Photos: Hannah Seaver
Saturday, Oct. 20, the Mosaic House celebrated its second birthday with a party and cake-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. The two-hour party welcomed current students, faculty, staff and alumni to have fun and reminisce about the accomplishments of the Mosaic House since its formal opening two years ago.
Coordinator of Multicultural Programs Stephanie Diaz hosted the party, leading the discussion to the Mosaic House’s accomplishments and the plans and programs students can expect to see in the upcoming semesters.
Specifically, Diaz ranked the Mosaic House’s previous accomplishments and provided her top three: club meetings, collaboration with other departments on campus and consistent programming. Diaz added that one of her goals through the Mosaic House was to spread its name around campus by collaborating with different campus departments and student clubs.
“Through the Mosaic House and our on-campus collaborations, we are giving more space to have students come to give students another option,” Diaz said.
Before the official opening of the Mosaic House two years ago, the house was a college-owned residential SDLC available as a student housing option. After a student initiative for a more inclusive, safe space on campus, the College agreed to turn the house into the current Mosaic House.
“The Mosaic House was opened because students wanted this space,” Diaz said. “We pride ourselves on programs that are inclusive to all students, as [the students] requested.”
Sophomore Hannah Soden commented on her experiences with the Mosaic House and what the Mosaic House means to her as an individual and a student at Elizabethtown College.
“It’s a place where you don’t have to be afraid to be yourself,” Soden stated.
In addition to Soden, sophomore Ryan Strohl commented on the atmosphere at the Mosaic House in one simple word: “home.”
Despite its past accomplishments and initiatives to increase student inclusion and create a safe learning environment for all students enrolled at the College, the Mosaic House is planning many events for the remainder of this semester, as well as the upcoming spring semester, for any interested students to participate in.
Starting with an event on Halloween night, the Mosaic House will be hosting Halloween festivities that include a movie and handing out candy to local trick-or-treaters. Following the Halloween festivities, the Mosaic House plans to continue the Safe-Zone Training, led by Diaz, and the Soar Above Hate programming, which discusses ways to combat bias and identity-related issues on campus.
In the spring semester, students can look forward to the Humanity Project and a full week of activities during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Humanity Project is a program, like the existing Called to Lead program on campus, that will combine identity development with ways to use education to change bias in the world. The activities during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day will consist of multiple speakers on campus and a full week of activities dedicated to the work of Dr. King.
