(Bri Nitsberg | Student Life)

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) celebrated its 10th anniversary during the month of September through a plethora of events and collaborative initiatives, marking a decade of fostering community and belonging for the multiple identity-centered groups on campus.

“It really is special that students feel safe enough to kind of engage with us, feel like this is their home,” Director Cross-Cultural Connections (CCxN), Jordan Cooper, said.

Throughout the 10 years of its existence, the CDI has grown considerably, reflecting the growing demand for its campus presence and programming work. What started as a three-person center has grown into four different offices, three of which were instituted in the fall of 2023. CCxN, the Office for International Student Engagement (OISE), and Spectrum joined the already established Office for Religious, Spiritual & Ethical Life (ORSEL).

The CDI is open to all students — graduates and undergraduates alike — of all identities and is an important resource on campus for many individuals and identity-centered clubs. 

“[Its] work in creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment has really helped amplify our voices and given us the tools to build stronger communities,” Hindu Students’ Association Co-President, Jay Maddukuri, said. He added that the CDI’s prayer rooms have been “monumental for our club and for Hindus at WashU who want a place to pray.”

After a tumultuous and tense spring semester surrounding the Israel-Hamas war and subsequent campus protests, the CDI launched Unity Fest early this fall semester to foster connection between a polarized student body. In collaboration with Campus Life, Unity Fest hosted various student organizations and served as an “intentional space” for students to learn about other identities and cultures through dialogue, games, and performances. 

“​​How can we remind students that a lot of them have the same values or similar values, and kind of get them rerouted and grounded in that? And so we started Unity Fest this year,” Cooper said.

Along with the various lectures, workshops, and annual events the CDI holds, the center’s multifaceted nature also helps strengthen culture clubs on campus.

“The CDI has also been a great help with connecting potential members to our club and raising awareness of our presence…by helping us organize some of our meetings and being a discourse to the higher-up Washu governing body,” Maddukuri said.

Students can visit the CDI in suite 150 in the Danforth University Center or suite 102 in the Women’s Building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday if they are just looking for a quiet place to study, an inclusive space to hang out with friends, or a place to engage with different cultures and identities.

“I see the CDI as really like a springboard, a place where [students] can come and learn, learn about who they are…through our programs [or engaging] in dialogue in our physical spaces, and then springboard off into [a] multitude of ways,” Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Jacob Chacko, said.

Throughout the rest of the semester, students can expect events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, and Transgender Day of Remembrance, according to Chacko.