JACOB SANTOS
Special to The Leader
During the early to mid 1990s, the administration at SUNY Fredonia pushed to promote inclusion and diversity to their students. This led to what became known as the Center for Multicultural Affairs (CMA) in 1997, catering to various students from different backgrounds.
Over the past 20 years, the CMA only consisted of six student-run organizations that contributed to serving students of different cultures and identities. In the last few years, there became a growing need to revamp its mission and operations to accommodate the campus’ changing demographics.
After months of strategic planning and consideration, the CMA rebranded itself as the Intercultural Center (IC) starting this semester. The name, however, was only the beginning for a series of changes made.
Khristian King is the current director of the Intercultural Center, and she first began one year ago. King played an integral role in restructuring the organization.
“I came in [as director] when we were still the CMA,” she said. “It has been an opportunity for transition, growth and development.”
A large portion of the reformation was dedicated to better represent the various student populations at Fredonia. Over the last two decades, more cultural organizations were established but were unable to be affiliated under the CMA.
Puja Das, a senior psychology and criminal justice double major, helped found South Asian Student Association (SASA) in 2016. Das currently serves as the club’s president. “I wanted to start SASA when I realized there was no club representing South Asian students,” she said.
Once SASA was established, being able to be part of CMA posed numerous challenges because the center previously discouraged any more cultural organizations from joining. With determination, Das helped write a 20-page proposal to allow SASA as part of the CMA.
Another reason for reform was to further engage with the international student population attending Fredonia. When the CMA became the Intercultural Center, the organization made it essential to work with International Student Services.
The Intercultural Center was officially rebranded Fall 2017 and currently consists of 15 student organizations. While there are more cultural clubs affiliated with the IC, its mission to serve students of all backgrounds and identities is not limited to those clubs.
“Overall the Intercultural Center is here to contribute the visibility of inclusion and diversity on this campus,” said Jelissa Samuel, a senior history and political science double major. Samuel serves as the president of Black Student Union, the oldest cultural organization at Fredonia founded in 1970.
“Our focus is to bring students together whether it’s race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, etc,” she added.
In order to be a more useful resource to Fredonia’s various student populations, the IC formed a stronger relationship with the campus’s counseling center by starting an informal counseling program called, “Let’s Talk.” The program is led by Ivory Brooks, a counselor from LoGrasso. Brooks works with the IC twice a week where students can drop in to discuss a variety of matters to promote positive mental health.
The Intercultural Center’s main office is located on the first floor of Thompson Hall in room E125. Its lounge and counseling services are available to all students.
International Student Services, which is affiliated with the IC, is located on the second floor of the Williams Center, which features a Global Connections Lounge that is also available to all students.
A number of additional changes are expected to be made to better serve Fredonia. The rebranding of what is now the Intercultural Center is only the beginning of a dynamic new chapter.