2008–2009 MN Campus Alliance Board Announced

Our new 2008 – 2009 MN Campus Alliance Board includes:

• Andrew Zahorsky, Co-Chair
  Student, McNally Smith College of Music
• Raymond Rea, At Large Representative
  Staff, Minnesota State University – Moorhead
• Alberto Villarreal, At Large Representative
  Student, Southwest Minnesota State University
• Sara Kost, Central Representative
  Student, St. Cloud State University
• Matthew Tentis, Central Representative
  Student, Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Cambridge
• Jake Berttunen, Development Coordinator
  Student, Minnesota State University – Mankato
• Becky Saltzman, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
  PFund Foundation
• Michael Grewe, Education Coordinator
  Staff, Augsburg College
• Justin Jagoe, Interim Finance Coordinator
  Student, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Eric Nyquist, Metro Representative
  Student, North Hennepin Community College
• Daniel Zillmann, Metro Representative
  Best Buy, Inc.
• Kim Jorgenson, Outreach Coordinator
  Staff/Graduate Student, University of Minnesota – Crookston
• Arielle Schnur, North Representative
  Student, University of Minnesota – Duluth
• Michael Lemire, North Representative
  Student, University of Minnesota – Duluth
• Zach Haak, South Representative
  Student, Southwest Minnesota State University
• Nathan Rosenberg, South Representative
  Student, Minnesota State University – Mankato

There are still vacancies on the Board, including:

• Staff/Faculty Co-Chair
• Communications Coordinator
• Finance Coordinator
• Internal Relations Coordinator

If you are interested in joining the Board, or if you have any questions about the open Board positions, please contact info@mncampusalliance.org.

MN Campus Alliance Recieves $5,000 PFund Grant

The Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance has been awarded a $5,000 grant from PFund Foundation for its Training and Education Initiatives Program! With this funding, the MN Campus Alliance will be able to train at colleges, universities, and community organizations around the state at low to no cost.  It will also be able to produce training materials and manuals for attendees.

MN Campus Alliance would like to thank PFund for its amazing, ongoing support of its programs and initiatives.

PFund Foundation is a vital resource and community builder for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied communities by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and inspiring giving.

Announcing MOCC 2008: Beyond the Vote, Moving Forward Together

The 3rd-Annual Minnesota OUT! Campus Conference (MOCC), the state’s premier GLBTA college conference for students, staff, and faculty, alumni, and community members, is being held at Minnesota State University – Mankato on November 8–9. This year’s MOCC, entitled “Beyond the Vote: Moving Forward Together,” will feature over 30 workshops and keynotes by Miss Major, a witness to the Stonewall Riots, and Joseph DeFilippis, Director of Queers for Economic Justice.

Registration (now available online) is $30 per person, and scholarships are available for those that need them.  Registration, workshop submissions, lodging/accommodations, and other information can be found online at www.mncampusalliance.org/mocc.

If you need any additional assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at mocc@mncampusalliance.org. We hope to see you at MOCC 2008!

A Summer of Many Prides

The MN Campus Alliance had the amazing opportunity to table at five Pride festivals across the state: Duluth-Superior, Fargo-Moorhead, Rochester, South Central MN (Mankato), and Twin Cities Prides.  During these events, our volunteers met a lot of new faces, along with some familiar ones, and created connections with fellow GLBTA students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members that it never had before.

Thank you to all the folks who stopped by any of our booths this summer!

Upcoming Scheduled Trainings

The MN Campus Alliance announces several upcoming Ally Trainings in the upcoming month:

Tuesday, October 7
University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Thursday, October 9
Alexandria Technical College

Friday, October 24
University of Minnesota – Rochester

If your campus, workplace, or organization would like to bring the MN Campus Alliance for a training on GLBTA issues, please contact our Education Coordinator at education@mncampusalliance.org.

National Coming Out Day Luncheon on Friday, October 10

Quorum, the Twin Cities GLBTA Chamber of Commerce, is hosting the annual National Coming Out Day Luncheon on Friday, October 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  The Dinner will feature keynotes Jessi Tebben, coordinator for Minneapolis Public Schools‘ Out4Good program; Walter Schubert, founder and CEO of the Schubert Group, LLC; US Congressperson Keith Ellison and feature emcee Laura Smizdik, Executive Director of Project 515.

Individual tickets are $37 ($30 for Quorum members) and tables are $330 ($300 for Quorum members).  To register, visit www.twincitiesquorum.com/ncod.

LGBT-Friendly College Admissions Fair on Friday, October 3

The MN Campus Alliance is proud to be host to Campus Pride’s Midwest LGBT-Friendly College Admission Fair on Friday, October 3 from 2:00–5:00pm.  It is being held at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in Coffman Memorial Union’s Great Hall.

The Fair is a great opportunity for youth and those interested in attending an institution of higher education to learn about the services the nearly 40 participating colleges and universities from around the country have to offer the LGBT and allied community.  Several workshops will also be offered throughout the Fair focusing on topics such as financial aid and writing personal statements.

The Fair is absolutely free, and participants will receive free beverages provided by PFund Foundation.

We hope to see as many youth and prospective collegians at the Fair as possible!

MN Campus Alliance Now a 501(c)3

The Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance is happy to announce we are officially a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization!  All donations made to the MN Campus Alliance are now tax deductable.  Many thanks to Amy Johnson, LLD for her instrumental help with the application process.

MN Campus Alliance Trains 200 People, 6 Campuses

During the month of April, the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance successfully facilitated Ally Trainings to a total of over 200 students, staff, faculty, and community members at six institutions of higher learning in Minnesota.

Ross Neely Wins Award

We’re proud to announce that Ross Neely, Community Representative of the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance and a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, has won the 2008 Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award.