Nicholas “Nick” Ostheimer didn’t win Best Student Activist by being the loudest voice in the room. He won by being the one who keeps organizing after the crowd goes home, stacking wins that are hard to ignore and even harder to replicate.
Right-wing fanatics wish to silence and erase the LGBTQ community – from our history and culture to everything in between. This is why we launched OutFAU. LGBTQ students need a voice. And we will be that voice.
Who we are: Welcome to OutFAU – An Act of Defiance | Opinion
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As 2025 comes to a close and 2026 blossoms, I’m proud (and honestly a little emotional) to say I’ve officially served as OutFAU’s Executive Editor since October 2024, and now for another full semester. This year has been busy in the best way: loud, queer, creative, occasionally chaotic, and always community-powered.
For the first time in over a decade, there’s no drag show on FAU’s fall calendar. Longtime host, producer, drag performer, and alumna Ariel Rimm says no one even told her.
“Technically, it would’ve been my 15th year doing this show,” Rimm said. “I got zero response from anyone.”
For many queer students, college is as emotionally demanding as it is exciting, making it crucial to have an outlet beyond classes and coursework.
Whether that be a friend group, family, or an interest, having something separate from the stressor creates an environment that can help you get through tough times.
During my first week at FAU, I got my class schedule and textbooks. Then I made a counseling appointment.
Being fully mindful and aware in this day and age is both a blessing and a curse. Add to that the weight of belonging to one, or many, disenfranchised groups: women, people of color, LGBTQ+, differently abled, living with a mental illness, or simply trying to make ends meet, and it’s no wonder so many of us wake up already tired.
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