by C. Genzoli

Everything was new and intimidating, when I first arrived at OSU and then I found the Memorial Union Craft Center. This was my first interaction with any part of the Memorial Union. The singular theme I’ve experienced through the MU is a welcoming one. The reason that I joined the MU Craft Center, and later became a staff member there, was because of the inviting feeling I got from the people in the MU. Students greet other students, interact together and create a coming together reaction. This is reflected in the surroundings of the MU and the events that are provided to the students.

The MU is the heart, the hub of the whole university. It is a hang out location, a meeting place, but also a symbol of the university. Why? Because of the open feeling that is felt there, that all students will be welcomed. It is a protected place in which one may come to rest their mind and body, a refuge of sorts. I’ve met students in the MU lounge from all backgrounds, many that I would not have had any interaction with during my whole college years if not for a space that brought so many together.

I’ve been able to experience shows, speakers and other programs through the MU that otherwise would have been beyond my reach. I’ve been to different events that nave educated, entertained, and evoked the desire to ask questions. I have found these to be part of what makes the MU unique.

The entire MU is many things, but more than anything else it is a core which students surround. The diversity that comes with all those students is a self propelling mechanism, which keeps people coming back, and that is the key. Students are intertwined, one being vital to the other, and creating an open, welcoming space.