Niagara College kicks off Pride Month with rainbow flag raising
Rainbow flags will fly over Niagara College campuses this June, to celebrate equality, inclusivity, and acceptance in support of the College’s LGBTQ2+ community during Pride Month.
With physical distancing measures in place, Niagara College president Sean Kennedy and Niagara College Student Administrative Council president Tom Price led a flag-raising ceremony at the Welland Campus on the morning of June 1. A flag was also raised at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“The Niagara College Student Administrative Council believes it is imperative to foster an unrestricted awareness of inclusivity and equity, and it is our resolute desire to provide a welcoming and safe space for all individuals and communities at Niagara College,” said Price. “The Rainbow Flag raising is a collaborative partnership with Niagara College that is symbolic of our unwavering support for not only the LGBTQ2+ community, and other marginalized communities, but for all students, faculty, support staff, administrators, and visitors at the College. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we work together as a community to strengthen and support each other.”
In addition to raising the rainbow flag for the month of June, in 2019, rainbow crosswalks were painted at both campuses as permanent markers of support for not only the LGBTQ2+ community on campus, but all communities and students at Niagara College.
“The rainbow flag raising event is a new tradition for Niagara College, and one that we felt was important to continue this year, even while we are physically apart, as it signifies our commitment to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment and workplace,” said Niagara College president Sean Kennedy. “An important part of Niagara College’s DNA is our welcoming nature and we are proud to work with our Student Administrative Council to celebrate our LGBTQ2+ community.”
Niagara College student Dalton Bird joined Kennedy and Price for the flag-raising ceremony. Bird, a second-year student in the Business Administration Human Resources three-year advanced diploma program, is an advocate for the College’s LGBTQ2+ community as the current vice president of NCSAC’s Loving Out Loud (LOL) Club. Under Bird’s leadership, the Club was recently nominated for a 2020 Pride Niagara Unity Award.
“The raising of the rainbow flag at Niagara College is a symbol of inclusiveness,” said Bird. “Niagara College is a very inclusive environment that allows students to express themselves.”
In addition to the flag raising, NCSAC will celebrate Pride Month with several virtual initiatives throughout the month of June:
- NCSAC Ask Me Anything (AMA) live Instagram feature with NCSAC LOL Club president Felipe Reis and vice-president Dalton Bird on June 4 at 1 p.m. The AMA will highlight the club and their Pride Niagara Unity Award nomination, while promoting the Pride Niagara Awards taking place June 5.
- In partnership with NC’s Centre for Student Engagement and Leadership (CSEL), members of the NCSAC and LGBTQ2+ community will appear on CSEL’s Go To College They Said podcast. CSEL and NCSAC will co-host a podcast episode with guests Enzo DeDevitiis from Pride Niagara and Vanity a la mode the week of June 1, while Felipe Reis, NCSAC’s LOL Club president, will join the podcast the week of June 8. The podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify and the Podcast App and weekly episodes are typically released on Thursdays.
Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, spirits, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.
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Pictured above (L-R):
Niagara College Student Administrative Council president Tom Price, Niagara College president Sean Kennedy, and Dalton Bird, NC student and vice president of the NC Student Administrative Council’s Loving Out Loud Club, celebrate the raising of a rainbow flag at the Welland Campus in recognition of Pride Month on June 1.
Media inquiries, please contact:
Michael Wales
Manager, Corporate Communications
Cell: 905-328-4101
[email protected]
Andy Hall
Marketing Communications Manager, NCSAC
Cell: 905-537-0438
[email protected]