Bri Becerra
Editor-in-Chief

As students and staff alike settle into their new semester routines, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) offered a chance for queer campus members to meet and mingle. The yearly Pride with a Slice of Pizza event is always well-attended by students, staff and faculty, and the Sept. 10 event was no different with 63 people making their way into the Lounge. 

Held in the CDI Lounge in Lowry 224, the CDI staff provided pizza and a welcoming space for its attendees. Pride with a Slice of Pizza is geared toward LGBTQ+ campus members, giving students and staff a chance to connect with each other through shared identities. 

Hannah Reikowsky, equity & belonging program coordinator for CDI, reports that this is one of the office’s favorite events to host. She stated that it is also one of the most popular among the campus community.

Whether it was their first time or fourth time, many campus members continue to return year after year to mingle in the CDI Lounge. Sydney Kugler ’27 attended Pride with a Slice of Pizza for the second time, and they plan to come back next year. 

“I like the food as a change of pace from the monotony of predictably mediocre Lowry,” Kugler said. “It’s nice to be around queer people generally speaking.”

Events put on by the office of Equity and Belonging, formerly known as Sexuality and Gender Inclusion, are valuable to many attendees because of the community that it creates. Not only do attendees have the opportunity to eat pizza and hang out in the colorful CDI Lounge, but they can form new relationships with queer campus members.

Leo Walsh ’28 says that they were motivated to attend the event because of the opportunity to build these relationships.

“I came mainly just to hang out with my friends [who] I knew were going to be here but also to hang around new people and especially see staff members,” Walsh said. “I thought it would be nice to see [which] staff members in our community have shared experiences with us.”

In their first year at Wooster, Walsh has already found community in the Equity and Belonging office. 

“I think even if you go to these events and you’re not necessarily talking with people outside of your friend group, it creates a sense of solidarity and gives you a good reminder that [there are] other people like you on campus,” Walsh said. “You’re never completely alone in that aspect.”

Students were not the only people welcome to this event — professors and staff members were also in attendance. Professors Anna Gallo and Crista Craven chatted among the attendees.These two faculty members frequent events put on by Equity and Belonging.

Campus Safety officer Ash Gumber was excited to be in attendance. It was their third time attending a CDI event now that they work day shifts for Wooster. They mentioned that they were looking forward to connecting more with students and staff. 

“On nights, we don’t get the chance to meet everybody on good terms,” said Gumber.

Gumber expanded on their enthusiasm to attend events at the College, especially CDI events. They stated that supports such as the Equity and Belonging office are important for both students and staff.

“Getting out and getting to talk to everybody [is great],” Gumber said.“Also, giving people resources they didn’t know they had is the best thing.”

Fellowship over “gay pizza,” a nickname for the event coined by Jake Marion, the director of equity and belonging, is a campus pillar for the queer community at Wooster. There are many more events being hosted by CDI over the course of this year, and Pride with a Slice of Pizza is a reminder of the importance of community building among students and staff alike.

For information on upcoming CDI events and updates, follow @woostercdi on Instagram.