Linfield College now has two new Multicultural Centers for students, one on the McMinnville campus and the other at the Good Samaritan School of Nursing campus in Portland.

The new Multicultural Centers are located in Withnell Commons on the McMinnville campus, and in Leveridge Hall, suite 34 on the Portland campus.

The Multicultural Center is a safe space, where any Linfield student is welcomed to engage and promote positive conversations about the ethnic diversity that Linfield has to offer. It is a place for the underrepresented ethnic groups on campus to have a space where they can feel like home, away from home.

The director of Multicultural Programs, Jason Rodriquez, came to Linfield with the idea of opening a space that would not only celebrate underrepresented cultures but also promote cross cultural conversations. When the idea of opening a multicultural center was pitched at the diversity forum last year, the construction of this new space began.

“It is like FML but with a cultural twist,” Rodriquez said. The space is one where students can lounge, do homework or meet up with other students.

To celebrate the new center, The Multicultural Center on the McMinnville campus will be hosting an open house on Friday, Sep. 23. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those who have questions or want to request a reservation can contact Rodriquez at 503-883-2574 or at [email protected].

Many students might make the assumption that just because it is titled the “Multicultural Center” that only students of ethnic backgrounds are welcomed in this space. That is an assumption that Rodriquez wishes to eliminate.

“The multicultural center welcomes all. I encourage white identified students to strike up conversations with multicultural students,” Rodriquez said.