On the evening of September 1, all eight of the multicultural student organizations at Ohio Northern were in attendance for the third annual ‘Opening The Way’ reception.
The reception was held in the James F. Dicke College of Business Administration, with each organization having their own booth to display and interact with attendees.
Director of Multicultural Development LaShonda Gurley said that the purpose of the event was to provide new students with a better understanding of the multicultural department and what they do.
“The event strives to help students from other countries feel at home at ONU,” Gurley said. “We try to encourage everyone to socialize and interact with people from other cultures and backgrounds.”
Students were invited to meet with representatives from the eight multicultural student organizations on campus. Among these organizations were the Asian American Student Union, Black Student Union, Gospel Ensemble, Indian Student Association, Latino Student Union, Muslim Student Association, Open Doors, and World Student Organization.
Ohio Northern has students that represent over 29 different countries, making up a significant part of campus. Having students from all around the world brings the campus of ONU more diversity and culture.
Secretary of Brother 2 Brother, William Bodden, spoke upon the importance of making first-year students feel welcome.
“I encourage everyone to get involved with one or more of these organizations and take advantage of these opportunities for growth in and outside the classroom,” he said.