Galleries

Home Away From Home

CMU professors showcase their offices including mythical figures, historic posters and more.

Mary Lewandowski: Life as a transgender man

Since he was four, Ellyot Gryczewski knew he wanted to be a boy. Two years ago, he took the steps to begin his transition and now the Perrysburg, Ohio graduate student is living life as an openly transgender man.

It was only when he got to college, did Gryczewski decide to start his journey. Once a week he takes a testosterone shot and will have to for the majority of his life in order to regulate his hormones and increase testosterone levels in his body. Gryczewski has recently gotten married to wife Karlie Penn, and is now a father to their daughter, Rien. 

In the future, Gryczewski hopes to open a home for people in the LGBTQ community to live, who have been kicked out of their homes by guardians or family members.

Allison Zywicki: Racial reconciliation in Detroit

Mack Avenue Community Church in East Detroit is a staple in the community. MACC, located on the corner of Mack Avenue and Harding Street, works to foster racial reconciliation "block by block, neighbor by neighbor." 

The church is led by Executive Pastor and Pastor of Community Development Leon Stevenson and Lead Pastor Eric Russ. They are also assisted by a group of church elders and a Director of Operations. MACC lists their vision as "seeing communities transformed both spiritually and physically starting with our own." 

MACC also hosts five ministries including outReach Detroit, MACC Groups, MACC Development, MACC Youth and MACC Kids. On the organization's website, outReach Detroit is described as “an expression of Christian — followers of Jesus Christ — servants caring for others with intentionality so that those who live in the city of Detroit may experience true life."

MACC works to build opportunities for children, church members and the community to grow individually, spiritually and physically.

Emma Sydor: Refugees in Michigan

In 2016, Michigan resettled 1,300 refugees from Iraq.

Among them was the Al-Dulaimi family. 

Arriving in America eleven months ago, the family of seven settled in Grand Rapids and in their short time in America, the family has developed a strong community with other refugee families.

Ammar Al-Dulaimi refers to their community as his “family in America.” The families help each other adjust to life in America and provide support for each other with everything from helping each other to learn how to read English, paying bills and finding employment. It’s not all hard work though: the Al-Dulamimis and their “family in America” also frequently get together to celebrate holidays and help the younger members of their communities and families with schoolwork. 

Their found family is made up of a number of other refugee families who have been in America for a range from nine months to as long as 12 years.

Veterans

Portraits of student veterans taken on Nov. 10 in the Wightman Hall studio.

FantastiCon 2017

FantastiCon, a two day convention, was held at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 in the hotel's Entertainment Hall.

Slut Walk 2017

Students and community members participated in a Slut Walk on April 8 to advocate against sexual violence. Participants marched from the Bovee University Center to downtown Mt. Pleasant.