Several campus groups aim to bring people together, increase cross-cultural communication and provide a sense of belonging for a diverse mix of MSU students.
MSU's Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience, commonly known as MRULE, wants to build student relationships by transcending boundaries, whether they are racial, religious or based on sexual orientation, said Tim Hillman, an MRULE student leader. "We provide a forum for people of diverse backgrounds to come together that normally would be in segregated communities," said Hillman, an education senior. He said the group does this through community service, community activism and community building trips. For incoming students, these MSU offices and organizations can help them feel comfortable in a new environment. "Freshmen are trying to find their place," said Tom Rios, acting director of the Office of Culture and Academic Transitions. "They are trying to emotionally connect with others to try to scale down the physical environment and find a sense of belonging." Two councils on campus that specialize in bringing cultures together are the Council of Racial and Ethnic Students, or CORES, and the Council of Progressive Students, or COPS. The four groups that encompass CORES are the Asian Pacific American Student Organization, or APASO, Black Student Alliance, or BSA, Culturas de las Razas Unidas, or CRU, and the North American Indian Student Organization, or NAISO. The COPS groups include the Council for Students with Disabilities, or CSD, the Alliance of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender and Straight Ally Students, Women's Council, Jewish Student Union, Arab Cultural Society and the International Students Association. Within the alliance, there are groups such as People Respecting the Individuality of Students at MSU, or PRISM, and People Respecting Individuality Diversity and Equality, or PRIDE. "We want to provide a safe place for LBGTA in South Complex," said John Herbst, the treasurer of PRISM, also a theater and French sophomore. There also are many offices on campus that promote diversity, such as the Multicultural Center and the Office of Culture and Academic Transitions. The office works to create more programs to bring diverse people together to interact in meaningful ways, Rios said.
