Posts by jmcdonald5 | Today at Elon | 51��

After the Vote: Community Gathering – May 9

jmcdonald5 — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:36:00 +0000

We are also gathering on the evening of May 8 in Irazu to watch as election results come in. Both events are sponsored by the Elon LGBTQ Office. You can find the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/443711862311096/.

Gather to view election results with the LGBTQ Office May 8

jmcdonald5 — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Please join Elon’s LGBTQ community, including our friends and allies, as we gather to view election results of the statewide vote on Amendment One in Irazu on the evening of May 8 starting around 7 pm. You are also invited to join us on May 9 at 5 pm in Moseley 215 as we debrief the vote with music, refreshments, conversation, and community. Both events are sponsored by the Elon LGBTQ Office.

Early voting shuttles through May 5

jmcdonald5 — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Spectrum, Elon’s queer-straight alliance, is organizing early voting shuttles on five days leading up to the May 8 primaries to mobilize students to vote against Amendment One. ALL ELON STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN NC IF THEY’RE US CITIZENS! You can register and vote in one stop at early voting. Transportation to the early voting site at Graham Public Library is being offered on the dates below. Please meet at Boney Fountain outside of Moseley. The trips should be 1-1.5 hours round trip.

People who have already registered to vote just need to bring their ID, and people who haven’t registered need to bring their ID and proof of residency. Folks who live on campus can print out their current housing assignment from OnTrack. Off campus folks need to bring a lease or bill. If you aren’t sure you registered or never got confirmation, play it safe and bring proof of residency if possible. Spectrum is still looking for van-certified volunteers to drive on the afternoons of 4/26, 4/30, and 5/3. Email spectrum@elon.edu if you’re interested in volunteering. Check the Facebook event for updated shuttle schedules: .

Monday 4/23
11:00 am
12:30 pm
3:30 pm

Thursday 4/26
10:30 am
11:30 am
12:30 pm

Monday 4/30
10:00 am
10:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:00 pm
12:30 pm
1:30 pm

Thursday 5/3
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 pm

Saturday 5/5
10:00 am
10:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:00 pm

Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ Graduates – May 13

jmcdonald5 — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:18:00 +0000

It’s basically an opportunity for us to thank you for your contributions to the LGBTQ community and/or the Elon community in general. Participants will receive a rainbow tassel that they can choose to wear at graduation, and a reception will follow the ceremony.

Everyone is welcome! You do not need to be an LGBTQ leader or extensively involved with LGBTQ issues on campus to be a part of Lavender Graduation. It will be a relatively informal event, and we hope to have students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents all attend the ceremony. If you have guests you would like to invite to the ceremony, simply have them RSVP to lgbtq@elon.edu by Sunday, April 29.

If you are interested, please email lgbtq@elon.edu to request a participant form and return it by Sunday, April 29.

Autism Awareness Month :”Neurotypical” film screening – April 25

jmcdonald5 — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Neurotypical is a documentary that tells the stories of a child, teenager and adult with autism from their perspectives as they experience important life events. For more information visit or email accessibility.elon@gmail.com.

Cosponsored by Disability Services, Accessibility@Elon, Pi Kappa Phi, and Best Buddies.

What does “neurotypical” mean?
Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity. Neurotypical individuals often assume that their experience of the world is either the only one, or the only correct one. NTs find it difficult to be alone and are often intolerant of seemingly minor differences in others. When in groups NTs are socially and behaviorally rigid, and frequently insist on the performance of dysfunctional, destructive, and even impossible rituals as a way of maintaining group identity. NTs find it difficult to communicate directly, and have a much higher incidence of lying as compared to persons on the autistic spectrum.

What is the cause?
NT is believed to be genetic in origin. Autopsies have shown the brain of the neurotypical to be typically smaller than that of an autistic individual and to have overdeveloped areas related to social behavior.

How common is it?
Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10,000 individuals might be neurotypical.

Is there any treatment for NT?
There is no known cure for Neurotypical syndrome, however, many NTs have learned to compensate for their disabilities and interact normally with autistic persons.

-information from the Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical ()

Van-certified volunteers needed to drive to early voting locations

jmcdonald5 — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:50:00 +0000

Spectrum is looking for van-certified volunteers to drive students to the polls for early voting at Graham Public Library on dates between April 23 and May 5. We’ve been working all semester to educate students about Amendment One, and now we need your help getting them to the polls! ALL Elon students are eligible to vote in North Carolina, so we are hoping for a big turn out. Additionally, early voting is useful for students because election day, May 8, comes on the last day of classes. Early voting also gives students the opportunity to register to vote and vote back-to-back.

If you are interested in driving vans to the polls, please email jmcdonald5@elon.edu with your availability ASAP.

LGBTQ & Study Abroad – March 5

jmcdonald5 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:09:00 +0000

Join Spectrum for our general meeting with Paul Geis from the Isabella Cannon International Centre as we discuss LGBTQ experiences related to studying abroad! As students plan to live in a new culture, it is important for them to understand their own identity and prepare themselves for how being LGBTQ might impact their experiences abroad. Whether you’ve been abroad, are going abroad, or are just curious, please join us in Lindner 102 at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 5!

Intersections: A Conversation 51�� Race, Sexuality & Religion with Dr. Roger Sneed – Feb. 23

jmcdonald5 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:02:00 +0000

On Thursday, Feb. 23 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Belk Library 206, Dr. Roger Sneed from Furman University will be on campus for a talk called “Intersections: A Conversation 51�� Race, Sexuality, and Religion.” Dr. Sneed recently published the book titled Representations of Homosexuality: Black Liberation Theology and Cultural Criticism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010). He’s hoping to have a real conversation/discussion with students, so please come out!

This event is sponsored by the Elon LGBTQ Office.

outwrite submissions due Oct. 22

jmcdonald5 — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The deadline to submit to outwrite, a queer-minded publication sponsored by Spectrum, are due on October 22!

Who We Are: This publication seeks to explore and challenge heteronormative assumptions within the 51�� community – notably the assumption that there are two distinct, complementary genders based on biological sex and that heterosexuality is the only “normal” sexual orientation. We aim to create a space for alternative perspectives on gender and sexuality and raise the visibility of queer people within our community. Furthermore, we hope to spur intellectual diversity at Elon by promoting queer-minded thinking and giving voice to perspectives that are often underrepresented on campus.

What to Submit: We are seeking queer-minded poetry, fiction, non-fiction, theory, art, personal stories and cultural insights and reviews. Essentially, we are open to any form of expression that is exploring queer and queer-minded issues.

How to Submit: Please send all submissions to elonoutwrite@gmail.com as Word attachments double spaced and using 12 pt. font. Include with your submission a cover page with any identifying information you want to accompany your work. For art or other non-written pieces, please contact elonoutwrite@gmail.com to identify how best to submit to us. All pieces will go through an anonymous review process, so please restrict all identifying information—other than title—to the cover page.

Call for Reviewers: As a publication, we are looking for not only writers and artists but also for Review Board members to review submissions of all types in an effort to insure quality and integrity. Contact elonoutwrite@gmail.com for more information and a Review Board application.

National Coming Out Day – Oct. 11

jmcdonald5 — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Tuesday, October 11, is National Coming Out Day! There are several things occurring on campus:

Spectrum, Elon’s queer-straight alliance, will be at College Coffee on Tuesday morning. Find us and grab a rainbow pin to show your support! We’ll also be passing out a calendar of events for October.
Coming Out All Over takes place on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. in Moseley Commuter Lounge. This will be a panel discussion with LGBTQ and straight ally members of the Elon community, who tell their stories of coming out and finding themselves. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will be provided following the event!
It’s also LGBTQ Week at Belk Library, so check out their display of LGBTQ library materials!

Posts by jmcdonald5 | Today at Elon | 51������