Tuesday, November 16, 2021

"Queer Ecology: Art of a Queer Nature" opened this weekend in Reid's Stevens Gallery. The show brings together poetry, paintings, prints, sculpture and collage from seven queer artists (seniors Lukas Zmuidzinas and Renny Acheson, juniors Sara Little, Ahmed Elsayed and Lee Thomas, sophomore Aziz Sahbazovic and Piper Toohey ’21) who each bring their distinct sensibilities to the show.

 

Little developed and funded the show with the support of the David Nord Award, which encourages the Whitman community to engage critical issues facing LGBTQIA+ communities through a variety of creative and scholarly mediums. She explains the concept behind her project:

 

Queer ecology investigates what our society and science views as “natural.” The aim is to demonstrate diverse sexual and gender expressions within our natural world, as well as how and why we apply certain labels to otherwise unlabeled areas of life and behavior ... Meaning, the task of queer ecology is not to apply human labels to flora and fauna as if they naturally fall within these constructed boxes, but to compare behavior and biology across species in order to broaden our narratives of the natural world and queerness within it. The fluidity of nature’s boundaries and diversity of experience allow LGBTQIA+ individuals to find a home within a space they have largely been excluded from: the so-called natural world. From discovering same-sex relationships in animals to understanding the ways that flowers or fungi escape the mainstream gender binary, queer ecology affirms the place of LGBTQIA+ individuals in nature and as natural.

 

The Intercultural Center is now accepting submissions for the next David Nord Award. To apply, fill out the interest form as your first step. You will be contacted with additional information that will assist you with completing the application. There will be an info table session Thursday, Nov. 18 from 1–4 p.m. in Reid. If you have questions, please reach out to glbtq@whitman.edu.

Post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 Testing

As you finalize any upcoming travel plans, remember that all faculty, staff and students are required to complete a post-Thanksgiving coronavirus test.  Testing will be held at Cordiner Hall with the following hours of operation:

• Sunday, November 28, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Monday, November 29, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You may come at any time during the testing hours; no appointment is necessary. As at the beginning of the semester, this will be a self-administered saliva test. We will send a reminder email with instructions (what to bring, no eating/drinking/etc.) the morning of Nov. 28.

 

Again, this testing is mandatory for all members of the Whitman community. Anyone who does not complete a COVID-19 test in this time frame will have their campus access suspended. 

The Community Engaged Learning and Research Initiative (CELRI) committee invites interested faculty to apply for a Partnership Grant which supports longer-term community engaged learning (CEL) work, such as investigating CEL component possibilities, locating and planning with community partners, researching CEL pedagogies, or carrying out an already designed project. There are two deadlines for Partnership Grants: Dec. 1, 2021 and Feb. 9, 2022. 

 

If you are looking for funding for a shorter term community engaged learning project, consider applying for a Collaboration Grant. Examples of community partner roles in short-term engagements include guest speaker, panel participant, local trip liaison, etc. Associated costs may include community partner stipends, travel expenses, workshop materials, etc. 

 

If you have any questions, contact CELRI co-chairs Matt Reynolds and Kelsey Martin.

Have an event you'd like to share with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

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