Multicultural open house a success
Juan Cisneros
Issue date: 9/2/09 Section: News
The brand new Multicultural Center hosted its open house last Friday to show off its new location for Western Illinois University's Casa Latina Cultural Center, the Women's Center and the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, which all happen to be conveniently located under one roof.
When asked about the new Multicultural Center, junior political science major and board of trustees student representative D'Angelo Taylor said he was impressed.
"It's beautiful," Taylor said. "I remember when it was first being put up. It was first this big green thing, and I was just like 'uh, it's going to take them a while before they get it to look good' and they got it to where it needed to be."
The Multicultural Center is a 14,000-square-foot building that is also the first building on Western's Macomb campus that was built under green standards. It is located across from the University Union, next to Sallee Hall.
Taylor offered his own definition of the word multicultural in an attempt to explain the center's importance.
"Multicultural means a lot of people come together and make a difference, and I think this center right here is going to have a lot of programs and a lot of different things throughout the year that's going to really surprise a lot of people because it's such a new building, but this building will be put to use immediately, I'm pretty sure about that," he said.
According to junior broadcasting major Whitney Pipes, other centers such as the Women's Center, which is located within the Multicultural Center, offer resources and social opportunities aimed at getting students involved.
"I've been volunteering here, and it's just been a great experience," Pipes said. "I was in the Vagina Monologues, and it was just a whole good experience."
"I just know about women all over the world, they're just teaching me about my body, about my rights, about how I am as a student, how to just be a greater person and definitely a greater woman," Pipes added.
According to Taylor, the convergence of the Women's Center, Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center and Casa Latina makes finding resources more convenient for students.
"I like how the Multicultural Center has all the different centers in one."
"For the performing arts center, that's going to help a lot with the school being recognized not only through the community, but also here at Western people are going where they have a Multicultural Center that school is pretty diverse."
When asked about the new Multicultural Center, junior political science major and board of trustees student representative D'Angelo Taylor said he was impressed.
"It's beautiful," Taylor said. "I remember when it was first being put up. It was first this big green thing, and I was just like 'uh, it's going to take them a while before they get it to look good' and they got it to where it needed to be."
The Multicultural Center is a 14,000-square-foot building that is also the first building on Western's Macomb campus that was built under green standards. It is located across from the University Union, next to Sallee Hall.
Taylor offered his own definition of the word multicultural in an attempt to explain the center's importance.
"Multicultural means a lot of people come together and make a difference, and I think this center right here is going to have a lot of programs and a lot of different things throughout the year that's going to really surprise a lot of people because it's such a new building, but this building will be put to use immediately, I'm pretty sure about that," he said.
According to junior broadcasting major Whitney Pipes, other centers such as the Women's Center, which is located within the Multicultural Center, offer resources and social opportunities aimed at getting students involved.
"I've been volunteering here, and it's just been a great experience," Pipes said. "I was in the Vagina Monologues, and it was just a whole good experience."
"I just know about women all over the world, they're just teaching me about my body, about my rights, about how I am as a student, how to just be a greater person and definitely a greater woman," Pipes added.
According to Taylor, the convergence of the Women's Center, Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center and Casa Latina makes finding resources more convenient for students.
"I like how the Multicultural Center has all the different centers in one."
"For the performing arts center, that's going to help a lot with the school being recognized not only through the community, but also here at Western people are going where they have a Multicultural Center that school is pretty diverse."
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