Design.

The memorial consists of 56 granite pillars, each tall, arranged in a semicircle around a plaza with two triumphal arches on opposite sides. Two-thirds of the site is landscaping and water. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S. states of 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern arch is inscribed with "Atlantic"; the southern one, "Pacific." The plaza is long and wide, is sunk below grade, and contains a pool that is.  The memorial includes two inconspicuously located "Kilroy was here" engravings. Their inclusion in the memorial acknowledges the significance of the symbol to American soldiers during World War II and how it represented their presence and protection wherever it was inscribed.  On approaching the semicircle from the east, a visitor walks along one of two walls (right side wall and left side wall) picturing scenes of the war experience in bas relief. As one approaches on the left (toward the Pacific arch), the scenes begin with soon-to-be servicemen getting physical exams, taking the oath, and being issued military gear. The reliefs progress through several iconic scenes, including combat and burying the dead, ending in a homecoming scene. On the right-side wall (toward the Atlantic arch) there is a similar progression, but with scenes generally more typical of the European theatre. Some scenes take place in England, depicting the preparations for air and sea assaults. The last scene is of a handshake between the American and Russian armies when the western and eastern fronts met in Germany.

Freedom Wall.

The Freedom Wall is on the west side of the plaza, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial behind it. The wall has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. In front of the wall lies the message "Here we mark the price of freedom".

History.

In 1987, World War II veteran Roger Durbin approached Representative Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, to ask if a World War II memorial could be constructed. Kaptur introduced the World War II Memorial Act to the House of Representatives as HR 3742 on December 10. The resolution authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish a World War II memorial in "Washington, D.C., or its environs", but the bill was not voted on before the end of the session, so it was not passed. Two more times, in 1989 and 1991, Rep. Kaptur introduced similar legislation, but these bills suffered the same fate as the first and did not become law.  Kaptur reintroduced legislation in the House a fourth time as HR 682 on January 27, 1993, one day after Senator Strom Thurmond (a Republican from South Carolina) introduced companion Senate legislation. On March 17, 1993, the Senate approved the act, and the House approved an amended version of the bill on May 4. On May 12, the Senate also approved the amended bill, and the World War II Memorial Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on May 25 of that year, becoming Public Law 103-32.

Fundraising.

On September 30, 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed a 12-member Memorial Advisory Board (MAB) to advise the ABMC in picking the site, designing the memorial, and raising money to build it. A direct mail fundraising effort brought in millions of dollars from individual Americans. Additional large donations were made by veterans' groups, including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and others. The majority of the corporate fundraising effort was led by two co-chairs: Senator Bob Dole, a decorated World War II veteran and 1996 Republican nominee for president; and Frederick W. Smith, the president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation and a former U.S. Marine Corps officer. The U.S. federal government provided about $16 million. A total of $197 million was raised.

Picking the site.

On January 20, 1995, Colonel Kevin C. Kelley, project manager for the ABMC, organized the first meeting of the ABMC and the MAB, at which the project was discussed and initial plans made. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner F. Haydn Williams, chairman of ABMC's World War II Memorial Site and Design Committee, who would go on to guide the project through the site selection and approval process and the selection and approval of the Memorial's design. Representatives from the United States Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Capital Memorial Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service attended the meeting.The selection of an appropriate site was taken on as the first action.  Over the next months, several sites were considered. Three quickly gained favor:  Other sites considered but quickly rejected were:  The selection of the Rainbow Pool site was announced on October 5, 1995. The design would incorporate the Rainbow Pool fountain, located across 17th Street from the Washington Monument and near the Constitution Gardens site.  The location, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, is the most prominent spot for a monument on the National Mall since the Lincoln Memorial opened in 1922. It is the first addition in more than 70 years to the grand corridor of open space that stretches from the Capitol west to the Potomac River.

Designing the memorial.

A nationwide design competition drew 400 submissions from architects from around the country. Friedrich St. Florian's initial design was selected in 1997. St. Florian's design evokes a classical monument. Under each of the two memorial arches, the Pacific and Atlantic baldacchinos, four eagles carry an oak laurel wreath. Each of the 56 pillars bear wreaths of oak symbolizing military and industrial strength, and of wheat, symbolizing agricultural production.  Over the next four years, St. Florian's design was altered during the review and approval process required of proposed memorials in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Haydn Williams guided the design development for ABMC.

Construction.

Ground was broken in September 2001. The construction was managed by the General Services Administration.  The triumphal arches were crafted by Rock of Ages Corporation. Sculptor Raymond Kaskey created the bronze eagles and two wreaths that were installed under the arches, as well as 24 bronze bas-relief panels that depict wartime scenes of combat and the home front. The bronzes were cast over the course of two and a half years at Laran Bronze in Chester, Pennsylvania. The stainless-steel armature that holds up the eagles and wreaths was designed at Laran, in part by sculptor James Peniston, and fabricated by Apex Piping of Newport, Delaware. The twin bronze wreathes decorating the 56 granite pillars around the perimeter of the memorial — as well as the 4,048 gold-plated silver stars representing American military deaths in the war — were cast at Valley Bronze in Joseph, Oregon. "I'd see buckets full of the stars going through the foundry, and think that each stood for 100 men. The magnitude was overwhelming," Dave Jackman, former president of Valley Bronze, recalled in 2004.  The John Stevens Shop designed the lettering for the memorial and most of the inscriptions were hand-carved in situ.  The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated in a May 29 ceremony attended by thousands of people. The memorial became a national park on November 1, when authority over it was transferred to the National Park Service.  In 2012, the memorial's fountain was renovated.

Controversy.

Criticism of the location.

Critics such as the National Coalition to Save Our Mall opposed the location of the memorial. A major criticism of the location was that it would interrupt what had been an unbroken view between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial was also criticized for taking up open space that had been historically used for major demonstrations and protests.  Critics were particularly bothered by the expedited approval process, which is considerably lengthy most of the time. The United States Congress, worried that World War II veterans were dying before an appropriate memorial could be built, passed legislation exempting the World War II Memorial from further site and design review. Congress also dismissed pending legal challenges to the memorial.

Criticism of the design and style.

There were also aesthetic objections to the design. A critic from the "Boston Herald" described the monument as "vainglorious, demanding of attention and full of trite imagery." "The Philadelphia Inquirer" argued that "this pompous style was also favored by Hitler and Mussolini" (see Nazi architecture). The "Washington Post" described it as "overbearing", "bombastic", and a "hodgepodge of cliche and Soviet-style pomposity" with "the emotional impact of a slab of granite".  Some supporters said that the design evoked federal architecture during the New Deal period, influenced by an austere interpretation of Art Deco/Beaux Arts styles. This view, and the monument, were dismissed by one prominent architecture critic as "knee-jerk historicism".  The design originally unveiled by President Bill Clinton included only 50 columns honoring the 48 states of the Union during World War II and only two of the eight non-state jurisdictions at the time of the war, the territories of Alaska and Hawaii that subsequently were admitted into the Union. On June 2, 1997, the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly approved a Concurrent Resolution requesting that a column honoring the territory of Puerto Rico's participation in the war effort be incorporated in the final design. Its author, then-Sen. Kenneth McClintock began a lobbying campaign that preceded the expansion of the number of columns to 56, honoring the 48 existing states in 1945, the District of Columbia and the seven existing territories of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Philippines and the United States Virgin Islands.

FDR's D-Day prayer.

On May 23, 2013, Senator Rob Portman introduced the World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2013 (S. 1044; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the United States Secretary of the Interior to install at the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the United States on June 6, 1944, the morning of D-Day. The bill was opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Jewish Committee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Hindu American Foundation, and the Interfaith Alliance. Together the organizations argued that the bill "endorses the false notion that all veterans will be honored by a war memorial that includes a prayer proponents characterize as reflecting our country's 'Judeo-Christian heritage and values.'" The organizations argued that "the memorial, as it currently stands, appropriately honors those who served and encompasses the entirety of the war" and was carefully created, so no additional elements, such as FDR's prayer, need to be added. But, they said, "the effect of this bill, however, is to co-opt religion for political purposes, which harms the beliefs of everyone." The bill passed in the United States Senate on June 5, 2014.

The World War II Memorial is a memorial of national significance dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. Consisting of 56 pillars and a pair of small triumphal arches surrounding a square and fountain, it sits on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the eastern end of the Reflecting Pool, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Le mémorial de la Seconde Guerre mondiale est un bâtiment conçu par Leo A. Daly, dans le parc "National Mall" du centre-ville de Washington. Il a été officiellement inauguré le, en présence de milliers de vétérans. Si George W. Bush en était le témoin, ce projet remonte aux années 1980. Situé en un point névralgique du "Mall", entre le Washington Monument et le bassin des Constitution Gardens, le mémorial a une conception éclatée et discrète. Une immense fontaine ("Rainbow pool") est encadrée par deux rangées semi-circulaires de colonnes commémoratives, 56 pour être exact, chacune décorée d'une couronne métallique (chêne et blé), chacune représentant un État ou territoire du pays. Ces rangées, séparément, sont aussi la représentation des théâtres de guerre atlantique et pacifique.


History.

According to the disputed letters of Amerigo Vespucci, the ABC islands were first explored by one of Christopher Columbus' captains, Alonso de Ojeda, who landed on Curaçao in 1499. He is said to have called the islands "Las islas de los Gigantes" or "Islands of the Giants" due to the native inhabitants, the Caiquetio Indians. The first known European exploration was by Amerigo Vespucci, whose cartographer Juan de la Cosa first described the islands. By 1527 the Spanish had formed a government and established Catholicism on the islands.  In 1634, the Netherlands fought Spain over control of the islands. The Dutch won, (although Spain won them back before abandoning them due to them being of little value) and the islands were then administered by the Netherlands. The Dutch West India Company developed the areas, establishing a major port on Curaçao. The abolition of the slave trade in 1863 had a devastating impact on their economies, although the economy revived when oil was discovered in Venezuela during the early 20th century, and the islands became major oil refineries.  From 1815 until 1954 the three islands were known as the Colony of Curaçao and Dependencies. This colony at various times also included Netherlands Suriname and Sint Eustatius and Dependencies. In 1954, the ABC islands became part of the Netherlands Antilles, which gave them political autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1986 Aruba withdrew from the Netherlands Antilles, becoming a separate country within the kingdom. Upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, Curaçao gained a similar status to Aruba. Bonaire became a special municipality of the Netherlands proper, although it maintains its status of an overseas territory of the European Union.

Geography and climate.

The ABC islands are part of the Leeward Antilles, which is the westernmost area of the Lesser Antilles. They lie immediately to the north of Falcón State, Venezuela. Due to their political history, they are sometimes considered to be part of North America along with the other Caribbean islands, although they lie on South America’s geographical plate; the same phenomenon happens with Trinidad and Tobago.  ABC does not indicate the geographical order to each other; from west to east the islands are Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. Aruba is a flat island, exposed to the ocean currents. Bonaire and Curação are surrounded by reefs, and so are much more sheltered from the weather. Bonaire and Curaçao’s reefs are popular tourist destinations.  The ABC islands have an atypical hot desert climate (in the Köppen climate classification "BWh" and "BWk"), in which there is an excess of evaporation over precipitation. Surfaces on these islands hold little moisture and evaporate the little rainfall they receive. In addition, Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub is the most common vegetation on these islands. Furthermore, ABC islands are very dry as they lie north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone but except in their short rainy season from October to December or January are not exposed to moisture from the northeast trade winds. The rainy season is powerfully influenced by the Southern Oscillation resulting in very high variability. During strong El Niño years like 1911/1912, 1930/1931, 1982/1983 and 1997/1998 annual (fiscal year) rainfall can be less than, and even under at Curação in 1911/1912. In contrast, as much as may fall during a strong La Niña year like 1933/1934, 1970/1971, 1988/1989, 1999/2000 or 2010/2011, with the highest monthly totals being over.  Temperatures in the ABC islands are uniformly hot, averaging around year-round, with comfortable humidity and minima rarely falling below even on the mildest mornings, although afternoons rarely top.

Environment.

Bonaire is known for being a "diving paradise", with ecotourism playing a large part in its economy. The islands have a huge variety of wildlife, including flamingoes and four species of sea turtle.

Demographics.

Afro-Caribbean people make up a large proportion of Curaçao and Bonaire's population and Europeans make up for the majority of Aruba's population. There has been substantial immigration from North America and Europe to the islands and to a lesser extent from South America.

Language.

Dutch has been the official language of the islands for most of their history. A unique Portuguese creole language has developed there known as Papiamentu. Unlike other creole languages, Papiamentu is not decreasing in usage, and was made an official language on 7 March 2007. Papiamentu is heavily influenced by English, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Politics.

Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which have their own parliament and prime minister. Bonaire is a "special municipality" of the Netherlands proper, and subject to Netherlands law.  Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are all three constitutional islands of the European Union, meaning that they belong to Special member state territories. Citizens of these islands hold European passport and can vote on European parliament elections. However, they are not in the Schengen area of the European Union.

The ABC islands are the three western-most islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea that lie north of Falcón State, Venezuela. In order alphabetically they are Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. All three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, although they remain outside the European Union. Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands.

Les îles ABC sont les trois îles occidentales des Petites Antilles, au large de la côte vénézuélienne : Aruba à l'ouest, Bonaire à l'est, et Curaçao. Elles font partie du Royaume des Pays-Bas. Bonaire et Curaçao font partie des Antilles néerlandaises, Aruba a un statut particulier.


History.

After US-German relations had deteriorated from neutral to hostile around 1916, the prospect of U.S. war entry became possible. On February 15, 1917, the newly established Aviation Week warned that the U.S. military aviation capability was less than what was operating in the European war. President Woodrow Wilson sent Jerome Hunsaker to Europe to investigate, and Hunsaker's report prompted Wilson to command the creation of the nation's first aeronautics laboratory, which became NASA Langley.  In 1917, less than three years after it was created, the NACA established Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory on Langley Field. Both Langley Field and the Langley Laboratory are named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley. The Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps had established a base there earlier that same year. The first research facilities were in place and aeronautical research was started by 1920. Initially the laboratory included four researchers and 11 technicians.  Langley Field and NACA began parallel growth as air power proved its utility during World War I. The center was originally established to explore the field of aerodynamic research involving airframe and propulsion engine design and performance. In 1934 the world's largest wind tunnel was constructed at Langley Field with a test section; it was large enough to test full-scale aircraft. It remained the world's largest wind tunnel until the 1940s, when a tunnel was built at NASA Ames Research Center in California.  Early in 1945, the center expanded to include rocket research, leading to the establishment of a flight station at Wallops Island, Virginia. A further expansion of the research program permitted Langley Research Center to orbit payloads, starting with NASA's Explorer 9 balloon satellite in mid-February 1961. As rocket research grew, aeronautics research continued to expand and played an important part when subsonic flight was advanced and supersonic and hypersonic flight were introduced.  Langley Research Center can claim many historic firsts, some of which have proven to be revolutionary scientific breakthroughs. These accomplishments include the development of the concept of research aircraft leading to supersonic flight, the world's first transonic wind tunnels, training the first crews of astronauts, the Lunar Landing Facility providing the simulation of lunar gravity, and the Viking program for Mars exploration. The center also developed standards for the grooving of aircraft runways based on a previous British design used at Washington National Airport. Grooved runways reduce aquaplaning which permits better grip by aircraft tires in heavy rain. This grooving is now the international standard for all runways around the world.  Langley was also a contender for site NASA Mission Control, prior to the eventual selection of Houston, due to both Langley's prominence with NASA at the time, the large existing aerospace industry already present in the Hampton Roads region, and the proximity to Washington, DC. The selection of Houston actually took many higherups at Langley by surprise and caused some lingering controversy in the surrounding area over the loss and transfer of so many jobs to Houston. Though they had lost out on the Manned Space Center, Langley still played an important role in conducting research and training during the Apollo Program.

Aeronautics.

Langley Research Center performs critical research on aeronautics, including wake vortex behavior, fixed-wing aircraft, rotary wing aircraft, aviation safety, human factors and aerospace engineering. LaRC supported the design and testing of the hypersonic X-43, which achieved a world speed record of. LaRC assisted the NTSB in the investigation of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.  Work began in July 2011 to remove the 1940s era transonic wind tunnel. The facility supported development and propulsion integration research for many military aircraft including all fighters since 1960 (F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18 and the Joint Strike Fighter) but had been inactive since 2004. Langley retained transonic wind tunnel testing capabilities facilities in the National Transonic Facility, a high pressure, cryogenically cooled closed loop wind tunnel.

Fabrication research and development.

Electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3).

The EBF3 process produces structural metallic parts with immense strength. Additionally, the ability to build functionally graded, unitized parts directly from CAD data offers performance in most applications. Recently, LaRC has become home to this type of machining process, which is used by their new room-sized electron-emitting device, which uses a High Frequency, X-ray emitting electron gun (similar to Cathode Ray Tubes), which quickly melts either aluminum or titanium wire (positioned by dual independent wire feeders) into the desired 3-dimensional metallic parts with a material strength comparable to that of wrought products. The machine's deposition rate is Metallic parts are also built directly from CAD without molds or tools, leaving the end product with absolutely no porosity.

Plastic fabrication.

LaRC also houses a large collection of various inexpensive plastic reformation machines. These machines are critical in the freeform fabrication department for faster timing, better precision, and larger quantities of low-cost toy, model, and industrial plastic parts. The fabrication of plastic parts is not all that dissimilar to the EBF3 process, except the melting apparatus is a thin, grated heating element, but other than that they are quite similar, e.g. they are both run completely by CAD data and deal with various freeform fabrication of raw materials.

Astronautics.

Moon.

Since the start of Project Gemini, Langley was a center for training of rendezvous in space. In 1965, Langley opened the Lunar Landing Research Facility for simulations of Moon landings with a mock Apollo Lunar Module suspended from a gantry over a simulated lunar landscape. There was experimental work on some Lunar Landing Research Vehicles (LLRV).

Mars.

Langley Research Center supported NASA's mission by designing a spacecraft for a Mars landing. (see the Mars Exploration Rover.)

Earth science.

Langley Research Center conducts Earth science research to support NASA's mission.

Awards.

LRC scientists and engineers have won the Collier Trophy 5 times. In 1929 for the development of low-drag cowling for radial air-cooled aircraft engines, 1946 to Lewis A. Rodert, Lawrence D. Bell and Chuck Yeager for the development of an efficient wing deicing system, 1947 to John Stack of the then Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory for research to determine the physical laws affecting supersonic flight, also shared in this trophy for their work on supersonic flight, 1951 to John Stack for the development and use of the slotted-throat wind tunnel, 1954 Richard T. Whitcomb for the development of the Whitcomb area rule, according to the citation, a "powerful, simple, and useful method of reducing greatly the sharp increase in wing drag heretofore associated with transonic flight, and which constituted a major factor requiring great reserves of power to attain supersonic speeds."

The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley) located in Hampton, Virginia, United States, is the oldest of NASA's field centers. It directly borders Langley Air Force Base and the Back River on the Chesapeake Bay. LaRC has focused primarily on aeronautical research, but has also tested space hardware at the facility, such as the Apollo Lunar Module. In addition, a number of the earliest high-profile space missions were planned and designed on-site, and Langley was considered a potential site for the NASA's Manned Space Center prior to the eventual selection of Houston.

Le Centre de recherche Langley (, abrégé en LaRC) est le plus ancien des centres de recherche de l'agence spatiale américaine de la (NASA). Le LaRC est situé à Hampton en Virginie, à proximité de Poquoson et de la base aérienne militaire de Langley. Son nom lui vient de Samuel Pierpont Langley.


Race report.

This was the first French Grand Prix to be held at the new Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille. Jackie Stewart gained pole position – helped by extensive tyre testing in the weeks before – from Clay Regazzoni, Jacky Ickx and Graham Hill. Stewart led away from Regazzoni, Pedro Rodríguez and Jean-Pierre Beltoise, whilst Ickx was jostled through the first chicane and dropped back. Stewart streaked ahead, setting fastest lap on lap 2 and pulling out a 10-second lead by lap 7. His only real challenger, Regazzoni, hit a patch of oil and sailed into the guardrail, breaking a wheel on lap 20. On lap 28 Rodríguez dropped out with a faulty coil, leaving the Tyrrells in 1–2 formation, with François Cevert proving his worth on his home ground. Hill dropped out of fifth place with a broken oil pipe, having previously hit the guardrail whilst avoiding Regazzoni.  This left Jo Siffert in third place, holding off Emerson Fittipaldi, who was in pain and heavily bandaged after a road accident. Despite this, the Brazilian took 3rd on lap 39. Siffert retook this briefly, but Fittipaldi held on for the final podium place from the Swiss. Chris Amon took 5th in an unconvincing performance by home team Matra, duelling with Tim Schenken until Schenken ran out of oil 6 laps from the end.  It was a 1–2 success for the Tyrrells on a tricky circuit, the Cosworth DFV engine providing extra power down the very long Mistral straight.  This was to be Pedro Rodríguez's last Formula One race. He was killed a week later while driving a privately entered Ferrari 512 at an Interserie sports car race at the Norisring in Germany.

The 1971 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 4 July 1971. It was race 5 of 11 in both the 1971 World Championship of Drivers and the 1971 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 55-lap race was won by Tyrrell driver Jackie Stewart after he started from pole position. His teammate François Cevert finished second and Lotus driver Emerson Fittipaldi came in third.

Résultats du Grand Prix de France de Formule 1 1971 qui a eu lieu sur le circuit Paul Ricard le 4 juillet.


Player withdrawal.

With the Rugby World Cup in September, all three countries would have some of their top players rested, to avoid injuries. All Blacks coach Graham Henry made clear his wish for up to 30 of New Zealand's best players to miss around half of the Super 14, with the five New Zealand franchises supporting him in May 2006. The mandatory stand-down period meant that the 30 players who toured at the end of 2006 would miss at least the first week of competition.  John Connolly, the Wallabies coach, was also interested in lightening the load for his top players. It was expected that the Australians would want to rest only a few players, especially veterans such as Stephen Larkham and George Gregan, as they are seen as key to Australia's World Cup chances. Springboks coach Jake White met the board of SA Rugby, the commercial arm of the South African Rugby Union, in Cape Town on 25 May 2006 to put forward his suggestion to rest key players between then and the World Cup at regular intervals. White was also keen to rest some players during the Boks' 2006 mid-year internationals against Scotland and France.  It was revealed in September 2006 that the All Blacks would rest 22 players, who would go into a "conditioning group" for the first 7 weeks of competition. The 22 players named were: Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton, Carl Hayman, Andrew Hore, Chris Jack, Richie McCaw, Chris Masoe, Keven Mealamu, Anton Oliver, Greg Somerville, Rodney So'oialo, Reuben Thorne, Ali Williams, Tony Woodcock, Dan Carter, Byron Kelleher, Leon MacDonald, Aaron Mauger, Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Piri Weepu. Seven of these players were from the Crusaders, six from the Hurricanes, four from the Blues, three from the Chiefs and two from the Highlanders. These players would be available for their franchises from Week 8. From these 22 players, Jason Eaton and Piri Weepu didn't make the final All Blacks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.  After the NZRU announced the resting of 22 leading players, Pat Wilson, Australian High Performance Manager, revealed that leading Wallabies would only be rested for one match, which was to be chosen by their state's union. This decision has drawn criticism from former Wallabies coach and current Queensland Reds coach Eddie Jones, who said that while resting the older players could be beneficial, it is better for younger players, such as his own Rodney Blake, to receive game time.  The SARU decided against resting their top players for the 2007 Super 14 but conceded that it was likely that players would be rested for some games. It is expected that News Corp and the other SANZAR nations will request compensation from the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Southern Spears saga.

During the 2006 Super 14 season, SA Rugby announced that, contrary to the original plans, the Southern Spears would not replace the lowest ranked South African based side.  In August 2006, however, the Spears won a court case for inclusion into the 2007 season, which would be at the expense of the Cats, who changed their name to the Lions the following month. SA Rugby and the South African Rugby Union were expected to appeal the High Court of South Africa's decision. In November 2006, SA Rugby and the Spears reached a settlement. The financially troubled Spears abandoned the court case. They will still exist as an organisation to promote and develop rugby in the Southern and Eastern Cape region, with the support of SA Rugby and the SARU, but will now not be a part of Super Rugby in the foreseeable future. With the settlement, the season's Super 14 line-up was set, with the Lions taking up the final South African place.

Results.

The draw for the 2007 season was released on 2006-10-13. The season started 8 days earlier than the 2006 season, with the first match being between the Blues and the Crusaders at Auckland's Eden Park, the second time in the last two years the Blues had hosted the first match. In total, 94 matches were played, comprising 91 regular season matches, 2 semi-finals and the final. There were 29 Friday night match-ups and 61 Saturday matches. One match, the Brumbies-Waratahs regional derby in Week 10, was played on a Sunday night.

Round 1.

The 2007 Super 14 started in contrast to that of 2006. The game of the week was the Blues from Auckland beating the defending champions the Crusaders, which was the first loss to a New Zealand side that the Crusaders had suffered since May 2004 and was ironically the Blues' first win over a New Zealand team for two years. The other upset was 2006 Finalists the Hurricanes losing to last years 12th placed Queensland Reds.

Round 2.

Week two saw the New Zealand teams have a strong week with the Hurricanes, Crusaders, Blues notching wins. Western Force began to show vast improvement from 2006 winning only their second match since entering the competition in 2006. Apart from the Force all other Australian teams suffered a loss.

Round 3.

In week three a Super rugby record was broken, although not one to be proud of. The Reds and Brumbies played in the lowest scoring match ever, a dire affair that resulted in a Brumbies win 6–3. The 22 All Blacks missing from New Zealand teams started to have a visible effect on the kiwi sides with only the Hurricanes claiming a tight win over the Blues. Another relatively low scoring match saw even the last years powerhouse champions the Crusaders beaten by last years 13th placed Lions, it was the first match in six years the Crusaders hadn't scored a single try.  <nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: This match was the lowest-scoring in Super Rugby history at the time.

Round 4.

Week Four saw the Brumbies lose their second game by conceding a try in the final seconds to the Hurricanes (the first was to the Blues in Week Two). The Blues convincingly put away the Queensland Reds while the Force surrendered in the final seconds to the Lions leaving them yet to win a home game. The Bulls beat the Chiefs while the Crusaders began the show the form that they have displayed in past years by beating the Cheetahs 49–28.

Round 5.

Week 5 saw the Blues defeat the Highlanders, the Chiefs drew with the Cheetahs in the final moments of the game, the Hurricanes lost at | home to bottom placed Stormers and the Crusaders suffered their 3rd defeat of the season losing in the final minute because of a blunder by Rico Gear. The Brumbies also suffered a loss at | home to the Bulls whereas the controversial game of the round saw the Waratahs draw with the Western Force because of a blunder by Waratahs utility back Sam Norton-Knight who decide to run with the ball in the final minute instead of taking the penalty shot which could have won them the game and for his mistake Lote Tuqiri shoved him and walked off the pitch looking very disappointed.

Round 6.

Week 6 saw the Reds travel to the "House of Pain" to play the Highlanders. Recent signing Andrew Walker was rushed into the starting team, however the Reds lost 17–33. The next game saw the Brumbies looking to rectify a three-game losing streak at their home ground. They did so with a convincing 26–13 win against the Stormers. The Force were also looking to end a | home ground hoodoo against the Hurricanes. Seeking their first ever victory at Subiaco the Force looked to have squandered an 11–10 lead upon conceding a try with two minutes left to put the score at 17–11. However a try on the sideline and followed by an unlikely conversion by Force wing Cameron Shepherd gave the Force a maiden | home victory. The next day opened with the Blues thrashing an in-form Lions outfit 41–14. The game saw Doug Howlett score two tries and in doing so becoming the equal highest try scorer in Super Rugby history (with Joe Roff of the Brumbies). The Waratahs then played a | home game against the Bulls – who won 32–19 thanks to two tries apiece to Bryan Habana and Fourie du Preez.

Round 7.

The Chiefs put on a convincing win against the Lions to start week seven. This was followed later that evening with the Force easily putting away the bottom of the table Reds in Perth. The Crusaders began to show their regular form with a win against the Bulls and the Waratahs season slumped to a new low with a home loss at the hands of the Stormers. The Cheetahs pulled off an unexpected win against the Brumbies and the undefeated Sharks continued their streak – beating the Hurricanes.

Round 8.

The Waratahs fell to another loss – being convincingly beaten by the Blues in Auckland. The Bulls were not worried about the "House of Pain" moniker of Carisbrook – instead they turned in on the Highlanders to win 22–13. The Crusaders continued their quick ascent up the ladder with a bonus-point win over the Stormers. Queensland slipped to another loss – albeit a close one – against the Chiefs. The Sharks suffered their first loss of the season as the Brumbies recording a big upset at ABSA Stadium. It was also the Brumbies first ever away win against the Sharks. The Lions continued the Hurricanes bad season with an easy win.

Round 9.

The Highlanders recorded a home win over the Cheetahs to open the round before the Force subjected the Sharks to their second loss in as many matches in Perth. The Hurricanes pulled off a win over the Bulls and the Blues put in a hard-fought win over the Chiefs. The Blues' Doug Howlett took sole possession of the all-| time try scoring lead in Super Rugby during the latter match. The Crusaders pulled away from the Waratahs early in the game before slacking off in the second half and seeing their lead evaporate to 34–28. The Waratahs scored a try late in the game to seemingly secure a win with the kick to come – but Peter Hewat missed a relatively easy kick to hand the Crusaders a 34–33 win. The Brumbies won a second game in South Africa – this time a close encounter against the Lions. A late Julian Huxley try securing a 14–9 win for the Canberra-based side.

Round 10.

The Blues easily put away the Cheetahs in the sole Good Friday game. The next day saw the Chiefs beat the Highlanders before a startling mountain backdrop in Queenstown. The Crusaders annihilated the Force 53–0. It was the largest score ever conceded by the Force and the largest losing margin – but for the Crusaders it didn't come close to their 96–19 win against the Waratahs in 2002. The Sharks continued the high scoring – putting 57 points on the Reds in Brisbane for a big win. The Stormers upset the Lions 30–8 in Cape Town. In the sole Easter Sunday clash the Waratahs failed to resurrect their season against the Brumbies – going down 36–10 in the interstate grudge match between the rivals. The win put the Brumbies into the top four for the first time in 2007.

Round 11.

This week saw the Hurricanes take on the Cheetahs and Hosea Gear became the Hurricanes' hero after scoring a 90-metre try in the final moments of the game. It was also the team's fourth try of the game which gave them a bonus point on top of the win. The following day, the Chiefs thrashed the Western Force 64–36, a game which saw a total of 14 tries being scored, nine of which were scored by the Chiefs, with Roy Kinikinilau and Brendon Leonard each getting hat-tricks. The Crusaders then defeated the Highlanders to climb to the top of the table. The Blues lost to the Sharks at home, going down by 7 points, and the Waratahs won only their second game this season, defeating the Reds, who sit at the bottom of the table. In the last match of the week, the Bulls thrashed the Stormers 49–12.

Round 12.

The Crusaders defeated the Hurricanes in a thrilling encounter which saw Jerry Collins being stretchered off after injuring his neck in a tackle on Rua Tipoki. The Brumbies defeated the Western Force in an all-Australian derby by just two points and the Reds won their second game of the season defeating the Cheetahs. Ben Tune (who is leaving the club after the season) scored the winning try in that match, but the match of the round saw the Chiefs defeat the Sharks to put themselves in contention for a semi-final spot. The Waratahs lost to the Highlanders by a point after Peter Hewat missed another conversion, and in a South African derby, the Bulls thrashed the Lions 31–7. Finally, the Blues lost their away match to the Stormers, but they remain second in the table nonetheless.

Round 13.

With the semi final week just around the corner, Week 13 saw some close matches including the opener between the Highlanders and the Hurricanes at the cake tin. The score was 22 – 16 to the Hurricanes at 80 minutes but a final minute try to Toby Morland in the corner turned things around. Nick Evans needed to get the kick over to win the game but was unsuccessful allowing the Hurricanes to win the game lucky to not have the same situation when the Hurricanes lost to the Force in week 6. The force continued their up and down season by comfortably beating the cheetahs. The Waratahs narrowly lost going down to the chiefs. The Brumbies pulled an upset win over the Crusaders to keep their semi final hopes alive. The Sharks dominated the lions to make sure they would at least get a home semi final. The Blues lost their third game in a row going down to the Bulls which slimmed the chances of the Blues securing a semi final spot and helped the Bulls secure a semi final spot. The last game of the week saw the stormers easily put away the Reds.

Round 14.

This was an exciting week for the two South African contenders the Bulls and the Sharks, both with possibilities of a home semi final. The action-packed weekend started with an upset, the in-form Chiefs beating the Crusaders 30–24 at Jade Stadium. This result gave the Sharks the opportunity to take the top spot if they won in Cape Town. The Blues smashed the Western Force 33–6 to keep their title dreams alive. Later, the Brumbies kept their semi final hopes alive by defeating the tired and weary Highlanders 29–10. Waratahs defeated the Hurricanes away in Wellington 38–14. Cheetahs gave the Lions the South African wooden spoon by beating them 16–10. The first main game of the day was the Stormers vs the Sharks. The Sharks played an efficient and professional game whilst the Stormers played their usual erratic hot and cold game that had seen them beat some good teams during the season, but in the end the Sharks easily claimed a 36–10 victory to be the first South African side to finish at the top of the table at the end of the round-robin stage in the Super 14 competition's history. The last game of the weekend promised to be a huge one for the Bulls, who were chasing a semi final spot. They came up against a feeble Reds team, who after going ahead 3–0 in the beginning, had no idea of the onslaught they were going to receive. The Bulls, who needed a bonus-point win to reach the semifinals, easily achieved this goal a quarter of the way into the "match". Early in the second half they reached the 45-point margin needed to push them up to third place. Then the impossible became possible. If the Bulls went 72 points clear of the Reds, they would leapfrog to second, giving them a home semifinal in the high-altitude cauldron of noise that is Loftus Versfeld. They seemed to reach this goal with little effort against a humiliated Reds side, setting a new Super Rugby record for winning margin of 89 points.

Finals.

Grand final.

The match had four tries – two by each team, and the last of which was scored by Bulls' wing Bryan Habana in the 82nd minute to give his team the trophy. It was the first Super rugby final to be played in South Africa, as well as the first all South African final, and the first final with a South African winner.

The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby. The visiting Bulls won the 2007 Super 14 Final, scoring a try in the 83rd minute and narrowly defeating the Sharks 20–19, thereby becoming the first South African side to win the Super Rugby title in the professional era.

La saison 2007 de Super 14 est la seconde du Super 14, elle est disputée par 14 franchises d'Australie, d'Afrique du Sud et de Nouvelle-Zélande. La compétition débute le et se termine par une finale le. Elle est remportée par les Bulls à l'issue d'une finale à suspense contre les Sharks. Pour la première fois depuis la création de super 12, la finale oppose deux équipes d'Afrique du Sud. Les Bulls sont la première franchise sud-africaine à remporter la compétition.


History.

The university was founded in the Dakota Territory on February 21, 1881, as Dakota Agriculture College. The first building, with funding from the territorial legislature, was built in 1883, six years before the State of South Dakota was formed. Numerous expansions were funded in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The name was changed in 1904 to South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1964, the name was changed to South Dakota State University. The name change was largely promoted by the Alumni Association. Initiated in 1962, this name change reflected the more comprehensive education offered at the university.  In 1923, SDSU's instructional program was organized under five divisions: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy. In 1956, a Nursing program was established, and in 1957 a formal graduate school was formed. When the University changed its name in 1964, the colleges were renamed Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Home Economics, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Graduate School. In 1974, the College of General Registration (now the College of General Studies) was formed. In 1975, the Division of Education was created. An Honors College was formed in 1999. Two colleges and seven departments combined in 2009 to create the College of Education and Human Sciences.  In 2017, the colleges which make up the university were revised and in some cases renamed to the following: College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Education and Human Sciences; College of Nursing; College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions; Graduate School; Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering; University College; and Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.

Presidents.

On May 23, 2016 (formal inauguration held September 29, 2016), Barry H. Dunn became the 20th President of South Dakota State University. Dunn and his wife are alumni of SDSU, and prior to becoming president, Dunn was the Dean of SDSU's College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.

Campus.

Main campus.

The Hilton M. Briggs Library consists of more than 635,000 bound volumes, 315,000 government documents, 79,000 maps, and 1,800 journal titles (with 28,000 additional titles available online). Within the Briggs Library is the Daschle Research Library dedicated to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SDSU BA 1969), which houses his Congressional papers.  The University Student Union is at the center of campus and houses many amenities for both students and the public. The Union is the home to numerous meeting rooms, a ballroom, The Hobo Day Committee (homecoming committee) the University Program Council, Greek life the Students' Association, "The Collegian" student newspaper, Student Legal Services, KSDJ 90.7 FM, Dining Services, four eating facilities, the University Bookstore, Card Services, and International Student Affairs.  The SDSU Wellness Center opened in the fall of 2008. The building lightens up space in the HPER Center, allowing that to be used exclusively by athletes, while the Wellness Center is used only by students and the public. Student memberships are free and Brookings community members may purchase memberships. Numerous group exercise programs and classes are offered, along with personal training. The building houses a rock climbing wall, a track, three basketball courts, a competition size swimming pool, and numerous weights and cardiovascular equipment. It is also the home of Student Health, which includes a full pharmacy for students.

West campus.

The Coughlin Campanile, formerly used as the campus bell tower, is a familiar sight around campus. The campus also has two museums, the South Dakota Art Museum (featuring works by Harvey Dunn and Oscar Howe, among others), and the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. The art museum is home to over 7,000 works of art, while the agricultural museum is home to over 100,000 objects. Both museums are open free to the public. The university operates its own dairy plant, processing 10,000 lb (4.5 t) of milk weekly into cheese and ice cream, operates a cattle and sheep breeding operation, has an on-campus meat processing facility, and has a student-operated pharmacy.

East campus.

Also close to campus are the McCrory Gardens and South Dakota Arboretum. These gardens include a public display and a arboretum. The gardens are open daily to the public. SDSU is also home to State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre, which produce numerous plays and musicals during the school year and summer breaks.

Academics.

SDSU awards associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees. The university provides 175 fields of study. The university's colleges and schools include College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Education and Human Sciences; College of Nursing; College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions; Graduate School; Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering; University College; and Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.  The following accreditations have been awarded to SDSU:

Rankings.

For 2020, "U.S. News & World Report" rated South Dakota State University as tied for the 135th best public university in the United States and tied as the 272nd best university overall.

Political Science Department.

SDSU's Department of Political Science has been successful at producing many of the state's current and past congressional delegations. Currently, two of South Dakota's three congressional members are alumni in U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and U.S. Representative Kristi Noem. Noem completed her political science degree while she was in Congress. Perhaps the most notable of the program is former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Former U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth has served as a professor of the program. The department produced two Truman Scholars in 2004 and 2006 respectively, including Tony Venhuizen.

Department of Military Science.

The Department of Military Science commissions officers into the military. The Department's cadets complete the requirements for a bachelor's or graduate degree and are then commissioned as Second Lieutenants.  The department has been successful in producing many U.S. Generals including William E. DePuy, Jake Krull, Raymond W. Carpenter, Franklin J. Blaisdell, Mark A. Clark, as well as Medal of Honor winners Leo K. Thorsness and Willibald C. Bianchi.

Research achievements.

South Dakota State University currently ranks among the Midwest's top research universities, notably in the fields of agricultural science, biological science, and engineering. It is consistently listed in "U.S. News and World Report"'s "Top 200 National Universities" in its college and university rankings. The campus is also home to the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, a research and educational collaboration with United States Geological Survey Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science. The GSCE focuses on basic and applied research in terrestrial remote sensing. SDSU was recognized in 2017 by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy as the 7th most productive university in the US (and 27th globally) for remote sensing research for the period 2011–2015.  The university operates the South Dakota state agricultural research stations around the state, such as the Antelope Range and Livestock Research Station near Buffalo. The Great Plains Writers Conference is a venue for significant regional authors or writers interested in the Great Plains. It was instituted at SDSU in 1976 for writing scholarship.  Alumni from the university's research community notable for scientific achievements include:

Online programs.

SDSU offers a variety of online programs. The university offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and certificate programs that students can complete online.

Residential life.

Students have a variety of residential hall and apartment living choices. Student housing is located in three areas: the Medary complex located in the northwest corner of campus, consisting of traditional residence halls, Hansen, and Waneta, and apartment-style living at Meadows North and Meadows South; the Grove complex near the Student Union, consisting of traditional residence halls, Brown, Mathews and Pierson, as well as a newer (2010) variation on the theme of traditional residence halls in Spencer, Thorne and Abbott (also called the Jackrabbit Village); and the Larson complex on the east side of campus, consisting of traditional halls Binnewies and Young and suite living at Caldwell Hall. The residential halls on the campus of SDSU make up the densest concentration of people in South Dakota.  All of the residence halls with the exceptions of Caldwell and both Meadows buildings are co-ed by wing, with each wing having its own bathroom. Caldwell Hall is suite style, meaning two rooms share a common bathroom for the four occupants and each floor on Caldwell is co-ed. The Meadows North and Meadows South apartment complexes feature four-bedroom apartments.  In addition to the Medary, Grove, and Larson complexes for single students, SDSU has 80 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments available for rent for married students in State Court and State Village. State Court and State Village are located on the southeast side of campus. Some residence halls have a Living/Learning Community, where an entire floor is composed of a certain group of students. Examples include Agriculture and Biology Majors, Honors College, Engineering House, Health Professionals House and Substance-Free.  Furniture in the halls is moveable and the provided beds may be lofted; students do not need to purchase or bring their own loft. Residents may also contract phone and cable services with the appropriate companies. Washers and dryers are available in all the halls and operate with either cash or by using campus Hobo Dough.  Ben Reifel Hall, Hyde, Theodore Schultz Hall and the Honors Hall (collectively, the Jackrabbit Grove) opened in the fall of 2013. Schultz Hall is home of the Ag & Rural and Wellness Living Communities and the Honors Hall, as the name suggests, is home to the Honors College. They are similar in amenities to the Jackrabbit Village halls (Spencer, Thorne and Abbott).  The most recent addition to the dormitories was the Southeast University Neighborhood, located on the corner of 8th Street and 16th Avenue. These dorms are intended for juniors, seniors, and graduate students, and are thus more similar to regular apartments, with full kitchens, furniture, and summer storage, even a Starbucks attached. Nearby are the Townhouses, which are similar to the Neighborhood dorms, but also allow pets and do not require meal plans.

Greek societies.

This list contains only social fraternities that are a part of either the Interfraternity Council or the College Panhellenic Association. Other fraternities and sororities exist as general student organizations.

Student life.

The 300+ member SDSU Marching Band, "The Pride of the Dakotas", given the special name the Millennium Band in 2000 by the South Dakota State Legislature, has marched in the 1981 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural Parades in Washington, D.C.; A Capital Fourth in 2000 in Washington, D.C., which was broadcast on PBS; the 2003 and 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, making them the second collegiate band in the history of the Rose Bowl to be invited to march twice when their team was not competing; and the Korean War Monument Dedication at the state's capital Pierre in 2004, in the company of two other college bands and 60-some high school bands from across the state. The homecoming celebration, Hobo Day, is "The Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas."

Athletics.

SDSU participates in athletics as a member of NCAA Division I. SDSU's athletic conference affiliations include the Summit League for most sports, the Missouri Valley Football Conference (Division I FCS), the Big 12 Conference (wrestling) and Varsity Equestrian. The Jackrabbits have 19 varsity sports and numerous intramural and club teams. South Dakota State's athletic mascot for both the men's and women's teams is the Jackrabbit, both the men's and women's sports teams are officially referred to as the Jackrabbits. However, in the late fall of 2012 SD State's wrestling team introduced the South Dakota State Blueman as their official mascot in addition to the Jackrabbit.

Men's basketball.

The Jackrabbits won the 1963 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament. The Jackrabbits have appeared in five NCAA Division I Tournaments but are 0-5 in NCAA Div 1 Tourney appearances. The highest seed attained by the Jackrabbits has been #12 in 2016 and again in 2018. The Jackrabbits play their home games at the 6,500 seat Frost Arena and were coached by Scott Nagy for 21 years until he left for Wright State in 2016, and then named T. J. Otzelberger as the new head coach. The Jackrabbits have produced seven NBA draft picks including Nate Wolters, Steve Lingenfelter, and Tom Black.

Women's basketball.

The women's basketball team won the 2003 Division II Championship. The Jackrabbits played in the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 – each of their first five years of eligibility. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 2–8 record in NCAA Tournament play. The Jackrabbits have also played in the 2015, 2016, and 2018 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships. In their Division I history, the team has compiled four regular season titles and eight postseason titles. The 2008–2009 team was ranked #14 in an ESPN/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll en route to a 32–3 record, and received large amounts of national media coverage. The highest seed they have ever received in the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is #7 in 2009.

Men's football.

The Jackrabbits have appeared in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs nine times with an overall record of 8-8. They were Semifinalists in 2017 and 2018.  The main rivalry is with North Dakota State University. The Dakota Marker is the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual college football game played between the two. The trophy is a replica of one of many stone boundary markers that can be found along the border between the states of South Dakota and North Dakota. South Dakota State also battles their in-state rival, the University of South Dakota. South Dakota State has not lost to their in-state rival since 2000; however, despite the one-sided nature of the rivalry, it has been dubbed the South Dakota Showdown Series.

Dana Dykhouse buildings and facilities.

The Dykhouse Student Athlete Center, the home of Jackrabbit football, opened prior to the 2010 football season. The Sanford Jackrabbit Athlete Complex, a state-of-the-art indoor practice and competition facility opened October 11, 2014. It is immediately north of and attached to the Dykhouse Student Athlete Center. The SJAC has bleacher seating for up to 1,000 spectators and can be used for track practice and track meets, football practice, softball and baseball practice, and other events within the SDSU athletic department. It includes 149,284-square foot facility making it the largest indoor practice facility in Division I athletics and features an eight-lane, 300-meter track, one of only five collegiate indoor tracks of that size in the nation.  The Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, a 19,340-capacity stadium, opened in the fall of 2016. It was constructed for an expansion to 22,500 and the potential for future expansion to a capacity of 40,000. It is also a soy-based AstroTurf. It is considered among the premier FCS Division 1 stadiums.

Notable alumni.

South Dakota State University has produced a number of the current members of South Dakota's state government and in Congress, including Congresswoman Kristi Noem, who subsequently is the first-female Governor of South Dakota, and current U.S. Senator Mike Rounds. Members of the South Dakota Supreme Court, current Chief Justice David Gilbertson and Associate Justice Mark Salter, attended the university for their undergraduate degrees.  In the federal cabinet, Stephen Censky, current United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and in federal foreign service, former Governor of South Dakota Dick Kneip served as United States Ambassador to Singapore. Among alumni who are political figures are seven members of Congress, most notably Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Tom Daschle and first American Indian member of Congress Ben Reifel. Alumni of South Dakota State have occupied top positions in Wall Street and the rest of the business world, including CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Nizar Al-Adsani. In science and technology, alumni include IBM 360 inventor Gene Amdahl, "father of Amdahl's law", and Nobel laureate Theodore Schultz, "father of Human Capital Theory."

South Dakota State University is a public research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The university is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools.

L'université d'État du Dakota du Sud (en anglais : "South Dakota State University" ou SDSU) est une université américaine fondée en 1881 et située à Brookings dans l'État du Dakota du Sud.


History.

It is commonly believed that the first examples of wedding rings were found in ancient Egypt. Relics dating to 6,000 years ago, including papyrus scrolls, are evidence of the exchange of braided rings of hemp or reeds between spouses. Ancient Egypt considered the circle to be a symbol of eternity, and the ring served to signify the perpetual love of the spouses. This was also the origin of the custom of wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand, because the ancient Egyptians believed that this finger enclosed a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, denominated in Latin the "Vena amoris".  The Western traditions of wedding rings can be traced to ancient Rome and Greece, and were first associated with the marital dowry and later with a promise of fidelity. The modern exchange of rings derived from the customs of Europe in the Middle Ages as part of Christendom. In both the United States and Canada, wedding rings were initially only worn by wives, but became customary for both spouses during the 20th century.

Historical styles.

Gimmel rings.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands bestowed a gimmel ring upon their wives. Similar to the puzzle ring, the gimmel ring consisted of two interlocking bands. The bride and groom both wore one of these bands after their engagement, and the two bands were reunited during the wedding ceremony. Subsequently, the wife wore the combined ring.

Poesy rings.

The poesy ring was a style of ring that was popular during the Renaissance era. It was a band of sterling silver inscribed with a poem or "poesy".

Other styles.

Different cultures used many other historical styles of wedding ring. For example, see the image below of the Byzantine ring depicting Christ uniting bride and groom. Also, in the Middle East the puzzle ring was a historical custom: this ring consisted of several pieces that joined together into a cohesive band when worn properly. The object of this style of ring was to render it very difficult to put on the finger properly such that, if the wife removed it, her husband would know. The fede ring, being a band consisting of two hands clasped in betrothal, is another historical custom of Europe that ostensibly dates from antiquity.

Limited gold content in the United Kingdom.

In 1942 during the Second World War, British wartime restrictions on the manufacture of jewelry resulted in "utility" wedding rings that were limited to a maximum mass of two pennyweights, being slightly heavier than 3 grams, and were forged of 9 carat gold rather than the traditional 22 carat. The Regional Assayer Office hallmarked these rings, which guaranteed their gold content and compliance with the wartime regulations with a special utility mark adjacent to the mark for the year on the inside of the band; the hallmark resembled a capital "U" with the bottom curve absent or two parentheses enclosing a space, i. e., "( )".

Double-ring ceremony.

The double-ring ceremony describes the exchange of wedding rings by and for both spouses. In several European nations such as the Nordic countries, it is common to exchange plain engagement rings of the same form for both sexes, and typically, an additional, more precious, and bejeweled wedding ring is given to the bride. In the nuptials, the groom's ring becomes a wedding ring also, and can be bestowed anew by the bride as a part of the wedding ceremony. The engagement is commonly a matter of agreement between the two, and the wedding rings are chosen together. Both engagement and wedding rings are worn on the left hand, the bride having both rings together. Occasionally, the groom receives a separate wedding ring. In Germany and Austria, both parties use engagement rings worn on the left hand. At the nuptials, a wedding ring is placed on the right hand, as in several east European nations, including Bulgaria, Poland, and Russia. This can be a new ring for the bride or both, or reusing the engagement rings. Any engagement rings can then remain on the left hand or be transferred to the right hand. In Germany, it has been customary for both the bride and the groom to wear a wedding ring since at least the 1870s and mentions of couples exchanging rings during the wedding ceremony in the Netherlands can be found at least as far back as 1815. In Brazil, Mexico, and Spain both sexes also wear engagement rings, and the groom's ring often becomes a wedding ring in the nuptial exchange ceremony. In The Netherlands plain bands can be worn on either hand, left for Catholics and right for Protestants. When engaged, both bride and groom wear what will be the wedding band on the opposite hand and switch hands after the wedding.

Compositions and styles.

In Western nations, wedding rings are often forged of gold, palladium, platinum, argentium silver, titanium, tungsten, or more recently, silicone. The perpetuity of noble metals symbolizes the permanence of the marriage. Common engravings on the inside of the ring include the name of one's spouse, the names of both spouses, the date of the wedding or a phrase of significance to the spouses. In many nations the engagement rings are plain while the bride's wedding ring commonly is bejeweled.  Some customs include the wedding ring as the final of a series of gifts, which also may include the engagement ring, traditionally given as a betrothal present. This custom was practiced in ancient Rome and is possibly much older.

Religion.

Wedding ceremony customs.

In several traditions, the best man or maid of honor has the duty of keeping track of a couple's wedding rings and to produce them at the symbolic moment of the giving and receiving of the rings during the traditional marriage ceremony. In more elaborate weddings, a ring bearer (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, sometimes on a special cushion.  Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, the exchange of rings is not technically part of the wedding service, but rather are exchanged at the betrothal. It is always a two-ring set given to her by the priest or by the best man. The orthodox Christian Church of Greece has recently stopped performing betrothal blessings separately, as these were often non-committing, and now a betrothal ceremony is the initial part of the wedding service. In many families an informal blessing is now performed by the betrothed ones' parents in a family dinner that formalizes the betrothal. The ceremony of betrothal is now possibly performed immediately before the wedding (or "crowning" as it is more properly called), and the actual symbolic act of marriage is not the exchange of rings, but the crowning.  Historically, the wedding ring was connected to the exchange of valuables at the moment of the wedding rather than a symbol of eternal love and devotion, a sign of "earnest money". According to the 1549 edition of the Book of Common Prayer: after the words 'with this ring I thee wed' follow the words 'This gold and silver I give thee', at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride. It is a relic of the times when marriage was a contract between families, not individual lovers. Both families were then eager to ensure the economic safety of the young couple. Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: 'I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers' (approximately 20 kg of silver).

Post-wedding customs.

After marriage the wedding ring is worn on the hand on which it had been placed during the ceremony. By wearing rings on their fourth fingers, married spouses symbolically declare their life-long love for and fidelity to each other. This symbol has public utility, and is presently expected as a matter of tradition and etiquette, so much so that its absence is often interpreted as meaning that the person is single. Many spouses wear their wedding rings day and night. It is not uncommon for either marriage partner who have professions that the wearing of jewelry may be dangerous such as, actors, police, electrical workers, not to wear rings. So it is not uncommon for one to wear it on a chain around their neck. This is socially equivalent to wearing it on his/her hand. Since the 19th century in the West, it has been considered unlucky to remove a wedding ring once it has been placed on the finger in church.  Some cultures exchange additional rings: In some parts of India, Hindu women may wear a toe ring or "bichiya" instead of a finger ring, but the bichiya is increasingly worn in addition to a finger ring. In eastern India, primarily in West Bengal, women wear an iron bangle denominated a "loha". Increasingly, this bangle is plated with gold or silver to improve its appearance. In Romania, spouses celebrate their silver wedding anniversary, i. e., twenty-fifth anniversary, by exchanging silver wedding rings, which are worn on the fourth finger of the left hands along with their original, and usually gold, wedding rings.

Wedding ceremonies that use rings.

Christian.

Mixed usage and non-use in other Christian Churches.

While most Christian Churches (such as the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican) have the exchange of rings within their wedding liturgies, some Christian denominations eschew the use of wedding rings.  The wearing of plain dress has historically been practiced by many Methodist Churches, in keeping with the teaching of John Wesley, who stated that people should not be "adorned with gold, or pearls, or costly apparel" (this clause is contained in The General Rules of the Methodist Church). The first Methodist liturgical text, The Sunday Service of the Methodists, omitted the ring ceremony. As such, members of some Methodist Churches, such as the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection and Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, do not wear wedding rings. On the other hand, other Methodist Churches contain the exchange of wedding rings within their services for Holy Matrimony. In the wedding liturgy for the Free Methodist Church, for example, the groom and bride say the following when exchanging rings: "This ring I give you in token and pledge of our constant faith and steadfast love". "A Service of Christian Marriage, Rite I" contained in The United Methodist Book of Worship states that the exchange of rings is optional but when it is done, they are blessed and pronounced as "the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to us the union between Jesus Christ and His Church". Following this, the bride and groom state the following as they exchange rings: ""Name", I give you this ring as a sign of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  Some conservative Mennonite groups do not wear jewelry, including wedding rings, as part of their practice of plain dress. The Amish do not wear wedding rings but the men are clean shaven before marriage and grow a full beard after marriage.  Among Quaker Christians, especially Conservative Friends and Holiness Friends, the wedding ring is traditionally not worn as a part of their testimony of simplicity. Among Quaker groups that do wear wedding rings, the following wording is used by the bride and groom as they are exchanged: "With this ring, I thee wed." The Friends General Conference, for example, teaches that "Although wedding rings are not necessary in a Quaker wedding, the couple may exchange them if they wish. This is often done after they speak their vows."  Traditionally, adherents of the Seventh-day Adventist Church do not wear wedding rings. The usage of wedding rings among Seventh-day Adventists, however, has increased.

A wedding ring or wedding band is a finger ring that indicates that its wearer is married. It is usually forged from metal, and traditionally is forged of gold or another precious metal.

Une alliance désigne, par métonymie, une bague de platine, d’or ou d’argent, symbole de l’union contractée par le mariage de deux personnes (leur alliance).


Early life and career.

Ayres was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Irma Bevernick and Louis Ayres, who divorced when he was four. Louis, an amateur musician and court reporter, remarried soon afterwards.  As a teen, he and his mother moved with his step-father, William Gilmore, and half brother and sister to San Diego, California.  Leaving high school before graduating, he started a small band which traveled to Mexico. He returned months later to pursue an acting career, but continued working full-time as a musician. He played banjo and guitar for big bands, including the Henry Halstead Orchestra. He recorded one of the earliest Vitaphone movie shorts called "Carnival Night in Paris" (Warner Brothers, 1927).  Ayres wrote, "I was a member of Henry Halstead's orchestra in 1927 at the Mission Beach Ballroom in San Diego, California for the summer. My instruments were tenor banjo, long-neck banjo and guitar. After a hiatus, I rejoined Mr. Halstead with a new group, including Phil Harris, on New Year's Eve the same year for the opening night of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, a memorable occasion."  He left a national tour to pursue a career as an actor full-time.

Acting.

Ayres was discovered at a night club by talent agent Ivan Kahn. He was cast to play opposite Greta Garbo in "The Kiss" (1929), but it was his leading role in the original version of "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) that made him a star, secured him a contract with Universal—and made him a conscientious objector to World War II.  He made a number of mostly forgotten B movies for Universal, with the exception of "Iron Man" (1931), with Jean Harlow. His most successful movies at this time were those he made on loan to other studios, including "The Doorway to Hell" (1930) with James Cagney in a supporting role, and as Janet Gaynor's leading man in both "State Fair" (1933) and "Servants' Entrance" (1934), which featured a combination of live action and Walt Disney animation in a musical dream sequence, both for Fox Films.  Ayres left Universal to sign with Fox Films. In 1934 he was listed as one of Fox's second tier stars.  He moved to poverty row studio Republic Pictures to pursue a second career as a director, including the film "Hearts in Bondage" (1936), starring James Dunn and Mae Clarke. He moved to Paramount Pictures before finally being signed to MGM in 1938. At this time, he was loaned from Paramount to play the role of Ned in "Holiday" (1938).  The role earned him considerable critical attention, including interest from MGM to put him under contract specifically for the role of Dr. James Kildare in an upcoming film series. Ayres played the role in nine films from 1938 to 1942 (and again in a 1950s radio series) while also appearing in light comedies for MGM, including "Spring Madness" and "Rich Man, Poor Girl" (both 1938), "The Ice Follies of 1939" (1939), and "Fingers at the Window" (1942).  His final film as Dr. Kildare, "Born to Be Bad", was re-edited after he was drafted and declared himself a conscientious objector in March 1942.  This stance almost destroyed Ayres' reputation until it was revealed that he had served honorably as a non-combatant medic from 1942 to 1946.  He returned to acting in the films "The Dark Mirror" (1946) with Olivia de Havilland and "The Unfaithful" (1947) with Ann Sheridan. For his role in "Johnny Belinda" (1948) he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, while co-star Jane Wyman won Best Actress.  Ayres gradually moved to television, appearing in several anthology series in guest roles. In the summer of 1958, he hosted eleven original episodes of a CBS Western anthology television series called "Frontier Justice", a production of Dick Powell's Four Star Television. He was offered the part of Dr. Kildare in an NBC series but his prescient request that the show have no cigarette advertising led to the offer being withdrawn, and the part going, in 1961, to Richard Chamberlain. He appeared as the Vice-President in "Advise & Consent" (1962), and in "The Carpetbaggers" (1964), but he was by then primarily a television actor, with only occasional film work.  For a guest role in "Kung Fu" ("The Vanishing Image", 1974) he was nominated for an Emmy.  His documentary film "Altars of the World" (1976), based on a series of documentaries he made titled "Altars of the East" (1956), brought his Eastern philosophical beliefs to the screen and earned him critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for best documentary in 1977.  Ayres guest-starred in an episode of "The Bionic Woman" ("Doomsday is Tomorrow", 1977) as Dr. Elijah Cooper, an elderly nuclear scientist who attempts to blackmail the world into peace.  In 1985, he was cast in his first series as a regular cast member, as the father of Robert Wagner in the short-lived series "Lime Street." His last role was in the made-for-TV film "Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Heart" (1994), also starring Wagner.

World War II controversy.

In March 1942, Ayres was identified as a 4E conscientious objector and sent to a CO camp. As expected, the announcement that a Hollywood actor objected to the war was a major source of public outcry and debate.  Within a month it was determined that he had initially requested to be A-O-1, so that he could serve as a non-combat medic. However, the military's policy that servicemen cannot request, or be guaranteed, where they will serve, forced him to request a 4E status. The U.S. military confirmed that they would place him as a medic and in April 1942, his status was changed. He enlisted in the United States Army on May 18, 1942.  He served as a first aid instructor in the United States Army before requesting a drop in rank in order to serve as a medic and chaplain's assistant in the Pacific. He was one of 16 medics who arrived under fire during the invasion of Leyte to set up evacuation hospitals, and there he provided care to soldiers and civilians in the Philippines and New Guinea. He donated all the money he had earned as a serviceman to the American Red Cross.  Serving for three and a half years in the Medical Corps, he was awarded three battle stars. After the war, he resumed his career and made scores of movies, but never reached the peak of his early Hollywood stardom.

Personal life.

Ayres was married three times. He was married to actress Lola Lane from 1931 until 1933; and to actress Ginger Rogers, whom he met while starring in the film "Don't Bet on Love" (1933), from 1934 until 1940. He was separated from both women considerably earlier than their legal divorces. His third marriage, to Diana Hall, lasted from 1964 until his death in 1996. Their son Justin was born in 1968.

Death and legacy.

In 1960, Lew Ayres was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars. His motion pictures star is located at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard while his radio star is located at 1724 Vine Street.  Ayres died on December 30, 1996, just two days after his 88th birthday. He was survived by his wife of 32 years, actress Diana Hall, and their son Justin Ayres. He was a Lutheran. His body was buried under a simple headstone at Westwood Memorial Park in Westwood, Los Angeles, California.

Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in "Johnny Belinda" (1948).

Lew Ayres est un acteur, réalisateur et producteur de cinéma américain, né le à Minneapolis, dans le Minnesota, et mort le à Los Angeles, en Californie (États-Unis).


Biography.

Lax was born in Sariñena, the son of Leonor de la Cueva and Gaspar Lax, a physician, and had two brothers and four sisters. He studied the Seven Liberal Arts and theology at the University of Saragossa, where he acquired a master's degree. Also during this period of time, all along with another friend, Lax fatally wounded another student by hitting his head. He later moved to Paris, and there he taught in 1507–1508 at the Collège de Calvi and then at the Collège de Montaigu, where he was a student of John Mair (or Major) and simultaneously was a teacher himself. In Paris he was known as the "Prince of Sophists," and his works and lessons were very praised. He taught in Paris until 1516, and then returned to Spain. Some researchers think there was an attempt by some of king Charles V's servants to appoint him University of Zaragoza's High Master, just as they had tried to appoint Erasmus as High Chancellor of the same university during the same months. In the end this was not possible, and he was appointed as a teacher in the University of Huesca, that same year. There he taught until 1520, when he became University of Saragosa's High Master (similar to a dean), vice-chancellor and rector, and also was simultaneously one of the four Masters of Arts, a position very similar to Arts faculty's professor in other universities. There he had his brilliant nephew Michael Servetus as a student in the same university, who also became in 1525 one of the four Masters of Arts. During this period of time Lax, who had erasmian friends, permitted that Erasmus's works would be read and taught in the university. In 1527 apparently Lax attacked his nephew and colleague Michael Servetus in a violent brawl of which no other details are known, but that got Servetus expelled. The most probable causes of this clash is that Servetus would have started talking of his "heretic" theological ideas, or that Lax had silenced Servetus's probable collaboration in his work "Quaestiones phyisicales", which just 11 days before had started to get in print. Lax kept being University of Saragossa's High master, teaching Arts, until his death at Saragossa in 1560, blind and with gout in his hands.

Gaspar Lax (1487 – 23 February 1560) was a Spanish mathematician, logician, and philosopher who spent much of his career in Paris.

Gaspard Lax, né à Sarenina (province d'Aragon) en 1487, mort le à Saragosse, est un théologien et mathématicien espagnol. Il étudia la théologie à l'université de Saragosse puis à la Sorbonne, où il devint professeur au collège de Calvi (1508, puis 1517-1524), puis au Collège de Montaigu (1509-1516) avec Juan Luis Vives et François Borgia pour étudiants. Gaspard Lax était réputé, avec John Mair, pour ses cours sur le "calculus" dérivé des idées de Richard Swineshead sur le mouvement.


Playing career.

Junior.

Staal grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and was a minor hockey teammate of future NHLers Tom Pyatt, Ryan Parent and Taylor Chorney with the Thunder Bay Kings AAA program.  Staal was selected second overall in the 2003 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Sudbury Wolves after a solid season with the Minor Midget Kings.  Staal played junior hockey from 2003 to 2007 for the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL, where he was the team's captain, and led the Wolves to their first trip to the OHL finals in 30 years. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2005 NHL Entry Draft in the first round, 12th pick overall. While most NHL scouts had projected Staal to be a top-ten selection, he fell in the draft and the Rangers, seeing Staal available even after the 11th pick was made, made a draft day trade to move up; in exchange for the Atlanta Thrashers' 12th overall selection, which they obtained from the San Jose Sharks, the Rangers dealt the Thrashers both its 16th and 41st picks.  Staal played for Team Canada in the 2006 and 2007 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, bringing home gold medals both times. He was named the tournament's top defenceman in the 2006 Championships.  Marc and younger brother Jared played together in Sudbury during 2006–07 season.  On May 7, 2007, the OHL announced that Staal was the recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman for the 2006–07 season. This prestigious award was previously won by future NHL players Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Denis Potvin. On May 13, 2007, although his Sudbury team lost the OHL Championship Series to the Plymouth Whalers in six games, Staal was named the winner of the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, which goes to the League's post-season most valuable player (MVP).

Professional.

On October 4, 2007, Staal made his National Hockey League debut for the New York Rangers, as well as for Head Coach Tom Renney, who would use him in that first season primarily in a defensive role. Staal would record his first NHL point against the Washington Capitals on November 1, 2007, when Chris Drury deflected his shot in for a goal, earning Staal an assist. Staal scored his first NHL goal on November 14, 2007, against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. His wrist shot from the left faceoff circle sailed over the outstretched glove of goaltender Martin Brodeur and deflected in off the crossbar. Assisting on his first goal in the NHL were teammates Scott Gomez and Brendan Shanahan. During 2007–08, Staal was one of 16 rookies selected to participate in the YoungStars competition at the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, where he scored a goal and added an assist. Staal finished his rookie season with ten points on the strength of two goals and eight assists; he also established himself as a reliable defender, posting a positive plus/minus rating at +2, as the Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. He saved his best for the playoffs, with his first NHL playoff goal and two assists to help the Rangers defeat the Devils in five games during the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals. The goal was important — in the pivotal Game 4, Staal's slapper broke a 3–3 deadlock late in the third period and stood to be the game-winning goal in a 5–3 victory that gave the Rangers a 3–1 lead in the series. Like his first regular season goal, it also came against Martin Brodeur. However, despite their win over the Devils in the Conference Quarter-finals, the Rangers would fall to the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.  In 2008–09, Staal improved his offensive output to 15 points, scoring three goals and adding 12 assists, all career highs. He returned to the YoungStars Competition as a sophomore at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, and scored two goals. Late in the season, a coaching change led to a more offensive philosophy designed to propel the Rangers into the playoffs. The defensive-minded Tom Renney was replaced by John Tortorella, who encouraged more offence from all of his players, including Staal. As a result, much of Staal's production came toward the end of the season; 6 of his 15 points came after the coaching change, in just 21 games (as opposed to nine in 61 under Renney). The Rangers would again qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs on the strength of their strong finish, but this time were defeated in the first round by the Washington Capitals in seven games after blowing a 3–1 series lead. During the series, Staal would record his second career NHL playoff goal.  In the summer of 2009, Marc and his brothers Eric and Jordan were invited to try out for a Team Canada roster spot for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. However, when the team was named on December 30, 2009, Eric was the only Staal named to the squad.  In his third NHL season, Staal began to transition into more of a two-way role for the Rangers during 2009–10 as the development of his offence continued under John Tortorella. Staal enjoyed the first four-game point streak of his career (one goal and three assists). Though the Rangers would miss the playoffs for the first time in Staal's career, he would establish new career highs with eight goals, 19 assists, 27 points and a career-best +11 rating during the season. He saved his finest for late in the year, scoring a beautiful, coast-to-coast goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Scott Clemmensen on April 3, 2010, after receiving the puck from teammate Henrik Lundqvist in the defensive zone. For Staal, it capped a three-game goal-scoring streak and ignited a Rangers comeback in an eventual 4–1 victory that kept the Rangers' playoff hopes alive. The team missed the playoffs on the final day of the season, however, losing 2–1 in a shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers, who took the eighth and final playoff spot from the Rangers. Staal led all Ranger skaters in ice time during the final game, on-ice for 29:16 of the game's 65 minutes and finished at +1.  In 2010, Marc became a restricted free agent for the first time. Though negotiations between Staal's camp and Rangers General Manager Glen Sather were often slow, Staal signed a five-year, $19.875 million extension with the team on September 15, 2010. After a strong training camp, John Tortorella recognized Staal's leadership qualities in October 2010 by naming him an alternate captain at the age of 23.  During the 2010–11 season, Staal was chosen for the first time to participate in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina. During the game, he enjoyed a rare opportunity to play on the same team as his brother Eric. Staal tied Kimmo Timonen of the Philadelphia Flyers for most shorthanded goals among defencemen, with two.  On February 22, 2011, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal was checked by his brother, Eric. Marc was looking down, fighting for the puck with another Hurricanes player, when Eric came and threw a hard shoulder check, and Marc was slow to get up. It was a legal check, and Marc played for the rest of the season, setting career highs with 22 assists and 29 points. However, it was revealed before the Rangers' 2011 training camp began that Staal was suffering from post-concussion symptoms. He did not play until January 2, 2012, in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers. He only played 46 games in 2011–12, struggling to get his timing back from the injury as he posted a career worst −7 and only five points (two goals and three assists). He got better as the season went on, however, and helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Finals.  In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals against the Washington Capitals, Staal scored a memorable overtime goal to give the Rangers a 3–2 win. After teammate Brad Richards had scored a rebound goal with 6.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, Staal's powerplay slapshot from the point past Braden Holtby gave the Rangers a 3-2 win and a 3-2 series lead.  Staal continued his strong play into the lock-out-shortened 2012–13, averaging over 0.5 points per game for the first time in his career in his first 21 games. However, during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, in New York, on March 5, 2013, Staal suffered a scary eye injury. A slap-shot by Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen was deflected by Flyer forward Jakub Voráček into Staal's right eye, sending him to the ice. After the game, it was concluded that Staal suffered a small retinal tear in his right eye and an orbital fracture. The injury effectively ended his season, as he only played in one game the rest of the year, in the first round of the playoffs, before pulling himself from the line-up again. When he returned, he wore a visor for the first time in his career due to the nature of the injury.  In the 2013–14 season, Staal finally played a full season after his two injury-shortened seasons, with 72 regular season games and another 20 in the playoffs, helping the Rangers reach their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. His point totals were modest (three goals and 11 assists for 14 points during the regular season, and one goal and four assists in the playoffs), as he focused primarily on staying healthy and re-establishing his solid defensive presence. He was the third Staal brother to reach the Finals, after older brother Eric won in 2006 with the Hurricanes and younger brother Jordan was part of two consecutive finals with the Penguins in 2008 and 2009, winning the latter.  Staal played in his 842nd career game with the Rangers on October 5, 2019, passing Vic Hadfield for seventh-most played games played games in franchise history.  On October 29th for the first time in his 13 year NHL career, Staal was a healthy scratch against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Personal life.

Staal married his longtime girlfriend Lindsay Ruggles on August 12, 2011; they have known each other since high school. He proposed to her on December 25, 2010. The couple have three children; two daughters and a son.

Marc Staal (born January 13, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the younger brother of Eric Staal of the Minnesota Wild, and the older brother of Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Jared Staal. Of the four brothers, Marc is the only defenceman, as well as the only one who has never played for the Hurricanes.

<dfn>Marc Staal</dfn> (né le à Thunder Bay dans la province de l'Ontario au Canada) est un joueur professionnel canadien de hockey sur glace. Il est issu d'une famille de joueurs de hockey sur glace et est le deuxième des quatre garçons de la famille :