Student attendance at Multicultural Education events is growing

The office has already held a luau welcome back party to introduce students to everything MU/ME has to offer in an effort to promote student attendance and interest in multicultural events.

“I think it’s been pretty great, I know in semesters past we’ve had some problems getting students to actually show up to events, but now there’s been pretty good turnout at the events so I’m pretty happy about it,” said Multicultural Student Outreach Coordinator Maria Cabrera.

MU/ME offers many types of programs, including speakers and celebrations, to promote multicultural education. Well attended past events include a, educational  lecture series and parties that include ethnic foods.

“I thought it was interesting to expose the students to a celebration that they didn’t think of before,” said Cabrera.

Junior commuter Zachary Bottone attended the  luau and looks forward to other events.

“I knew about MU/ME before the luau because the lady in charge of the event has her office in the commuter lounge. I never really talked to her before then, but she invited me to attend so I did,” said Bottone. “I enjoyed the food, but I’m not really big into doing luau dancing.”

Cabrera said the office’s mission is to expose students to ideas and cultural they wouldn’t experience in the classroom or perhaps extend the multicultural education they are receiving. “I think the three main components of it is basically trying to teach each individual something new, and then also trying to teach them something they might be able to use in their work field, and also what as an individual will you do to help the cause in spreading awareness about cultural events or just an issue in American society or globally.”

Cabrera said students should prepare for an exciting semester of programming.

“We have celebrations for the history months, so we have like a Hispanic heritage month celebration where we do different events. There is also Black History month,” she said. “Things that we do, we either bring in a performance group or we do kind of like a lecture, there is also Dream Week, which is kind of commemorating what MLK did, not necessarily coming from the African-American viewpoint, but it also showcases many other heritages and backgrounds and ideas and even disabilities, and just saying that everybody deserves to have justice in their lives.”

For more information on upcoming events, visit Cabrera’s office in the Henry Student Center.

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