UW-MCOR
Multicultural students’ welcome
Multicultural students’ welcome
By Laura Salinger
While the University of Wisconsin-Madison rivals some of the very best universities in academic, athletic, artistic and extracurricular
opportunities, it can also be a labyrinth-like institution for new students to navigate. This is especially the case for students of color, who
make up only 10 percent of the campus population.
In order to better welcome students of all colors to campus and create a niche-like atmosphere, the university once again brought back
one of UW-Madison’s most popular student orientations: MCOR.
Students from diverse backgrounds gathered to kick-off the school year with unbridled energy on September 4 for an evening full of
information and culture. The Multicultural Orientation Reception, better known as MCOR, aims to bring students of color together and introduce
them to campus life and resources.
“We hold this reception every year to acclimate our incoming students of color and to reconnect our returning students of color with
academic resources and to the institution as a whole,” MCOR chair Gia Mason says.
Organized by the Multicultural Student Center (MSC), the event — now in its 28th year — featured an academic resource and multicultural
student organization fair, multicultural performances, a reception, and a dance in Memorial Union’s Great Hall. The multicultural performance
in the Wisconsin Union Theater featured student-led skits, dances and music, along with spoken word performances by First Wave students
and salsa/cha-cha dancing by Madtown Ballroom. The event concluded with a late-night dance hosted by Division of University Housing
diversity coordinators and featuring DJ Jarius King.
“We feel that MCOR is important because it encompasses different aspects of the university,” Mason says. “We highlight academics, we
highlight performances and cultural diversity, and we also highlight the importance of being involved.”
MSC Director Candace McDowell echoes this sentiment. “The MCOR program introduces students to a host of academic, support and
cultural resources and services that are available on the UW-Madison campus,” McDowell says. “MCOR is designed to bring together
continuing and new students of color to assist them in navigating their way through the University community and to connect them to campus
resources, all while fostering a welcoming community.”
While MCOR strives to set the tone for a productive and connected school year for students of color, MSC works year-long to ensure that
students of color are able to succeed on campus.
“The Multicultural Student Center helps students of color to adjust and navigate resources on the large decentralized UW-Madison campus
and provides opportunities for students to create ‘community’ on campus,” McDowell says. “A large, predominantly White campus can be
daunting to students of color. MSC staff provide advice and information to students on how they can find their place on campus.”
According to McDowell, MSC takes a very holistic approach to supporting students of color.
“Since its inception, the Multicultural Student Center has been committed to providing academic and cultural resources and co-curricular
activities that are essential in supporting the holistic development of each and every student of color on campus, so they can achieve their
educational goals.”
MSC creates, develops, funds, and hosts a number of programs and activities that reflect numerous cultures in the hope of connecting
students of many backgrounds and bridging the gap of understanding. In the long run, McDowell says programs like these positively affect
student behavior and allows the cultivation of a worldlier student population.
“Every person (and) every unit on the UW-Madison campus has a role to play to assure that a positive campus climate exists for all,” she
says. “Efforts at all levels are important but it is vital to have an organization that sponsors and promotes programming and activities that
develops effective leaders who can influence workplace and classroom climates through their words and actions.”
Of the challenges faced by MSC, McDowell says they are most threatened by budget cuts.
“Considerable budget cuts continue to challenge our ability to create opportunities for substantive programming,” she says.
While the University of Wisconsin-Madison rivals some of the very best universities in academic, athletic, artistic and extracurricular
opportunities, it can also be a labyrinth-like institution for new students to navigate. This is especially the case for students of color, who
make up only 10 percent of the campus population.
In order to better welcome students of all colors to campus and create a niche-like atmosphere, the university once again brought back
one of UW-Madison’s most popular student orientations: MCOR.
Students from diverse backgrounds gathered to kick-off the school year with unbridled energy on September 4 for an evening full of
information and culture. The Multicultural Orientation Reception, better known as MCOR, aims to bring students of color together and introduce
them to campus life and resources.
“We hold this reception every year to acclimate our incoming students of color and to reconnect our returning students of color with
academic resources and to the institution as a whole,” MCOR chair Gia Mason says.
Organized by the Multicultural Student Center (MSC), the event — now in its 28th year — featured an academic resource and multicultural
student organization fair, multicultural performances, a reception, and a dance in Memorial Union’s Great Hall. The multicultural performance
in the Wisconsin Union Theater featured student-led skits, dances and music, along with spoken word performances by First Wave students
and salsa/cha-cha dancing by Madtown Ballroom. The event concluded with a late-night dance hosted by Division of University Housing
diversity coordinators and featuring DJ Jarius King.
“We feel that MCOR is important because it encompasses different aspects of the university,” Mason says. “We highlight academics, we
highlight performances and cultural diversity, and we also highlight the importance of being involved.”
MSC Director Candace McDowell echoes this sentiment. “The MCOR program introduces students to a host of academic, support and
cultural resources and services that are available on the UW-Madison campus,” McDowell says. “MCOR is designed to bring together
continuing and new students of color to assist them in navigating their way through the University community and to connect them to campus
resources, all while fostering a welcoming community.”
While MCOR strives to set the tone for a productive and connected school year for students of color, MSC works year-long to ensure that
students of color are able to succeed on campus.
“The Multicultural Student Center helps students of color to adjust and navigate resources on the large decentralized UW-Madison campus
and provides opportunities for students to create ‘community’ on campus,” McDowell says. “A large, predominantly White campus can be
daunting to students of color. MSC staff provide advice and information to students on how they can find their place on campus.”
According to McDowell, MSC takes a very holistic approach to supporting students of color.
“Since its inception, the Multicultural Student Center has been committed to providing academic and cultural resources and co-curricular
activities that are essential in supporting the holistic development of each and every student of color on campus, so they can achieve their
educational goals.”
MSC creates, develops, funds, and hosts a number of programs and activities that reflect numerous cultures in the hope of connecting
students of many backgrounds and bridging the gap of understanding. In the long run, McDowell says programs like these positively affect
student behavior and allows the cultivation of a worldlier student population.
“Every person (and) every unit on the UW-Madison campus has a role to play to assure that a positive campus climate exists for all,” she
says. “Efforts at all levels are important but it is vital to have an organization that sponsors and promotes programming and activities that
develops effective leaders who can influence workplace and classroom climates through their words and actions.”
Of the challenges faced by MSC, McDowell says they are most threatened by budget cuts.
“Considerable budget cuts continue to challenge our ability to create opportunities for substantive programming,” she says.
