The Holton Center is a space that is home to many groups on campus, but many people don’t even know it exists. In order to change this, I reached out to four people to ask them three questions:
“Why should students outside designated groups still come to the Holton Center?”
“What is your favorite part about the Holton Center?”
And finally, “What are the best events put on by the Holton Center?”
Now, before I tackle these questions, I’m going to tell you how to find it. To find the Holton Center, you will enter through the campus center main doors, and you will walk to the left up the stairs. When you are on the second floor, do not take a left; you will instead go up the stairs on the right. Once on the third floor, the Holton Center will be the first door on your left.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the different groups that meet here. The groups include: Black Student Union (BSU), Latine Student Union (LSU), LGBTQ+ Spectrum Alliance, First Generation College Students (Proud to be First), Commuter Students, Men of Distinction (MOD) and Students Taking Academic Responsibility (STAR). As you can see, the Holton Center is home to many amazing groups and communities on campus.
You may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t fit into any of those groups, so I wouldn’t belong.” That can’t be farther from the truth, as Bright Boachie (SNC Staff and Advisor of many of the clubs/organizations listed above) puts it, “it’s not a place where you have to ‘fit’ a certain identity to belong.”
SNC Student TJ McHenry adds, “The Holton Center being the place for minority groups just shows how it’s a place for anyone and everyone.” Everyone on campus belongs in this space as it is a perfect place to relax, grab snacks, connect with others and take a break from the stress of class. It even has its own designated study room, with a cozy sofa where you can decompress or get work done in solitude. Amelia Krajewski (SNC Student and STAR Mentor) was sure to mention an amazing resource in the free food pantry, which is one of two on campus. Since not a lot of people know about it, it often carries foods the library runs out of (for example, noodles or tuna packets).
If all that still did not convince you, I also implore you to read what people love about the Holton Center. Hala Obaideen (SNC Student and STAR Mentor) said, “As a representative, it is meaningful to see students come in, feel comfortable, laugh together and build connections… It [is] a space on campus where students feel safe, valued and able to be themselves.” Amelia adds to this continued love of community saying, “the people are [what] make the space magical…people [will] play cards around the tables, eat Phil’s meals while watching a movie together or talk about a wide variety of topics while working on homework.”
It may seem like this space may be distracting in the nature of schoolwork, but TJ can assure you, “[noise] level is pretty reasonable if you’re doing work.” No matter how busy you are, there is no excuse not to check out what the Holton Center has to offer.
The Holton Center is only one place on campus, but it houses so many different groups of people and it hosts so many different events to create community. Some favorites include Soul Food Dinner, Fiesta, Ornament Making, Pumpkin Painting, Salsa Night and Game Night. Soul Food Dinner [first week of February] and Fiesta [October] were Bright and Amelia’s favorite events, not just because of the great food, but also because they bring people together to celebrate culture and history. These events truly showcase what the Holton Center strives to do: create joy, community and honor identity in a meaningful way. Another favorite of Amelia’s was Salsa Night, where students come together to learn different dances from Hispanic culture in the riverside gazebo. If you want more lowkey event favorites, you will find pumpkin painting [around Halloween], Ornament Making [before winter break] and Game night. Pumpkin Painting and Ornament Making were both cited by Hala as ways for students to get creative and display parts of themselves around the Holton Center to make it more personal. Game Night was cited by TJ as a favorite, bringing together most, if not all, groups in the Holton Center to foster community and connections.
The Holton Center offers a safe space and acts as a resource for all students on campus. For any questions on upcoming Holton Center events, please feel free to email Bright Boachie (Bright.Boachie@snc.edu). Don’t be a stranger!