La Mosaic: a term used to describe the mix of ethnicities and cultures within a single society. On Northwestern’s campus that name is taken quite literally. La Mosaic—commonly known by its nickname La Mo—is a multicultural campus club that focuses on bringing together students from all walks of life, in order to engage in conversation and deepen their understanding and relationships with other cultures.
Most people recognize La Mosaic as the club throws Holi—the Hindu spring festival—at the end of the year, where students gather on the green and throw colored powdered at each other to celebrate the beginning of spring. But for those more familiar with La Mo, it means much more than that.
The leadership of the club changes every year, and so do the activities and conversations with it. This year, senior Tabbie Frey and sophomores Adebola Adeyemo and Chau Lee serve as the leaders of the group. With roots in Missouri, Ethiopia and Vietnam, respectively, the crew brings a variety of experiences and cultures to their roles.
“The nature of our current cultural environment is this idea of tolerance, but the goal of La Mosaic isn’t just to tolerate each other, but to learn how to actively be a beloved community,” said Frey. “It’s about much more than a buzzword. It’s really about seeking the flourishing of others.”
Nnenna Stephanie Nwaelugo, a junior and international student on campus, values the conversations and relationships that have stemmed from her time as a member of La Mo.
“I think for some it provides a safe space. Not everyone feels comfortable talking about things that really matter to him or her out in the open, and this is kind of a place where they can do that,” said Nwaelugo. “I like how there are so many different perspectives and people don’t seem afraid to talk about their opinion, so we talk about some deep stuff, like racism, sexism, mansplaining. Oh, and Trevor Noah.”
Since La Mosaic is all about learning from different cultures and experiences, there are no qualifications to who can or cannot join. Each meeting revolves around a different topic or issue that those present discuss, and the goal is not to come to a consensus, but rather to be open to differing opinions.
“More students should join because La Mosaic is based on the experiences of students, and we can’t do that if no one joins!” Frey said. “But actually, the whole point of La Mo is to come together and learn from one another, and so we can never have too many people.”.
Frey’s co-leader Lee agreed with Frey’s sentiment. For this year, La Mo’s goal is to create a beloved community, playing on the word choice to emphasize the loving environment of the club.
“We wish to see more students because this is a great chance for everyone to step out of their comfort zone and interact with people different from them on a much deeper scale,” said Lee. “We wish to see beauty, but at the same time, brokenness. We strongly believe that a person will only grow when they are exposed to people or ideas that are different from theirs, yet find their own value and be a unique part of a big mosaic picture.”
La Mosaic meets every Thursday at 9 P.M. in the Ramaker Fireside Room. Students interested in joining should feel free to attend, as there is also food present.
