the school year. Resolving conflicts with roommates helps students develop social skills that will help them secure jobs post-graduation, according to Becky Cornell, Hall Director for the Palmerton and Connolly dormitories.

“These are the skills employers look for-  that you can work with your co-workers and communicate,” said Cornell.

In the School of Mines dorms, resident assistants (RAs) distribute Roommate Agreement contracts during the beginning of the year that each room must fill out. The contracts make roommates discuss preferences and determine conflict resolution strategies. Yet even with the contracts, roommate conflicts still arise in the dorms.

“I think the biggest thing is taking the roommate agreements seriously when you first fill them out,” said Cornell.

Cornell said that a student’s year will be much more enjoyable if he or she can appreciate roommates.

“Even if they seem quirky or different to you, you should just be open to their differences,” said Cornell.

Since the majority of students’ time is not spent in the classroom but instead spent in their living quarters or with other people, it is important to get along with roommates in order to keep life from becoming miserable.

Having discussions right away about overnight guests, cleanliness and study preferences will reduce future conflicts.

“I think the biggest issue is that when stuff does come up they don’t approach their roommate about it and they let it fester- and often times the other roommate doesn’t know that they’ve done something wrong,” said Cornell. “And often times they will go to everyone else and tell them about it without talking to the roommate about it first.”

Communicating to roommates about irritants right away lessens problems. Cornell said that students often just stop talking to their roommates all together, yet they still expect the roommates to know what is going on.

“If they don’t know that having socks left on the floor really irritates you, they can’t change that behavior,” said Reeny Wilson, Resident Life Director.

Yet Cornell said that sometimes it is not easy to talk to the person about the problem.

“I think one thing to recognize is that you aren’t alone in feeling intimidated by talking to them about it,” said Cornell. “To approach a conflict takes both courage and humility. And the courage comes in by just stating to the person what’s happening, what you’re seeing and what the facts are. Like saying ‘You bring your boyfriend over every night.’ That’s a fact, and it takes courage to say that.”

“After you state the facts of the conflict, you should let your roommate know what that is like for you by saying something like, ‘So you bring your boyfriend over every night and that makes it hard for me to study and it makes that hard for me to sleep.’ And that’s the courage factor of it,” said Cornell.

After you tell your roommate the facts and how you feel about it, you then should tell them how it is impacting you, according to Cornell.

“Then you open up the dialogue with them. Ask them where they’re coming from and how they are feeling about it,” said Cornell.

She also said a great skill to use is called contrasting. First you tell your roommate what you don’t want them to hear you say, and then you tell them what you do want them to hear you say. Cornell’s example for contrasting is saying, “I don’t want you to think I don’t like you or that I think you are a bad roommate, but I do need some time without your boyfriend here.”

Cornell said that sometimes it helps to practice talking to a friend or an empty chair while pretending that person is there.

“Also prepare yourself for any reaction that they may have,” said Cornell. “They might get angry but the thing is that we can’t control other peoples’ emotions. Those emotions are their choice.”

“When you go into a confrontation you don’t have to think about it as if you are going to smother the person or put them down ,” said Cornell. “If a roommate can think going into it that ‘I’m going to build my relationship with my roommate’ instead of ‘I’m going to fight them,’ then they can be closer that way.”

For more information on roommate conflict resolution, visit the School of Mines Resident Life website at http://reslife.sdsmt.edu/roommies.html or check out the book Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high by Kerry Patterson et al.

The School of Mines received word this summer from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that it has been accepted as an NCAA Div. II institution. The Hardrockers applied to become NCAA affiliated June 1, along with Black Hills State University and 10 other NAIA institutions.

“This is fantastic news for the Hardrockers,” said School of Mines President Dr. Robert Wharton. “Our student-athletes are incredible in the classroom and on the field, and this move allows us to pursue greater opportunities for growth and development of talent. This is a great benefit for the community and our alumni as well. It raises the stature of our athletic programs, and we anticipate much greater community interest and involvement.”

The Hardrockers now begin the three-year process of transferring to NCAA Div. II affiliation from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). SD Mines will remain in the NAIA and the Dakota Athletic Conference for the 2010-11 season, followed by a year of candidacy and then a year of probation before gaining official NCAA Div. II status for the 2013-14 season.

The transition affects the athletes in different ways. Graduating seniors will not see any changes, juniors and sophomores will not get to experience being a part of NCAA Div. II, and freshman will be the first graduating class to experience being a part of the new NCAA Div. II legacy.

“This is very exciting for the future of Hardrocker athletics,” said SD School of Mines Athletics Director Dick Kaiser. “It is the beginning of a new era that will open up all sorts of positive possibilities for our student-athletes and alumni.”

With NCAA Div. II status granted, the next task will be identifying an athletic conference to join. Currently the Hardrockers have received interest from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Both leagues are looking to expand membership and talks have been ongoing with both School of Mines and Black Hills State.

Two of the most life changing events in a senior’s life at the School of Mines are M-Week and the fall Career Fair. M-Week is the time where seniors wear their senior hats with pride, hunt for garters at local bars and march up M Hill to set up their plaques all while welcoming the final chapter of their schooling. For some, the fall Career Fair is crucial in tying up a grown-up job before they walk across the stage to receive a diploma.

So what do these events have in common this September? They both happen to fall within the same week this year. At the end of this month, seniors as well as younger students will have to make some important decisions.

Why did the School of Mines schedule these events on the same week?

“The Career Fair and M-Week just happen to fall on the same week because of the football schedule,” said Mike Keegan, Student Activities Coordinator.  “It is not intentional. It just happens like that from time to time.”

Even though the Career Fair falls on Tuesday, Sept. 28, many businesses stay around a few days later to do follow-up interviews. While this would normally pose as a great opportunity for students, on an eventful week such as M-Week, other activities might take precedence.

“I am definitely going to put the M-week activities as first priority,” said chemistry junior Kelsey Koch. “I may be slightly biased seeing as how I’m planning on going to Medical School and there isn’t much use in me going to the Career Fair… but regardless, M-week wins.”

M-Week is full of fun activities throughout every day. The night before the Career Fair consists of an introduction to the homecoming candidates. Tuesday night is a favorite among all ages: free ice cream at Armadillos and a free movie at the Elks movie theater. Wednesday is full of activities in the Quad as well as a hypnotist in the Ballroom that evening.

“It is going to be tough to juggle M-Week activities, the Career Fair, as well as a full class load all in one week,” metallurgical engineering senior J.D. Russo said. “The Career Fair and classes have to take priority over M-Week activites, but I’ll still find time to enjoy the events put on by the school.”

Those three days are prime time for seniors and other students to prep for the Career Fair. Students should be busy editing and updating resumes, ironing suit jackets, fixing hair and hopefully getting enough sleep to look fresh for possible future employers. But with M-Week roaring with traditional activities, students will be forced to make decisions that would normally not be a big deal.

“Occasionally the two events happen on the same week, like this year,” Dean of Students Dr. Patricia Mahon said. “Although it makes for a busy week, students should still be able to participate in the Career Fair/next-day interviews and then also attend any M-Week activities scheduled in the evenings.”

To have a great time staying up late and celebrating or to act professional and be well rested and nail the interview? It is a tough decision but every student will have to decide.

Career fairs, which the School of Mines has been holding for more than 20 years, are win-win situations for both students and employers. These events provide students the opportunity for direct contact with employers. The connections students make with employers can lead to interviews and result in job offers. For employers, career fairs offer an excellent way to get to know students beyond their resumes and to identify those students who are a good fit for their organization.

Traditionally at career fairs, students hand copies of their resumes to recruiters for them to review and ask questions. That is still common practice at most career fairs. However, some employers now no longer accept resumes at career fairs and instead tell students to apply online through their company’s website.

Occasionally some students get upset at employers that won’t take their resume and think they are getting the “brush-off” by being told to apply online. However, that is not the case. In these cases, online applications usually are a required part of the company’s process. Unless candidates apply online, they will not even be considered.

Being told to apply online causes some students to question the value of attending career fairs. However, students should take advantage of the opportunity to visit with the recruiters and get some advice on the company’s application process. For example, students might ask recruiters questions such as:

• What can I do to increase my chances of my resume being noticed online?
• What is the most critically important information to include on my resume?

Even though some employers may not take your resume, their recruiters may write down the names of students who impressed them at the career fair. After the career fair, the recruiters may search for those students’ applications in their online system and bring them to the attention of the hiring managers.
Thus, students should never pass up the chance to make a good impression and to be professional in their interactions with employers.

Regardless of whether employers take your resume or tell you to apply online, career fairs remain a very important tool in the job search process. They provide priceless opportunities for students to have face-to-face conversations with employers and sell themselves that likely wouldn’t be available to them otherwise.

Every year hundreds of thousands of bikers travel from all over the world to be a part of the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  For 2010, an estimated 600,000 people traveled to the Black Hills between Friday, Aug. 6, and Sunday, Aug. 15.

Needless to say, extra workers are hired at area restaurants, campgrounds and at arriving vendor booths.  Some say attending the Rally is an experience of a lifetime, but a number of School of Mines students can vouch that working at the Rally is just as much of an experience as attending it.

“I truly didn’t know what to expect,” said Tristan Burnett, interdisciplinary science senior. “Everyone tries to prepare you for the things you will see and how long the week becomes, but until you experience it – you can’t possibly know.”

Burnett worked at the Legendary Buffalo Chip campground at the west gate.  The Buffalo Chip is known for legendary acts they book for concerts, and they claim the best party at the rally and campers that never seem to sleep.

This year the Buffalo Chip brought in a number of big names including The Scorpions, Disturbed, Jason Aldean, Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Dylan, Kid Rock, and even a special appearance by Pee Wee Herman.  The night of Kid Rock’s performance the campground boasted 260,000 in attendance.

“The concerts were a special treat after a long workday,” said Burnett. “That is if you had enough energy after a long day working in the hot sun.  I admit that one day I was in bed by 9:30 p.m. it gets so tiring.”

Kyle Doerr, environmental engineering junior, was another School of Mines student who worked at the rally.  Doerr also worked at the Buffalo Chip, but unlike Burnett, this was not his first rodeo.

“I’ve worked at the Chip now for four years,” said Doerr, “But every year there are new experiences and new stories to tell.”

His duties included assisting campers in finding their reserved spot.  He lead them to their location by having them follow him on a 4-wheeler.

“I wore a cowboy hat and shades everyday to help with the sun,” said Doerr. “One day a lady actually asked me for my autograph because she thought I looked like Kenney Chesney.”

Some stories these students have can only be told in person, but the only way to truly understand their experiences is to go and work the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally next summer in August.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of beginning a new semester there are many things happening around campus.  There are several construction projects in progress around the campus as well as a few planned for the future. These long overdue updates will allow us to move forward and remain at the cutting edge of research and education. The Chemical Building is being completely renovated, as well as the Paleontology lab.  A much needed upgrade to the King Center and a road connecting St. Patrick Street to St. Joseph Street are coming in the future.  All projects are slated to be finished by 2012.

Every student at the School of Mines takes a class or a lab in the 50 year old Chemistry Building before graduating and knows that it can get a little stuffy.

“The [renovation] definitely needs to be done,” said environmental engineering freshman Emily Squillace. “There’s no air conditioning or ventilation in there.”

The new Chemistry Building will allow students to learn in a more hands-on environment that the millennial student requires. The Chemical Building will be completed by August 2010. It will change the look and feel of the entire campus and it will allow collaborative projects between both graduate and undergraduate students. This will give students the skills and abilities employers demand.

“Renovations need to incorporate faculty who have civil background,” said civil/environmental junior Adam Sanders.
The paleontology department is also getting a facelift.  With the only paleontology master’s program in America, the new facility will allow more space for storage of School of Mines’ vast collection, as well as larger research facilities, maintaining SDSMT’s world renowned reputation for producing some of the best paleontologists and geologists in the nation. The anticipated date for completion of the new paleontology center is May 2010.

“Renovations [seem to be] more focused on research rather than quality for students,” said Sanders.

The King Center is getting some new additions as the School of Mines prepares to replace the Old Gym and update the fitness facilities to meet the needs of the modern student.  This project is still on the drawing board, with the ground breaking ceremony still unannounced.

“It’s a little farther to walk [because of the new construction] but I don’t pay no mind to it,” said nursing sophomore Leslie Whitehead.

Along with the upgrade of the King Center, there will be a new road put in that will connect St. Patrick Street to St. Joseph Street, allowing more parking as well as adding another access point to the campus.  The anticipated date of completion for this project is also still unknown, as the total funds needed are still being acquired, but all projects are slated to be completed by 2012.

“A campus without change is an unhealthy campus,” said Dr. Sidney Goss, a sociology professor at the School of Mines.“SDSMT is making exciting changes that will enhance learning, economic development and research. We’re a campus on the move!”

As students on this campus well know, there have been dorm renovations going on for some time now. Connolly Hall has been undergoing massive changes, and Palmerton is set to start its transformation in mid-January.

Due to space limitations, most juniors and seniors are required to live off campus, so that there is enough space for all the underclassmen to live on campus, since they are required to do so under the BOR policy. As Maureen Wilson, the Residence Life Director here at Mines, said, ““As the freshmen and sophomore [numbers] are growing, we have had to shift to accommodate their needs because they are required to be here.”

Connolly Hall is set to be finished by January so that students can move in by the time second semester starts. Some students may be wondering how all of Palmerton Hall is going to fit into the newly renovated Connolly. While it may be a tight fit, most (if not all) students currently living in Palmerton should be able to get into Connolly.

There may be a few people who will be transferred to the NAU dorms, but the housing department will be working to keep this number to a minimum. Improvements being made to Connolly include all new plumbing, lighting, flooring, doors, and furniture.

Also, there will be air conditioning added and individual room temperature control. There will be community space and kitchens on every floor as well. Rather than shared showers, there will be individual shower stalls in all of the bathrooms.

There will also be a new fire suppression system, including fire sensors and sprinklers. Eventually, there will also be an elevator so that the building is ADA accessible. The laundry room will be enlarged as well. Rooms will now also have occupancy sensors in them- if no one is in the room, the lights will automatically shut off after a certain period of time, saving energy and making our campus more environmentally friendly.

Palmerton Hall will be undergoing many similar changes (new lighting, flooring, etc.). Once it is reopened, it is expected to again be mainly a male dorm, with the second floor being the only female floor. Many of the current (and former) female residents have been wondering about what’s going to happen to the painted bricks that adorn the walls.

For those who haven’t heard about this tradition, residents of second floor Palmerton get to paint a brick on the walls of the dorm for every semester that they live there, making it a cool way to simultaneously “make your mark” on the school and do something artistic. As Jessie Ketchum, a sophomore geology major, said, “It’s nice that we get to do something creative.” It is still unclear whether or not the bricks will stay or be painted over, but hopefully the contractors can be convinced to work around them.

In addition to making life more comfortable for residents, the renovations will also make our school more eco-friendly.

As mentioned before, there will be occupancy sensors in the renovated rooms. This is not the only change, however.

There will be a hot water system that utilizes solar power, and the parking lot lighting will be redone so that it stays lit up but doesn’t consume massive amounts of energy. Bicycle parking space will also be increased to encourage people to use this “greener” form of transportation.

Other miscellaneous changes will be occurring as well, including differences in the staffing of the halls, a common area between the two halls, and prices for staying in the dorms. For the staffing, there will be one hall director instead of two.

Also, there is a common area that is being built that will connect Palmerton and Connolly. It’s going in where the old courtyard between the two halls used to be. This common area will probably be completely finished when Palmerton gets done (hopefully around May), but there may be partial access before then.

Finally, there will be changes to prices for staying in the dorms. For now, the cost will stay the same for the students moving from Palmerton into Connolly (they won’t have to pay more, even though they will be using all the new amenities, including air conditioning). However, in the future, students should expect a slight increase in fees. The official rates will be decided in March.

While students may have to wait a while to see the end result of the renovations, everyone is excited about the new changes coming to our campus, and will eagerly anticipate the openings of the refurbished halls.

Where are all the parking spots? The School of Mines parking office is trying to develop more spots around campus. Every student, faculty, staff and visitor is required to have one of the parking permits in order to park anywhere on campus. Along with a parking permit, the student or staff member must have his or her vehicle registered with the parking office.

So what is the deal with parking? Residents on campus are haunted with the construction on the two dormitories Connolly and Palmerton. Once construction is finished on Connolly by Christmas break, renovations on Palmerton will begin. This keeps the construction site continuous and parking an issue.

“There are so many more students having to commute this year because of the resident halls renovations,” the School of Mines Student Association President Lukasz Dubaj said, “It creates a parking issue because more kids have to travel to campus every day for class.”

For commuters that are wondering where all the spots for the red parking permits are, the answer is simple: look above at the King Center.

Robert Keller, a member of the Student Association, wants to encourage upperclassman to stop complaining and drive your car to the King Center to look for spots.

“It is nice that I don’t have to pay for parking,” senior Gary Smith said,” but it sucks that I have to walk so far!”  Smith is not the only student from yellow parking that feels this way.

The free yellow parking at the O’Hara stadium is convenient for price but it seems like a marathon to walk to class every morning.

The parking office is continually trying to keep up with parking requests and parking spots available. A secret insider for those of you underclassman living on campus, green permits are still available. The parking office is looking at opening up the extra spots up to younger residents on campus.

“There is not a magic fix [to the parking situation],” said Mitch Miller, Director of Facilities Services. The parking committee meets every month to go over problems on the parking status and it tries to solve issues brought up during the meeting.

As of right now facilities is planning on creating some safety precautions for the parking lots. Possible turning lanes are in the future for exiting the O’Hara stadium. Along with the safety, the parking committee is looking to create particular spots for motorcycles on campus.  If you have any fresh ideas for the parking issue on campus, let your voice be heard.

“We are always looking for students to voice their concerns about parking.” Miller says.

If you have a suggestion for the parking committee to discuss feel free to email Mitch Miller at: mitch.miller@sdsmt.edu. He said that he will be more than appreciative and will voice your concerns at the next meeting.

The School of Mines may create more sports teams according to Dr. Richard Kaiser, the new Athletic Director.

Although specifics as to when these changes will become a reality are sketchy, Kaiser believes that adding sports such as baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer would boost enrollment and increase student diversity.

Kaiser also looks forward to the new facilities that are currently still under construction.

“I see us making additions to our facilities, which would include an indoor track and field arena complex,” said Kaiser, “So our teams can have a quality facility in work out in during the winter months.”

This may not be news to all students but to students such as Ivar Hellzén Melby and Matt Pike, this is the gospel.

“There is already a high interest in soccer,” said Melby, a civil engineering junior from Norway. “There is already a club who travels to play games with little funding and no scholarships. This will definitely attract more American and international students who already show interest in the sport”

“I would love to have an indoor facility with an indoor track, where the temperature stays constant regardless of the weather outside,” said Pike. “It will attract more students to the School Of Mines because practice on an actual track is more efficient than practice on a treadmill”

A native of Boulder, Colo., Kaiser earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Northern Colorado. He proceeded to pursue a master’s degree in educational administration from South Dakota State University and eventually, a doctorate of education in athletic leadership and administration from Brigham Young University. He did not stop there: rather, he got his post doctorate in health education and administration at Oregon State University.

Kaiser has devoted over 35 years to college athletics. He has served at different colleges such as Olivet College, Western Oregon University and Willamette University. His last ten years were spent as the Athletic Director for Defiance College.  Although he is an athletic director, he has coached college football for 17 years.

Kaiser was not ready to end his career at Defiance College. He chose the School of Mines because of its beautiful location and its quality of education. He describes the student body as “quality students that are driven, goal-orientated and [who] understand the purpose and meaning of their academic studies to further endeavors.”

He also hopes to stabilize athletic scholarships allotment, while assist the coaches in growing the size of their teams in order to help increase enrollment at the school. He also really excited about the experienced level of the coaching staff and their various fields of expertise.

Kaiser has been the athletic director since the first of July. He has two children, Cassie and Ryan.

Comedian Groucho Marx once said, “While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” Eight months and six million dollars spent students are questioning the Surbeck renovations. Their concerns are not about the new look, but rather the amount of choice and quality of food in the renovated cafeteria. Leaving the question: was the result worth the cost?

“It is disappointing to see the selection down in the Miners Shack,” said computer science sophomore Michael Slezak. “I miss items like Pizza Rolls and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream”.

The selection in the main cafeteria even decreased. Now students are missing the self served ice cream from last year and can’t pick items from the grill like bacon cheese burgers and patty melts. The decrease in choice can’t be forgiven by the food quality.

“The food seems the exact same as last year,” said metallurgy sophomore Matt Wermers. “Sometimes it seems that the food is worse off”.

Despite the dissatisfaction of the food quality and selection students have found positive aspects of the remodeled dining area.

“The new cafeteria looks awesome, it is new and fresh”, said mechanical engineer sophomore Matt Hicks. “The whole layout is a lot better to eat and study in”.

The new architecture in the dining area has been updated to help the look of The School of Mines. New furniture gives the area a modern look. The layout also leaves the dining area open for people to study during and after cafeteria hours. Making the new renovation a step in a better direction.

The old cafeteria needed to be updated. It was about to hit its 47th year of service.

“Stoves and equipment needed a facelift,” said Dr. Pat Mahon, Dean of Students, regarding the outdated equipment. It wasn’t just the facility that noticed the need too. The decision for change was a huge student-driven effort.”