As students walked out of the SURC on Thursday Sep. 22, they were  greeted by the smells of pizza and popcorn, the sight of crowds of people going from table to table.

The Equity and Services Center Block (ESC) Party was an opportunity for students to see what the identity and culturally based clubs and organizations at CWU have to offer. The ESC meets Friday at 1 p.m every week in Black 105. 

Dena Hoogenboom, law and justice senior, said “The block party allows the students to explore and connect themselves with different things here on campus.” 

The ESC is a collection of clubs and organizations created by students from diverse and marginalized communities that promote awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage. 

Central African Student Association (CASA) Event Coordinator Rahel Mashawa said, “An event like this is important because it allows the ESC clubs to get together and it helps show students what clubs are on campus.” 

The ESC Block Party demonstrates the diversity of CWU’s student population. 

“There’s BSU [Black Student Union]. There’s CASA. You’re here to find your own people,” business senior, Vanessa Acevado, said. 

The ESC Block Party also provided an opportunity for identity-based clubs to promote themselves.

“This is an opportunity for all of the diverse orgs here to showcase,” Filipino American Student Association (FASA) President Lance Gloria said. “We’re here to table and get more people who are interested in one or more of these orgs.” 

Gloria said that one of FASA’s goals at the event and going forward was to increase club membership.

This was also an opportunity for members of existing organizations to be able to meet others who were tabling at the event. 

“We want to recruit members to come to our meetings on Tuesdays,” Mashawa said. “It’s nice to get to know all of the other orgs too.”