Last week, Stevens Celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the Intercultural Space. Previously located in the Alexander House, the Intercultural Space has been relocated to the second floor of the University Center Complex (UCC). The Intercultural Space serves as a hub for their core ideals: identity development, social justice education, community-building, empowerment, and campus-wide allyship. Alongside serving as a safe place for students, this new space has a library with over 200 books and DVDs that students can borrow at no cost, to learn new information about different cultures and identities, and how to be a more inclusive ally.
The Intercultural Space was created as “a space for dialogue on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality on campus” (Proclamation P-19S-001 of the 106th Senate of the Student Government Association). This space includes the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Lending Library, resources, and student art. Not only is this area used to work towards more inclusivity on campus, but it also serves as a student lounge where students can be free to express themselves in a safe space that is full of their allies.
The Re-Opening Celebration Reception took place on Tuesday, September 6, where the community welcomed the Intercultural Space to its new location, and heard from a multitude of campus leaders who made this new space possible.
The chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Vivian Touch, discussed how she worked on the Intercultural Space from the ground up. The space was proposed back in 2018, since Stevens did not have any spaces for diverse students to gather together and be proud of their heritages, identities, and/or disabilities. She discussed going to the original opening of the Intercultural Space in the Alexander House, and how it is surreal seeing the ideals of the original space being transferred to a new and improved space. In the UCC, everything about the space seems more vivid and real.
Student Government Association (SGA) President, Gab Poska, discussed how seeing diversity and inclusion initiatives grow on campus is amazing. Stevens has become a much more inclusive and welcoming campus, and because of this, last week the first drag brunch was able to take place. In 2018, the drive and push from the Stevens students allowed for the opening of the space, and through their continuous support, the Intercultural Space was able to be completely remodeled within the UCC. The Intercultural Space sparked a lot of change on the Stevens campus when it started in 2018, and continues to serve as a safe space for all students.
Following the grand opening, there were four more events for students to attend throughout the week. On Wednesday there was an Accessibility Ally Workshop, where students heard from the Diversity and Inclusion Committee about the problem of ableism and how to become better advocates for people with disabilities. On Thursday, Out of the Shadows Trivia Night took place, where students tested their knowledge of the history of social change. On Friday there was a Cultural Arts Night, where students celebrated their identities through art. They were able to either take their art home with them or hand in their pieces to be added to the Intercultural Space’s Student Art Wall.
Finally, on Saturday the Mid-Autumn Festival took place. The director of DEI, Liliana Delman, states, “The Mid-Autumn Festival is hosted by the Offices of Undergraduate and Graduate Student Life and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. It is a tanking event with DIY lantern-making and moon cakes (a traditional food for the Mid-Autumn Festival).” This holiday is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, with variants of the holiday being celebrated in Japan, Korea, and many other countries in East and South-East Asia. According to Chinese Tradition, the lanterns that are made for this holiday symbolize fertility and longevity, and also serve as guides for spirits. Students were able to celebrate this holiday on campus with the Stevens-wide event that the Intercultural Space held.
Each of the events during this week was sponsored and/or hosted by the Intercultural Space Student Advisory Committee, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the SGA, and the Office of DEI. The Students and Staff alike are excited for new opportunities to be opened by the UCC’s improved Intercultural Space. The Intercultural Space is currently open and is welcome to all Stevens students: be it any background, gender identity, expression, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship status, and physical or mental disability.
You can follow them for any future updates and/or events on their Instagram: @interculturalspace
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