By Katie Bunde and Sydney Rechtenbaugh

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo by Brandon Pennock

Taking two weeks off from school would sound good to any student. Junior Brandon Pennock had that opportunity and took it. State Representative Bob Deelstra contacted Pennock and told him he should sign up to become a Legislative page. “I didn’t even know what that was, so I checked into and it sounded pretty fun. I filled out an application,” said Pennock. Requirements for being a page consist of being among the top of your class and having your principal sign off saying you are responsible. “The program is actually meant for seniors, but I got around that,” said Pennock.

A Legislative page is a student who goes to the Capitol in Pierre and helps and observes the legislators. Some of the pages’ duties include sorting through bills and journals, making copies and delivering mail. “We also got them coffee, water and whatever else they wanted,” explained Pennock. 

Pennock really enjoyed his experience in Pierre and would definitely do it again. “There were 22 other pages from across South Dakota. I made a lot of new friends and I got to see what the Capitol is like. For my birthday, I had supper at the Governor’s Mansion. That was pretty sweet.”

The pages got paid $50 a day, but he also had to pay $25 a day to his host family. There were two days he didn’t get paid when session was canceled for Former Governor Bill Janklow’s funeral.

“Next year I plan to apply again. Hopefully they will let me, because I had a real good time. I strongly recommend this program to all students. You don’t even have to be interested in politics. It’s a good experience.”

By Editorial Staff

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of the Rapid City Journal

In his January 10 State of the State presentation to the people of South Dakota, Governor Dennis Daugaard outlined his vision for the future of pubic education. In it, he spoke of his belief in targeting resources to reward students and teachers who show dedication to academic improvement.

“My plan provides bonuses for the best, while continuing support to all teachers’ regular salaries, to provide rewards for inspiring success in our students,” Daugaard stated during his speech. His plan will provide salary bonuses for the top 20 percent of teachers, as well as bonuses for math and science educators. The plan comes with a 2.3 percent increase in state aid to education after cuts were made to the program in last year’s budget.

To support his plan, Daugaard cited state spending statistics that reach back 40 years. Since 1971, South Dakota student enrollment has fallen 28.5 percent, yet the number of teachers in the state has increased by 10 percent. Per pupil spending has also steadily increased by 2.3 percent since that time, but South Dakota students, who used to be among the top students in the nation, are falling behind their neighbors. In 2003 South Dakota’s fourth grade reading scores were surpassed by only four other states, and today, 20 states are ahead of us.

These numbers constitute a time-tested truth about the relationship between money and education; higher per pupil spending does not necessarily lead to a higher quality education. Nonetheless, the Sioux Falls School district has come out against the governor’s proposal, with Board Vice President Doug Morrison saying, “We’re defending ourselves against something we shouldn’t have to defend ourselves against, and that’s a little disappointing.”

In a January 30 meeting of the senior editorial members of the Tribune staff, the board decided that the values of the Sioux Falls School district do not reflect our own, and we are proud to endorse the governor’s education proposal. It will be a policy of fiscal soundness, responsibility and incentive, and we appreciate the state’s plan to reward teachers who demonstrate academic improvement. The decision to endorse was not entirely unanimous due to one dissenting vote, but the board overwhelmingly agreed with the governor’s goals and concurred with his historical evidence.

A spirit of competition can only lead to an improvement in our teaching system, and with that spirit, we will once again reclaim our position as a state with a leading educational institution.

By Nolan Bostic and Nathan Bostic
Trojan Tribune Staff
Photo courtesy of Filmschoolrejects.com

The 46th annual Super Bowl will kick off at 6:30 EST on Feb. 5. The much anticipated matchup between the two talented franchises is expected to come down to the wire. For the New England Patriots, this is a revenge bowl, as they will try to get back at the New York Giants, who defeated them in the 2008 Super Bowl. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are chasing their fourth Super Bowl ring together, Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin are looking to win their second. Going into the playoffs as the number four seed, the Giants knocked off the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots went into the playoffs as the number one seed. They crushed the Denver Broncos and then topped the Baltimore Ravens by three.

While New York wasn’t a favorite coming into the playoffs, the franchise played solid ball and took advantage of the opportunities they were given. The regular season didn’t go exactly as planned, but nevertheless, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in week 17 to win the division and come into the playoffs strong. Though their regular season record was a lousy 9-7, the Giants knew that with the talent their team consisted of, they were capable of beating anyone. Team leaders offensively during the regular season were Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw and Victor Cruz. Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 92.9. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging about 3.9 yards per carry. Victor Cruz had 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the Giants were led by Antrel Rolle, who had 96 tackles and Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks.

New England was definitely a favorite coming into the playoffs. As a number one seed, many NFL fans and analysts expected them to go deep into the playoffs. The Patriots have questionably the best offensive unit in the league, but as an old saying goes: ‘defense wins championships.’ This is an obvious weakness to the franchise, but in the playoffs, their defense has played exceptionally well. In the regular season the franchise went 13-3 and won their division by a large margin. Offensive leaders for the Patriots during the regular season included Tom Brady, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Wes Welker. Brady passed for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 105.6. Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing yards with 667 yards and 11 touchdowns. Welker had 122 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the leaders for the Patriots were Jerod Mayo and Andre Carter. Mayo had 88 tackles, and Carter had 10 sacks.

There are some key players to watch in the Super Bowl for both teams. For the Giants, they are their quarterback Eli Manning, and their receivers, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  New York has three exceptional pass rushers up front as well: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora.  New England’s key players to watch are the quarterback, Tom Brady, and the two tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  The Patriots also have two key receivers: Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are two players to keep an eye out for on the defensive side of the ball.