The Multicultural Center is leaving $80,000 up for grabs for students who can effectively present just one thing: an idea.
The Multicultural Center (MCC) will use this grant money to fund different groups on campus who fill out an application and present an idea, project or program that can unite different groups on campus, according to the director of the MCC, James Manseau Sauceda.
The center is looking for multicultural programs that represent or address a topic from a minimum of two different cultural groups, according to Sauceda. The groups must work together when co-designing and implementing the program, event or project.
Funding for the grants comes from the “Student Excellence Fee,” a portion of students’ tuition. The MCC, in collaboration with the director of student life Brett Waterfield and a committee of students will support as many proposals as possible.
“By fostering coalitions and new alliances, we will soon see events that creatively and compassionately explore issues of culture, ethnicity and other distinctive features of our identity,” Sauceda said.
According to Sauceda, this is the first time the center has launched the campus-wide opportunity. He said the MCC anticipates that CSULB will collectively rise to the occasion by creating compelling and uplifting events on diversity and campus climate issues.
“We’re funding an idea, not an event,” Sauceda said. “It has to be a project we collaborate with and help develop.”
Community team leader for Campus Crusade for Christ, Colin Wadsworth, said he was interested in receiving a grant and decided to unite with other campus groups. The group’s idea involved having Ruth Turley, a professor and researcher from Rice University in Texas, present for students. However, the MCC refused the idea.
“[The MCC] wanted to be more involved in the process, and our plan met all their requirements,” Wadsworth said. “We gave them one month, but that wasn’t enough lead time to plan the event we wanted. If someone plans on proposing an idea to them, I would suggest giving the Multicultural Center plenty of time to work with you.”
Even though their idea was refused, Wadsworth said that he had no hard feelings and plenty of optimism for the program.
“I think it really gives groups a chance to do more than they would, and it’s a great opportunity to get groups and students together,” said Wadsworth.
Arthur Lum, adviser of the International Student Fellowship Group, said he was intrigued by the idea but that it needs more marketing and publicity because he only found out about it by accident.
“I had to go get a table at their office, and I saw a flyer promoting the idea,” Lum said. “That’s when I inquired about it and got the details, but if I never walked in there I would have probably never found out about it.”
Applications and more information on the process may be found at the MCC. The center is located in the Faculty Offices 3 building in room 03. Students can call 562-985-8150 for more information.