The Pride Center, located near the cafeteria in room 2018, recently opened its doors for the first time and hosted a Q&A panel with a myriad of guests, ranging from students to faculty across campus.

The room was packed with attendees, with many people additionally filing through for the free lunch being served within the center. The panel, led by Clifton Der Bing, brought up discussion points surrounding how to support queer students on campus, the services the pride center has, and the importance of community. Jerry Robredo, a senior graphic designer at Foothill and designer of the Pride Center logo, made it clear how much Foothill staff, especially himself, care about the well-being of students. “Visibility is important,” he said in regards to finding community.

Arya Gordon, Vice President of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, mentioned that not everyone knows of the Pride Center, and increasing knowledge of the center itself can help students take the first step towards receiving mental health help and finding community.

The Pride Center is one of four new cultural centers, made to uplift the varying backgrounds and cultures seen on Foothill’s campus. Dr. Laurie Scolari, Vice President of Student Services, highlighted the importance of having a community to confide in, and the many “modalities of healing” that exist in a multicultural society. Other centers, such as the BIPOC Multicultural Center, as Dr. Scolari points out, help students find resources and healing in an environment that more closely matches their needs. Ryann Meija-Gonzalez, a Senator for the ASFC, made a point to remind everyone that “pride does not end in this room.” She asserted that acceptance and pride should extend across campus, to which the rest of the panel nodded in agreement.

While the grand opening ceremony will not take place until the Spring, the center is now open to students and will host all future GSA and Pride events.