The University of Oregon will be celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center. As referred to by students and staff who utilize the space, the BCC came to be through decades of work from UO students and members of the Black community.
The BCC is a space where students of all walks of life can come together and be immersed in Black culture. From the art on the wall, to the “living room” space where students congregate in addition, to the many events the BCC puts on, Black culture has a space to grow on campus. It took over 50 years for the space to be created, and it is only the second cultural center with a building reserved for the purpose of sharing a rich and vibrant culture with both those familiar and those who desire to learn more.
Some UO students are hopeful that the BCC could be a springboard for other cultural centers around campus.
Mecha External Director and third-year student Maria Gaspar has thought about a potential Latinx Cultural Center for quite some time now. “We want to allow people to feel welcomed and comfortable on campus,” Gaspar said. 
The lack of Latinx cultural clubs is another driving force for Gaspar. “The three big groups on campus for UO students are MECHA DE UO, Latinx Male Alliance and UO Mujeres. Sharing space in the Multicultural Center in the Erb Memorial Union, it gets cramped,” Gaspar said. 
“This is our office and it’s very reserved and small. We can’t truly showcase [the Latinx culture] as much as we’d like or have events that bring in the whole community as much as we’d like,” Gaspar said. “If we had a Latinx center, we could have tailored experiences for the Latinx community and bring that to a wider range of people.”
Other students around the campus feel the need for a dedicated space as well.
Trent Atkins, a junior studying business at UO, also wishes there was a Latinx cultural space on campus. “I’m half and half. I’m half Hispanic and half white. The Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center is such a great resource [and] to have that for the Latinx community would be amazing,” said Atkins. 
Atkins said that if there was more of a Latinx community and heritage on campus, “ [it] would just help share that incredible culture and experience with more people.”
Liz Sgro is a junior studying advertising and public relations, in addition to environmental humanity. She works as a residential assistant for University Housing. Sgro sees a clear benefit in creating a dedicated building for a Latinx Cultural Center. 
“For a university and student body that preaches inclusivity and making people feel like they can have connections on campus, [a Latinx center] would be a really great extending resource for that community,” Sgro said. “As an RA, I’m aware of the resources we have on campus but if we had a Latinx center on campus, that would boost support for UO students.” 
Sgro said that a lack of a “set central location” for students to share their culture can cause students to feel “disconnected.”
Gaspar hopes that a Latinx cultural center would spark a cascade of other identity-based buildings around campus. “I would want a space for anyone and everyone,” Gaspar said.