2008 Woodie Awards
Open House symbolizes commitment
Kevin Clifford
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: News
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"We like to think of the GSC as an umbrella organization," Norwegian professor Nancy Aarsvold said. "All of its resources can be shared with other campus groups."
She is also a member of the St. Olaf Lesbian and Gay Employee Network, which is one of the campus groups that benefit from the GSC. Other organizations include, Gay Lesbian or Whatever!, Feminists for Change, Students for Reproductive Health and Choice, the Women's Studies Department and the Wellness Center.
"The GSC is several different things: a safe space, a resource center and a cooperation of related organizations," coordinator of the GSC Mara Calvert '09 said. "It's a place you can always go to get a book, a pamphlet or a hug."
The GSC, which has survived for several decades as the result of perserverence, student activism and faculty support, recently moved from the living room of Thompson House to the sixth floor of Holland Hall.
"The space in Thompson was wonderful, but there were some problems with it," Calvert said.
"The GSC needs a space where people feel comfortable stopping in and opening up anytime, and it's difficult to do that when it's located in someone's living room," she said.
Many students have refrained from using the GSC as a resource in past years mainly because of its inconvenient location in an honor house.
"Ole Avenue is not convenient for most students - most think of it as off campus, and Holland Hall, while not exactly a central location, is at least on the Hill," Calvert said. "Because of all this, we decided to move up onto campus."
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