The smell of Columbian food, laughter and people chattering filled Lampasas hall as students walked through the opening of Texas State’s new multicultural lounge.
The Pan African Action Committee hosted its grand opening of the multicultural lounge and black students’ resource library in Lampasas 500 Sept. 14.
Michelle Sotolongo, student development specialist for the honors college who wrote an equity and access grant for the lounge, said the lounge is a study place for all students.
The resources in the library are books not found in Alkek or San Marcos public library, Sotolongo said.
“The lounge is to make sure the students, faculty and staff know there is a place on campus that is welcoming to everybody and there is a space to use to keep exploring these ideas of multiculturalism,” Sotolongo said.
PAAC has discussed creating the lounge since spring of 2016, and a large amount of work went into opening it.
Grace Nwegbo, microbiology junior and former vice president of PAAC, said there was support from faculty across campus and donations from the alumni association.
“Since it was a student initiative we got a lot of doors shut in our face, but I know specifically the honors college was so gracious and their help is undeniable,” Nwegbo said. “Now that it’s open, I really want people to come up here and figure out the honors college, instead of just staying in Jones or LBJ all the time.”
Jasmine Reed, political science freshman, said she is excited to meet new people and read her poetry at the meetings to be held in the lounge over the next semester.
“At the end of the day, we know we have somewhere we can go and just be ourselves and express how we feel when we want to,” Reed said. “Now we can really be involved and just reach out to everybody who wants to be included.”