oSTEM

- Eboard Applications Due November 26th: Link

    The time has now come for Eboard applications!! We don't have any 'open positions' at the moment, but we are looking for two people to help out with our Spring semester planning as a training for the 2025-2026 academic year where we will have many open positions. Whether you’ve been an oSTEM day one or just recently joined, we’d love to have you on our Eboard! Freshmen are encouraged to apply as well! Our deadline for applications is November 26th (right before Thanksgiving break) so please apply by then if you are interested!

- Biweekly Study Hours Sundays 6-8pm in Douglass 403

    Our next biweekly study hours will be next Sunday, November 17th. Please come and stop by, whether you want some extra tutoring or assistance with classes like CS, physics or calculus, or just want to pop by and see what’s up.

- Website

    Visit our CCC website to browse through our compiled Resources & Opportunities (scholarships, conferences, etc.), read more about our iconic E-Board, and find other general oSTEM links. The website is regularly updated, if you spot any issues or know of an R&O we haven’t included, our Feedback Form is always open!

Outside

- O4U Business Conference: Round 3 Applications due by November 17, 2024

    Out for Undergrad’s (O4U) conferences are life-changing experiences for LGBTQ2+ undergrads (whether you are out, selectively out, or it’s complicated). Their all-expenses-paid conferences feature prominent queer speakers, mentorship discussions, legendary career fairs, and more! Their Business Conference is tentatively scheduled for March 2025 in NYC, read more here.

- Point Foundation Scholarship: Applications due by December 5, 2024

    The Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship empowers LGBTQ students who are earning their undergraduate, graduate, & doctoral degrees at accredited colleges in the United States by offering financial support, community resources, and professional development. Flagship Scholarship recipients receive financial support, access to multiple leadership development programs, mentorship or coaching, and the support of a community of scholars and alumni.

- Transgender First Scholarship: Applications due by December 31, 2024

    TFS’s annual $2.5k scholarship is open to trans/non-binary+ college students of all majors. The application is relatively short, but it does ask for a blog/social media post (300-1000 words) on your experiences. Feel free to contact us for blog post guidance if you’d like to go that route.

    As I’m sure you all know, this week has been incredibly challenging given the results of the recent election on Tuesday. The disappointment is palpable, and you are not alone in feeling this way. Many of us are understandably anxious about the future under an administration that has threatened the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans youth, as well as the immigrant community, and other vulnerable populations.
    We here at UofR are fortunate to have a school that supports our rights and expression, but for many across the country and especially those in our own school, that isn’t the case. Our hearts go out to everyone, especially those who may not have a safe space back home. oSTEM in its nature has always been a political organization and we will continue to do everything in our power to support all LGBTQ+ and marginalized students and provide safe spaces for all individuals. If the coming years will teach us anything, it’s our ability to be resilient and remain optimistic in the face of difficult circumstances. And that starts by supporting and uplifting each other while caring for ourselves as well.

But not all news is bad news: on the national stage we’ve seen several victories in the local and national political stage, as LGBTQ+ candidates won elections to at least 37 state legislatures this year (Link):

• Sarah McBride, a member of the Delaware Senate from the 1st district, has been elected to the US house of representatives and will be the first openly transgender member of US Congress.
• In Arizona, Oscar De Los Santos, a gay Democrat incumbent, has secured his seat again alongside fellow incumbents Patricia Contreras and Brian Garcia.
• In North Carolina, Lisa Grafstein, the only out LGBTQ+ member of the State Senate, has won re-election.
• Tammy Baldwin, an out lesbian, has successfully won her third term in the Senate.
• Three state legislatures (Hawaii, Iowa and Missouri) will welcome their first out trans members with Kim Coco Iwamoto, Aime Wichtendahl and Wick Thomas, respectively. Iwamoto and Thomas are the first out trans people elected to any statewide office in their states.
• Rashaun Kemp will be the first out gay Black man in the Georgia legislature, while Amaad Rivera-Wagner will be the first out Black LGBTQ member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
• Molly Cook, the Texas Senate’s first out LGBTQ member, who assumed office in May, won her election and will continue serving.

These victories show us that in spite of immense pressure and obstacles, we are and will continue moving forward. I just want to end by thanking all of you for the hard work that you do just being your authentic selves no matter what stage of the journey you are on. You will always have a place at oSTEM and in the UofR community, and I know together we will move forward and reach a better place. If you are looking for support and resources, here are a few incredible organizations you can connect with:

• The 988 Lifeline - 988lifeline.org
• The Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
• SAGE x HearMe - sageusa.org/hearme
• CenterLink- https://www.lgbtqcenters.org/LGBTCenters
• PFLAG National - pflag.org/findachapter
• QChat Space - qchatspace.org