Jackson Gruenke ’25 (left) and Fiona Fedorochko ’26 picked up some free swag at the Welcome Back social hosted by the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services.
Jackson Gruenke ’25 (left) and Fiona Fedorochko ’26 picked up some free swag at the Welcome Back social hosted by the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services.
Ithaca College has a reputation for being one of the most LGBTQIA-friendly colleges in the country. New and returning students were able to see that first-hand during a welcome back social hosted by the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services.
The event brought together students and staff members, encouraging campus pride through engaging advocacy and community-building activities. It also highlighted the presence of a safe on-campus space for members of LGBTQIA community.
Pronoun pins, stickers, and links to additional resources were available to students. (Photo by Jackie Vickery '26)
“It’s important to me that the center is a space where students are able to be their whole self,” said recently hired center director Crissi Dalfonzo. “They don’t have to walk through the door and feel like ‘I’m only gay in this space.’ They can be gay, black, queer, or neurodivergent. They can hold these different identities at the same time and feel valued and seen.”
In addition to pronouns pins, pride flags, and stickers, the event included opportunities for members of the community to learn more about each other. By picking up a “Human Bingo” sheet, students were encouraged to seek out individuals with various traits and characteristics to fill out squares on a card.
Students agreed that the evening provided a welcoming environment.
“All these events and organizations celebrating queerness and celebrating queer love and queer identity are wonderful,” said Iona Fedorochko ’26.
“The willingness to expand and educate people across campus is great. People at IC are more accepting; that’s just how it is here.”
Caitlyn Wagner ’26
The welcoming space also allowed students the opportunity to connect with Dalfonzo and allowed her to meet more of the individuals she’ll be working with during her new role.
“This campus has a large number of LGBTQIA students, which is super exciting because it means the work that I do can impact a larger segment of our student population,” she said.
Overall, the event served as another example of IC’s commitment to the LGBTQIA community. “The willingness to expand and educate people across campus is great,” Caitlyn Wagner ’26. “People at IC are more accepting; that’s just how it is here.”