By Cole Strzelecki, Staff Writer
Recently, a few student resources moved to newer, more accessible locations on campus. The resources are the following: the BEAR Necessities market, the Queer Resource Center, and the Cultural Center. All located in the campus center, these resources should become more well known by students at our University, allowing them to take advantage of what they have to offer the community.
The BEAR Necessities market has moved into a larger space across from the bookstore in the main area of the campus center’s first floor. It was originally in closet space in the hallway next to the bookstore but was changed to give the resource more space and to prevent any stigma.
“The previous location for the BEAR Necessities market just didn’t feel right,” Henrietta Kolu Sharpe explained. “It felt like we were sending the wrong message: as if we were trying to keep students in need out of sight.”
The BEAR Necessities market is a resource on campus where students with food insecurities can get food. The food is donated by anyone from our University as well as the Parent’s Association. The service is also anonymous, so students don’t have to feel nervous about utilizing this resource.
“We don’t ask for or write down anyone’s names,” Sharpe stated, “we just give them a card with a number and markdown that the number is being used by a student.” The BEAR Necessities market prides itself in providing an easy, supportive, and comfortable service to students in need of support. With its new location, Sharpe hopes that word gets out, and more students feel comfortable about visiting the market whenever they need.
The Queer Resource Center is now located on the first floor of the campus center in the back hallway from the main area. In the past, it was in the back of Rivers Memorial Hall, making it seem out of the way and not well known. However, this resource center has finally been allowed a chance to move to a better, easy to access area.
This change offers an exciting opportunity for many students at our University, one such being Echo Morton. “With this change, we can make sure that people of the LGBTQ community of Western New England University know there is a safe place for them,” she stated. “This also gives us an opportunity to bring people together and help them learn more about the community.” This will be done through various events and activities celebrating the genders and sexualities of the LGBTQ community.
The purpose of this resource is, in the end, to be a location for people to hang out and feel safe. Students such as Morton hope to achieve this from the resource center’s move to the campus center. It is now more easily accessible for our University’s community and will hopefully become more well known in its new location.
The Cultural Center comes with a similar story. Though it has always existed, it has just been at many locations over time, one being Rivers Memorial Hall. However, it now resides near the Queer Resource Center in the back hallway of the campus center’s first floor.
The Cultural Center acts as a place where students can hang out and learn something new about different people. It is also not just a place for international students, but rather one for everyone. The United and Mutually Equal club typically uses this space, but other clubs are allowed to sign it out. It is a resource center open for use by all students at our University, and its new location at the campus center should certainly help with that.
