Monday, February 11, 2008
The Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center opens today after months of construction delays. The building replaces the old center behind the Military Science Building and is available for all University students.
Building a new center was a goal of Steve Munch’s, 2004-2005 student body president. His goal has translated into a new building next to the Kansas Union with vaulted ceilings, recycled materials and lots of natural light.
Santos Núñez serves as the Program Director for the Multicultural Resource Center.
Santos Núñez, program director for the Multicultural Resource Center, said the new center gave center users the opportunity to expand their programming. It has an academic resource center, a resource library, a classroom, workspace, a kitchen, offices and a conference room.
“It’s a new beginning for us,” Núñez said.
Núñez said the center outgrew its old space on campus and had too much programming for the small building. The center provided meeting space for many different campus groups, speakers, workshops and a tutoring program. Núñez said the new building provides more space and is more accessible to everyone on campus.
Jesus Castillo, Liberal senior and vice president of Latino-based fraternity Sigma Lambda Beta, said traffic at the old center was low.
“It was meant as a place for students to hang out and it wasn’t conducive to that,” Castillo said.
He said the new center would be easier to stop by when on campus.
“I’ll probably just go there to study instead of the library,” Castillo said.
Eric Iheme, Wichita junior and vice president of black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, studied at the old center, which offered tutors, when he first came to college. Now he uses it for more.
“It’s a great place to catch up with friends,” Iheme said.
Studie Red Corn, Shawnee senior and president of the First Nations Student Association, said his group used the center to come together for luncheons and meetings. He said the location of the building and its new technology will make social functions easier.
“The new center will increase the enjoyment of coming together,” Red Corn said
Grant Huang, St. Louis senior and vice president of the Asian American Student Union, said the old center wasn’t big enough for meetings. His group had to reserve different rooms in the Kansas Union for meetings.
“We didn’t have a space where we could go with all of our materials there,” Huang said. Now the new center provides regular space for meetings and a place for conferences the group wants to sponsor.
Betsy Copeland, Leonardville senior and president of Latina-based Sigma Lambda Gamma, said her sorority held chapter meetings and had speakers at the old center. She said the visibility of the new center was great and students will see the various groups at the center.
“I think we will have a lot more students who are not there specifically for our group,” Copeland said.
Dan Sabatini, 1986 graduate, said the family decision to fund the center was to give opportunities not only to minorities but to bring them exposure.
“It’s a very important part of a healthy community to engage everyone and treat everyone equally,” Sabatini said.
He said the new building would enrich students’ experience at the University by providing a broader perspective.
Núñez said she hoped students who had never thought about coming to the center before would come now.
“We hope students are proud of this building,” Núñez said.
A grand opening and formal dedication will take place later this semester.
— Edited by Katherine Loeck
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