I’ve written several articles recently on the proposed budget cuts putting many of the smaller liberal arts programs in jeopardy.

The final say on the budget cuts were announced April 18 and here are a few updates: the Women and Gender Studies program is currently safe, although it may be in danger of being cut again next year depending on how many students enroll and if the UND budget cuts are still an issue.

Still, the fact that the department is OK for now is reason to celebrate. The department will also be holding a clothing drive for transgender people in the WGS office in O’Kelly Hall Room 133.

The clothing drive was proposed by UND student Beck Devine, who was informed by one of his transgender friends that they were having trouble transitioning due to not being able to afford buying a wardrobe of men’s clothing.

If you have any extra clothes that are still in pretty good shape, you should drop them off at the WGS office. There will be boxes for women’s men’s and unisex clothing.

The clothing drive will opened April 20 and will last several weeks. The office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 to 10 a.m. and noon to 4 p.m. If these times don’t work for your schedule, you can message Beck Devine on Facebook or email the head of the WGS department Rebecca Rozelle-Stone at [email protected] to set up another time to drop off your donations. The clothing drive comes in the wake of many news stories concerning the controversial transgender bathroom bills. Transgender people are lobbying for the right to use bathrooms pertaining to their gender, rather than to the biological sex they were labeled at birth.

Alisabeth Otto is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]