Alex Halbach, Students’ Association President

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to the freshman class and to the families and friends who have followed them here. Welcome to South Dakota State University.

This summer has been an active one in student government. Last spring, a small committee was formed to work with the Architects OLC/EAPC in designing a new Wellness Center. This Wellness facility will include three new gymnasiums, a new walking track, a climbing wall, and more than 10,000 square feet of fitness space. It will also include space for aerobics, spinning and martial arts. The wellness facility will also include new space for Student Health and Counseling, and will be located west of the current HPER facility, but will be connected to the existing pool area via skywalk. This is an exciting addition to campus and will offer students increased access and additional space. If you are interested in what the plans look like, please stop by the Students’ Association office-Room 140A in the University Student Union for more details.

As many of you may know, President Miller will be retiring at the end of this year and we are currently in the process of hiring a new president to lead SDSU. The presidential search committee has met three times this summer and finalists will be on campus in mid September. Please keep your eyes open for dates and times of these meetings as it is very important for the students to meet the candidates and provide feedback to committee members.

The Safe Ride Home trial program was a huge success servicing nearly 1300 students in the short six weeks of operation last spring. It went through a facelift over the summer and we will now be offering two buses that will be running from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

It is going to be an exciting year in the Students’ Association and at South Dakota State University. We are beginning a new phase of building projects and programs that will enhance student life and the student atmosphere for years to come. It’s a great time to be a JackRabbit!