Students who lead organizations associated with the Student Engagement Center are reacting with mixed feelings as the office undergoes changes to align better with federal policy.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility, International Affairs, Veteran Affairs and the American Indian Student Center merged into one under the Student Engagement Center on Oct. 1. Along with the merger, new positions will be added focusing on student success.
The Student Engagement Center started undergoing changes on Oct. 1, and will continue to transition throughout the year.
Jaritza Cazares Cruz, the president of Latin American Student Association (LASA), said she was not expecting the name change.
“I thought everything was going great,” Cruz said. “I actually had just brought some girls to
Harvard as part of LASA, so I thought we were heading in a great direction.”
But when the news came she thought that it was a confusing choice to combine the different sectors.
“I didn’t really see the necessity for all of these different sectors on campus to be mushed together. I think every single one of these sectors deserve to be highlighted in their own way,” said Cruz said.
She added that this change goes deeper than just the name. Since people in these organizations have had different experiences, she argues that combining the offices would take away from different voices. She says the office is one of the few places where these organizations can be heard.
Cruz also said that the name change will make welcoming students more difficult. She argues that the new name is more vague and might make students “hesitant” and “discouraged” to look into it.
Matilda Alex, president of the Black Student Alliance (BSA), is also skeptical of the changes.
When she first arrived on campus, Alex wanted to be part of anything multicultural, and when she saw the office she knew she needed to join it. Without that name she says that it loses its direction.
“It stinks… a lot of students identify as multicultural. We come from very diverse backgrounds, and we don’t necessarily see ourselves in other organizations,” said Alex. “To have that sense of identity in an organization like GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance), BSA, and LASA where a lot of minorities can come together and feel united… not even just minorities, anyone can come, the office is open for everybody.”
GSA president Bluu Wilson said the changes should not be seen as a complete negative.
They say that the office changes will unify the organizations more.
“We’re all being represented together,” Wilson said. “We’re all minorities in this world, we’re treated differently than the regular public. So putting us all together kind of helps us out with each other with our differences.”
Wilson says the name “Student Engagement Center” is vaguely named and “Multicultural
Center” is clearer, but is a “change needed to be made for the modern environment.”
In response to the confusion, Shelley Bayer, the director of the Student Engagement Center, says students are allowed to have a “right to their response” in regards to the new name change. She hopes that students who already use the space will still come and that the office will still provide support.
“I hope that the students see that they are still being supported and that we are still investing in student success,” Bayer said. “I think the students who have been supported in this space, if they keep coming, they’ll still get supported… I believe that we have created a great culture within the space and the people here are still doing the work and it is open to any, and it always has been.”
