New MCC Multicultural Student Council
The Multicultural Student Council is currently working on getting off the ground, providing representation for the diversities on the MCC campus.
The council has not been active in the last couple years due to the onset of the pandemic, so the process of getting up and running has been slow.
MSC is “a council of students that advocate for the needs of underrepresented students as well as work towards different initiates on campus and also celebrating diversity and inclusion,” said Multicultural Student Council advisor Beth Ann Wright.
The council has been brought back because of student government leadership wanting a specific council dedicated to the underrepresented groups that created a sense of belonging on the campus.
“We wanted to bring together our black student union, some of our students with disabilities, our Asian Pacific Islander students, all of the students that are underrepresented and we wanted them to have a safe place to go and talk about issues and eventually put on events that celebrate the cultural diversity of our students,” said Student Body President Vicente Ortiz.
It is important to the student government that these students feel like the campus is inclusive and a safe environment.
The conversation of bringing the council back was due to the lack of programs that held importance to the different cultures that are present.
“That was something that kind of has been missing the past couple years as the celebration of all of the cultures we have on campus,” said Ortiz.
While trying to get the council up and running, the biggest challenge they faced is finding students who want to get involved.
“It’s been a little slow getting it started. trying to get students connected, trying to find the right meeting time but one of the things we talked about.. I think it’s definitely looking at campus and making sure we have more inclusive spaces on campus,” said Wright.
Their hope with this council is to have it be a place for students to feel welcomed and heard, while it also being fully student led.
“We don’t necessarily want to be like here’s the structure and you have to follow it, so you know we want feedback from everyone.. that’s what we have been aiming for,” said Ortiz.
With that being said, the Associated Students of Mesa Community College has been showing their support and helping guide MSC to get started and be more prepared for the fall semester.
“I would say more of the initiatives and the planning is going to take place at the end of this semester and during the summer so they can have a jump start in the fall,” said Wright.
What students can do now to participate in MSC is join their weekly virtual meetings on Mondays by clicking the link here where they discuss any issues or topics that arise, as well as get student’s feedback on how to make them feel like they are part of the council.
