New rooms are set aside individually for women, Asian students, LGBT students and ‘Latinx’ students, among others
Emory University opened a multi-million dollar complex of individual rooms assigned to minority groups.
“With a grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. coinciding with 2023 Homecoming festivities, the new spaces enhance the sense of community for Emory students across disciplines, identities and experiences,” according to a news release from the Atlanta university.
Emory now offers designated individual rooms to Asian students, women, black students, “Latinx” students, and those who identify as LGBT, among others.
The rooms serve students by “immersing them in affirming spaces while also encouraging exploration of intersectional identities,” according to the release.
Some of the “Belonging and Community Justice Spaces” had already existed on campus, but the new rooms in Cox Hall are a significant improvement on the old, according to the news release.
Students from the groups who will use the rooms “were engaged in over 40 feedback sessions throughout the planning of this multi-million-dollar project,” according to the Identity Spaces website.
Enku Gelaye, senior vice president and dean of campus life, stated in the release that “The core of this project is cultivating a sense of community for all.”
Students host parties in their areas, and individuals not belonging the designated minority group are permitted to visit. Recently, the Emory Black Student Union and the Center for Women co-hosted a line dancing event.
Pre-nursing major Jennifer Soto said in the release that “ever since stepping into the new floor at Cox Hall, we have been getting a lot of engagement from the community compared to before.”
“We definitely feel like a lot of our needs that weren’t completely met in the [former identity spaces] are met at Cox Hall,” she said.
“The first word that usually comes to mind when I think about the new spaces is ‘safety,’” Soto told the outlet. “It’s just a nice place to wind down after a long day, just finding a space that’s really meant for yourself.”
MORE: Universities pushed ‘Latinx’ – but Latino people rejected it
IMAGE: Emory University/Facebook
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