March 2022 • Women’s History Month
DailyWildcat.com • 7
A WELCOMING COMMUNITY
What it means to be ‘Out in STEM’ BY KATE EWING @mariakewing
The Out in STEM club is the perfect haven for any queer STEM majors feeling lost in the shuffle of campus life looking for community. The oSTEM club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community at the University of Arizona. They hold weekly meetings at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center on Tuesdays at 6:30-7:30 p.m. Brianna Hoegler, the president of the oSTEM UA chapter, is studying geosciences with a concentration in Earth, oceans and climate. Hoegler explained that the club is a professional association that helps queer scientists develop their skills and expand their networks. “Our big two goals are building community for queer STEM students on campus and to empower those students to succeed in what they want to do,” Hoegler said. The organization’s main mission is to empower LGBTQ+ individuals to succeed in their respective fields by utilizing their unique viewpoints and talents. The organization also
strives to create a world where queer people can be safe and supported. oSTEM puts on diverse programming and events to tailor to the needs of their different members. With the club having members in several different majors, it is important that they do various activities and hold all types of events so that everyone gains something from the experience. Some of the social events they have had include an annual egg drop engineering challenge, rock painting and an end of the year picnic. They also foster personal development by holding skills workshops, like resume building events or having field scientists talk to the members about their work. “I was one of those people who signed up for like twenty clubs,” Hoegler said. “oSTEM was one of the very small handfuls of clubs I decided to stick with.” oSTEM offers conferences each year, some of which Hoegler has attended. She believes that she may not have met the people she knows or learned about topics like gender discrimination in artificial intelligence without the club and
these conferences. “Getting to go to conferences and network with employers and grad school recruiters has been amazing,” Hogler said. Sydney Brandt, the vice president of oSTEM, is an information science and technology major. She became a member three years ago. Brandt moved from Phoenix to Tucson during her freshman year. At this point in time, Brandt felt like she didn’t have many connections with the queer community. Brandt recalled leaving a class ELI RAHAMIN | THE DAILY WILDCAT and ending up at the club fair VICE PRESIDENT SYDNEY BRANDT (left), Treasurer Zach Hills, Social Chair Carson where the former oSTEM president Collins and President Brianna Hoegler pose in the LGBTQ+ Resource Center on Feb. 15. was tabling alone with a rainbow The four are a part of oSTEM, a club dedicated to LGBTQ+ identifying students in STEM. banner. She said this caught her eye, and she decided to stop and She said that people have words from other members in chat with him about the club. continued to find out about the club, Brandt feels that she’s “That’s where I’ve met most of improved her professional abilities. their club through the oSTEM my closest friends at the [UA],” She hopes to help other students website or the newsletter they Brandt said about the impact put out. She is very excited to who are moving here to find the oSTEM has had on her life. “It’s one community she did her freshman have people drop in because she of the most impactful communities year at oSTEM. thinks it is very valuable and can I’ve had the privilege of being in.” give people the chance to build “What’s cool about last Now she helps plan the events their network. semester and this semester that helped her get over imposter For more information about specifically is we are having a lot syndrome. She said that oSTEM oSTEM, check out their Facebook of new people drop in, even for has helped her value her own skills page or visit them at the LGBTQ+ like a meeting or two,” Brandt and talents. With encouraging Resource Center. said.
SURVIVOR SUPPORT
Confidential support: The UA Survivor Advocacy Program BY SUSAN BARNETT @susan_a_barnett
A program aimed at helping students deal with sexual or gender-based violence at the University of Arizona is run by just four people: two advocates, a supervisor and a graduate intern. The Survivor Advocacy program, like many others, was started through student advocacy in 2018. “Right now, it’s just small because that’s what our funding is,” said Makele White, a survivor advocate. “The program has just been such a small thing that I don’t think a lot of people know about us.” The program offers a wide range of resources and support: emotional support, physical and emotional safety planning, help in requesting academic
accommodation and assistance in obtaining safe housing. Their website offers oncampus and off-campus resources, state and national resources, resources for undocumented students and for male survivors. “The main thing that we do is advocacy,” White said. “[And making students] feel like they have somebody with them that can advocate on their behalf and navigating the systems that sometimes aren’t set up to help survivors.” If a student reports sexual misconduct to the Office of Institutional Equity, both parties “meet with an investigator to present their perspectives, and provide witnesses or information, to bring an advisor to the meeting and to ask questions and seek clarification,” according to the Dean of Students website.
If a student reports sexual misconduct to either the Tucson or University police department an investigation may take place. An officer will be sent out to gather details about the event and possible evidence, according to the City of Tucson website. Unlike other organizations that handle sexual violence cases — like the University of Arizona Police Department, the Tucson Police Department and the Office of Institutional Equity — the Survivor Advocacy program is completely confidential. “Survivor [Advocates] are not mandated reporters,” White said. “That allows survivors to kind of have a little bit more control over their story.” The program helps all students who have experienced sexual or gender-based
violence. It does not conduct investigations or look further; it is in place to simply support students with whatever course of action they want to take. Whether that be going through the justice system, making a university complaint or simply dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic experience. “It doesn’t matter how long ago or how recent students experienced gender-based violence, we’re here to support them,” White said. To refer yourself or someone who is experiencing sexual or gender-based violence, visit survivoradvocacy.arizona.edu. “We understand that sometimes after something happens, it takes a while to be able to reach out and ask for help and that’s okay,” White said. “Whenever students are ready to talk, we are ready to listen.”
