As we celebrate the beginning of the new year, different Ferris communities share their plans and goals for the upcoming spring semester.
Last semester, the Hispanic/Latino Cultural Center changed its name from Center for Latin@ Studies. Though there won’t be any “drastic changes” within the Center, HLCC director Sonia Treviño wants to focus this semester on making the university aware of its recent name change. Along with this, Treviño is working to develop a new logo for HLCC and update signage in the Interdisciplinary Resource Center.
“One ongoing [goal] is the continuation of spreading the word regarding our new name of the center,” Treviño said. “Our old name was so outdated, so the members of the Center are happy that the new name is more representative of the actual work we do in the Center.”
Treviño stated that another goal for HLCC is to continue to “strengthen partnerships with the community.” They plan to do this by working with organizations such as the Hispanic Center of West Michigan and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
HLCC plans to host different events this semester to “promote” student engagement with them as another New Year resolution. These events will be announced in Bulldog News and HLCC welcomes everyone to attend.
“I encourage all students to visit our center to learn about the events we have planned,” Treviño said. “We are located in IRC 131 and no appointment is needed. Feel free to stop by and say hello.”
Diveristy Advocacy for Identity and Sexuality Empowerment is a safe space for people will all sexualities and gender identities. Social work senior and DAISE co-founder Al Alley stated that the registered student organization has been planning to be more involved on campus with new events, RSO meetings and support groups.
“One of our biggest goals for this semester, and this year in general, is the upkeep and growth of the programs we had this school year,” Alley said. “As well as expanding our programming to meet different needs since we have a base to start from now.”
Along with this, Alley wants to continue the DAISE traditions that were started last year by hosting a welcome ceremony to introduce their RSO to new students. DAISE plans on reaching out to other Big Rapids organizations and on-campus RSO’s to create a “concrete plan” for the fall semester.
“DAISE would like to collaborate more with other organizations and work on educational programming,” Alley said. “We have been working on building to back up the LGBTQIA+ Community.”
Alley encourages students to “expand their bubble” by attending other groups’ events.
“I am grateful for all of the support and love that we have received from other RSO’s on campus,” Alley said. “There are so many wonderful, safe, supportive multicultural groups on campus that deserve our attention.”
To learn more about RSO’s and identity centers, visit Ferris’ website and Bulldog Connect.