Students and faculty flocked to the lawn of Gilbert Hall on Friday to witness the unveiling of the Quilt to Cover Us All, an annual project organized by the office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA).

This year’s quilt theme was “Hate Has No Home Here,” a slogan that is posted in many locations throughout campus. The event began with the crowd joining together in singing “Imagine” by John Lennon, a song that resonates with what the quilt represents — togetherness and world peace. Students sang and laughed together as the quilt swayed in the late September breeze.

First to present was Kurt Dunkel, coordinator for Shippensburg’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) program, who promoted physical and spiritual wellness on campus and educated students on substance use. The program’s panel was purple, acknowledging the month of September as National Recovery Month.

“No matter your race, gender, ethnicity; helping people move through suffering is what we aim to do,” Dunkel said during his speech. 

A slew of other groups presented their panels, including the Latino Student Organization (LSO), celebrating Hispanic Heritate Month, and the Asian American Pacific Islander Organization (AAPIO), led by President Jeremy Satyawan-Putra and Vice President Haven Tuatagaloa. 

“I’m thankful to the student body and to the executive board for helping to reignite the passion for this organization,” Satyawan-Putra said before explaining the symbolism behind their panel. “It is a trinity of flags from multiple different cultures coming together,” Tuatagaloa said. “We flow into one area. We’re all together.” 

“I’m excited that we’re finally getting AAPIO back on its feet,” Satyawan-Putra said. “We’re thrilled to let people know we’re back on campus. If they ever want to learn more about their culture or want a place to call home, we’ll be more than happy to take them into our arms.”

Next to present was Manny Ruiz, assistant vice president for Inclusion and Belonging and director of Equity.

“Together, we can continue bringing transformative change to our campus community if we simply do three things — listen, talk, and respect one another. Remember — within diversity, there is beauty, and there is strength,” Ruiz said.  

Afterward, the mike was turned over to Diane Jefferson, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), who shared touching words as she acknowledged her admiration and passion for the event.

“There are those of us who believe that of our outside appearances, it is important for us to stand together, because together we really are stronger,” Jefferson said. 

Certificates of appreciation were presented to Niky Keeseman and Professor Samuel Benbow for their contributions toward the event.

“I am humbled by this acknowledgement, because I know that we do this not for the awards, but to support, guide, and direct each other,” Benbow said as he accepted his certificate. 

After the certificates were awarded, Jefferson then gave the announcement that thrilled everyone in attendance.

“Everyone, get to the food trucks and be blessed.”

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