Kaylee Liu
Features Editor
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) hosted their annual welcome back event for LGBTQIA+ students and allies, Over the RainboWoo. The goals of this event were to forge friendships and get students in contact with supportive staff and faculty. This is especially important for queer first years trying to make fellow LGBTQIA+ friends and to get connected with the larger queer community at Wooster. Being a first-year comes with many struggles, so this event was meant to alleviate some of the stress for queer students who might have a harder time than some finding their place. Due to social distancing restrictions, the event was hosted over Zoom rather than in the Compton basement lounge, meaning students and staff had to forgo the snacks and refreshments usually provided. Despite this, the rest of the evening was relatively similar, with students and staff engaging in meet and greet activities along with icebreakers. The event also connected students with support resources like the CDI’s recurring Trans & Nonbinary and Queer Support Groups, weekly support groups that help students learn mindfulness techniques and build bonds with fellow students with similar identities.
Over the RainboWoo is part of the CDI’s larger efforts to foster a welcoming and supportive atmosphere on campus. One can tell that their efforts have paid off with the proliferation of pronoun badges and pride flag stickers on campus. Other events that CDI hosts for LGBTQIA+ students include Gender and SexualiTea, a monthly event which allows the campus to have an ongoing dialogue about the intersections of gender and sexuality, and LGBTQIA+ History Month, which is celebrated annually in October. There are also multiple queer student groups on campus like the Queer People of Color (QPOC) and the Queer Student Union (QSU), which are open to all students on campus regardless of sexuality or gender identity. If you’re interested in any of these events, do swing by at one of their recurring meetings. You might learn something new, and even if you don’t, you’re guaranteed to make new friends. More information about CDI-hosted events can be found in their newsletter, by contacting Melissa Chesanko (mchesanko@wooster.edu) or by reaching out to student led organizations like QPOC and QSU via their Instagrams, @wooqpoc and @woosterqsu, respectively.
