East Lansing — Over my years at Michigan State University, I have noticed an explosion in new projects and buildings that have little to do with education, which, if anyone needs reminding, should be the main priority for one of the nation’s largest universities.
It seems, however, that MSU is more concerned with catering to special interests and ideologies via virtue signaling and financial boondoggles instead of actually providing an exceptional education for its students.
One of these boondoggles is called the Multicultural Center. Opened February 2025, MSU spent $38 million dollars to construct the 34,000 square-foot glorified seating space. Why do I call it that? Because there is truly nothing else to call it. The building is practically bare, with sad seating arrangements and beige stairs that double as seating slabs. A completely empty mixed-use kitchen on the second floor adds to the dystopian feel of the building as a whole.
Walking through the building, you will notice posters carefully placed on each door that read: “No Academic Classes.” What kind of serious academic institution spends $38 million dollars just to forbid academic classes from taking place? Professors already have a difficult time finding adequate classrooms each semester, so this could have at least helped that problem.
This money could have been spent in other different, beneficial ways, including maybe even building a new dorm. Many students are trapped in situations with three people in a dorm meant for two, and five people in a dorm meant for four. The last time MSU built a new dorm was 2012-13, which I find completely abysmal as they continue to accelerate their acceptance rate and shove students into dorms like sheep.
MSU officials, instead of truly helping students, have resorted to pandering sweet talk to appease left-leaning ideologues.
“Marginalized students often struggle to find spaces they can feel at ease in, so this is an opportunity for students to define a space as their own and create a welcoming, vibrant home on campus,” said Asian Pacific American Student Organization President Sujin Lee. Except, marginalized students have many spaces. There are religious exemptions for classes. Professors are more than accommodating of every student. Clubs can operate in most buildings and rooms on campus with the proper accreditation, and a new building for that was simply unnecessary.
It’s also important to note that the Multicultural Center is directly across the street from the existing International Center, which I recognize are not the same but do serve similar functions, further proving the Multicultural Center is a complete boondoggle.
MSU claims that the building houses “collaboration spaces, including a large living area,” which, in my words, should be “glorified seating space.” I mean, if you just take a look at the room you would realize there is nothing special about it at all… It is truly just an additional seating on campus.
Honestly, I would have no issue with this if the University prioritized students in other ways as well, the problem is they often choose not to. A new dorm is needed and craved by the student population, but I guess MSU is not ready for that conversation.
Eli Raykinstein is a junior at Michigan State University studying political science.
