The LGBTQ Resource Center has rescheduled its first event of the semester, the Queer Spring Fling, to Feb. 6 in response to dangerously cold wind chills forecasted in Columbia.

Wind chill brought temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero on Jan. 31, the original date for the LGBTQ Resource Center event. These weather conditions can lead to frostbite and hypothermia.

A week after the event was initially supposed to take place, the new date will offer students all that was originally promised on the group’s Facebook page with safer travel conditions.

“Student safety is always something we consider in planning our programs and events,” LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator Sean Olmstead said. “Because of the cold weather and how it may affect attendance but also pose a safety concern, we decided to move the event back one week.”

The LGBTQ Resource Center was not alone in its hesitancy to invite students on campus. Other student organizations, such as Queer Trans People of Color and Sustain Mizzou, rescheduled their bimonthly meetings for next week for the same reason.

The Queer Spring Fling is a long-running event, serving as a way to connect new students on campus by showcasing different student organizations and on-campus resources.

Olmstead assures that the change of date will not affect the event, which is mainly comprised of opportunities to eat, talk, play games and meet new people.

“We’ve seen that shared experiences, even something as simple as crafting or video games, gives students a chance to connect and bond,” Olmstead said. “This is especially important for new student who might be unsure about their new home.”

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 6 in the LGBTQ Resource Center on the bottom floor of the MU Student Center.

_Edited by Ethan Brown | ebrown@themaneater.com_