The Multiracial Student Union creates new ideas and events to meet students’ interests, connect with other multiracial students and share their unique perspectives during weekly meetings.

MSU meets from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in Dusable Hall Room 246. Anyone regardless of major or experience is welcome.

MSU President Sophie Elliot, a junior biomedical engineering student, gives voice to what MSU is all about.

“MSU is a student group for multiracial people beyond just the name and the words,” Elliot said. “It’s a cross-cultural group for people that come from all different kinds of backgrounds, all different kinds of places, with all different kinds of families that are unique to each person.”

The ability to build a deep connection with people who you otherwise might not have met is a big part of what makes MSU special.

“Having that space to connect with other people that live vastly different lives from you is really the most important part of it, and that’s what MSU is all about, connecting with people that had different lives from you, but you have some common ground,” Elliot said.

MSU is always accepting anyone interested in joining the organization.

“I think that people should be interested in MSU because there’s not a lot of space socially and culturally that is set aside for multiracial people to think about their identity and to talk with other multiracial people about that part of themselves,” Elliot said.

Although MSU is a newer group on campus, they have a very active leadership team.

“I felt like being on the E-board (leadership team) was important for me to do because I wanted to make sure that there was a space that was created for multiracial students,” Elliott said. “It wasn’t until I came here and participated in the focus groups around multiracial racial identity that I realized I never had thought that much about that part of myself.”

Having lots of work to do with the school and setting up events, MSU voted on a dedicated E–Board to help push them further as an organization.

“So the E-Board for MSU right now is handling literally everything with the organization, just because it’s pretty new, and getting a lot of the administrative paperwork kind of took us a lot of time and energy.”

Seeing the efforts they’ve put in come to fruition has been rewarding for all of MSU, but most of all creating a space for multiracial people to connect with each other is what motivates them to strive for success.