The unity room was decorated with pride flags, and in the room stood two tables. The table in the back was adorned with a variety of food, including pizza, snacks, multicolored cupcakes, and refreshments. The other table, near the entrance, was for people to sign in and play Connect Four. In the center of the room, a couple of chairs were arranged in a circle, inviting people to sit down and build a lasting community.
The Pride Mixer was held Sept. 4, in the student union’s second-floor room, as it was organized in collaboration with Pride Alliance, an LGBTQ+ club. Two people planned and ran the event: Max Bladon and Jamie Gantt, both working as student ambassadors for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging department, also known as DEIB.
Bladan and Gantt hosted the mixer to welcome the new LGBTQ+ members to LMC.
“Just to open up our arms to everyone, let them know that they are accepted here on campus, and you know, also to meet people within the community as well,” said Bladon.
The event began with the main hosts introducing themselves to the crowd and reviewing announcements for upcoming events. Their first activity was an icebreaker, designed to help the students learn more about each other and get them to become more comfortable.
Bladon gave the students one question and went around the room, listening to their responses and how they were able to exchange them or swap them out for more interesting answers. Owen Halford, a studio art major who discovered the mixer through a homepage pop-up, decided to bring his friends and enjoyed the activities, especially the icebreaker questions.
“Honestly, when everyone took a second to acknowledge that Max, the other leader, was proud that he was still here because it can be really hard for us as a community to keep going.” Said Halford.
The next activity was a twist on the traditional game of bingo. People had to find others who fit the description of each bingo spot, and the first person who finds four people in a row wins a prize. Everyone mingled, marking off bingo spaces. Some of the bingo prompts sparked conversations, and others laughed along. After the activity, pizza and cupcakes were served, which drew more people into the Unity room.
The height of the mixer was during the Jackbox Party Pack sessions — online party games displayed on a TV in which others can join using a phone and the code displayed on the screen. There are multiple party packs and they went through two: Bidots from Jackbox 2 and Roomerang from Jackbox 9. Cas Ramirez won during the Bidiots match.
The mixer ended after the two Jackbox sessions. Bladon and Gantt had to plan the mixer as soon as they were hired, dedicating a whole month to setting up the event’s details.
“Like all month, it’s been pretty fun, like thinking about what events we could do,” said Gantt. “Max is an amazing person to work with. He’s really creative and fun, and brings a lot to the table.”
The two students knew they had met their goal of creating a new community of students with diverse LGBTQ identities as they stood in a room filled with laughter, conversations and fond memories.
