Diversity @ USD

The Volante's coverage of diversity issues on the campus of University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD.

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Senate Bill 62 (PDF)

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Proposed bill draws large crowd, mixed reactions at Tuesday SGA meeting

Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:13 am | Updated: 6:35 pm, Wed Dec 11, 2013.

By Nathan Ellenbecker 

A Student Government Association bill to reserve senate seats for “traditionally marginalized” student organizations drew one of the largest turnouts ever to SGA’s Dec. 10 meeting, according to President Erik Muckey. 

Senate Bill 62 would require adding four at-large senate seats for 10 designated “traditionally marginalized” organizations.

Debate during the meeting centered around three strong opinions regarding the bill: potential legal issues with the bill, reverse discrimination and SGA’s outreach to all student organizations.

Senior Taylor Moore spoke out on behalf of the Union for African-American Students, and said many of the people present do not understand being told they are not qualified for positions because of their race.

“We cannot cover every student’s concerns, but that’s a starting point at least to get some idea of having these students’ voices heard,” Moore said. “Just to the point where students feel empowered enough to be comfortable here at this institution.”

Senior Dennis Smith, executive director of South Dakota’s Student Federation, said he was concerned with the legality issues SGA would face if the bill passed. Smith said he spoke with South Dakota Board of Regents members, and said they told him SGA would not be funding eligible if the bill was put in place.

During Smith’s turn speaking, multiple points of order were called because of reactions he was receiving from people in the front row of the gallery.

Other students also voiced their disapproval of the bill, believing students of “traditionally marginalized” backgrounds had plenty of opportunity to run for senate positions.

Senior Charlie Drapeaux, a Native American member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, said he wished to be judged on merit and initiative, not skin color.

The bill was sent to committee, and SGA intends to have a task force put together by their first meeting of the spring semester. Resolution of the bill is scheduled to be finished before elections in the spring.

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More than 60 turn out for SGA meeting

Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 5:42 am | Updated: 4:59 pm, Wed Dec 11, 2013.

Nathan Ellenbecker 

Senators of the Student Government Association may be in position to act as the representative voice of the student body, but some student were angered by Tuesday night’s meeting to find their own voices cut short by SGA proceedings. 

“I just wanted to be heard,” said graduate student Lydia Graslie. 

Graslie was among the largest student gallery in recent memory, with more than 60 people in attendance, as discussion focused on a proposed bill, to reserve four senate seats for “traditionally marginalized” on-campus organizations.  

If Senate Bill 62, which was referred to a committee, passes through the University of South Dakota SGA, the legislation would save four seats within the student senate for representatives pooled from the 10 designated “traditionally marginalized” student groups, said Alexis Oskolkoff, the senator who proposed the bill.

Senate Bill 62

These organizations are required to be open to students of all racial backgrounds.

“We always say we encourage diversity and we embrace inclusive excellence, but this is the first time we actually opened up to this subject,” Oskolkoff said.

During discussion, Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents Student Federation Dennis Smith was allotted nine minutes to speak, as nine SGA members deferred their time to him — audience members were otherwise given 30 seconds for individual appeals. Smith said he spoke directly with members of the South Dakota Board of Regents before the meeting, and according to Smith, the SGA will face major legal troubles if the bill is passed.

The discussion led to an exchange on issues such as reverse racism and questions on the SGA’s relationships with student organizations. Reactions ranged from shouts to tears. 

With approval from SGA President Erik Muckey, senior Tyler Tordsen, another senator, opened the proposal of a task force for work on the bill, which he said will be a more effective way to tackle the issue.

“My proposal is to appoint a workgroup consisting of roughly nine individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives to help come together and present a recommendation to SGA on what steps should be made to create a more inclusive senate body,” Tordsen said.

Muckey said he approved of the task force during the meeting, and Tordsen said he wants the group assembled so work can begin over the winter break.

“Having that task force that Tyler is hoping to bring forward is important, simply because it’s not just looking at physical representation, but looking at how the culture of SGA addresses it in terms of accessibility,” Muckey said.

According to Senate Bill 62, the “traditionally marginalized” groups will nominate one member of their organizations for an at-large interview with the SGA senate, which will select four new senators to serve regular-length terms.

The bill intends to create a four-year trial period where the SGA will assess its efforts to expand diversity awareness among student organizations and point of views within the senate through the added seats, Oskolkoff said.  

“Because there was so much opposition to it, I wanted to have it in discussion,” she said. “That way we had more of a chance that I could hear everyone’s questions and concerns regarding the bill before I had my first reading.”

According to Tordsen, the plan for the group is to have nine individuals — four senate members, four non-senate members (students, faculty, etc.) and one SGA executive. 

He said this group will create more effective conversation with the best chance of creating successful and fair legislation, something Muckey said he hopes will come from the group.

 “One of the things we still need to address is the internal culture of SGA in terms of how it’s welcoming to traditionally marginalized identities,” Muckey said. “Making sure that all students feel welcome and included in the conversation and being able to access student government is the real discussion now.”

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Multicultural center proposal submitted to Abbott, council

Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 5:49 am

Trent Opstedahl  The proposal to bring a multicultural student center to the University of South Dakota is one step closer to becoming a reality.

According to Jesus Trevino, associate vice president for diversity, an official proposal has been submitted to President James Abbott and the executive council to be vetted and approved or returned with recommendations.

“Ultimately, the vision is to have a central area where there are lots of activities going on around issues of diversity,” Trevino said.

Two locations are being considered for the proposed multicultural student center — the former Continuing Education building and the current Commons facility in North Complex. 

Trevino said the goal of the proposed multicultural student center is to deter away from the traditional perception of diversity.

“Diversity has become very complex,” he said. “It is not a problem to be solved, but it is an asset that can be very valuable and used to achieve a variety of educational and institutional outcomes related to teaching, learning, research and the preparation for students to engage in a diverse world.”

In an open forum between USD students and Trevino Dec. 5, Trevino went over the proposal with students, and afterward students shared comments and concerns about the proposal. 

Alexis Oskolkoff was among the 15 students present at the forum.

“It’s a step-by-step process and it starts with education,” Oskolkoff said. “We need to teach students what the definition of diversity is, what the definition of inclusive excellence is, and then we can start moving forward.”

Oskolkoff, Arts and Sciences senator for the Student Government Association, said the basis of her campaign platform was to eventually convince the SGA to pass a resolution in favor of a multicultural student center.

According to Oskolkoff, she received opposition from various constituents concerning her platform right away, as she says some think a multicultural student center would “create segregation instead of inclusion.”

“It’s another way to promote inclusive excellence, which is now in the university’s strategic plan, and this is one way we can accomplish those goals in the plan,” Oskolkoff said.

A common concern among many who have been involved in developing the proposal, nine names for the multicultural center have been submitted within the proposal.

The process of how to develop a multicultural center at USD first began in October 2012, when the Office for Diversity brought in two consultants to evaluate the university’s physical and social environments.

From there, a subcommittee under the Provost Staben’s committee on African American student success prepared the proposal.

Trevino said the last process of the proposal was to report back to USD students on the progress being made on the multicultural center before sending it on for review.

Trevino said there is no official timeline for when the multicultural student center would be operational, but he is hopeful the process is headed in the right direction.

“Some multicultural centers only focus on race and ethnicity,” Trevino said. “In this case, we’re trying to bring everybody together.”

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Spectrum increases communication with other campus diversity groups

Posted: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 1:28 am | Updated: 6:34 pm, Tue Dec 10, 2013.

Braley Dodson  THE VOLANTE 

The University of South Dakota community is not hostile toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, questioning intersex and asexual community, but students could work harder to improve relations, members of USD’s Spectrum: Gender and Sexuality Alliance group said.  

When it comes to USD’s openness toward the LGBTQ community, junior Gretchen Stanley, president of Spectrum, said there are good days and bad days. 

“I feel like we have days where we take strides forward,” Stanley said. “Then, you have days when something happens.”

Stanley said by working with other diversity groups, it has been easier to increase awareness of issues facing the LGBTQ community.  

“Issues with diversity don’t just face the diversity community,” Stanley said. “You don’t have to be an activist, but being aware can benefit you.”

As Spectrum increases communication with other diversity groups, Stanley said the community benefits.

First-year Seth Wiederhold, Spectrum’s secretary who came out as gay six months ago, said changes could be made by addressing behaviors others might not even know they’re doing. 

“If you’re not in that situation you don’t know that situation exists or even know about it. If you’re unaware of the issues, it’s hard to know about it,” Wiederhold said. 

Although Wiederhold said he has not had struggles with being gay at USD, he has noticed discriminatory actions others probably don’t even consciously do on campus. These have included students avoiding Spectrum’s table in the Muenster University Center when the group is tabling, or when students use phrases as "that’s so gay."

“For me, it’s not a big deal,” Wiederhold said. “But for others, it’s very uncomfortable and demeaning.”

Stanley said many students use words such as "gay" without fully knowing their meaning.

“There’s a correct way to use these words in context,” Stanley said.  

Another word she said people often use is "faggot," which she said many believe to mean a pile of sticks, a variation of what she said the word means to the LGBTQ community.

“Faggot originates from lighting gay men on fire,” Stanley said. 

Last year, Stanley served on a committee for a gender-neutral housing initiative, and both she and Wiederhold said they’d hope to see gender-neutral housing at USD. 

“(Students) could live as whoever they want,” Stanley said.  

Spectrum is also working with the Campus Activities Board for the upcoming speaker Timothy Kurek, a straight man raised as a conservative Christian who pretended to be gay for a year. Kurek will speak Nov 20.

Lacey Walters, spotlight coordinator for CAB, said Kurek was chosen after CAB researched speakers within its price range.

“I researched all of them, watched their YouTube videos and Timothy's story stood out the most,” Walters said.  “It is unique to him and his situation, but we can all learn from his experiences of coming out.”

Photo: Seth Wiederhold, secretary for Spectrum, came out six months ago, and said he has not personally struggled with discrimination, but has noticed discriminatory actions at USD. (Cristina Drey/THE VOLANTE)

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EDITORIAL: Building awareness - campus pushes for cultural embrace

Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 6:20 pm | Updated: 6:34 pm, Tue Dec 10, 2013.

Sensitivity and awareness to diverse cultures is not only vital, but necessary on a college campus like the University of South Dakota. 

While it is still common to see hesitation to accept the unknown, the university is pushing for students to spend their time at USD learning to not only be aware of the variety of cultures and ways of life surrounding them, but to also be considerate of them. 

In order to enhance this acceptance and understanding in the student population, the university has taken action to make diverse cultures a more prominent priority on campus. 

Events ranging from International Education Week to a variety of speakers are held on campus in an effort to engage students in the idea of learning and eventually embracing other cultures they may not be familiar with. 

Among their number of guests this semester, the Campus Activities Board is sponsoring the appearance of speaker Timothy Kurek to tell his story of living for one year under the label of being gay and the experiences he was forced to handle with his family and friends. This type of interaction opens the eyes of students to lifestyles they have never encountered. 

The student group also brings in guests to speak on relatable issues on college campuses and comedians as way to bring students together. 

In continuance of the education on cultures, the university holds an entire week dedicated to international education. The week consists of lectures, films and events that attempt to bring students of different cultures together to be able to understand just how diverse of a campus USD is becoming. 

At a liberal arts college, it is becoming more and more common that student backgrounds, heritages and cultures range from one end of the spectrum to another. Especially with athletic recruits from all over the country and the international program, the diversity of students is only going in upward direction. 

If the university continues to reinforce the basic principle of cultural awareness on campus, students as a whole will start to embrace the idea and its importance, but an establishment of cultural acceptance will become the norm rather than a future goal. 

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Speaker addresses safety concerns

Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 1:56 am

Michael Geheren

Diversity and inclusion consultant and presenter Jamie Utt told University of South Dakota students Monday night during his presentation, “The Wall,” he had been told ‘this place is not safe,’ after speaking to people on campus.

“I have heard a lot of voices here to know there is a lot of work to be done to be safe,” Utt said.

USD Student Services and the Student Government Association invited Utt for an impromptu presentation on diversity and sexual violence prevention.

Utt said to students in attendance to keep an open mind, follow the truth, maintain self-reflection and listen to gut reactions as some steps to create the awareness. 

As part of the presentation, students wrote on poster board some of the worst possible things students could think of when dealing with different genders, ethnic groups and sexual orientations Monday afternoon.

The boards were displayed at Aalfs Auditorium in Slagle Hall while Utt read some of the vulgar statements. His speech then focused on two parts — racism and sexual violence. 

Lindsay Sparks, assistant director of student life, said Utt’s presentation was in response to address “things that have happened on campus.”

“We also have been trying to get him here, and this was his earliest availability,” she said.

Sparks said her goal was to inspire students to open a dialogue, join groups outside of their comfort zones and have a chance to ask questions. 

Similarly, SGA President Erik Muckey said open dialogue is the key to addressing racism and sexual violence.

In a question-and-answer session, Utt said while spending time on USD’s campus he recommended administration to invest in an inclusive environment.

Utt then shifted the conversation to sexual assault. He told the audience one in four to one in six women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest Center. 

“Jamie has been on our campus before, and a lot of students really trust Jamie,” Sparks said.

Utt challenged the audience with the question, “what can we do in our communities to make sure everyone feels safe?”

Alexis Oskolkoff, a non-traditional student and SGA senator, said after an incident during Dakota Days involving race, she received emails from students of different cultures. 

“It wasn’t just a Native American issue. It turned into an issue of all diverse backgrounds and that they didn’t feel safe on campus,” Oskolkoff said. 

Oskolkoff said she thought the Dean of Students office and SGA did a good job advertising the event despite the short notice. The Student Services Office sent a campus-wide email at 9 a.m. Monday.

After the Q&A session, audience members were encouraged to go on stage and tear off pieces of the poster board to keep as a reminder about bigotry. 

“Tear down these walls of hate,” Utt said. 

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Student union eyed for cultural center location

Posted: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:58 am

By Braley Dodson

Ethnic and cultural clubs may have a new meeting location if the proposed plan for a multicultural center is approved, said Associate Vice President of Diversity Jesus Trevino.

The center would provide office space for multicultural groups, along with rooms to conduct meetings.

Trevino said the Temporary Student Center near North Complex has been eyed for a location for the center.

“We want to create something students see themselves as part of,” Trevino said.

Beyond racial groups, the culture center would also extend to women, international students, LGBT, veteran and other student organizations.

Trevino, along with Dean of Students Kim Grieve, is creating a proposal for the center to be passed onto President James Abbott for approval.

Jordan Catlett, president of Tiospaye, said communicating with other student groups is beneficial for recruitment and support, but a forced move into the new multicultural center would push the group out of its current office space in the Native American Cultural Center.

“There are pros and cons for us,”he said.

Catlett said Tiospaye originally heard the NACC would be moved to the multicultural center, but now only Tiospaye will be moved.

“We were being kicked out of our own home,” Catlett said. “It’s where the community finds us.”

Catlett is unsure if Tiospaye will be able to continue selling tacos at the NACC, or if the sales will have to be made in the new center. She’s also unsure if the lumber stored in the basement of the NACC for the group’s Dakota Days float will have to be moved.

After the center has been given approval, a student forum will be held as early as this spring to discuss the possibilities for the center and a budget will be set for the possible renovation of the old union.

The name of the center will be discussed at the forum, where Trevino hopes to contain aspects of diversity and inclusiveness.  

“The university is serious about starting the center,” Trevino said. “Everyone agrees something needs to be done as soon as possible.”

Trevino said the center would be different from those at other universities, because a condition of moving into the center would be that the groups must collaborate with one another.  

“It will give majority students the chance to interact with minorities,” Trevino said. “It’s something that invites the entire community to come and participate.”

Even though the center would be in an existing building, Trevino said it is the point of the center, and not the building, that’s important.

“This isn’t brand new, but at this point, we need to make the vision come alive,” Trevino said.

The large, open space at the center of the building would serve as a communal lounge, with a possible University Brew location.

Trevino said he has yet to speak to student organizations about the possibility of moving into the center.

He said he hopes the center gives students who are not a minority the chance to interact with other groups and improve their leadership skills.

Sophomore Jen Allen does not belong to a multicultural club on campus, but supports the idea of the center because it would give her the opportunity to see the diversity on campus.

“It would be one place, and you’d go and they’d all be there,” Allen said. “I definitely think it’s a good idea because when these clubs meet, there’s not a lot of interaction between them.”

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Abbott says USD will not tolerate racism

Posted: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:51 am | Updated: 7:36 pm, Tue Oct 29, 2013.

By Nathan Ellenbecker and Megan Card

President James Abbott said Tuesday in a release by the University of South Dakota that “insensitive remarks and rude treatment of minority groups on campus” will not be tolerated by the university.

Abbott’s comments were incited by an incident reported during the university’s homecoming, when student organization Strollers admitted that members on their Dakota Days float taunted USD student Alexis Oskolkoff and her 9-year-old son for wearing traditional Native American regalia. The students reportedly yelled out, “Look at those Indians,” and began making war whoops with their hands to their mouths.

Lindsay Sparks, assistant director of student life, said students within Strollers have done everything asked of them to make up for this incident — which Abbott described as deplorable in the release. Sparks also said there is no specific disciplinary protocol for when a student makes racially insensitive comments or gestures to her knowledge, and so far, the organization as a whole has delivered a written letter to Oskolkoff, while Strollers President Chris Jahr has apologized in person to Oskolkoff and her son.

“Strollers has also been very upfront in being a part of any programming or any kind of conversation or whatever it might be surrounding diversity and Inclusive Excellence,” Sparks said.

The next step for Strollers, the oldest student-run organization on campus, will revolve around Inclusive Excellence she said, when members will assist hosting diversity speaker Jamie Utt next Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Aalfs Auditorium.

The university's release said Dean of Students Kim Grieve has worked with the students involved in the D-Days racial incident, although Sparks was not able to disclose if all taunters have been identified and disciplined for their actions.

Jesus Trevino, associate vice president for diversity, said the Strollers' actions have not helped efforts to improve the university’s diversity climate.

“The larger picture is that we can use this as an instance to look at our policy and take a look at our programs to see how we can improve,” Trevino said. “That’s not just going to be the decision of just one person or one group. That’s going to be up to a lot of people at the table that represent a lot of different areas of our campus to decide how best to move forward as a university.”

The Inclusive Excellence program, Trevino said, is a part of the university’s strategic plan to transform USD's environment to be supportive of people from a number of alternative backgrounds.

Tiospaye Student Council President Jordan Catlett said she and other members of the organization do not think promoting racial sensitivity in the context of discipline is appropriate, because cultural tolerance is something all organizations should strive for daily.

“Doing Inclusive Excellence should not be a punishment. It should be something all groups are willing to take part in anyway,” Catlett said.

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Patience and persistence were required to write an op-ed to the blatant remark by a young college male whom bragged one weekend to be, “drunker than 100 Indians” on a popular social media page. The remark was perhaps nothing more than a young male highlighting the activities of his typical Friday night. However, I couldn’t ignore the context of the remark; and even further, the fellow students that enjoyed his remark. Despite the fact that their fellow Native American classmates expressed their frustration over the remark, it remained on the social media site for many others to view. The University of South Dakota seeks to enhance diversity to create a welcoming environment to all students. In 2001, for continued accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and School, USD was required to submit a monitoring report in the area of diversity. A recent site visit by the NCA also done in 2001, noted USD has failed to embrace and institutionalize the inherent educational value of diversity within the university community, its people and its programs, according to the 2011 USD Self-Study Report. USD improved in some areas for example: women now compromise 47 percent of the faculty, the number of Asian faculty has grown from 17 in 2002 to 28 in 2006, yet only 2.3 percent of the faculty members are American Indian, slightly more than the percentage of Native graduates but well below the percentage in South Dakota, the largest increases in minority students were African Americans, Hispanic, and Asian students. The American Indian population increased 11 percent since 2004, less than the pace of university growth, the study reported. Contrary to the report, USD still lacked in areas of cultural and heritage awareness and cultural and heritage sensitivity. USD has been kind enough to allow the DakotaDome to be used in recent years for the USD powwow. Every March it’s hosted by TiospayeU, a USD student organization comprised of Native American and fellow USD students. USD continues to let forms of colonization and colonialism reside on and off campus. The American Indian Oral History Center is housed in the basement of Dakota hall, Native American Studies also used to be housed in the basement. The two individuals that consisted of Native American studies had their offices later moved to East Hall. However, those faculty and staff members are no longer with USD. All the while USD still continues to underappreciate the discipline Native American studies by not having adequate faculty or perhaps any faculty dedicated to the discipline.

Brooke Yellow Hammer, Junior

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As we begin diversity discussions around campus, I am concerned about the men-to-women ratio on campus. As of last year, 62 percent of our student body was female. Our female to male ratio is more uneven than the national average, which is 52 percent female. Where are all the college-aged men? Especially men of color? This is not only an issue at USD but a public policy issue for universities across America. According to the article, “Missing Men: Addressing the College Gender Gap,’ “By 2020 only 41.1 percent of college enrollees will be men.” The bottom line is men also need to be college educated. Many of these men will hold minimum wage jobs and will be unable to support a future family.

Sophie Johnson, Sophomore

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EDITORIAL: Why cut diversity

Originally Posted: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 9:30 pm | Updated: 9:58 pm, Tue Apr 16, 2013.

When the Higher Learning Commission released a comprehensive evaluation report of the University of South Dakota in April 2011 during its reaccreditation process, serious concerns were voiced over USD’s attention to diversity on campus. 

Showing minor progress since the last HLC visit, the 2011 evaluation recommended a progress report on diversity to be completed by June 2014 that addresses how the university has acted to incorporate more minorities and international students and staff at USD. 

Yet, in two years time USD officials have proceeded to either cut or subjugate programs steeped in curriculum that exposes USD students to a “broader scope of diversity,” as recommended in the report. 

For one, the native studies program at USD is hanging on by a thread, as the department consists of one professor, low enrollment and a lack of respect on campus. Last week, Volante columnist Jackie Hendry wrote that as a native studies’ major, she feels duped by the university’s ability to advertise the program as “uniquely superior” and its inability to actually provide support for the department and its students. 

As Hendry said, the Lakota Language Education Action Program is rumored to be dissolving because of low enrollment. Students within USD’s Arabic language program are getting a firsthand taste of what it feels like to have their program ripped out from under them. With little notice and zero discussion with university officials, Arabic was cut, and with it, the ability of students to learn not just a foreign language, but to appreciate a culture not normally associated with South Dakota. 

Arabic, which was the only language left at USD that the U.S. State Department considers a critical language, was not just a language-intensive class. It also allowed students to meet native speakers and learn from class trips they made to certain communities in Sioux Falls. Whether it was attending a prayer session or conversing with fellow customers at a Middle Eastern eatery, these students were embracing the very nature of “inclusive excellence” USD has so eagerly coined as their go-to term when it comes to diversity on campus.

It is regressive of the university to ignore and eliminate programs that allow this campus — the flagship university of South Dakota — to incorporate a broader scope of diversity for all students to experience. 

It is understandable that USD has to evaluate cost and enrollment level when trying to stay within the limit of offered classes each year, but it seems ridiculous to cut classes actually worthwhile to a student’s future while keeping around others that are mind-numbing excuses for an easy A. First-year experience classes, anyone?

Enough with the reliance on ambiguous terminology and slow-moving subcommittees to boost diversity. Why doesn’t USD start by actually protecting and marketing the programs already offered on campus that could attract more minority and international students and offer a welcomed education on other cultures?  

While cliché, actions speak louder than words, and it is about time USD applied this concept in its own pursuit of “inclusive excellence” in Vermillion.