Spring is a great time for students to experience new opportunities. The multicultural club is a great way for many students to have that new experience. Students have come back to start their second semester, and many have just started their first or have transferred from a different college; therefore now is a great time to reestablish a multicultural club on campus. It will allow for  students to feel more comfortable and excited about a new semester. Eureka has many students on campus that come from different places, some from different cities, different states, and even from different countries. Coming to a new place and meeting new people can be scary and even uncomfortable but when you find your people, college can be an amazing adventure.

An interview with Dr. Emily Eaton, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, sheds light on how from a professor’s standpoint this club would benefit the college community. Dr. Eaton spoke about the benefits of having one club that celebrates many different cultures and lived experience. She said there are two things that we benefit from logistics and learning, “Logistically we are a small campus, We have a small group of students who have the time to do extracurricular activities.” She explains how combining the clubs allows more students to participate, whereas if we have multiple organizations students participate less. “In terms of learning, one of the major goals of any kind of a student organization that is celebrating historically marginalized ethnic and racial identities is teaching each other about those identities and having people be able to learn about one another culture is easier when they are sharing one organization.”

To restart this organization in a post-COVID world will require time and attention from various students across campus. The multicultural club would celebrate everyone’s diverse culture which allows students to experience and learn about those peers around them. Dr. Eaton was also asked what she thought the impact would be on students themselves, “ It’s important to communicate inclusivity, it’s important to make all students feel like the resources of student life are invested in trying to create an experience that is important to all of our students…international students could see their cultures reflected in activities put on by the MCSU.” This international student could feel a sense of belonging or a reminder of home during the time they are away from home.

This club also supports DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives for students, by allowing them to experience diverse environments while getting an intercultural understanding of different cultures around them. Now, students, it’s time for us to come together and get to know each other from diverse backgrounds. We can make this club successful if we all work together to bring it back. Freshman Keyanna Crowder gives her thoughts about joining the MCSU,” I would be so excited to join, getting to learn and participate in my friends’ different cultures would be fun. The club might bring different students together to get a deeper understanding of everyone’s culture. So students it is up to us now. If anyone is interested reach out to nrodriguez22@eureka.edu or asmith22@eureka.edu for more information.