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Published on February 05, 2025
Students and staff members shared many laughs at the Black History Month kick-off event.
Nyla Graham (left), student ambassador for the Intercultural Center
An in-depth look at the heat of Uno competition at the Black History Month kick-off event.
Eastern Connecticut State University’s Intercultural Center (IC) hosted its annual Black History Month kick-off event on Feb. 3. The event featured students from various backgrounds coming together to celebrate Black empowerment through social interaction, games and food.
The event featured a laid-back and welcoming atmosphere, as students gathered around tables for conversations over pizza and chicken wings before breaking away for activities such as a heated game of Uno.
“Togetherness is important,” said Josiah Gardner, graduate intern for the IC. “Learning from one another’s experiences” is a bridge to discovering “how we all can be successful.”
Junior criminology and sociology major Ananya Patel enjoyed seeing “people of all backgrounds” at the event. “This is truly an intercultural center; it shows what this university stands for: introducing you to other cultures and perspectives.”
Junior social work major Sarah Duffy echoed the importance of “community” at a time of social unrest. Nyla Graham, student ambassador for the IC, praised the students and IC staff, as well as the Pride and Women’s Centers, for “coming together to celebrate Black history.”
The event also served to introduce students to the IC and the friendly space it offers. “Students can always come here,” said student ambassador Emily Jones, highlighting the IC’s purpose to help students “feel safe.”
Senior business administration major Ryan Reid praised the “sense of community the IC offers as a whole … a lot of people don’t take advantage of the resources (on campus).”
The event showed how powerful diversity, equity and inclusion can be “when everyone embraces it and is able to operate in their true and authentic selves,” said Josiah Cook, coordinator of the IC.
Cook continued: “To be welcomed and safe increases motivation and social connections. In the IC, this is what we aim to accomplish every day.”
Written by Noel Teter '24