diversity
USD students ‘not surprised’ by South Dakota election
As election results rolled in on Nov. 3, students around campus watched the future of the country become a reality. Some students chose to attend watch parties on campus while others viewed from the comfort of their homes. But no matter where they watched, students were not surprised by the South Dakota elections. Freshman Marissa […]
IEW provides “evidence to our resilience as a pack”
The Gallagher Center in collaboration with ethnic groups on campus —including the International Office, the Center for Diversity and Community, Foreign Language departments, African Student Association, etc. — are helping USD celebrate International Education Week (IEW) during the week of Nov. 16-20. The celebration will include both in-person and virtual events. IEW is a national […]
CDC hosts first students of color panel
The Center for Community and Diversity (CDC) hosted its first Students of Color Panel to discuss issues stemming from systemic racism both on and off campus. Panelists answered prepared questions as well as audience questions from in the room and from the event’s Facebook Livestream. Ashley Charlie, the moderator of the event, said these issues […]
USD President discusses five-year plan at university address
At the State of the University Address on Sept. 24, USD President Sheila Gestring outlined the university’s strategic plan to improve USD over the next five years. She also brought up the state of enrollment at USD and announced new plans for Julian Hall. During the 2019-2020 academic year, a committee of 42 faculty and […]
International Office looks forward to fall semester
Every fall, along with a fresh class of first year-students, comes a new class of international students at USD. With the spring semester winding down, the preparation for the fall semester has begun, and, for the USD International Office, this means organizing paperwork, planning orientations and connecting with new international students who will be on […]
USD says farewell to the Sellers
This summer, USD will say goodbye to two influential figures on campus. For the last few years, Lamont Sellers and his wife, Mimi Sellers, have built relationships with students and faculty and helped share the importance of diversity at USD. Lamont Sellers has been the associate vice president for diversity for the last six years. […]
Sioux Falls Pride postpones 20th Pride Festival
Few cities in South Dakota have big celebrations for their LGBTQ+ communities, but this year, most are canceling their Pride due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sioux Falls Pride, the largest pride organization in South Dakota, postponed their annual Pride due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement comes along with numerous other businesses, events and social […]
‘Words hurt’: Racist tweet sparks a conversation on Strollers impact
Story by: Sara Cappiello and Lexi Kerzman In preparation for their 97th annual show, USD Strollers introduced their emcee via Twitter. The tweet, which included racist slurs relating to the black community, was taken down early Friday after the organization received backlash. Since the tweet, USD community members have questioned the value of Strollers as […]
Gaining perspective on a growing Spanish department
The Spanish department is the largest secondary language program offered at USD. As the demand for the education of Spanish grows, the department also grows, becoming more expansive and diverse. Rob Turner has been the Interim Chair of the Spanish Department for the last year. Turner said the professors in the Spanish department come from […]
CDC hosts first Professionals of Color Panel
Students and faculty from all backgrounds gathered in the Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) for the first Professionals of Color Panel on Thursday evening. Professionals from USD, as well as other areas of South Dakota, came to speak about their experiences and success in the professional world. The panel included five professionals: Anshuman Chandra, […]