MultiCultural Center

Traditionally a film festival, the Spring '16 Q-Fest was a week of events that were to engage the community and create dialogue of how to better empower ourselves as a community. 

Collaboration with Check-It through the support of their Consent Bar at our events like Q-Fest is integral to creating a culture of empowerment and love.

I feel it is necessary to position my own experience with the MCC, I am currently the Queer Community Building Coordinator and have been for the past three years. Being a part of the MCC has helped me survive at HSU as a Queer/N’Deh/Two-Spirit person. The family atmosphere, empowerment of my identity, and the ability to nurture skills which have helped me achieve so much in the short time I have been here. My first semester I helped two other Queer Community Building Coordinators organize the Qross Qultural Queer Film Festival. Traditionally, films that were outside the mainstream realm of Queer cinema were the ones we chose; the screening ended with a facilitated discussion (led by us) which resulted in great dialogue! Q-Fest started in Spring 2003, the MCC Community Building Coordinators came together and “wanted to break stereotypes about queer people” (Lodevico, 11) through the creation of the Qross Qultural Queer Film Festival. It grew quickly having Q-Fest specific Coordinators, in Spring ‘04 it was brought to the local Minor Theatre and had participation from Arcata High School’s Gay/Straight Alliance. Over the next 15 years, Q-Fest occurred on and off- 6 times to be exact; bringing amazing Queer Folks of Color as keynotes and showing films which help mold our understanding of Queerness outside the stereotypical framing (white, middle-class). Which has been a goal for the Queer Community Building Coordinators. As of Spring 2016, Q-Fest went from a film festival to a celebration of Queerness. The growing momentum for a “Queer” Resource Center and a necessity to shed light on the amazing resources we already have on campus prompted me to deviate from the tradition of cinema to engaging events which prompt discussion and interaction within the community. 

A time to meet other Queer folks and supporters while listening to Chachi Hands, HSU students (Alumns as of Spring '16), and partaking in refreshments and appetizers. 

Community Reception planning notes/email exchange between Mona Mazzotti (Graphic Design Coordinator & Social Justice Programs Coord.) and the Fall '09 Queer Comm. Building Coordinator. 

 At the MCC, we host Community Receptions which are held every Fall and are to welcome all Students, Faculty, and Staff. The Coordinators introduce themselves, we have organizations from HSU and Humboldt County which table- displaying their resources, and there is lots of food (which is important to the MCC because of it's ability to let folks engage with each other). The support shown at the Reception sets the community up to acknowledge that their is a space on campus striving to engage and empower Queer students and our Allies. 

Invitation and keepsake for Queer Grad.

Another event that the MCC has been instrumental to is Queer Graduation, where graduating students are honored and given a rainbow tassel. In Spring 2011 Marylyn Paik-Nicely (MCC Director ‘97-’15) asked students if they wanted a Lavender Grad which is what some universities call their graduation ceremonies. Students loved the idea and decided to call it Queer Grad or Q-Grad. Since then, the graduation has grown to honoring over 30 students each Spring. We have had a variety of keynotes who address the graduates and the local Eureka Sisterhood of Perpetual Indulgence. In 2016, the Eric Rofes MultiCultural Queer Resource Center funded the tassels for students.