This January, MultiCulti leaders hosted 15 events over more than three weeks’ worth of lunches, diving into self-defense, masculinity, beaded crafts and more.
The Month of Understanding (MOU) has taken place annually since 2007 and includes more than a dozen events each year that make space for discussion and education on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. MultiCulti’s open members and affinity space leaders began brainstorming for MOU in the fall term to prepare events for January.
Some events focused on conversations about national politics. The day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Inauguration Debrief lunchtime event hosted breakout rooms. The rooms invited discussion on the implications of the new presidential term and allowed students and teachers to share their thoughts and feelings.
“It provided a lot of comfort in a time when I didn’t know what the world was going to look like,” Kaya Downs ’27 said.
At the event, the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) hosted a discussion group to unpack new legislation targeting queer people. “It was really good to be grounded in a time when my head was firing all over the place,” said Rohan Notaney ’27, GSA apprentice leader. “It can be uncomfortable to talk about these things, but that’s why we need to construct these spaces.”
Several events emphasized family dynamics, with one event bringing in students’ family members to speak. The Women of Color and Middle Eastern/North African affinity groups co-hosted a panel titled Motherhood Across Cultures on Jan. 23. On the panel, seven mothers of Urban students shared their experiences relating to motherhood. They told joyful stories about parenting and dived into the sense of belonging — and lack thereof — as women of color in the United States.
“I thought it was really nice that everyone kind of laughed together,” said Anushka Chandran ’25, co-leader of the Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic affinity space. “I saw a lot of my family reflected in those experiences.”
It was one of the most highly attended events during MOU, according to a survey conducted by the Equity and Inclusion office.
“It was really interesting to hear the sacrifices that a lot of mothers had made. It’s always interesting to hear new voices in a small school,” Griffin Hayward ’25 said.
Other popular events included Cross the Line (MOU’s yearly kickoff event), Food as Stories and the annual Lunar New Year potluck celebration.
Food As Stories ran on Jan. 27, featuring seven recipes that students and faculty cooked and brought in to share with attendees. The dishes ranged from Ecuadorian pan de yuca (yuca bread) to Chinese hong shao rou (red braised pork belly), and each recipe was accompanied by a story or associated memory.
Brayden Wright ’26 was one of the event’s organizers. “People actually really took interest in the stories and the cultural significance of the recipes,” he said, recalling the dialogue between attendees and people who brought food. “There were a lot of conversations going on. … I thought that was really cool.”
For many attendees, certain dishes stick in their memories. “Randy [Li]’s pork belly — I dream about it every night. I would love to make it,” Notaney said.
The end of January brought MOU to a close, but its effects will continue to reverberate throughout the community. “I want students to feel really proud of not only their culture and their heritage, but also their ability to bring that into the space,” said Jason Ernest Feldman, dean of equity, inclusion and belonging. “And I am really proud of our community for being able to rally and support in that way. … It makes me think that the future is bright.”