UPDATED: May 11, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.

The search for an assistant director of SU’s LGBT Resource Center continued on Thursday in Bird Library, with candidate Jorge Castillo delivering a presentation about his plan for the center in the second of three forums this week.

About 15 people attended the Thursday forum.

Castillo is the current program coordinator of West Virginia University’s LGBTQ+ Center. He said he has affected positive change at WVU and plans to do the same at SU through diverse programming and academic ties.

“Our various parts of our acronym have always wanted and organized for community, and all 12 of them have not been inclusive enough in our actions,” Castillo said, in reference to the LGBTQ community’s contemporary activism. “We’ve also learned from one another and will continue to do so.”

Castillo was asked to develop a presentation describing his background. He was also asked to talk about the developmental needs of the community and discuss a plan to develop a year-long leadership program, according to a sheet given to the audience. Participants were asked to assess and rate the candidate.

Castillo’s plans at SU would include strengthening academic networks on campus. This would include efforts to introduce a course about LGBT history and activism and strengthen the LGBT studies minor program. Castillo said he also plans to create a mentorship program with queer alumni and community members and eventually, professional internship programs focused on LGBT students.

He also discussed working with higher administration officials to support the local LGBT community.

In addition to teaching in the women’s and gender studies department at WVU, Castillo has worked at the University of Connecticut and St. Lawrence University, teaching, researching and mentoring within LGBTQ studies and Latin American studies programs. He coordinated the LGBTQ studies minor at WVU, which he said gave him a more direct understanding of how its curriculum fits with students’ goals.

He’s also worked closely with students at WVU as an adviser to several student groups, he said.

Castillo said he’s had success at WVU with various programming efforts and described how he would incorporate those efforts at SU. Getting a high turnout at LGBTQ-centric events, he said, includes “mixing educational with the quirky and the fun.”

At WVU, he organized a queer sex trivia night, which provided participants with queer sex education. He’s hosted events centered around food, like a Friendsgiving that he said about 120 people attended, and brought medical professionals to campus to have coffee hours, answering questions about LGBT-related health issues.

Aspects of students’ identity contribute to their success just as much as their academic preparation or study skills, Castillo said. He added that he’s put an emphasis on racial justice in his programming to serve different facets of students’ identities. One of his goals at SU is to create an environment inclusive of all students.

“How do we get LGBTQ students (to see) Syracuse as a welcoming institution, where they will stay from orientation to graduation?” he asked forum attendees.  

Kaelae Shaner, the first assistant director candidate, presented at Wednesday’s forum. Carl Kalmick, the final candidate, will speak on Friday.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, Kaelae Shaner was missnamed. The Daily Orange regrets this error. 

Published on May 10, 2018 at 9:58 pm

Contact Colleen: cefergus@syr.edu | @ColleenEFergus2