ZineNov2015

1 SH(OUT)! | AMU/APU Students and Friends
November 2015
Volume 2, Issue 2
Editor’s Note
Howdy and welcome to the Fall/Winter edition of
SH(OUT)! you will first come to notice that we
have changed up the format of the newsletter a
little, this was done by popular request to make the
zine a little easier to read.
Additionally, this is the first issue in which the
“From the Desk of” area will be used and is the
location in which the officers of the GLBT Students
& Friends group will share some of the things
going on within their department
I would like to thank everyone who contributed
articles, pictures, and time to make this Zine
possible.
Philip
From the Desk of the President
Sarah Hogencamp
Life here in Freedom, Me this time of
year means getting ready for the winter, as it is
fast approaching and it will not be too long
before there is snow on the ground again. I
have been spending my days chopping,
stacking and hauling wood so that I can keep
warm throughout the winter. Living in Maine
we get a lot of (I refuse to say the word in fear
of it becoming reality) during the winter
months, and it is typical for us to have at least
one ice storm in the season. The colors of the
autumn leaves are gorgeous this time of year
(See photo), and hunting season is just right
around the corner.
I just want to encourage all of our
members to remember those that are less
fortunate than we are during the holiday
season and throughout the cold winter months.
Volunteer at a local food pantry, or homeless
shelter, donate your old coats to others in need,
there are many ways that you can help others.
Recently I read an inspiring story of a young
girl who saves her old school book bags and
she uses her allowance money to fill the bags
with toothpaste, a toothbrush, snacks, gloves, a
hat, mittens, a book, and warm clothing. She
has her mom keep these bags in her car so that
when she sees a homeless person she can give
them one of these bags. Another idea that
recently came to my attention calls on knitters
and crocheters to make scarves to wrap them
around random trees in the city with a note
that states that the scarf is not lost, and that it
was put there for someone to take to have to
keep themselves warm.
Whatever your idea is, or whatever way
you would like to contribute, remember no

good deed is too small. There are so many out
there that are unable to keep their families
warm, to feed their families, or even able to
provide Christmas gifts to their children. Make
a difference in someone’s life this holiday
season, giving to others is the best gift that you
can give to yourself this holiday season.
From the Desk of the Vice President
TL
Paganism Club
The starting up of a club can be
frightening, and long, especially with all the
responsibilities that come with it. For me I had
an idea for a club here at American Public
University, but was somewhat hesitant in
pursing it fully. I did not know how many
people identify with the pagan faiths which
consist of many religions, which let us face it
many people here at American Public
University are Christians, Catholic, Mormon,
or Atheist. So naturally, I decided to put the
club off for a while, until a few months ago I
was like what the heck, and decided to do it
anyways. In all honesty, what do have to lose
in trying? Nothing is the answer to that
question.
The fun begins. Process of starting up a
club with this university was a nightmare, and
long. Surprisingly though I found many people
who identified as pagan. Paganism Club is not
just for pagan people but to teach people that
pagans are not witches, or satanic, because we
do not believe in Satan. If we did believe in
him than we would belong to the Abrahamic
faith. We are all about nature, and many other
things that are good. I wanted to bring the
truth into the light, and educate some people in
the process. The whole purpose of the
Paganism Club is to create a safe and
empowered community to explore, discuss,
and participate in different forms of
polytheistic and nature-rooted spirituality.
This form of faith covers a broad range of
religions from Hinduism, Wicca, Asatru,
spiritualist, to even neo-pagans, and so much
more. Paganism Club is a journey of self-
discovery, and for me an accomplishment for
starting something I love.
TL (Vice President)
From the Desk of Secretary GLBT Students
and Friends
Corey Latimer
Greetings! What an amazing year this
has been! I have been very busy as I am sure
you have too. This year brought in many
changes for me and you will find another
article in the magazine about my journey since
the beginning of 2015. As Secretary for this
club, I have been involved in leadership
meetings and making suggestions for
betterment of our club. On a suggestion from
me, the leadership team each received a copy
of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by
Stephen Covey to help us better understand
ourselves and the role we have stepped into as
leaders. It is essential to understand who we
are as people and how we react to situations in

order to effectively lead others just as it is
equally important to understand that no two
people are the same and each react to
situations, people, and emotions differently. It
is the hope of the leadership team that reading
this book will help us become an even better
team for serving this club. As Secretary, I have
the responsibility of approving membership
requests to our Facebook Page, as well as
sending out the Welcome Letters that each of
you received when you joined. Over the past
year, we have had increasing trouble with
correlating the names of members on Facebook
to the ones in the membership applications.
This is why some of your requests to join on
Facebook have been left unapproved for so
long. I sincerely apologize for that. In order to
help with this, I have instituted a request that
each member who receives a Welcome Letter
to please respond back to the email with his or
her Facebook name so that there is no
confusion. If you are one of the members who
are currently waiting acceptance to Facebook,
please send an email addressed to me at
apus.glbt@gmail.com so I can remedy the
situation. I look forward to the next few
months in the club and toward officer
elections! The holidays are coming and they
are my favorite time of the year! My desk is
always open for those who need it.
Respectfully,
Corey Latimer
Apus.glbt@gmail.com
From the Desk of the Editor/Chief of
SH(OUT)!
Philip Bower
Greetings to everyone! This year has
gone by so fast that I am not even sure that we
have really had twelve months, like many of
you, I have been busy with work, school, and
family life and sometimes it can all be a
juggling act to get everything done that needs
to be. One of those items is this here zine in
which I take great pride in formatting for your
enjoyment! I would encourage each of you to
take some time and share your memories,
achievements, stories, etc. with myself and my
staff so that we can feature YOU, after all, it
can get boring to just read status updates from
the Club officers.
On a personal note I am on my last four
classes of my BA in Psychology and I have to
say that I am so excited to see the light at the
end of the tunnel, well until I start my Masters,
and it cannot come at a better time as I begin to
plan for my wedding on October 30th, 2016.
It has been a great honor being your
editor/Chief for this zine and I can promise
you that with each issue I am aiming to make it
better than the last so that you can be proud to
share with others.

Around the Club
Stories/Pictures/Accomplishments
A Day of MREP
By: First Lieutenant Troy Goossen
he scene unfolding before me seemed all too
familiar, Soldiers laying down suppressive
fire while another team bounded back, and
then alternating responsibilities until the entire
squad had moved to relative safety. But this
wasn’t North America and this wasn’t the U.S.
Army, this was Germany, and these were
members of the Bundeswehr (Federal Army).
More specifically, they were the 142nd
Logistikbataillon, a supply and maintenance
unit conducting training in preparation for an
impending deployment to Afghanistan and
possibly Kosovo. While Captain Renee Taylor
and I had the honor of observing, and
sometimes participating in this training, as part
of the Military Reserve Exchange Program,
MREP 2015. The goal of which is to foster
teamwork and collaboration with our
international military partners.
Although we had been assigned to the
142nd, we originally arrived in Germany on the
27th of August with 20 other U.S. servicemen
and women from the reserve forces of the
Army, Airforce, Navy, National Guard, and
Air Guard, all of whom were sent to various
units across the country. Our first stop
however was Berlin, where we attended a
meeting at the Ministry of Defense, the
equivalent to the Pentagon. We discussed the
organizational structure of the Bundeswehr, its
history, and the conflicts it has been involved
in around the world, along with the current
migrant crisis in Europe. The following day we
were fortunate enough to receive a tour of
Berlin’s historical sites; Checkpoint Charlie, the
1936 Olympic Stadium, the Brandenburg Gate,
remnants of the Berlin Wall, among others.
We then traveled to a former soviet
training base, in what used to be Eastern
Germany, now operated by the Bundeswehr
but on a much smaller scale. The facility was
littered with abandoned barracks and office
buildings. The most memorable of these had a
statue on the façade of a warrior wielding a
broadsword, holding a child, and victoriously
stomping on the swastika. It was on this base
where one company prepared for a possible
mobilization to Kosovo as a reaction force, and
another readied themselves for a deployment
to Afghanistan. They rehearsed riot control,
manning a checkpoint, nighttime live fire, and
T

defending a fixed position, among other
soldiering skills that would prepare them for
their respective areas of operation. I was even
given the chance to teach a small class on
searching and detaining a subject.
After the week of training, Captain
Steffen Drewes, who had traveled to the U.S. in
June with the MREP, took us on a brief tour of
a few northern German cities; Bremen,
Hamburg, Lubeck, and Rostock, where we
were treated to the breathtaking juxtaposition
between modern architecture and historic
churches, towers, and defending walls. We
also visited the museum/memorial of the
Neuengamme concentration camp, near
Hamburg. Although that aspect of the Second
Word War is a well-known and infamous piece
of history, being physically present in such a
space was a very powerful moment. We tried
to view everything but unfortunately ran out
of time before we were back to training, this
time at the home station of the 142nd. While
there we fired their weapons in simulations
and even got to drive their up armored trucks;
equivalent to our Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected Vehicles (MRAPs). The unit also
received a tasking to prepare their base to
receive and house approximately 150 refugees,
a drop in the bucket to the estimated 800,000
arriving in Germany this year (which has since
been increased to an estimate 1.5 million).
Before we knew it we were driving back
to Berlin to close out the program. On the final
day, which happened to coincide with the 14th
anniversary of 9/11, we reconvened with our
peers and the program coordinators to discuss
our individual experiences; ways in which we
thought the program was successful and
aspects we thought could be improved.
German Navy Captain Losch bid us farewell in
an impassioned speech that reminded us all of
the importance of the program, on such a
historically significant day; the continued
alliance of our two nations in the war on
terrorism. I had to admit that when I had first
applied to the MREP I had expected to learn
the differences between our two militaries in
order to better plan for them. What I realized
instead, that our differences were minimal
compared to our similarities, and I was
instilled with a sense of confidence that we
could seamlessly integrate our operations to
accomplish the mission on any future field of
battle.

PHOTO:
1. A guitarist plays near a remnant of the wall on the former Eastern/Western Berlin border.
A Book Review
By Sarah Hogencamp
The officers of GLBT have been
hard at work these past few months; in
particular, we have been working to be better at
what we do so we can create a better experience
for all of our members. In an effort to make this
happen, we decided and set out to read “The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People” written by
Stephen R. Covey. First I would like to start off
by saying that this was a rather
enjoyable read and not only have I been able to
utilize some of the information in it for GLBT, I
have also been able to use much of the
information from this book in my personal life.
There are a few concepts within
this book that I would like to share with you.
The first concept/term that I would like to
discuss is that of paradigms. Paradigms are
defined as being the way through which we
view life, in a vague sense. All of our
experiences, values, morals, religion, how we
were raised, our stereotypes, and the list goes
on and on, make upour paradigms.Often times

when we look at a situation we are not able to
see the situation at its entirety; everything
multi-faceted, and requires us to approach the
situation with an open-mind.
The next concept that I would
like to discuss is to begin with the end in mind.
Covey suggests that the way we should
approach everything is by having an idea set of
what we would like the product to look like. By
having an idea in our minds about what we
want the finishedproduct to looklikeit helps us
to focus all of our decisions and actions in
regards to the preconceived idea that we have.
This is akin to creating an idea map when
preparing to write a paper. You begin with the
bigger picture and break it down into smaller,
bite-sized pieces so that you and your readers
do not become overwhelmed with too much
unorganized information
The final concept that I really
enjoyed was that of delegation. I am only one
person, and sometimes that can be a bit hard to
admit to. It is important to remember that there
is so much that we can accomplish in one day.
It is also not so much about how much we have
accomplished as much as it is about balancing
one’s life. We need to make time to balance
ourselves professionally, emotionally, and in
other aspects of our lives.
If you have some free time in
your schedule to read this book, I highly
recommend that you do. This wonderful read
can help you see things through a different
perspective. This book is also a wonderful
resource to those seeking more from their daily
lives;it has helpedme wonders in trying to gain
a better understanding of the motives of the
actions of those around me. This book was also
helpful in gaining a deeper understanding as to
why so many seem to fail at what they set out to
do in terms of goals, and dreams.
Accomplishments
Congratulations to Shawn Hoskins who graduated from American Military University with a Master
of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Relief. He did his thesis on "Gender Variant Populations in
Disaster" and has recently accepted a position working for the Department of Homeland Security-
Office of Intelligence and Analysis. (Will be obtaining photo to include in the 'zine)

Pinwheels for peace day
Pinwheels for peace day was held on Sept. 21st
in honor of International Peace Day. A few of
our members created pinwheels with messages
of peace, drawings or anything they pleased.
They displayed their pinwheels on their front
lawn, took pictures of their displays, and
shared their photos on the facebook page or in
the quad.
Photo: Troy Gooseen
Photo: Sarah Hogencamp

Beyond the Reflection
Looking into a mirror for some people is no
problem, especially when they are comfortable with
who they are on the outside, and inside. One may
call it confidence, but I call it identity. Identity as
we know is someone who is the name of a person,
or even how one sees themselves. Looking into a
mirror maybe easy for some but for people like me
it becomes more than a mirror, but rather a darken
reminder that we are not who we want to be.
Therapist, and the federal government call this
gender dysphoria, or for the lack of a better word
transgender. Transgender though is just an umbrella
term for many different things we all do not want to
know or understand, because it scares the crap out
of us.
When I look into a mirror I see a male, but I
am not a male, nor am I female. Confusing right,
that’s where the fun begins when your therapist says
you have gender dysphoria, but your neither male,
nor female. This type of thing is known as the non-
binary genders. As unique as it sounds, and
creative, it is still a label of uncertainty, with a hint
of confusion to it. I can admit deep down beginning
my journey of self-discovery I was skeptical, and I
hated mirrors. Mirrors are the constant reminder of
truth, and vision. We see the person, who we want
to be on the inside, and outside, but the mirror
reflects the truth, or for me the mockery of the
person I am yet to become, and erase.
People like me can dress androgynous,
change our name to more of a gender-neutral one,
but most of us cannot afford simple surgeries to
balance out our male or female faces to a more
neutral one. A wise gay drag queen by the name of
Ru Paul always points out the truth with one
powerful saying, and that is “if you can’t love
yourself, how the hell are you going to love

anybody else.” That is true for all people, but
especially for transgender of all kinds.
Until recently finding out who I am as a
person, and why I feel the way I do, and achieving
many things in regards to my identity. I have come
to realize that I do not hate the mirror, or the
reflection, because there is always something
beyond that reflection that will overpower the
mockery. For me it was myself, and not embracing
my identity that I had locked away for years. I am
now proud that I am a non-binary transgender.
TL (Vice President of GLBT Club, and
President of Paganism Club)
You Are Not Alone
Greetings GLBT Students and Friends! 2015
has been an incredible year for me and it was
requested that I share my journey with each of
you. Beginning in January, I underwent
reduction mammoplasty (breast reduction)
surgery under medical recommendation due to
extreme back pain and knotting at the base of
my neck. This surgery was a dream come true
because I had been hindered from physical
activities. As a member of the U.S. Coast
Guard, I always struggled with my weight and
being unable to effectively exercise caused
many issues. On top of that, a diagnosis of
Hypothyroidism in 2010 led to even more
weight issues that I was simply unable to
overcome. In March, I was notified by the U.S.
Coast Guard Reserves that due to two failed
weigh-ins in a row, I was being transferred to
the Inactive Reserves. I was absolutely
crushed. Joining the Coast Guard was the
biggest accomplishment of my life and I felt
like it was all for naught. It was a wake-up call.
I was still recovering from a surgery that I
honestly felt was the tipping point. I could see
myself on a precipice, looking down at a new
me because I was now able to do those
physical things I hadn’t been able to do, only to
see that the ground around me was being
forcefully removed. So, I did something about
it. I discovered a clean eating and exercise
program that uses meal portioning and a
nutrient-dense super-food shake to effectively
lose weight – the healthy way! In 3 weeks, I
had lost 10 lbs and since that time I have lost 26
lbs, leaving me only 17 lbs away from being
able to petition the U.S. Coast Guard to
readmit me into the active reserves. This
program has breathed new life into me. I am
focused, excited, and stronger than I have ever
been, and I finally look at myself with pride
rather than disgust. To top it all off, my most
recent lab results indicate that my thyroid
disorder is stable for the very first time since
my diagnosis. On the Academic side of things,
I changed my degree program this year. I
found myself drowning in despair over my
weight, loss of my position in the Coast Guard,
my military spouse being deployed for the
better part of the year, and the fact that I
absolutely hated the degree program I was in. I
started to fail, hard and fast. I have now started
a new journey as a physically fit and healthier
person and have stepped into the role as a
Health and Fitness Coach to help others.
Academically, I have started the European
History Program, something which thrills me
and gives me a new hope for my future. I
wanted to write all of this to say, you are not
alone. If any of you experience the same bone-
crushing weight of depression due to issues
that spin out of control, there are people who
can help you. The coaches who brought my
exercise program to my attention have been
my rock, my spouse’s willingness to smile and
tell me that changing degree programs wasn’t
a failure, and the untold number of strangers
who told me I was awesome: they are my
heroes. My desk is ALWAYS open to each and
every one of you for any and every reason. As

a member of the leadership team of this club, I
must stress that our group is not just about
coming together as a GLBT Student and
Friends community, but coming together as
humans. My personal email is
Fry.Corey@ymail.com. Do not hesitate to use
it. I look forward to the time I can look
someone in the eye and tell them “2015. That’s
the year everything changed.” Change begins
the moment you put your mind to it. Let’s do it
together.
Happy, Healthy, and Loving Life,
Corey Latimer

Halloween 2015
Photo: 1) Anthony Marchese 2) Sarah Hogencamp 3) Melissa Creech 4) Troy Goossen

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