Meet the president of PRISM

June 12, 2023 - Beth Brauer and Claire Smith

Student Spotlight: Jacen Scaggs

Student Spotlight: Jacen Scaggs is a second-year student majoring in comparative cultures and politics (CCP) and social relations and policy in James Madison College.

Hometown: Auburn, MI

Why did you choose JMC? How has the residential college experience contributed to your access to campus resources as a LGBTQIA+ student?

I chose JMC because it was the most in-depth and personal college choice in the state of Michigan for social relations and other policy-based courses and majors. The residential college experience has made my access to campus LGBTQ resources very easy, especially in the South Neighborhood with PRISM.

What has been your favorite JMC class in Madison?

My favorite class so far has been MC 201 with Professor Qing. It was amazing to have discussions about liberalism with people who don't necessarily share my own viewpoints.

What are your goals for the next school year? What actions are you taking to accomplish them?

My goals for the next school year are to expand PRISM's general assembly members to include as many MSU students as possible, even if they aren't in the South Neighborhood. I'm also looking forward to increasing my network of connections in the political world through the Michigan Federation of College Democrats, of which I am the secretary.

I aim to achieve these goals by putting as much effort as I can into spreading the word about the two groups and encouraging people to reach out and feel comfortable to attend meetings.

What is PRISM and how did you become involved in it? What Inspired you to run for president?

PRISM is the South Neighborhood Queer Caucus, and it took me halfway through my first semester to really join it. I felt pretty lonely on campus without knowing any other LGBTQ+ students, and I saw their Discord server on the Discover tab for MSU servers and decided to join.

Throughout my freshman year, I have grown connected to the group and even ran for RHA Representative. As RHA Representative, I felt I could bring more to PRISM as a group, so once I heard the position for president was opening, I decided to share my beliefs on what PRISM could be and threw my hat into the election ring.

Have you been involved with any other LGBTQIA+ groups or resources on campus and how did they contribute to your student experience?

The most LGBTQ+ groups I've been involved in outside of PRISM on campus was a few Spectrum meetings, one of which was cohosted by PRISM. It was great meeting queer people outside of the South Neighborhood, and I look forward to partnering with them as well as other LGBTQ+ resources and groups on campus in the coming school year.

What advice do you have for other LGBTQIA+ students entering college?

Be yourself unapologetically. You may feel the urge to hide yourself or go back into the closet, but trust that there's a group in your neighborhood that has your back and will support you no matter what. Think of your local queer caucus as a safe haven for anything LGBTQ+-related, and attend some PRISM meetings!