By Liv Barry
Editor-in-Chief
Students looking to attend Encouraging Respect of Sexualities’ Queer Mixer on Wednesday, Feb. 7 might have accidentally walked into a Resident Assistant interest meeting, instead. Originally advertised and booked to take place in the first-floor Sassafras Hall common room, the event was quickly moved after the executive board arrived to set up and found the space taken.
Despite the accidental double-booking, the club handled the location change smoothly, eventually settling in the Sassafras Study Room to host their first event of the semester, which welcomed queer students and allies back to campus for an evening of snacks and conversation.
“Other than the fact that we had a little planning debacle, we’re still having fun,” senior Avery Castellani, EROS’ senior advisor, said.
Although the event was the organization’s official kick-off for the semester, the mixer more closely resembled a relaxed hangout between friends, with comfortable seating and an array of food, including Oreos, chips, fruit snacks, and juice boxes.
“We also wanted a chance for any queer people on campus who didn’t get a chance to interact…last semester to come together at the start of this one and actually meet and mingle with one another,” Castellani said.
Castellani also said that the event was an opportunity for students to re-acquaint themselves with the club’s executive board, which recently saw changes in leadership; at the beginning of the semester, EROS President sophomore Lillian Shimon and EROS Vice President junior Noelle Puente switched positions.
“We wanted a very lowkey, low-pressure event to just give queers a place to exist…not to talk about gay people struggling, or have to feel the pressure of making something, or watching a movie where you’re all silent,” Shimon said. “We wanted something where we can all have the space to be us and just talk to your friends, talk to fellow queer people.”
Members of Washington College’s LGBTQ+ community and allies alike came out to the event, cultivating a tight-knit feeling as the event continued.
“I came to see my friends,” sophomore Klara Pecher said.
Sophomore Teddy Nies echoed Pecher’s statement.
“I’m enjoying being able to talk to people I haven’t seen in a while,” Nies said.
About 30 minutes into the event as attendees settled into their own conversations, EROS Treasurer sophomore Mel Tuerk turned to the room to ask a question: “Does anyone mind if I bring a dorm cat down?”
Minutes later, Tuerk introduced Finn, their roommate’s cat, to students at the mixer, who gathered around to pet the animal.
With Finn’s presence, EROS achieved their goal, despite it being through unconventional means: bring the queer community on campus together — by bonding over an animal.
“I was really excited for the first EROS meeting, because there really weren’t a lot last semester and I was kind of sad about that,” Nies said. “I was just wondering where the club went. Now we’re back and we’re supposed to have a lot of really fun stuff planned this semester and I’m really excited about it.”
Castellani and Shimon both encouraged attendees to come out to future events that EROS is planning for this semester, including craft nights, game nights, and the upcoming Pride Fest, which will be helmed by WC’s Pride in Athletics Club later this spring.
“I know for a fact that the exec board…is so interested in getting to know the next wave of queer people on this campus,” Castellani said. “We feel like now more than ever it’s time to form a community so that what we built here lasts.”
Photo by Liv Barry
Photo caption: EROS Treasurer sophomore Mel Tuerk introduced their roommate’s cat, Finn, to students at the mixer.