Mpowerment, Q Center to host cosmic bowling night

A parade of dancing, bowling, black lights and drag queens will cap off the week of festivities known as Dawg Daze when MPowerment and the Q Center host back-to-school cosmic bowling tonight in the HUB Games room.

The event will include the colorful figures of DJ Mitcho, aka sophomore Mitch Lubbers, and Mark (Mom) Finley. Fans of drag performances may recognize Finley, who hosts the annual drag queen show the UW GBLTC puts on in the spring.

The first 200 bowlers will receive gift bags, and everyone will have the opportunity to pick up the Q-TIPS guide co-authored by Lubbers and Mpowerment's Leoule Goshu

"The back-to-school bowling event will be, I believe, the biggest and most successful queer event," Goshu said. MPowerment is a HIV/STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) prevention and drug and alcohol awareness program for GBLT youth.

According to Goshu, the UW has not had a very strong relationship with the GBLT community in Seattle in the past.

"The idea behind this is to start new traditions at the UW -- new traditions that are welcoming to queer students," he said.

In addition to MPowerment and the Q Center, the ASUW, the ACLU at UW and the Seattle Gay News are among a long list of organizations co-hosting and co-sponsoring the event and providing prizes.

ACLU and ASUW representatives said it was important their organizations support GBLT events.

"The ACLU in the past has not been as active in the UW community as it could be, so this year is going to be a new starting year for it," said group co-president Kate Sawatzki. "We've met with the queer alliances. We're going to really help these groups to support their civil rights."

Goshu said he is pumped for the event. "Trust me, you will have a reason to celebrate once you get there," he said.

Cosmic bowling in the HUB Games Room begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free with student ID. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis.