The Q Center, Highline’s multifaceted resource center and social space for the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond, recently orchestrated an event that was part scavenger hunt, part open house.

While the purpose behind a scavenger hunt is usually to find items on a list, the Q Center scavenger hunt directed students to various buildings and departments on campus with specific questions for answering, such as “Is the Women’s Programs only a program for women?” and “Where is one gender neutral bathroom on campus?”

Having been a part of campus life since 2021 and formally established in 2024, the Q Center and its staff know college students well, and college students love free stuff. After traipsing the grounds, scavenger hunters were invited upstairs to the Q Center office, which is located on the third floor of Building 8. There, they enjoyed free pizza and a tote bag customization station with paint and markers.

When asked her opinion on the scavenger hunt, Allie Weller, a first year student at Highline, said, “I learned something new, so that’s convenient. I didn’t know there were any gender neutral restrooms on campus. It’s nice to know that there are.”

Lane Trent, also a first year, echoed the statement. “I thought it was cool,” he said. “There was one gender neutral bathroom prompt saying, ‘Go take a picture of the gender neutral bathroom.’ It was actually kind of hard to find the gender neutral bathroom, which made me wonder if that’s the reason [there was a question about it]. It was a cool make-you-think kind of thing, it’s been fun.”

October is LGBTQIA+ History Month, and while it’s important for the queer community and its allies to remember the past, now is a vital time to look towards the present and the future. Presently, many students are happy with the level of queer acceptance exhibited on campus. 

“My teachers have all been pretty supportive,” said Weller. “A lot of them will have their pronouns in their email signatures, so I don’t feel weird appending mine. My classmates have been supportive, not weird about it or anything.”

Trent and his friend, Sreypich Sum, both pointed to how the visibility of queer people and events at Highline made them feel more comfortable at school. “I don’t think I’ve been discriminated against because of my queerness at all,” said Sum. “I see a lot of queer people here with their pins and whatnot and I’m so pleased to see that out and about. I have not been to any Q Center events before today, but now that I have I think it’s pretty cool and I definitely want to go more often.” That was exactly the point.

Jennifer Alexander, a peer facilitator who works closely with the Q Center, affirmed that the purpose of the scavenger hunt was to familiarize participants with the resources of Highline College as a whole, and the open house was to introduce them to the department once their quests were completed. “We’re not just for the LGBTQ population, we are for everyone,” said Alexander. “We have a wonderful beanbag chair [in the office], if you need it, come chill or take a nap. Our resources are here for everybody.”

The official turnout was not recorded, but Alexander had her own estimate. “Let’s figure the numbers,” she said at the end of the event, which occurred on Oct. 14. “We had nine large pizzas, now we’re down to less than two. That’s one slice per person. I’m thinking forty people at least.”

In the end, the Q Center scavenger hunt and open house was a success. Stay on the lookout for more events put on by them as the quarter progresses.