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Jack the Jackrabbit wasn’t in the delivery room when Dave and Elaine Gullickson’s three children were born, but that was about the only time they weren’t surrounded by a Yellow and Blue influence. Between going to sporting events, watching the Hobo Day parade, visiting the Dairy Bar and climbing Coughlin Campanile, the Gullickson children were frequently experiencing ��«Ӱҵ. So, when it came time for Michele, Lori and Jeff to choose a college, it’s not surprising they stayed in Brookings and chose Jackrabbits for spouses. Fast forward a generation and eight of Dave and Elaine’s grandchildren also have become SDSU graduates or are attending SDSU. That’s why when it came time for the SDSU Alumni Association to choose its 2025 Family of the Year, the Gullickson’s nomination was impossible to ignore. The family will be honored at a March 1 awards luncheon at the Alumni Center and then at the women’s basketball game versus St. Thomas that afternoon.

Each winter, a special corner of ��«Ӱҵ’s campus comes alive with light and cheer. It feels like something straight out of a holiday film — twinkling lights, festive music, crisp winter air and families and friends coming together to celebrate. The magical scene is set at McCrory Gardens, where Garden Glow transforms the landscape into a winter wonderland, with thousands of sparkling lights illuminating the path.

The Child and Family Resource Network at ��«Ӱҵ is hosting its next “Common-Sense Parenting” class series starting Jan. 7. The free, six-class series is designed for parents and individuals who engage with school-age children, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Three members of the ��«Ӱҵ School of Design have completed a collaborative project with the Brookings School District. Instructor of landscape architecture Jeremiah Bergstrom and landscape architecture students Isabelle Plagge and Cerington Jones worked together to assist the Brookings schools.

The South Dakota Art Museum and Brookings Arts Council invite visitors to their final Community Art Day of the year on Saturday, Dec. 7. This free event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Dakota Art Museum, located at 1036 Medary Ave. in Brookings.

Brookings, home to ��«Ӱҵ, is the second most affordable college town in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study. In WalletHub’s “2025 Best College Towns in America,” factors including housing costs, cost of higher education and student loan debt per person, among others, were considered.