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The Mary Jean Price Walls Multicultural Center had been in the Freudenberger House basement, but plans are in place to relocate it to the Plaster Student Union.
Multicultural resource programs available to students BRITNEY HUISH Staff Reporter @brithuish The Multicultural Resource Center is located in the lower level of Plaster Student Union and offers services and programming to all students, staff and faculty and is dedicated to creating a more empathetic student body by building a stronger, more progressive campus community. Services as listed on its webpage include a lounge and entertainment area and a small computer lab for students to relax, eat, study and have access to a smart TV. The MRC offers more than just these services, including spaces for LGBTQ+ students: The Room of Reflection, which allows individuals or small groups to meet in a quiet space for fellowship, and the Transitions Closet. According to Multicultural Programs LGBTQ+ Student Services, the Transitions Closet is “a free, anonymous resource available to any student going through some form of life transition, including but not limited to: transgender students beginning or continuing to change clothing choices, international students transitioning into the United States and students preparing to transition out of Missouri State into full-time employment.” In addition, the MRC hosts programs to accommodate a variety of students and cultures. “There are heritage months celebrating different cultures (committed to) understanding what they have done historically,” former Student Body President Abdillahi Dirie said. Dirie said the MRC often co-programs with other organizations on campus, like Student Activities Council, to put on events and that Black
History Month, Women’s History Month, Native American Heritage Month and Latinx Heritage Month are among the other heritage months the MRC celebrates. During Welcome Weekend, the MRC hosts the “Belong-B-Q” to kick off the school year and Dirie said this is one of his favorite Welcome Weekend events. “They do Lunch and Learn, where you eat lunch and discuss a diverse topic and at the end of the semester, they hold a Multicultural Services Graduation ceremony highlighting diverse students who are graduating,” Dirie said. Lunch and Learn takes place throughout the fall and spring semester and the topics discussed can sometimes occur jointly during identity and heritage months. Dirie said the MRC has various different planning committees which rely on the Diversity fund as a resource, which is used to promote diversity, inclusion, and social justice at Missouri State University. “The space multicultural services occupies communicates to students the importance of that area and the new office space will benefit students by being centrally located,” said Kimberly Martin, director of multicultural programs. Last spring, students voted to approve funding to relocate the MRC and Mary Jean Annex to the location of the Office of Student Engagement in the Plaster Student Union. Martin said this could bring new opportunities for other spaces on campus, such as Disability Services. Any information regarding the MRC and other multicultural programming can be found on the Missouri State website under the Multicultural Resource tab.
