A new Multicultural Center would be a welcome addition to MSU - everybody agrees. Students could use the space for conferences and events, while the university as a whole could continue to market MSU as an accepting, multicultural environment.
While the idea is great in theory, the MSU Board of Trustees needs a cohesive and, most importantly, feasible plan from the students to get the building construction under way.
The struggle for a new center has been going on for years with no results, and right now is a bleak time for students to try and propose a new building on campus. But even though there is a financial crisis in higher education, students should be working hard to get the creative and financial processes needed to complete such a project.
In their fight for a new center, groups such as the Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students are planning on creating a group to work specifically on making this idea a reality, which is a step in the right direction. The groups said that the current Multicultural Center, a small room located in the basement of the Union, is not proving sufficient for the many multicultural groups on campus, and a new facility would be very useful.
Apparently, the Board of Trustees needs more than just requests for this much-needed improvement.
In order for students to get results, it is important for them to make it a priority and provide a clear plan as to what exactly they want in the new facility and what they will use it for. The board agrees a new center is a great idea, but for their request to be more effective, students need to explain their plan in more detail. As of now, the board might see this plan as unfeasible, so a distinct goal would definitely help the cause.
Students seem to realize this, and their upcoming group dedicated to the issue should be a big step forward. Getting faculty members to support the cause also would help. The more the students work for this cause, the closer they'll get to creating a new Multicultural Center.
