Campus multicultural center officially open

On Sept. 9, Geneseo hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Multicultural Center. Located in the lower portion of Blake Hall in the former home of the Knight Spot, the Multicultural Center occupies a central location on campus and is already familiar to many students.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 3 p.m. with speakers Chief Diversity Officer Robbie Routenberg, Student Association President Alexander Ruiz, and President Denise Battles. They were followed by two guest speakers: Geneseo alum Joanna Santos-Smith (‘14) and former Director of Multicultural Affairs Fatima Rodriguez-Johnson. Both speakers emphasized the fact that a permanent space on campus was a long-awaited goal of both students and Geneseo administration. 

The now fully furnished Multicultural Center features a large common space, seating and study space, a kitchen, and a space for speakers and performers. The seating is largely arranged in the center in order to encourage students to interact and develop intersectionality. 

“We saw the benefit that comes with giving attention to detail, from worrying about the dynamic of each corner to understanding the usage and the needs,” Ruiz said.

The walls of the center were revealed to be completely bare, with the intention that students continuously add their own artwork or decorations. According to Ruiz, the lack of decoration was intentional, as the space was meant for students to leave their own mark on throughout their time there. He said that he “[doesn’t] want students to assume the space that they’re going to inherit is limited to what’s been given.”

The long-term goal of the center is to become an unremarkable space on campus. According to Ruiz, he “wants the space to be as ordinary as possible, where students of color understand that ‘this is where I want to go, not where I have to go.’”

Going into this semester, the center will be open 7:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. every day, and students are welcome and encouraged to explore and spend time at the new space.

**The Multicultural Center was partially funded by the Student Association, which is supported by your mandatory student activity fees.**