Student Leadership Celebrates National Coming Out Day

Image is a custom Zoom background. White text on a dark blue background reads "North Seattle College Student Leadership Celebrates National Coming Out Day" above an array of many pride flags. On the right side of the image, a pink door opens to reveal the Progressive Pride flag
Please enjoy this custom Zoom background for National Coming Out Day! The famous Pink Door was first created by students in North’s now-inactive theater department. LGBTQ+ Pride Club dug it out of storage some years ago to use in Coming Out Day, and it’s been a centerpiece of affirming celebrations ever since! If you joined us last year, you may have had the opportunity to pose, “coming out” through the door, with silly photo booth props and cupcakes and feather boas. This year, we are virtual, but the spirit of celebration remains. We are proud to support our LGBTQ+ community, and hope you can join us next year for cupcakes ๐Ÿ™‚

Not sure how to connect, or where to start? Student Leaders have put together a list of campus and community resources! This list is not 100% comprehensive, nor is it an official endorsement – just us, doing our best to be helpful! Most of these have been updated to reflect changes due to COVID, but it’s a good idea to check what precautions different organizations are taking, just in case.

CAMPUS RESOURCESย 

LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Did you know that NSC has an affinity group dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community? The LGBTQ+ Affinity Group is led by students, and supported by North to focus on centering and supporting students from systemically non-dominant communities, and they meet up every Wednesday at 3pm.
Contacts:ย 
Jordan Taylor (They/them/theirs) – Jordan.H.Taylor@seattlecolleges.eduย 
Vita Harvey (They/them/theirs) – Vita.Harvey@seattlecolleges.edu
Zoom Link: zoom.us/j/92281898090?pwd=dU5aVWplNDNLNHMrRkMwbmc5UTdrZz09

Counseling Officeย 
NSCโ€™s counselors are highly educated, and trained to help students cope with a range of personal life challenges and concerns that may impact personal and academic performance. Anything you wish to discuss in these meetings are confidential.ย 
Contacts:
Email: nscccounseling@seattlecolleges.edu
Phone: +1(206)934-3676
Website: northseattle.edu/counseling

United Way Benefits Hubย 
Benefits Hub addresses needs in four quadrants:ย 
Emergency/Crisis Financial Assistance
Food Insecurity
Homelessness Prevention
Managing Financial Resources to pay for and stay in school
Contacts:
Coach Paula Marroquin – paula.a.marroquin@seattlecolleges.edu
Phone: +1 (206)934-4636
Website: northseattle.edu/equity-diversity-inclusion/united-way-benefits-hub

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Hotlines

The Trevor Project
thetrevorproject.org
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. Call 1-866-488-7386 available 24/7, as well as text and chat support.

LGBT National Hotline
glbthotline.org/national-hotline.html
The LGBT National Hotline is for all ages. We provide a safe space that is anonymous and confidential where callers can speak on many different issues and concerns including, but limited to, coming out issues, gender and/or sexuality identities, relationship concerns, bullying, workplace issues, HIV/AIDS anxiety, safer sex information, suicide, and much more. Call at 1-888-843-4564 (available Mon-Fri from 1PM-9PM PT, Sat from 9AM-2PM PT.

Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org
Trans Lifelineโ€™s 24/7 Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers. All operators are trans-identified. If you are in crisis or just need someone to talk to, even if itโ€™s just about whether or not youโ€™re trans, please call us. We will do our best to support you and provide you resources.
Trans Lifeline also offers microgrants to help you change your legal name and update your government identification documents. Our advocates will guide you through the process and paperwork, and then weโ€™ll cut you a check for the entire cost.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline
A U.S. toll-free service available 24/7 to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.ย Call at 1-800-273-8255.

Physical & Mental Health

Seattle Counseling Service
https://seattlecounseling.org/
SCS is committed to providing high-quality, accessible, culturally competent care. In addition to mental health counseling, SCS offers substance use disorder services; support groups; harm reduction programs; HIV prevention programs; peer-led outreach; and immigrant, refugee, and undocumented outreach.

Gay City
https://www.gaycity.org
Free multilingual assistance to enroll in Medicaid or a health insurance plan, regular and emergency access to PrEP, COVID testing, HIV/STI testing, and help getting ORCA LIFT cards.

45th Street Clinic (Neighborcare Teen Clinic) https://neighborcare.org/clinics/neighborcare-health-45th-street
Gender affirming services for youth and young adults ages 12-23 who are currently homeless or have been homeless at some point in the last 12 months. See Health Services section for more information on services.

Seattle Queer/Trans (Friendly) of Color Therapist Directory https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bl0_Z4k3fHyZUxGdIp9sn1MgygkIpN05hvsjAlzGDJ0/

Financial Support

Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network
TWOC Solidarity Network provides unrestricted funds to trans women of color.
https://www.facebook.com/TWOCSolidarityNW/
https://www.instagram.com/twocsolidaritynetwork/

Pride Foundations Scholarships
https://pridefoundation.org/find-funding/scholarships/

Legal Support

QLaw Foundation
http://www.qlawfoundation.org/lgbtq-legal-clinic.html
QLawโ€™s LGBTQ Legal Clinic offers King County residents a free 30-minute consultation with a volunteer attorney specially trained to discuss commonly faced LGBTQ legal issues. Consultations are by appointment only. To make an appointment call 206-267-7070 Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00am- 12:00 pm, and request the QLaw Legal Clinic. The clinic is held the first and third Thursday of each month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.ย 

Lavender Rights Project
https://www.lavenderrightsproject.org/
Get That Sh*t Done! Monthly Identity Document Clinic, held on the last Friday of every month from 3:00-5:00pm (now on Zoom). Up-to-date information for changing name and/or gender markers on state IDs, passports, birth certificates and social security. Get one-on-one help with your questions and concerns.
Also offers free 30-minute legal consultations, sliding scale legal services, mediation, and know your rights clinics for trans, gender non-conforming, and LGB identified communities.

Community groups & organizations

Ingersoll Gender Center
https://ingersollgendercenter.org/
Trans-led peer support groups meet every Wednesday from 7pm – 9pm (now remote due to COVID).
1st Wednesday of the month: Breakout groups for trans feminine people, trans masculine people, SOFFAs (significant others, friends, family, and allies), All Gender Expressions (AGE). We also host a QLaw Clinic, wherein attendees can meet one-on-one with a legal advisor to discuss civil law issues.
2nd Wednesday of the month: We meet as a single, large group.
3rd Wednesday of the month: We break out into small groups based on topics chosen by attendees and also host SOFFA and STEEP (Seattle Transgender Economic Empowerment Project) break out groups.
4th Wednesday of the month: We meet as a single, large group.
5th Wednesday of the month (if there is one!): We offer various workshops as well as a discussion group to provide support.
Request community financial assistance: https://ingersollgendercenter.org/resources/support-request-form/
Ingersoll offers financial support for identity documents, gender affirming clothes, emergency HRT support, and stable housing. They also offer coaching and referrals for employment, housing, and folks navigating financial systems.

NW Network of BTLG Survivors of Abuse
https://www.nwnetwork.org/
Safety and support planning, all-gender support groups, advocacy, referrals for housing, food banks, legal assistance, and mental health programs. NW Network also offers relationship skills classes, including some by and for POC.

Entre Hermanos
http://entrehermanos.org/
Serves the Latinx LGBTQ community. Offices are temporarily closed due to COVID. Make an appointment for free HIV testing, and free/low cost access to PrEP. Also offers legal assistance, immigration and asylum support, family law clinics, and support for DACA recipients.

People of Color Against AIDS Network
http://pocaan.org
POCAAN offers life skills, youth mentorship, assistance for HIV+ POC, transitional and reentry support for adults leaving prison or jail, free HIV testing, and support for folks exploring recovery from substance use. Their Trans Economic Project seeks to empower and assess needs in the Black trans community with goals to address inequities faced by members of the transgender, non-binary/gender non-conforming, and gender diverse communities of greater Seattle.

UTOPIA
https://www.utopiaseattle.org
UTOPIA is a grassroots organization for the Queer and Trans Pacific Islander (QTPI) community in South King County, led and founded by women of color who identify as transgender and/or faโ€™afafine. UTOPIA helps folks access transgender health services, housing and other services. We provide support groups and assistance for Pacific Islanders in the sex industry, providing testing kits, HIV prevention and screening, and contraceptives and other important healthcare resources. We also work to connect QTPI to healthcare resources like insurance and preventative care to address health disparities. We provide clothing (new or gently-used professional attire) for Trans/Gender Diverse community who are in need of accessible options for workplace clothes and offer career counseling and resource referral.

Gender Spectrum
https://genderspectrum.org/articles/gender-spectrum-groups
Free online audio, video, or chat support for trans, non-binary, and gender expansive youth, as well as adults, parents, and families.

Lambert House
http://www.lamberthouse.org/youth-programs
Lambert House is a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 11-22. Our calendar is packed with fun activities, support groups, planning meetings, dances, and other events. Lambert House is where LGBTQ youth make life better for each other. Currently working on moving programming online due to COVID.

Other resources

King Country Trans Resource & Referral Guide
https://kctransguide.org/

Refuge Restrooms
refugerestrooms.org
If you have a smartphone, download Refuge Restrooms to see all single-occupancy all-gender restrooms in your area.

North Seattle College Sports Denim Blue for Denim Day

Trigger Warning: The following content will discuss Sexual Assault

On April 29, people around the globe wore denim in honor of sexual assault survivors. The significance of denim comes from a harrowing Supreme Court case in Italy in which a woman was sexually assaulted and the perpetrator was convicted. Years later, the man convicted in the case, won an appeal to the court, stating they had consensual sex. The man was released by the Italian Supreme court under the grounds that because the woman was wearing tight jeans, she mustโ€™ve helped him remove them, insinuating consent. Women in Italian parliament were outraged by this outcome. In solidarity with the survivor, the women in Italian parliament showed up to the steps of the Supreme Court in jeans in protest. This story was shared internationally and eventually, the California Senate did the same on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. The executive director of the organization Peace over Violence saw this and believed that everyone ought to wear jeans to protest the many egregious reasons why Sexual Assault is not taken seriously. The first official Denim Day was held in Los Angeles in April 1999 that day has been held annually ever since.

North Seattle College took part in Denim Day by calling to students on social media to post themselves wearing jeans and tag it with the hashtag, #NSCDenimDay. This was in order to raise awareness and show support for survivors of sexual assault. The North Seattle College Student Leadership Instagram account in particular facilitated this event. They announced it on both their main Instagram feed as well as their Instagram story, cautioning viewers of their Instagram account that this event involves some triggering themes. Many faculty members and students posted images of themselves sporting denim blues in jackets, hats, and of course, jeans. They also shared many Instagram posts on their story with information about sexual assault awareness and the importance of consent. On April 29th, anyone following the North Seattle College Student Leadership Instagram account was flooded with messages saying โ€œbelieve survivorsโ€ and validating the feelings of all survivors of sexual assault. It was a beautiful display of awareness, solidarity, and validation showing an immense amount of love and support for all the survivors out there.

To see the North Seattle College community come together in such a way was truly inspiring. Such a vast amount of love, support, and information was spread during such an unprecedented time and thus, a sense of strength and unity was felt with among all that participated. Whether it was participation by sending in a post to the North Seattle College Student Leadership Instagram account, sharing the stories and posts about it on personal Instagram accounts, or simple starting a discussion about Denim Day with your family and peers, this yearโ€™s Denim Day at North Seattle College was positively remarkable, and itโ€™s exciting to see how it will be celebrated in the years to come.

For more info on denim day:

https://www.denimdayinfo.org/


Emilia Valdez

Student Cabinet

Interview with Dr. Mari Acob-Nash

Dr. Mari Acob-Nash started this past summer in the new Dean of Student Life position. I sat down with her to talk about Student Life, campus engagement, hula, and dogs in outfits.

How would you explain your position as Dean of Student Life?

In the area of Student Life, we have Student Leadership and Multicultural Programs, we have the Roy Flores Wellness Center, we have the Student Childcare Center, and then our Sustainability Office. All of these areas allow students to be connected to the campus, find their identity, and find a sense of community. What has been shown in history and research is that if a student is engaged on campus, and feeling a sense of belonging, they are more likely to complete and be successful. Those are the areas that I would call Student Life: being the student voice and being engaged on our campus.

Dean of Student Life is a new position, so weโ€™re still figuring out how we can help students feel connected here. Iโ€™m very involved in Guided Pathways, which is what the state is working on, closing the gaps for our marginalized students and making sure they have a chance to succeed. Iโ€™m also connected with the work at the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, because of our work with racial identity and special populations. Thatโ€™s what I love about the job. I love that our work in Student Life is promoting and supporting students in their educational careers. My plan is that Student Life will provide a chance for all North studentsโ€™ lives to be engaged and to give them a sense of community and belonging.

You used to work at North in International Programs, right? How has your experience in this position differed from that one?

I was here from 2006 to 2013. We really had the opportunity to travel and find students from overseas, and we put North on the global map in terms of a place to go to study and transfer to top universities. We had students transferring to Purdue, down to Berkley, to UCLA, even MITโ€”really big schools.

When youโ€™re in International Programs, you help students navigate enrollment, registration, and advising. This includes marketing, communications, a lot of intercultural and international relationship work. I was traveling two to three weeks every single quarter, overseas. Now I get to stay on land! I really get to know the students deeply, and work with and through racial and social identities and figure out how they fit on our campus. What is really great is that I work with all students including International Programs.

So, do you have a project, plan, or goal on your agenda right now that youโ€™re excited about?

I really see North being able to catapult forward and be one of the best Student Life and Leadership programs in the state. It is a goal of mine that all students should have positive, inclusive experiences on campus. It is a goal of mine that for every single North student to have either attended or been involved with one of our events, programs, or organizations. And I think we can do that, whether that be โ€œIโ€™m going to go work out in the Wellness Center,โ€ or โ€œIโ€™m really involved in a club,โ€ or โ€œI attended orientation and spent some time learning about the campus.โ€ That, to me, is being involved and being engaged, and I think those things will create positive experiences.

Iโ€™ve been told that you do hula, can you talk about that?

I was adopted by my Hawaiian/Filipino family in the Seattle area when I moved out here as an international student. This family I knew took me under their wings. Theyโ€™re from Oahu, and they were hula dancers. Iโ€™d take my kidsโ€”theyโ€™re called keikiโ€”to the keiki class, and the teacher, the kumu hula, would ask me, โ€œWhy arenโ€™t you dancing?โ€

The part of hula you get connected to is the culture. You learn about Hawaiian culture before you can really understand what youโ€™re dancing about. It’s storytelling and itโ€™s about perpetuating Hawaiian history and culture. The type of regalia that you see us wear is based on the history of the Hawaiian Islands. Usually the song, mele, is based on the history of the island that itโ€™s talking about.

Thatโ€™s really cool!

It is pretty cool. I will be sharing more with the Indigenous Student Alliance, one of our student organizations, for students from Native cultures. As a haumana, which is a student, I have to, not only learn the specifics of the songs, but how to do the Hawaiian cultural crafts. A lot of the stuff in my office has a story behind it in terms of my Hawaiian culture and what it brings into education!

I also chant that have certain meanings. Thereโ€™s ole aloha, which is to bring people into a situation, like a meeting, to a cultural event, or thereโ€™s a chant asking the gods to help me with my dancing or my storytelling, and then thereโ€™s a chant to share love. I hope to share some chants with my work in Student Life. Iโ€™ll chant, every once in a while, when we need it.

My last question is, um, Iโ€™ve been told that you have a dog?

Milo! So, Milo is now 12 years old. Heโ€™s 7 pounds, and I dress him up, because after your kids leave, you have nothing else to do but talk to your dog. At 11, he lost all his teeth. These little tiny Yorkies are prone to teeth loss, and now his tongue hangs out! I do dress him in costumes. You name it, I have it for him. He doesnโ€™t always enjoy what I put him in. But he brings me joy and a chance to laugh. Sometimes when I feel a little frustrated, or stuck, I just have to look at a picture of my dog and life is better.

Thank you for your time!

Thank you! That was fun!

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

North’s Valentineโ€™s Day Celebration

Shawn Mendesโ€™s โ€œThereโ€™s Nothing Holding Backโ€ plays over a speaker. Students eat cookies, celebrate winning bingo, and check out the libraryโ€™s display at the Student Leadershipโ€™s free Valentineโ€™s day celebration.  

Student Jock Litzinger had a one-word answer for why he attended. 

โ€œCookies,โ€ Litzinger said. He immediately gravitated toward the cookie-decorating station, led by the International Program. People decorate their cookies with pink and red icing, sprinkles, and hearts.    

Students mulled about in the Grove, looking at the different displays for Valentineโ€™s Day yesterday. One display explained the theme of the event, โ€œYou are not broken.โ€ This is in reference to aromantic and asexual identities, people who do not experience romantic or sexual attraction.  

โ€œBoth โ€ฆ are full identities, not a lack of an identity,โ€ the board said. Romantic and sexual attraction both lie on a spectrum, and each person falls somewhere on that spectrum.  

Student Karinne Barbosa naturally gravitated toward the card-making station.  

โ€œI spend a lot of time [scrapbooking],โ€ Barbosa said. Barbosa hopes to study psychology. She is in her first quarter. 

At Cupidโ€™s arrow toss, Student Leadership Club Coordinator Angel Rodriguez scored the second highest. He originally thought that he won.  

โ€œI walked away with pride and I came back, and my pride was shattered,โ€ Student Leadership Club Coordinator Angel Rodriguez said. โ€œNicole [Winner of Cupidโ€™s Arrow Toss] is now my arch nemesis.โ€  

The Library also doing something special for Valentineโ€™s Day. They do โ€œBlind Date with a Book.โ€ Each book is wrapped, with a short description on the front. Students can โ€œgo on a blind dateโ€ by picking a book on a topic that interests them and reading it. The library is still running this program.  

Krista Cherry

Student Cabinet Member

Licton Springs Review Submission Deadline Tonight!

The Licton Springs Review is a student-run literary and art publication of student and alumni work from North Seattle College. LSR publishes annually in late spring, and has a rolling deadline of midnight, Jan 31st. Last yearโ€™s volume, the 28th edition, currently holds a record number of submissions in LSR history, as well as a record page count and art published. The 2019 edition won 2nd place in the Washington Community College Humanities Association Literary Magazine Competition. Licton Springs Review accepts submissions in categories of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Art, and awards a cash-prize of $100 to four students for excellence in their genre. Each student may submit up to five pieces per category, with a word count limit of 3,000 words for written works.ย ย 

Submissions to the magazine do not need to be made in a class (although they can be!) and thereโ€™s no requirement for how recent the work should be. You can even submit work made before you started at North!  

LSR always tries to publish as wide a range of work from as many contributors as possible. The magazine strives to be a reflection of the campus and community, and the creative talent present here. With historically rising submissions, of course it isnโ€™t always possible to publish every piece submitted. Submissions are juriedโ€”and prize-winners chosenโ€”by a group of student volunteers.  

Find more details and submit your work at lictonspringsreview.com, or email lsr@seattlecolleges.edu if you have any questions, or would like to volunteer! 

Student Leadership Team #Communications

Welcome to 2020, North Seattleโ€”and the first snow of the season! This week we introduce a new (old) member of our team, returning from last yearโ€™s cohort… Natasha! 

Pronouns: they/them/theirs 

Natasha is the Communications Officer, taking over for Kauser in her position as Communications Intern. As Communicationโ€™s Officer, they will be managing the Student Blog, maintaining bulletin boards around campus, and documenting events. Natasha joined Student Leadership because they wanted to know more about whatโ€™s going on around campus, and how and why decisions are made. Theyโ€™re most proud of their work last year as the Layout Editor for Licton Springs Review (copies are free, and littered around campus! Look for the pink cover) and their favorite spot on campus is between the IB and AS buildings, where the stairwells are draped in vines. Natasha loves color coding and is constantly disappointed when it doesnโ€™t end up worth the time it takes to do, and their secret talent is forgetting simple words at the most ironic time possible. After North they plan to get a Bachelors in Fine Arts, in order to continue their study of the more painstaking methods of making. 

Stop by the Student Leadership office (CC1446) to say hello! And stay safe out there! 

Student Leadership Team #Research&Advocacy

Hey North Seattle! It’s been a while since our last student leader bio but this one will take us straight through finals! This week, our featured student leader is… Lily!

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Lily is the Research and Advocacy Board Coordinator and she joined Student Leadership because she wanted a chance to get more involved on campus. Lily’s favorite spot on campus is the Grove and her favorite Seattle spot is Magnuson Park. She is inspired by the ambition and motivation of those around her as well as her own desire to do and be better. Lily has a pet schnoodle (poodle-schnauzer mix) and is REALLY good at yoga. She is hoping to attend a 4-year college after graduating from North Seattle College and we wish her all the best when she takes that next step!

Good luck to all of you during this Finals season! Come drop by the Student Leadership office if you would like to start a club, want to get involved, or just want to hang and meet new folx! CC1446 is where it’s all at!

#northseattlecollege #nscstudentleadership #studentleadership

Student Leadership Team #Equity

Hey North! This week our featured student leader is… Raya!

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Raya is the Equity Board Coordinator and joined student leadership to help promote EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) in her community. She strives to help others and to make North as safe and equitable an environment for all people. Raya is most proud of her work in hosting equitable events around campus, making policy changes, as well as the advocacy projects she works on in the Equity and Welcome Center. Raya’s favorite thing about North Seattle College is the leaves that grow on the buildings, and watching them change color as the seasons change. Her favorite spot in Seattle is Carkeek Park and something that makes Raya unique is her love for stickers (especially the multidimensional ones that you can squish; I didn’t even know that was a thing!). Things that motivate Raya include Alexandria Ocsasio Cortez and rabbits. When Raya graduates from North Seattle, she plans to transfer to a 4-year university.


Thank you for making this school a place that’s open to all! Come by the Student Leadership office (CC1446, across from the Grove) to say hi!

Student Leadership Team #CABCoordinator

Hey North Seattle! This Thursday we are introducing you to one of our greatest connection pieces around campus… Emily!

Preferred pronouns: None, they/them, she/her

Emily also goes by Em or Emma and serves as the Student Cabinet Coordinator. As the CAB Coordinator, Emily meets with students that attend committees all around campus who provide updates to the Student Leadership team, and then those students share Student Leadership information back out to the committees. Emily joined Student Leadership so that she could make a difference for both the faculty and students, to help increase communication, AND to buff up her resume a bit (great thinking ahead Em!). Emily’s favorite spot on campus is the quiet/silent room in the tutoring center with her favorite spot in Seattle is Amazing Thai on Roosevelt Way; make sure to check them both out!
Emily is most proud of having made the President’s List and is hoping to pursue a Bachelor’s or even a Master’s degree after graduating from North Seattle (woo!)! She loves to cook and is sure that her cat and dog have planned some sort of political plan to manipulate more food out of her, but she knows!

Thank you for all your hard work Em! Drop by the Student Leadership office (CC1446, across from the Grove) to say Hi!

#northseattlecollege #nscstudentleadership #studentleadership

Student Leadership Team #EventsCoordinator

Welcome to Week 6 of the Fall Quarter! Mid-terms are about half-way through and the weather is beauuuutiful! With Halloween just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to introduce you to… Eli!

Pronouns: he/him/his

Eli is the Events Coordinator at the Student Leadership office! Eli is the Master Planner of events through the Student Leadership office as well as a master soccer ball juggler. Eli joined Student Leadership because he wants more students to be involved in the events on campus and wants to bring a sense of community to the school. His favorite spot on campus is The Student Learning Center and is motivated by the awesome people he’s surrounded by. Eli enjoys all the water and beautiful viewpoints around the city and Hope’s to transfer to either UW or UCLA after graduating from North (oohhh! Aaahhh!). Eli has a calm and cool demeanor, and always open to having great conversations and new friends!
Drop by the Student Leadership office (CC1446) across from The Grove to see what events are coming up next (or give him a couple of your own ideas)!

#northseattlecollege #nscstudentleadership #studentleadership #eventscoordinator