Culture centers

IU’s culture centers provide second home

By Claudia Gonzalez-Diaz

clabgonz@iu.edu | @clabgonz

Th e six culture centers and institutions at IU are inclusive, educational spaces for IU students to participate in and learn about Black, Asian American, Pacifi c Islander, Native, Latinx and LGBTQ cultures. Each of these culture groups have a place on the IU campus, a predominantly white institution. Th ese centers provide a home base for students to relax, study, attend programming, serve as leaders and connect with other people who identify similarly to them. Students of all races, ethnicities and cultures are welcome in each of the culture centers to promote learning and community.

African American Arts Institute

Th e African American Arts Institute uses performance to preserve Black culture. It has three performing ensembles: Th e African American Choral Ensemble, the African American Dance Company and the IU Soul Revue, which performs R&B, soul, funk, and contemporary Black popular music. Each ensemble was formed in the 1970s, and the institute marked its 45th anniversary in 2019. Th e AAAI is located inside the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

Th e AAAI has put on the Potpourri of the Arts, an annual celebration featuring dance and music from each ensemble, since 1993. Musician Bootsy Collins hosted the event to celebrate the AAAI’s 45th anniversary in 2019.

Asian Culture Center

Th e Asian Culture Center promotes awareness of Asian American and Pacifi c Islander culture and history. It has a comfortable lounge, a reading and piano room, kitchen, counseling offi ce, conference room and tutoring room for students to use. Its cultural programs include Lunar New Year and the Asian American Film Series. Th e ACC, which is close to Collins Living-Learning Center on 10th Street, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018 and also celebrates Asian American & Pacifi c Islander Heritage Month in April.

First Nations Educational and Cultural Center

Th e First Nations Educational and Cultural Center is a gathering space where Native American students can connect with and support each other. Its programming helps preserve and promote Native American culture and includes a lunchtime speaker series, Native fi lm screenings, artist workshops and the IU annual Traditional Powwow. Th e

FILE PHOTO BY WENQING YAN | IDS Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, talks to students before a workshop on how to honor and keep New Year’s resolutions in 2017.

FILE PHOTO BY NORA MCMAHON | IDS Books line the shelves at the LGBTQ+ Culture Center library located at 705 E. Seventh St.

FILE PHOTO BY TY VINSON | IDS The dance group “Paso a Paso” teaches the crowd of students at La Casa Latino Cultural Center how to do diff erent Latin American dances in 2017.

FNECC developed a land acknowledgement statement, recognizing that IU is built upon land that belonged to the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi and Shawnee people. Th is culture center, located two blocks away from Dunn Meadow on Eighth Street, opened in 2007.

LGBTQ+ Culture Center

Th e LGBTQ+ Culture Center is a safe, inclusive space for students of all races, genders and sexual orientations. Th e center has a private counseling offi ce dedicated to the needs of sexually and gender diverse people, free HIV testing, free supplies for safer sex and an LGBTQ+ Library stocked with books, videos, CDs and zines on gender and sexual diversity. Th e center, located across the street from Dunn Meadow on Seventh Street, celebrated its 25th anniversary in November 2019.

La Casa/Latino Cultural Center

La Casa/Latino Cultural Center is a second home to Latinx students, who come through the center between classes to study, relax, re-energize, eat and attend year-round programming. Students can sign up for the weekendlong Latino Retreat in the fall, attend monthly Colectiva Dinners to meet other students and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. La Casa, located next to the LGBTQ+ Culture Center on Seventh Street, was established in 1973.

Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center

Th e Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center supports students academically and creatively as they progress through college. It has the Neal-Marshall Library, a computer lab and a partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services. Its year-round programming includes the Freshman Pinning Ceremony to welcome fi rst-year students as well as panels and fi lm screenings to celebrate Black History Month in February. Th e NMBCC, located south of Herman B Wells Library on North Jordan Avenue, celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2019-20 school year.

Finding your faith

Here is a sample of religious organizations in Bloomington. You can also visit the IDS religious services directory for a more extensive selection at guides.idsnews.com/religious.

Baha’i

Baha’i Association of Indiana University and Baha’i Faith Community Center 424 S. College Mall Road bloomingtonbahai.org

Baptist

Foot of the Cross 930 W. Seventh St. fxchurch.com

Buddhist (Tibetan)

Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple 3655 Snoddy Road tibetancc.com

Catholic

Newman Center: Saint Paul Catholic Church 1413 E. 17th St. hoosiercatholic.org

Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints

Bloomington Institute of Religion 333 S. Highland Ave.

Lds.org

Episcopal-Anglican

Episcopal (Anglican) Campus Ministry 719 E. Seventh St. indiana.edu/~canterby

Islamic

Th e Islamic Center of Bloomington 1925 E. Atwater Ave. icob.org

Jewish

Hillel Foundation — Helene G. Simon Hillel Center 730 E. Th ird St. iuhillel.org

Korean Methodist Church (KMC)

Church of Jesus Love (Korean) 219 E. Fourth St. yesarangchurch.org

Lutheran

Lutheran Campus Ministry at IU 314 S. Rose Ave. lcmiu.net

Unitarian Universalist

Unitarian Universalist Church and Campus Ministry 2120 N. Fee Lane uubloomington.org

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