Hello beauties:
I am sitting here in the Pierce Library Computer Lab and I just walked in from OUTside. True, the weather is a bit cold, but I am really loving it. The fog, the quite gray of morning, and the calm dribble of rain are what Oregon is all about. It make me feel like I am back in the Willamette Valley. This week's minutes are as follows.
1) Periodicals. We are still working on arranging the periodicals we have with the Library staff. I will have this worked out soon though I think. I will let you know if anything happens in next week's minutes (28 FEB 2008).
2) Drag Show. Details on the Drag Show are being finalized. We are working on locking in the performer(s) and Iggy is going to meet with the Drama Department so that we can join forces. I by-the-way, think that joining with other groups on campus for mutual events is a very smart idea. Especially as regards educating and exposing the university and community to LGBT lives and issues.
3) Awareness and Recruitment Day. I have been calling this the A&R Day because I am too lazy to write the whole of it OUT. There are roughly 6 weeks left until the day we want to do this next term (week 2). This means we have to order "Gay? Fine by me." shirts, work with Vivian (I think) to arrange a location for a public talk on gay and lesbian issues, and meet some new people. We will be needing as many volunteers for this as can be mustered, but primarily only for Day Zero when we begin. Let us know if you are interested.
4) Moving. We are still working on moving the GSA Closet to somewhere better. Last Fall, there was some talk that we were going to be moving in with WRRC in the ResLife Office in Hoke. But nothing ever came of it, and the whole just sort of dropped dead in the water. Iggy is going to be reinvigorating dialogue with "Mr. Mike" who initially approached us with the idea. Meanwhile, I will be talking to whoever-it-is-we-talk-to about finding a new location, regardless of the conclusion of the ResLife issue.
5) My Class. I will be teaching Introduction to Gay and Lesbian Studies next term as a 1 credit, S/U (P/F) INTACT course. I was walking through campus about this time last week and was think to myself: Self, wouldn't it be kool to take and LGBT studies course? Yes. But Eastern isn't kool enough to do that. Why not? Good question. I am kool enough to teach that class. I will then. And so I contact INTACT and set up the course. It is a very easy process by-the-way, so if any of you wish to teach a class later on, this is very doable. The class will be taught through a bunch of different films. See my attachment for a special initiation and details. Also, I want to thank Tania St. Germain who has been working with me to advertise this course. Tania, is the Gender Studies (GEND) professor and is one of the best allies that the GSA has. She is offering a few courses next term that some of you may be interested in and I would encourage any classes with her. The cour!
ses are: Gender and Medicine, Gender and the Environment, and Gender in Sports. Also, for those of you already taking or thinking about studying GEND, Tania has agreed to endorse my class for a GEND credit. Thanks again Tania, you are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!!
6) Meetings. We are looking to expand meetings to as many people as possible. Please join us whenever you can. Right now, they are at 3pm Thursdays. If not, please do engage via email. I will represent any idea sent to me at the meeting on your behalf. Also, registration for Spring has opened up and many of you are writing your schedules. Let us know now, when you can meet next term. We have a lot of big tasks for next term and cannot afford to wait until the 4th week (or later) to organize. Everything we are doing next term is geared toward increasing education and exposure. The Drag Show, the Clothes Sale Pt. II, the A&R Day, etc. These are big tasks but very doable.
7) Professor Lyons. Last week, Iggy and I joined an LGBT panel for Steve Lyons' Human Sexuality Course. The experience for Iggy and I was very good. We both had a great time and enjoyed talking with the students. There were some very good questions, and many which I thought would be asked. There were also a lot of questions I was surprised wearn't asked. Part of me thinks this is because most of the class was very quite and just listening. Steve sent us some feedback based on a 1 paragraph response to the panel . Most of the class returned positive responses. Less than ten (10) returned fairly neutral responses. And only one (1) person reacted with a negative response. Now, I do not know what any of the responses were, so please do not assume that the single negative response was a bigoted comment by any means. This is an unwarranted leap in logic reserved only for closed, prejudiced minds. Thanks Dr. Lyons for sharing your course with us. I hope we continue t!
o work together in the future. Steve, you are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!
8) OLE. Out Loud East is still on the hunt for a new domain. Right now, Iggy (GSA President and OLE Editor/poet) has recommended a Google based domain. It will handle Youtube posting (by-the-way, did you know that Google owns Youtube?), blog, easy editing between Microsoft and the HTML, and the best package is one $20. If you have any recommendations about this choice or another option, please let us know. We want to make this switch soon. Probably no later than end of Winter Term. Also, please read my article for this week on Creativity: A Rainbow's Lifesaver.
Well, that concludes this week's minutes. Thanks again to Steve Lyons and Tania St. Germain. Take care. Until next time, this is me wishing you a Fabulous and Gay old time. Tata.
Sincerely,
Matthew "Matteo" D. Hudson
Scholar, Eastern Oregon University
Secretary, Gay Straight Alliance