Spectrum
USD Hosts Candlelight Vigil to Honor the Life of Non-Binary Student Nex Benedict
On Wednesday February 28, USD’s Activists for Equality alongside Spectrum: Gender and Sexuality Alliance held a candlelight vigil to honor the life of an Oklahoma non-binary student, Nex Benedict. Benedict was a 16-year-old Owasso High School student who passed away this past month after an altercation broke out between themselves and their peers in a […]
Unity Week End with the Unity Ball
Throughout next week, the College of Fine Arts will be sponsoring Unity Week. This is a week-long event to celebrate diverse experiences, stories and journeys at USD with multiple events and panels. President of the Union of African American Students (UAAS) Bennett Clary said they were unable to secure the MUC Ballroom for the spring […]
SD Legislature Removes Clause Limiting Drag Shows
Two House Bills (HB) were introduced in South Dakota legislation on Jan. 24 that would prohibit events like USD Spectrum’s annual drag show from occurring on campus or with children in attendance. However, only one passed, and it passed with amendments that remove the clauses involving references to drag performances. HB 1116 is the “act […]
Roe v. Wade Overturned, Conversation Persists
On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Several states, including South Dakota, had trigger laws that went into affect imediately prohibiting abortion. Currently in South Dakota the only exception for abortion is if it is needed to save the mother’s life. Associate professor of history Sara Lampert said Roe v. Wade provided […]
Dispatches from the CDC: A garden for USD
This is the sixth installment of a series recording the experiences of students and faculty involved with the Center for Diversity and Community (CDC). The series seeks to highlight why this organization was so impactful on the USD community and why the CDC was more than the sum of its parts. “This is the search […]
Dispatches from the CDC: Community in all colors
This is the third installment of a series recording the experiences of students and faculty involved with the Center for Diversity and Community (CDC). The series seeks to highlight why this organization was so impactful on the USD community and why the CDC was more than the sum of its parts. “When I was (in […]
Vermillion Protect Trans Kids Rally follows new SD legislation
The Vermillion Protect Trans Kids Rally was held on Jan. 16 at the Platz. The event was hosted by the South Dakota Transformation Project Trans Advocacy Program calling to protect trans people amidst new South Dakota legislation of HB 1005, HB 1006 and SB 46. The event was a collaborative statewide effort by the ACLU […]
Tarot reading fundraiser for Domestic Violence Safe Options
October is LGBT+ history month, and to finish out their month of events, Spectrum and Students for Reproductive Rights (SFRR) held their first ever tarot reading fundraiser Oct. 29. The event raised money for the Vermillion Domestic Violence Safe Options Services. President of Spectrum Isabel Young said the event provided tarot readings, oracle readings, astrology chart readings, body charts and face paint […]
Opportunity Center stakeholder meetings held, planning for Opportunity Center continues
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Volante’s Bennett Clary and Miles Amende contributed for this article. The third and final Opportunity Center stakeholder meeting was held Oct. 25, in which members of the Opportunity Center Task Force met with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Environmental Club to gather input on how the center should operate. Laura McNaughton, university President Sheila Gestring’s chief of staff, said the plan is for the […]
SDBOR Representatives meet with student organization leaders
Before the Senate Bill 55 task force meeting on Oct. 14, at 4:30 p.m., a meeting was held between members of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) and several student organization presidents to discuss how the soon-to-be-established Opportunity Center would impact USD. General Counsel Nathan Lukkes explained the Opportunity Center and answered a majority of the […]