Editorial: The Center for Diversity and Community is essential to student life

The Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) can be a home for all students, but it is more specifically for students of color, international students and LGBTQ students.  

According to USD’s enrollment dashboard, the campus is 80.91% white, making it a predominantly white institution (PWI). The United States Census Bureau shows that in June 2019, Vermillion had a population of 10,926 people, with 86.6% being white citizens.  

In a school and city that is predominantly white and consequently built for white people, the CDC guarantees a safe space where students know they will find other students who look like them and who have had similar life experiences.  

This space is home to many student-led organizations such as the African Student Association, Tiospaye, Spectrum and several other diversity organizations. The students involved in these organizations use the CDC as a place to share their stories and experiences as minorities while also being able to teach other students. 

USD offers a great educational experience while also providing a diverse cultural experience, and the CDC is the space to learn about and celebrate these different cultures. It offers a place for students to learn and make mistakes without major repercussions that may otherwise occur outside of the university.  

All events that organizations in the CDC host are open to the entire campus. The organizations and events do not discriminate if students are not a part of the race, culture or background being presented. The events hosted by the CDC are there for students to learn, and that is why students can comfortably attend and make mistakes at these events.   

The CDC does not take away from the white students on campus by providing a space specifically made for minority students. USD is made for all students, but specifically caters to white students because that is the predominant race on campus. The CDC is made for all students but specifically caters to students of color, international students and LGBTQ+ because they are underrepresented on the rest of campus.  

Removing or making any changes to the CDC would impact the overall well being of students on campus. Minority students wouldn’t have a space to feel welcomed and to learn about other cultures. White students are also able to learn about cultures they otherwise may not be exposed to if it wasn’t for the CDC.

The CDC doesn’t tell white students they aren’t allowed; rather, it fosters a space where all students are able to go and feel like they belong. Minorities in South Dakota, and at USD, should have a voice and a place to feel welcome. The CDC gives the students of USD a place to use their voice and share cultures.

Let students of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds have a space where they can go and be themselves without having to worry about the outside world. Let students have the CDC as a place to feel like their home away from home.