ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote with a celebratory march through campus, a historical speech re-enactment and an exhibit of artifacts from the time period.
The festivities will take place on Aug. 26, honoring the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Marchers will gather in the parking lot of Steele Hall at 12:30 p.m. and proceed to Lincoln Hall. The march will culminate at the steps of Lincoln, where NSU Theatre students Lydia Jae Saxton, Suzi Fitterer and Sydney Raap will perform a re-enactment of a speech from the era starting at about 12:50 p.m. Also that day, the League of Women Voters will be helping students register to vote from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Avera Student Center.
The entire week of Aug. 24, the Dacotah Prairie Museum exhibit, “Women Win the Right to Vote,” will be on display in the Avera Student Center Gallery. The exhibit, which includes artifacts, cartoons and posters from the era, will remain on display through the end of October. The exhibit was a collaborative effort by Northern Art Instructor Alexis Doerr and Patricia Kendall, Lora Schaunaman and Sue Gates from the Dacotah Prairie Museum.
A poster contest to get out the vote is ongoing; posters will be displayed in the Red Rooster Coffee House community room. Students may enter the contest at any time, with award-winners announced on Constitution Day, Sept. 17.
The Aug. 26 event is open to the public. Masks are required for indoor portions, including viewing the exhibition. Outside, participants are asked to practice social distancing. To learn more, contact NSU Executive Director of Student Success Dr. Stacie Varnson: 605-626-7781.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and, soon, an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $120 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.