1
00:00:02,090 --> 00:00:06,420
The day the Pride Center opened was just such
a exciting experience. You know we opened

2
00:00:06,420 --> 00:00:10,490
our doors the first day of when classes started
and it was just exciting to see: were students

3
00:00:10,490 --> 00:00:15,010
going to utilize the space, how were they
going to utilize the space? And so, seeing

4
00:00:15,010 --> 00:00:19,930
students walk through those doors, watch TV,
hang out, as if the place was always there,

5
00:00:19,930 --> 00:00:25,820
and just feeling so comfortable and relaxed,
it was just a great experience.

6
00:00:25,820 --> 00:00:31,119
The center fosters a appreciation for diversity
by really educating the campus community on

7
00:00:31,119 --> 00:00:36,360
issues that face the LGBTQ community. So,
not only do we have programs and services

8
00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:42,300
within the Pride Center, we also do trainings,
offsite, and to classrooms and departments

9
00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:45,579
to educate on what a diverse campus CSUN is.

10
00:00:45,579 --> 00:00:51,000
We always have a lot of different events going
on, and there’s a lot of energy...because

11
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:58,000
it’s a new place, it’s a new center...there’s
so much opportunity to do new things and bring

12
00:00:58,379 --> 00:01:04,309
new resources in and just explore where this
position can take me and how it can improve

13
00:01:04,309 --> 00:01:06,049
the Pride Center and overall campus.

14
00:01:06,049 --> 00:01:12,990
We’re new...there’s been no staff before us,
so all the programs and services we’ve developed

15
00:01:12,990 --> 00:01:18,130
as a team...and it’s been a trial and error
process...but it’s very rewarding because

16
00:01:18,130 --> 00:01:22,689
we get to help students...students who are
in a unique situation.

17
00:01:22,689 --> 00:01:28,950
It’s become not only a safe space for LGBTQ
students, it’s become...sort of a symbol here

18
00:01:28,950 --> 00:01:34,919
in the San Fernando Valley of the first such
resource center of it’s kind...even within

19
00:01:34,919 --> 00:01:41,700
the greater CSU and even UC systems. It definitely
has become a model of

20
00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,600
something to aspire to.

21
00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:49,300
There’s a lot of things to like about the
Pride Center...I think my favorite part is

22
00:01:49,369 --> 00:01:54,889
having that physical space that students can
see and know that there is a representation

23
00:01:54,889 --> 00:02:00,590
for them on our campus, especially for incoming
students I know when I was looking into schools

24
00:02:00,590 --> 00:02:04,029
and stuff I wanted to make sure that it was
LGBT friendly and what better way to know

25
00:02:04,029 --> 00:02:09,840
that this is a accepting campus then to have
a physical space that’s for LGBT.

26
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:16,069
I was living on-campus in the dorms, and I
saw posters for the Peer Mentor Program, so

27
00:02:16,069 --> 00:02:23,600
that was something that I took advantage of...actually
during my coming out process, so it was really

28
00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:31,500
important and it was hugely effective in like
being able to talk to someone, that was my age,

29
00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,569
had similar circumstances...

30
00:02:33,569 --> 00:02:38,859
My first time ever attending CSUN this past
year, and coming to a new campus for only

31
00:02:38,859 --> 00:02:44,040
a short time of two years doesn’t make a lot
of time to allow you to make some friends

32
00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:50,280
so having the resource center and the community
of the Pride Center on campus allows me to

33
00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,890
meet new friends and people and go to events
with like-minded people.

34
00:02:54,890 --> 00:02:59,359
What I love the most about the Pride Center
is that it just really is an open space...the

35
00:02:59,359 --> 00:03:04,500
Pride Center is what you make it...you want
to come in here and make it a study area,

36
00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:09,829
you can do that...if you want to sit down
with friends or meet new people, it really

37
00:03:09,829 --> 00:03:11,780
is just a perfect place to do that...

38
00:03:11,780 --> 00:03:16,890
I get to leave with this being here and I
get to come back in a few years and say “Yeah,

39
00:03:16,890 --> 00:03:20,870
I was here when it opened, I was here when
it started...” That’s one of the things I

40
00:03:20,870 --> 00:03:21,930
really like about it...

41
00:03:21,930 --> 00:03:25,040
My favorite part about being the coordinator
for the Pride Center is working with students.

42
00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,920
I have such a diverse group of students that
I work with...and so it just makes me happy

43
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:30,659
going to work every day.