Core Council will host ‘Open Doors’ event at Portland Pie

Voucher+valid+Feb+16.+10+percent+of+proceeds+benefit+local+homeless+teens.

Courtesy\Saint Anselm Core Council

Voucher valid Feb 16. 10 percent of proceeds benefit local homeless teens.

Alexandros Pandazis, Crier Staff

On February 16th, the Saint Anselm College Core Council will be kicking off their Open Doors program through an event coordinated with local pizzeria Portland Pie. Over the past few months, the Core Council has been organizing their Open Doors initiative which aims to establish a program on campus that will allow students to have “an open space to be [their] authentic self.”

The Portland Pie event is meant to serve as a gradual kick starter for the comfortable environment the program hopes to provide. Core Council member Emily Craig explains, “The Portland Pie event kind of allows students to meet off campus and connect without having the pressure of being on campus.” The hope of the Core Council is that the lack of pressure and the development of familiarity and acceptance that they aim to establish in students that attend the event will translate to the campus. Ultimately, the group hopes that Open Doors will foster a relationship with students throughout campus and allow them to establish a dialogue about personal identity, specifically regarding the LGBTQ community.

In addition to this goal however, the Portland Pies event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Manchester DCFS homeless teen program. 10% of all orders that are made after presenting a special voucher will go towards local homeless teens. Vouchers will be distributed and made available to the Saint Anselm community leading up to the event. Portland Pie will be accepting vouchers on all orders from 11am to 10pm.

The college’s website states “The Core Council at Saint Anselm College is made up of students, faculty and staff who offer support, seek to respond to and raise awareness of the needs of the LGBTQ students in our community. We live by Saint Anselm College’s Benedictine Catholic tradition of creating an inclusive environment, and seek to foster a College community that is respectful of all people. This group seeks to be a resource and to create a safe place, and a judgment free community for all Anselmians.”