You pay dearly to send your pride and joy off to South Dakota State University — a seemingly respectable institution staffed by serious and studious faculty in a conservative prairie city — and within the first few weeks that son or daughter is cavorting on the streets in tattered clothing like a common bum. And the administration approves! And so do the parents! It’s called Hobo Day, SDSU’s glorious and historic homecoming party. Rarely do we have such an open invitation to throw convention aside — with the university president leading the parade! This all started as a Nightshirt Parade in 1912 to build morale after the school had a slow start to the football season. They won the first homecoming (6-3 vs. Yankton College) and now Hobo Day is the city’s grandest annual celebration and one of the top events in South Dakota. The 2021 event is set for Oct. 23.