By Katie Sittig-Boyd
Staff Writer

Monday, May 2, marked the official opening of the Multicultural Student Office, located near the Student Activities Center.

The Multicultural Student Office meets one of the Ten Demands issued by the Students of Color Inclusion Council (SCIC) this past November and provides a space where students from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds can congregate, support one another, and share resources.

At 4 p.m. on Monday, the grand opening featured students from SCIC, including Lyra de Castro, Dahn Bi Lee-Hong, Kyree Jones, and Morgan Ward.

Despite taking place during a class block, the opening ceremony was well attended not only by students but also by professors, many of whom took the students in their classes to the event.

Several administrators including Deans Raymond Ou and Susan Antonelli, Corey Zohlman and OSLA staff, and VPEO Coordinator Gina Capra, were present.

“I want to thank the students who made this possible through their hard work and activism,” said Zohlman, who was met with cheers, applause, and scattered comments of “about time!”

After the ribbon-cutting, attendees filed into the room to discover a cozy space furnished with couches, an expansive desk and computer, magazine racks, student artwork, and a working projector. There was also a cake-cutting to celebrate the occasion.

Morgan Ward, President of the Black Student Organization, made a brief speech to thank everyone involved with developing the space, including Corey Zohlman, Gina Capra, and Lisa Smith-McQueenie.

“These people helped orchestrate the things that we weren’t able to,” said Ward.

Although the concept of a multicultural office for students has existed in the collective Simmons consciousness for some time, there is no doubt that the students who championed the Ten Demands have made the space a reality.