CSI has more than just classrooms that are welcoming, but centers and clubs that recognize each student
By: Emily P. Mohlenhoff
Is the LGBTQ+ center at CSI a popular place to make friends and meet new people you never thought you would have a connection with?
Founder Jeremiah Jurkiewicz had established the center back in 2012 with the help of fellow students. He created an environment welcoming and inclusive for all who stepped through the door. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Resource Center is dedicated to improving the educational environment for LGBTQ+ students and any faculty members.
The center is open weekdays for club members to socialize. The resource center also hosts “Tea Time,” a weekly event held every Wednesday. During Tea Time, students are invited to introduce themselves in a casual setting and connect.
“CSI was the first community college to start a center,” said Jurkiewicz. “People come here to be accepted and want to make new friends.”
When attending Tea Time, even students who had never stepped foot into the center said they felt a sense of acceptance. Although there had been people who had gone to the center multiple times or had been there for plenty of years, there was always a seat open for newcomers.
“Even though they are already a group of friends, it seems clique-y,” said Dani. “But they really are all nice here and I’m able to be myself.”
The LGBTQ+ Center embraces the diversity of the CSI community and provides resources and programs for campus members. This center helps students embrace who they are and come out of their shell. Not only is this center for students, but welcomes all faculty members and alumni as well.
“We have a good location especially for privacy,” said Jurkiewicz. “If we were on the first floor front and center, many people would not come in.”
The privacy of the center means a lot to the students, the members and even the staff. The LGBTQ+ resource center is located in the 1C building upstairs in the back left corner of the building.
It was made to create a safe space for any and all members at CSI. So the question stands, is the LGBTQ+ Resource center a good place to make friends? The answer is yes. When asking multiple peers at the center if they felt it was possible, such as A.L Salazar Gil, many had mentioned “this is where their friendships had begun.”
“I have been coming here for 4 years,” said Gil. “I was able to make friends, and I felt safe and comfortable.”
