The Fall 2016 semester at UTM has heralded the official debut and establishment of a new diversity organization on campus called Spectrum.
Spectrum was created with the intention of providing support for the diverse members of the campus community regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.
The makeup of UTM’s community is grounded in a variety of backgrounds and identities and all of these individuals make the UTM student body truly unique. Spectrum’s goal is to work on building a foundation of love and acceptance for all of its members as well as reach out to people who don’t believe that they have anyone to turn to.
As UTM prides itself on being a place to call home for all students, Spectrum has modeled itself in the same fashion. Even though the group just started this fall, it has made its presence known by participating in several campus events, including OrgFair, Quad City, Cultural Diversity Week and Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, and has been successfully reaching out to other campus organizations as well.
On Nov. 16, Spectrum sent a group of members to participate in a panel discussion in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The goal of this group was to address educators and healthcare professionals who work with youth. The discussion focused on the difficulties faced by younger LGBT+ members of society. Several students were also given the opportunity to share personal experiences of what it was like to grow up as gay or transgender.
With this successful semester under its belt, Spectrum members are making plans to have a positive impact on the campus community and welcome new members. Anyone interested in joining Spectrum is invited to attend its meetings, held at 5 p.m. Tuesdays in 102 Sociology Building.
