Student Union Cultural Centers Remodeled
photo credit: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas
by Adrian Mendoza ‘25
On October 31, the 4th floor of the Student Union officially reopened after months of remodeling, providing the numerous cultural centers located there a home once again. Prior to this grand reopening, these groups continued to operate while finalizing the changes, including meeting in various locations within the Student Union and its surrounding USC buildings before the 4th floor space became available to the public. Now, these groups can have a regular, comfortable, and revamped meeting spot.
These cultural centers are housed under the Student Equity and Inclusion Programs and are designed to be culturally relevant and educational spaces for students of minority groups on campus. The largest of these is the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA), located in STU 100, which also houses the Middle Eastern & North African Student Lounge. The other centers, located on the 4th floor of the Student Union, include the Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS) in STU 421, the Latinx/Chicanx Center for Advocacy and Student Affairs (La CASA) in STU 400, the LGBTQ+ Student Center in STU 415, and the Native American & Pasifika Student Lounge in STU 405.
The cultural center that underwent the biggest renovation was APASS, which more than doubled its space and gained new multipurpose and conference rooms. APASS states that their programs are designed to educate, engage, and empower students. They offer resources for networking, mentoring for first-year students, and lots of educational and social events. Many of these programs are in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly (APASA) to make the most of their resources through a combined effort. They also recently started the Queer & Trans API (QTAPI) Initiative as a subgroup within their organization.
La CASA was also relocated to a newly revamped space twice the size of the old center and now has additional multipurpose rooms and a conference room. La CASA emphasizes education and conversation in their programs. They host many discussion-based events around a Latine-related topic. Additionally, they organized the Latinx Floor, a special interest community offered as a first and second-year housing option for students who wish to live with those of a similar cultural background.
photo credit: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas
The LGBTQ+SC was expanded an additional 300ft with an added kitchenette and tables. The LGBTQ+SC hosts occasional events such as game nights and dinners as well as weekly affinity groups. These groups include Ace/Aro, Beyond the Binary, Bi+ Spaces, Friends of Sappho, Queer Book Club, Queer Neurodivergent, Queer Fandom Fanatics, QTPOC Lounge, and Rainbow International. These groups are designed to allow a variety of identities to meet and engage in activities with those with a shared identity or interest.
The Native American & Pasifika Student Lounge is one of the newer lounges and is the space that hosts the Native American Student Assembly (NASA). This group hosts fun events for Native American students such as scavenger hunts and beading circles.
All of these centers also have embedded counselors to provide culturally sensitive therapy for students looking for counselors of a shared identity or background. They also host separate graduation ceremonies to recognize the achievements of students of minority groups.
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