New to Shawnee State University and hosted by The Chronicle, “Ask Sam” is SSU’s version of “Dear Abby.” Students, faculty, and staff can ask questions anonymously that they wouldn’t feel comfortable asking in person. The questions can be about gender identity, sexuality, allyship, Title IX, how to report a concern, how to handle relationship issues, see red flags, etc.

The questions will be answered by Christina Baker, Coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Equity Center and her team of student employees. When asked about the process of providing answers, Baker said: “We talk about the questions and respond to them with many different insights but always in an anonymous way.” Anonymity and inclusiveness are at the heart of this project, as suggested by the name “Sam”. Baker stated the name had been chosen because “Sam is an androgynous name. It could represent someone female, male, trans, nonbinary, etc. Sam can represent anyone and everyone.”

Speaking on the benefits of the program, Baker had this to say: “I believe it will allow folks with similar questions to learn how and why to handle situations and circumstances in certain ways but also provide advice for someone genuinely seeking help and guidance they may not access otherwise.”

Feel free to take advantage of this new service and ask any questions that you may have. Questions are submitted via e-mail to [email protected], and selected based on legitimacy and whether or not it is deemed helpful. Questions will be answered once a week, right here at The Chronicle, so stay tuned for more content to follow!