When Steven Leider found out he'd been hired as the coordinator of the Oregon State University Pride Center, he was excited. But when he found out the Pride Center was housed in an arts and crafts style home, he was thrilled.

A Southern California native, Leider was once a docent for one of the most famous Arts and Crafts houses, the Gamble House in Pasadena. He also worked for nine years at the University of California at Los Angeles' LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Campus Resource Center. Those two experiences are now combined in his new position as head of LGBT Outreach and Services at OSU, and advisor at the Pride Center.

What attracted Leider to the OSU job (aside from the Pride Center's architecture) was the reputation the university has in the higher education community both for its student affairs office and the Pride Center itself.

Most pride centers on campuses are run by professionals with degrees, but at OSU the Pride Center is student run, and Leider's position is one of overseer and advisor. He is following in the footsteps of former advisor Christian Mathias, who has gone on to graduate school at Penn State and is now assistant director of its LGBT program.

"He's a hard act to follow," Leider said. There are eight students on staff at the Pride Center, including an internal and external coordinator, five regular employees and a volunteer intern.

"The students at the university feel well supported by the administration," Leider said. "They devote a great deal of resources and energy to (cultural centers)."

Leider said many university campuses meld their cultural centers together under one roof, rather than the free-standing model OSU employs. He by far prefers the separate model, because it allows each cultural center to maintain its own identity but also allows them to plan programs with each other.

For students who want to use the Pride Center's resources, this separation can be especially important, so that they do not have to be "out" to members of other cultural groups, which could happen if they shared a space.

"The way it's set up here is the best of all possible worlds," Leider said.

The Pride Center was originally housed in a room of the Women's Center, but gained its own space last year. This fall, OSU President Ed Ray signed a covenant making the Pride Center a permanent space on campus.

"It was one of my first official duties," Leider said.

The creation of the Pride Center in 2001 created some community controversy, but Leider said there are always student groups and organizations on campus who don't support certain other campus groups or activities. It was the same at UCLA, where the Bruins Republicans voiced opposition to its LGBT center. However, Leider said he has not heard of direct or overt opposition to the Pride Center.

He hopes to help start an LGBT studies program at the university, with the support of the Faculty Senate and professors who are already teaching LGBT specific classes. He said many universities already offer LGBT minors, although no university that he knows of offers a bachelor's degree in LGBT studies.

His other challenge will be budget, something all student groups face.

"We haven't been told to expect any, but I learned at UCLA even if you're told not to expect budget issues, you should expect them," he said. To that end, the center is holding several fundraisers, including a holiday concert next weekend.

He hopes to get the support of OSU alumni in the LGBT community who can provide mentorship and advice to students, and is excited about this year's Lavender Graduation, a celebration of LGBT students graduating from the university, held around the same time as commencement each year. This is the first year students participating in the event won't have to organize it.

Eventually, Leider hopes to expand the Pride Center, to create private meeting and study space. For now, during Dead Week, students pull tables out into the living room space, turn on the CD player, make food in the kitchen and settle down for all-night study sessions.

"One of the most important aspects of cultural centers on campus," Leider said, "is a fully stocked kitchen."