Fine Arts Hub of the Midwest

Transcript

Let’s head over to The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, where junior Lex is waiting for us. She’s an Exercise Science major, but is one of many students here that have chased their passion for the arts inside this beautiful on-campus facility. Lex, please tell us all about it.

– Thanks for the intro, Alex. I was born in China and adopted by a transracial family in the Midwest. During my college search, there were tons of boxes I wanted to be checked off from my first venture away from home. D1 school, great academic programs, diverse set of majors, a big marching band, lots of events, and awesome school spirit. I would heavily consider at SDSU the melting pot of diversity, both in the people and the things to do here. As an Exercise Science major I knew that I wanted to be learning about the sciences, but also keep my hobbies intact while navigating college. SDSU added the performing arts living learning community my freshman year and this way I could be living with people who had the same hobbies as I did, while taking classes with set of students with the same aspirations. Here, I lived and breathed music and the performing arts with my floor mates by utilizing study rooms for practicing, listening to music, and jamming out. I was able to march with the Pride of the Dakotas my first two years on campus and participate in programs like drag shows, variety shows, and individually with talent shows. The neatest perk about being an SDSU student is that you don’t necessarily need to be a performing arts major to utilize the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center or join groups on campus. The schedules for our choirs, marching band, theater, and dance give students the ability to join if they’d like. Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure that there is a space, no matter what you’re looking for. We are also a regional hub for theater and offer competitive programs in music and the performing arts. As you can see, students always have a way to keep their passions alive here. The ability to be an active participant in multiple activities while receiving my education is one of the best things that make our college great. I’m so glad that I chose the Brookings community and South Dakota State University to be my home, and I hope you do too. Throwing it back to you, Alex.

– Lex, we love to see students shine under the bright lights while enjoying something they love. Better yet, having you show us a place where the fine arts can live and thrive is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for investing in this campus to make it better, Lex. Cheers.