Spring Break
LGBT wants a resource center
Pride says center would be symbol of acceptance
Bob Bajek / Student Government Editor
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: News
Eastern's administration, EIU Pride and Student Government are looking into gaining a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender resource center on campus.
Mark Olendzki, student vice president for student affairs-elect and a member of Pride, said a new resource center, whether it is a new building or a rented room, would mean so much to Eastern's LGBT community.
"Members have expressed to me that its important not only in a logistical standpoint actually having a resource center, but it is important as a symbol because right now the fact that there is nothing besides things at the Health Center to helping out LGBT students, but there is nothing specifically for them," Olendzki said.
"Even though this isn't true, it is the perception that they are less important than other minority students."
Kirstin Bowns, vice president of Pride, said one of the main reasons Pride is pushing for a resource center is to help transgender students adjust.
"That's always been the group that has been put down the most just because it is the least understood among them," Bowns said. "They also need the most support because they have the highest suicide rates and not a lot of accurate information out there. And at the college age level, that is where you are becoming who you are."
A study about LGBT youth suicides by Warren J. Blumenfeld & Laurie Lindop stated LGBT suicides account for 30 percent of the 5,000 completed teen suicides, while 53 percent of transgendered youth have attempted suicide.
Bowns knows three or four transgender students personally on campus. She said this is a smaller group on campus.
The Counseling Center would be a beneficial addition to helping LGBT students if counselors would be trained in assisting in these issues, Bowns said.
Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said he has been meeting for 18 months with faculty and began to have conversations for the need of resources and educational materials for the campus concerning LGBT issues.
Nadler appointed Lynette Drake, director of Health Service, to head the LGBTQA advisory committee and see what resources are available and what is needed.
Drake's committee has four subcommittees focusing on grants and funding, Web site presentation, re-instating the Safe Zone Project and identifying and expanding current LGBT resources.
"We are working on a report for this summer to submit to Dr. Nadler," Drake said. "We are in the process of getting a grant for the re-initiation of the Safe Zone project."
The Safe Zone Project was a program where LGBT students would talk to faculty and staff who were trained to help these students deal with emotional issues in a safe environment.
Olendzki said he talked to Pride about Safe Zone and it said the program ended due to a lack of funding. He wants to bring back the program in a big way.
"I thought of a solution of doing a co-sponsorship through one of the branches of Student Government like Student Senate or University Board to get around any red tape because it is perfect for that," Olendzki said. "It is open to all students, so it is appropriate to use student fees for it and it is a great way to promote awareness and education."
Lynette said Safe Zone is an educational grant worth only a couple thousand dollars.
On the existing LGBT resources on campus, Nadler added the resources need to be more prominent that deal with heal, adjustment, wellness and integration of the student in a collegiate environment.
"We want to make sure that all faculty, staff and students feel welcome and comfortable with the institution overall and individually wherever they go," he said. "That to me is the most important aspect as we move forward and how that builds depends on how the committee really comes forward with."
He said the administration and committee are exploring what is presently offered at the university first before possibly getting a center.
"A center with brick and mortar would be a long-term goal," Nadler said. "What we need first and foremost is to have the educational materials available."
Olendzki said when the new Renewable Energy Center is completed, the current steam plant will be gutted and it will serve as open space. He said this would be a long-term goal in the term in the next 10 years.
He said even though a constructed center will take awhile to build, a rented space for a center is needed and there are many vacant rooms on campus that would be available.
"Space is at a premium, but I don't think (the administration) putting this off is the right decision," Olendzki said. "It is a very realistic goal and I think it can be accomplished in the next year if we get student involvement."
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
Mark Olendzki, student vice president for student affairs-elect and a member of Pride, said a new resource center, whether it is a new building or a rented room, would mean so much to Eastern's LGBT community.
"Members have expressed to me that its important not only in a logistical standpoint actually having a resource center, but it is important as a symbol because right now the fact that there is nothing besides things at the Health Center to helping out LGBT students, but there is nothing specifically for them," Olendzki said.
"Even though this isn't true, it is the perception that they are less important than other minority students."
Kirstin Bowns, vice president of Pride, said one of the main reasons Pride is pushing for a resource center is to help transgender students adjust.
"That's always been the group that has been put down the most just because it is the least understood among them," Bowns said. "They also need the most support because they have the highest suicide rates and not a lot of accurate information out there. And at the college age level, that is where you are becoming who you are."
A study about LGBT youth suicides by Warren J. Blumenfeld & Laurie Lindop stated LGBT suicides account for 30 percent of the 5,000 completed teen suicides, while 53 percent of transgendered youth have attempted suicide.
Bowns knows three or four transgender students personally on campus. She said this is a smaller group on campus.
The Counseling Center would be a beneficial addition to helping LGBT students if counselors would be trained in assisting in these issues, Bowns said.
Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said he has been meeting for 18 months with faculty and began to have conversations for the need of resources and educational materials for the campus concerning LGBT issues.
Nadler appointed Lynette Drake, director of Health Service, to head the LGBTQA advisory committee and see what resources are available and what is needed.
Drake's committee has four subcommittees focusing on grants and funding, Web site presentation, re-instating the Safe Zone Project and identifying and expanding current LGBT resources.
"We are working on a report for this summer to submit to Dr. Nadler," Drake said. "We are in the process of getting a grant for the re-initiation of the Safe Zone project."
The Safe Zone Project was a program where LGBT students would talk to faculty and staff who were trained to help these students deal with emotional issues in a safe environment.
Olendzki said he talked to Pride about Safe Zone and it said the program ended due to a lack of funding. He wants to bring back the program in a big way.
"I thought of a solution of doing a co-sponsorship through one of the branches of Student Government like Student Senate or University Board to get around any red tape because it is perfect for that," Olendzki said. "It is open to all students, so it is appropriate to use student fees for it and it is a great way to promote awareness and education."
Lynette said Safe Zone is an educational grant worth only a couple thousand dollars.
On the existing LGBT resources on campus, Nadler added the resources need to be more prominent that deal with heal, adjustment, wellness and integration of the student in a collegiate environment.
"We want to make sure that all faculty, staff and students feel welcome and comfortable with the institution overall and individually wherever they go," he said. "That to me is the most important aspect as we move forward and how that builds depends on how the committee really comes forward with."
He said the administration and committee are exploring what is presently offered at the university first before possibly getting a center.
"A center with brick and mortar would be a long-term goal," Nadler said. "What we need first and foremost is to have the educational materials available."
Olendzki said when the new Renewable Energy Center is completed, the current steam plant will be gutted and it will serve as open space. He said this would be a long-term goal in the term in the next 10 years.
He said even though a constructed center will take awhile to build, a rented space for a center is needed and there are many vacant rooms on campus that would be available.
"Space is at a premium, but I don't think (the administration) putting this off is the right decision," Olendzki said. "It is a very realistic goal and I think it can be accomplished in the next year if we get student involvement."
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this story