Even at a university with more than 40,000 students, some students can still feel alone.

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Support Network helps students who need support identify members of the network and seek them out for advice or assistance.

The network's membership includes people from all aspects of the university, including administration, faculty, staff and students, said Allison Subasic, director of the LGBTA Resource Center.

"[The network] gives people a visible sign of the support present on campus," she said.

Kate Lumley-Sapanski, chair of the Support Network, said it has been in existence for about 10 years. She said it has about 400 members and sees an increase of people interested each fall, with an average of 10 students joining each month.

In order to become a member, individuals must submit a letter to be reviewed by the network's committee. The letter should provide information on their activities to support the community and explain their interest is in joining the network.

"We meet once a month to review these applications," Lumley-Sapanski said. "They're all heartfelt testimonies as to why they want to support the community."

Once selected, members of the Support Network are given a packet containing information about the different LGBTA resources on and off campus such as the Resource Center, Lambda Student Alliance (LSA), Allies, the Center for Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Center for Women Students.

The packet also contains information on how to help individuals face issues such as coming out and encountering homophobia and heterosexism in their communities.

Members also receive the network's symbol to display their support of it.

"Having that symbol creates a more welcoming, positive environment for students," Lumley-Sapanski said.

Amanda Tomlinson (junior-statistics) said that having the network made it easier for students to identify people with whom they can talk to find information.

"I think it's a necessary part of any organization as large as this university," said Tomlinson, who is political co-director of the LSA.

Lumley-Sapanski said that many resident assistants (RAs) display the symbol on their doors to show students that they are members and have access to different resources around campus.

Tomlinson said she has met freshmen who became involved with the LSA after seeing the support network's symbol on their RAs' doors. The emblem showed the RAs to be friendly sources with whom they could talk to about their concerns. They were then able to ask for information about campus groups and contacted LSA.

"This is a way to go out and make visible who is available and who is safe," she said.

This, Lumley-Sapanski says, is the LGBTA Support Network's main focus.

"Our goal is to be a visible, caring network of people," she said.