LGBTQIA+ Walk a great success

By Bella Lee Staff Writer

Mercyhurst does a lot of work in order to make sure a variety of groups can feel represented. A new event occurred recently— the LGBTQIA+ Walk, on Monday, April 17.

The event was organized thanks to the efforts of Catherine Segada, junior Environmental Science and Anthropology double major and Mik Sciortino, junior Social Work major.

With the battles that are ongoing nationally for and against the LGBTQIA+ community, the duo was inspired to form this event.

“In 2023, 461 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in the United States,” said Sciortino. “Considering the fact that we are only 3.5 months into the year, that number is staggering. Mercyhurst students and faculty needed to take a stance against these bills, and we decided to do it.

“We wanted to be able to communicate to the Mercyhurst LGBTQIA+ community that they are accepted, loved, and that students are willing to fight for their human rights.

“Additionally, we wanted students who may not hear LGBTQIA+ voices on the regular to be able to hear from a diverse array of speakers that could touch upon their own experiences.”

The walk proved to be a great success, with attendees being given resources to use in the future.

“We provided all of the attendees with a QR code with many resources on how to reach out to their local representatives, register to vote, and so much more,” said Sciortino. “We hoped that they would understand that these bills affect their fellow students, faculty and staff, and millions of other people. We wanted people to feel empowered, not disheartened.”

The walk was important to Segada and Sciortino because as the number of LGBTQIA+ students in universities continues to increase, the representation that is necessary becomes even more important. “This event was important to us because as two members of the LGBTQIA+ community, we are scared about what our country is quickly moving to,” said Sciortino. “It is so important to advocate for this community and everyone in it.”

It is crucial that there is adequate LGBTQIA+ representation everywhere, especially in the school setting.

According to the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, 82% of LGBTQIA+ students had issues in the previous school year with bullying about their sexual orientation, 64% felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation, 61% never reported being attacked as a result of their orientation, and out of those that did, 31% said their school made no effort to respond.

Additionally, in 2019, The Trevor Project reported that 71% of LGBTQIA+ youth experienced some form of discrimination and 67% faced attempts to be convinced to change.

It is known without a doubt that the students at Mercyhurst are capable of amazing things,

CLASS CATALOG IA-100: INTRO TO DESIGN BASICS

By Megan McKay Staff writer

Intro to Design Basics or IA-100 is a unique course offered to Interior Architecture and Design majors.

The course is taught here at Mercyhurst by Professor Kathy Weidenboerner of the Interior Design Department.

Weidenboerner described the course in her own words saying, “This course is the first step across the bridge to being a great designer.”

Intro to Design Basics is specifically a studio course that includes both lecture and hands-on creation of artistic exercises for student’s to get a sense of the characteristics in design environments.

Students will also use a wide variety of skills like sketching, and an application of design which are valuable tools needed in order to create professional models. Students looking to explore the elements and principles of design will thrive in the studio environment through various projects and exercises.

Weidenboerner described why she liked teaching the course saying, “Every class of students and their approaches to solving the design problems are different. It’s exciting to see those responses and the works of design and art that the creative mind can produce. I especially love when a student discovers and gains confidence in one of these new skills.”

Intro to Design Basics not only covers the fundamentals of design, but students can also assess their current skills through feedback. Having a class suited for the world of design is a great opportunity to join a group of designers who are like minded. The class helps artists develop their inner creativity which is a great asset in school and in life.

Emphasis in the class will also be placed on the artistic creation and analysis of design compositions that are grounded in design fundamentals. Twodimensional and threedimensional interpretations and expressions will be explored as well in relation to the elements of line, shape, form, mass, texture, space, light, color and motion; the principles of emphasis, balance, scale, proportion, rhythm, unity, variety and harmony; visual perception; and design theory.

The course is offered all year here at Mercyhurst and is a 3-credit full semester option.

Students interested in adding Interior Architecture and Design will be required to take this course and will not have any regrets.

The core of the major is to combine modern artistry and special functionality.

The Interior Architecture and Design program is also housed within the Walker College of Business which provides students with a foundation including Intro to Design but also knowledge of as was shown with all the hard work students put into the LGBTQIA+ Walk in order to make it as successful as possible. We hope to see another event like this next year! the field of business. Students receive hands-on experience which is extremely beneficial in the design world and in our community.

The art of design can open many opportunities for students beyond college, especially in our world where everything we see and everything we share is viewed a certain way which has remarkable effects.

Far too many students are not exposed to the opportunities other majors offer that may in fact suit their personal qualities better.

Mercyhurst hopes to open students’ eyes to new opportunities and ideas they may have not thought about otherwise.