Multicultural TLC to move to Berkus House Fall 2023

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Outside of Pauley Multicultural Hall at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2023. Anna Beatty/The Occidental

The Multicultural Themed Living Community (TLC) will be moving out of Pauley Hall and into Berkus House for the 2023-24 school year. Occidental’s TLCs occasionally change location in order to accommodate student interest, according to Residential Education and Housing Services (REHS) director Isaiah Thomas.

According to Occidental’s website, the Multicultural TLC is designed to provide a community for and celebrate students from diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences, and it features gender-inclusive living.

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Mural in Pauley Multicultural Hall at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2023. Anna Beatty/The Occidental

“When REHS launched several new TLCs in the 2019-2020 academic year (e.g. Baldwin House, Black Soul Collective, Latinx Collective, Black Soul Collective), we noticed that students were extremely interested in these spaces, and thus REHS saw a significant decrease in student interest in the Multicultural TLC,” Thomas said via email.

Thomas said most of the other TLCs are in dorms with air conditioning, which Pauley does not have.

“By moving Multicultural TLC to Berkus House, the space will allow more intentional opportunities for students interested in multicultural connections to build community with each other,” Thomas said. “Additionally, the space has more amenities, and we tend to see that our TLCs in house environments are very well liked by students.”

There are two lounges in Pauley — the Martin Luther King Jr. Lounge and Lavender Lounge, for Black and LGBTQ+ students respectively. According to Thomas, these will remain in their current locations as spaces for these communities.

The Multicultural TLC is meant to build community between students of color, former Pauley Resident Advisor Oliver Otake* (junior) said via email.

“I’ve made lots of friends in my time at Pauley and I think an important reason we get along well is because we truly value diversity and the mission of the Multicultural Hall,” Otake said. “I’ll always be nostalgic for and proud of my two years spent in Pauley Multicultural Hall.”

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Mural in Pauley Multicultural Hall at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2023. Anna Beatty/The Occidental

Perla Duran, (sophomore) who has lived in Pauley since her first year at Occidental, said via email she has enjoyed her time in the Multicultural Hall as well.

“This residence hall has provided me with an excellent opportunity to connect with my peers and establish a sense of community,” Duran said via email. “I enjoyed the fact that many people who lived on my floor last year left their doors open and played music.”

Otake said he thought positive changes could result from the move to Pauley.

“I think the change has a lot of potential and I’m excited to see how the community evolves,” Otake said via email. “Berkus House could allow for a more intimate community because it’s so much smaller than Pauley, and I would expect future residents of the Multicultural House to be able to form close bonds just like others have done in Pauley.”

*Oliver Otake works for The Occidental.

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