By Jayson Soto

Multi-Cultural Council members discuss different activity possibilities such as Club Rush and the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. (Martin iniguez Jr.)

By Jayson Soto

Riverside City College students can look forward to new changes in the Multi-Cultural events for spring 2009.

Talks of a “greener” Riverside brought up new ideas for the “St. Patty’s JUICE” event March 17.

The Multi-Cultural Advisory Council plan to have recycling bins and posters promoting efforts to create awareness on campus about recycling, along with more cultural awareness and diversity on campus.

According to RCC’s Web site, “The Multi-Cultural Advisory Council is a branch of the Executive Cabinet in student government. The goal of the group is to make the student body more aware of different cultures and current issues that effect those cultures.”

Multi-Cultural Adviser Deborah Hall was asked how these new events and changes are going to create more cultural awareness on campus.

“Through these activities people can become more aware of the diversity on campus,” Hall said. “We have quite the melting pot here at RCC.”

Hall said that the group’s goals and strong points for this year are “to get people more involved, rather than having students come on campus to come to class and then just go home.”

Hall went on to say, “if they are interested in these different cultural events maybe they will stick around and join some of these groups like Board of Commissioners or MCAC.”

With a budget of $700, the group’s sumo wrestling event was questioned in terms of affordability and is “up in the air” with members of the group left to research on a better deal for the rental of the equipment necessary to make the sumo wrestling event a success, as well as keeping it in their budget.

By presenting opportunities such as these, students can have a chance to find their “niche” on campus and perhaps feel like a certain club may offer something they can relate to like, religion, karate, student government, and everything in between.

There are also clubs that are more hands on.

These clubs teach students how to expand on their skills by way of getting involved directly rather than observing someone else, or sitting through a lecture.

The group seems very determined this year. As a whole, they feel that their group is stronger this year, having new and better sources along with new faces to help RCC students become aware and to participate more.

The group also brings RCC students together in a collaborative effort to raise awareness of culture and diversity.

The Multi-Cultural Advisory Council meets every Monday at 11:50 a.m. in the Heritage Room of the Bradshaw Building.

If you would like to join the group just attend one of their meetings and have a say in what events will be held on campus.